The director of The Sixth Sense and Signs answers your questions about Rupert Grint, Bruce Willis, spoilers and dealing with grief
Rupert Grint has become a muse of sorts for you. What do you think he brings to his roles that other actors don’t? Mayfieldblue
I’m always looking for a buoyant actor: someone who naturally entertains, who’s very colourful and beautiful to watch and has as many muscles in humour as in drama and poignancy. That’s rare. Rupert has that, coupled with his kindness and incredible professionalism. He’s just the easiest human being to work with. It’s a tricky thing, what we ask actors to do. Sometimes that comes with complications as human beings. With Rupert: zero. He’s a Navy Seal: comes in and can do anything you ask him to.
I have a theory that you enjoy complete artistic freedom. Am I right that you’ve moved away from huge-budget blockbuster films in order to retain more freedom? balders1
Yes. Maybe it’s the immigrant-Indian-wanting-to-please-everybody thing. There’s something about me that gets triggered by taking a lot of money and then wanting to please the person that gave me that money. That isn’t healthy. So I pay for the movies and we do them with as small a budget as possible. That allows me to take unusual swings, both in the stories that I’m telling and in the way I’m telling them. And that freedom lets me hear myself better.
