Sienna Miller won over American Woman director with ‘scrambled’ nature

Actress Sienna Miller’s “scrambled” nature helped her land her new role in American Woman.
The Alfie star portrays Debra Callahan in Jake Scott’s drama, about a single mother forced to raise her grandson after her teenage daughter goes missing, and her scattered behaviour during her first meeting with the director actually worked in her favour.
Jake, the son of famed filmmaker Ridley Scott, was already very keen to secure Sienna’s involvement in the movie, because he recognised the range of her acting talents.
“She could do comedy, but she could also go very deep,” he told WENN. “For example, she’s really subtle in American Sniper and gives an exquisite performance. And she was great in Foxcatcher as well. Both of those portrayals were so beautifully heartfelt. It was one of those meetings that I wanted to go well, because I really thought she was right for the part.”
And his hunch was spot on the moment the two came face-to-face.
“We met at a restaurant and she’d literally just finished working on (2016 crime drama) Live by Night the day before, so when she arrived she was understandably a bit scrambled,” Jake recalled.
“By the time she sat down at the table, all I could see was Deb. She was dropping things and her hair was all over the place. Honestly, it was very funny.”
American Woman was co-produced by Ridley, via his Scott Free Productions firm, and working together really helped Jake hone his skills as a filmmaker as it’s only his third feature length release to date, having made his name as a music video director.
“Having my dad as one of the producers on this project was great,” he said. “Obviously, his name makes a huge difference to the movie’s profile because he’s such an amazing artist.
“By now, I’ve been directing long enough that he only provides support when it’s asked for and where it’s needed. But before each new project, he always reminds me to have fun doing it, and I take that to heart because although it can be really tough making a film, it’s still just a movie. Where he gets more involved is during post-production – he had a lot to say when he saw the first cut.”
His feedback must have paid off – American Woman garnered generally positive reviews from critics following its world premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, and is currently on limited release in North America.