Stephen Frears
Stephen Frears
Stephen Arthur Frearsis an English film director. Frears has directed British films since the 1980s including My Beautiful Laundrette, Dangerous Liaisons, High Fidelity, The Queen and Philomena...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth20 June 1941
happily life quite remember rest script spend watching
I remember reading the script for 'Dangerous Liaisons' and thinking that I could quite happily spend the rest of my life watching this film; the story and the writing were so wonderful.
jobs actors scripts
As a director, my job is to protect. I protect scripts, actors, cameramen, designers.
analytical draw far films identify line strikes themes tried type whatever wish
I've tried to draw a line between my films and identify the themes that keep returning, but I can't. I wish sometimes I could identify the type of films I do, but so far I have not. Whatever strikes me, is about as analytical as I can get.
dirty licensed national sort
It was very very English. It was like a sort licensed national dirty joke.
began brought clothes escaping habit happened means people performing public suppose taking together tragedy truth view windmill women
These were women who did not make a habit of taking their clothes off in public before they began performing at the Windmill. I suppose we could view all of this as politically incorrect, but the truth is that what happened at the Windmill brought many people together as a means of escaping the tragedy that was surrounding them.
source strength
I've always found poverty a source of strength.
experience possible sit sort testimony
I teach film directing, inasmuch as you can. It's not really possible to teach film direction, but I sit there as a sort of testimony of experience and know-how, I suppose.
book grew helped mgm
I grew up with those MGM musicals, so I have an idea what I like from a musical. It helped to read a book about making musicals, however.
endlessly quite truth
Truth is quite constricting, in a way. You endlessly see at the start of a film 'This is a true story'.
I want my films to get audiences. I am not interested in making them just for myself.
opens sort
When I go and teach, it sort of opens me up in some way. And when you're open, you're more receptive.
catholic politics pretend
I'm Jewish; I'm not religious at all, and I wouldn't pretend to know anything about Catholic politics.
avoid girl modern putting victorian
By putting a girl in there you immediately get a much more modern sensibility so you avoid making it a Victorian melodrama.
I like a lot of takes. I just go on until the actors get it right.