Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/957795
DGA QUARTERLY 35 Q: You've often said that your childhood home was your first film school. Explain. A: My father was a director of 23 ultra-low- budget movies, so I learned a lot about direct- ing from him. I did every job on his set: focus puller, props, 1st AD, camera loader. I was armed with a lot of knowledge because I grew up with it. It was in the ether of life; it was in- fused in my growing up. It's kind of a family business. My father was sort of everyone's father. He brought these young filmmakers home and we all made films together. We learned the magic of storytelling. We learned how to get creative, to do it with no money. Q: Yet your journey to becoming a director of- ficially began in the cinematography depart- ment at the AFI Conservatory. Why not study directing? A: I think I was too fearful, not sure of my- self at that point. When I [applied] to the American Film Institute, they said, "You should come in as a director," and I said, "No, I want to be a cinematographer." As soon as I began to understand the power of the camera, I understood the power of the per- formance of an actor, it just made me want to tell stories. I realized very quickly that I wanted to direct. Q: Post-graduation, you spent 10 years work- ing as a script supervisor. A: I did script supervising as a means of support. It was great to work with all those directors. I worked with Greg Hoblit, who gave me my first directing job. I was working as script supervisor on Hill Street Blues and Stephen Bochco and Greg Hoblit hired me to direct [an episode] in the next season. They'd given me dates. Then they left the show and a new set of exec producers took over and they didn't feel I was qualified to direct. I was fired before I ever got a chance. Was I fired be- cause I was a woman? Yes! The two guys they hired [after I left]—their first AD and their location manager—had less experience than me. Neither went on to have a feature film or television career. It was very disheartening. But I believe in never giving up. Just go for- ward. Get knocked down. Stand right up. Q: The way the story goes, Hoblit and Bochco next went to L.A. Law, right? A: Greg Hoblit called and said, "Come script Q: You've been a DGA member for some 33 years. Talk about how the Guild has influ- enced your career. A: When I'm able to participate, [there's] a great community. I love going to the director night events. They have a feature night and an episodic night and I like going to both. We never get to talk to each other [so] it's always very exciting to sit at a table with eight other directors you admire and talk process and laugh. "How did you do this?" There's just a respect that's invaluable. The Guild work that's being done in the areas of diversity and gender equality is so essential. I respect the community and the community it provides. I think it's the great- est union in pension, in benefits, in leader- ship. I'm very proud to be a Guild member. Q: Throughout your career, you've always used your status to lend a hand to other women. A: When I was hiring women in the '80s and '90s, it was a new thing. Few women were being hired. I hired Bethany Rooney, Sharron Miller, Diane Keaton, Elodie Keene, supervise for me on the pilot and a few epi- sodes. You help me, I'll help you." I was script supervisor on the first six episodes of L.A . Law. I'd gotten pregnant. I worked, had my baby. Three weeks after Hannah was born, they called me and said, "We want you to di- rect show 19." I went, "What?" I was nursing my beautiful Hannah and I had to wean her. It took three months. I'm in horrible pain. It was very challenging, but I loved every min- ute of it. I got a second episode. Then my ca- reer just took off. Q: Describe being in demand as a TV director. A: I'd been directing for a year when I did my first pilot for Aaron Spelling. I had told my agent, "I'm not doing a pilot about nurses in skirts (Nightingales) for Aaron Spelling. That's not what I want to do with my career." She said, "They want you to do a pilot. Do it! Are you nuts?" So I did it, and signed on for three episodes. Then John Sacret Young and John Wells called. They hired me to direct episode four [of the sec- ond season of China Beach] and [afterward], they asked me to stay on. I was under con- tract to do a couple more Nightingales. I was raised a feminist. I was an anti-war protest- er all during the Vietnam War. I had to do China Beach because it was something that I totally understood. So I left Nightingales and didn't fulfill my obligation. [Spelling producer] Doug Cramer said, "You'll never work in this town again" (laughs). That didn't happen. I'm still here. Q: In fact, you became one of the first-ever producer-directors. A: Greg Hoblit was the first one to do it on Hill Street Blues. I was the second one. When I came on to China Beach, they hired me for two episodes, then said, "We'd like you to join our staff," and I said, "As what?" and they said, "As a producer-director." I di- rected episodes but I also started hiring the directors and prepping them. This was in the '80s when there were no people doing that— except Greg. "I believe in never giving up. Just go forward. Get knocked down. Stand right up." Opposite: Mimi Leder orchestrates the action on the set of On the Basis of Sex, her return to features after 18 years of concentrating on television; above, she directs George Clooney in ER during the mid-'90s. PHOTOS: PAUL DRINKWATER/NBCU PHOTO BANK; (OPPOSITE) JONATHAN WENK/FOCUS FEATURES