THE HERO

SUSAN SEIDELMAN

THE DIRECTOR ON MADONNA, MARTIN SCORSESE AND MALE-DOMINATED HOLLYWOOD…

Long before the likes of Greta Gerwig and Patty Jenkins, there was Susan Seidelman. Her new book, Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir about Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls, recounts how she brought female-centred stories to the screen in an industry then dominated by men. Her debut, Smithereens, became America’s first indie film to compete for Palme d’Or at Cannes. Her next movie, Desperately Seeking Susan, was a box-office smash that featured a young Madonna.

How did it feel when your first short film, And You Act Like One Too, was nominated for a Student Academy Award?

It was a real breakthrough and affirmation for me that I was on to something with the stories I wanted to tell about women breaking out of boxes they found themselves in. Flawed people were interesting to me – I was drawn to [characters] like Jack Nicholson’s [Randle] in One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I admired their fearlessness, but they were schemers, too. You didn’t see many female versions of this on screen. I wanted to change that.

What are your memories of your feature debut Smithereens competing at Cannes?

Walking the red carpet was a very special moment. As a cash-strapped, aspiring filmmaker, you really don’t know if you will ever make a career out of this. Cannes was the first moment I remember thinking I could be a filmmaker after all.

How did Martin Scorsese help you at that time?

He’d seen Smithereens, liked it and recommended me for the Directors Guild of America. I think he was aware of how few female directors there were and helped me out. I went to meet him on the set of After Hours – it was so educational and eye-opening.

I was so grateful to him.

Next, Desperately Seeking Susan was a huge success…

Yes, and I’m very proud it was one of the first films in Hollywood to have an all-female creative team who pushed to get this made. It’s a little easier now, but most big-budget studio movies are still made by men, despite the success of Barbie and Wonder Woman. There’s still not salary equality for women in this business, either.

‘MADONNA WAS PERFECT FOR THE ROLE –SHE WAS FUNNY, CHEEKY AND SCRAPPY’

What are your memories of working with Madonna? S

Madonna was still way under the radar – an aspiring musician who also wanted to be in movies. I remember her arriving for her audition in a taxi and she didn’t have enough to pay for it: she borrowed money from the girl behind the desk at our casting office! Straight away, I thought that was funny, cheeky and there was something scrappy about her that seemed perfect for the role. I fought to hire her, but it was the studio boss’ son who clinched it: he loved Madonna’s music and told them to hire her!

An unknown Bruce Willis also auditioned for the film…

He was great! He wasn’t cast, but at the end of filming, we had a wrap party and he was our bartender for the night, something he did in-between acting jobs. He thanked us for not casting him because, instead, he’d got the role in Moonlighting – his big break!

Did you enjoy directing episodes of Sex and the City?

I had no idea it would become a huge, hit TV series. I loved that there was a female friendship story at the heart of it and that chimed with a lot of my work. It was a full-circle moment directing female-centred stories once more in New York.

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

A lot of people get disappointed if a movie gets bad reviews and they lose faith in themselves. You have to keep making stuff. You can’t let other people’s feelings about your work get to your soul and paralyse you.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SOMETHING: A MEMOIR ABOUT MOVIES, MOTHERS, AND MATERIAL GIRLS IS PUBLISHED ON 18 JUNE.