While Greta Gerwig‘s “Little Women” earned rave reviews upon its initial release in 2019, nobody could have predicted how much foundation it would lay for the film zeitgeist of the 2020s. In addition to establishing Gerwig as a major studio filmmaker to watch, the film starred virtually all of today’s biggest independent film stars, from Florence Pugh to regular Gerwig collaborators Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet.
The ensemble of awards darlings and the natural chemistry that emerged between them fueled the film’s success, but it also intimidated some of the other cast members. In a new interview with The Independent, “Little Women” star Louis Garrel opened up about the anxiety that he often feels when working on large films.
“I am the most anxious French guy you can meet,” Garrel said. “Believe me, I want to be more brave than I am. I am… what do you say? Effrayé they say in French… a scared guy.”
He singled out his experience making “Little Women” as a particularly extreme example of being anxious on a film set. He explained that working with the film’s star-studded cast, which also included Meryl Streep, Emma Watson, and Bob Odenkirk, was intimidating for him as an actor.
“I was super stressed because I knew that all of the actors in it were better than me. Obviously Florence [Pugh], Saoirse [Ronan], Timothée [Chalamet].”
Fortunately, Garrel’s concerns about being the worst actor in the room quickly gave way to the realization that the movie would be a hit. “Little Women” was nominated for six Academy Awards (winning one for Costume Design) and grossed over $200 million on a $40 million budget. Garrel said that the film’s success was unsurprising, as he can immediately tell whether a movie is going to work.
“But then it does work out sometimes,” he said. “I find you know early – like the first or second day of shooting – if you’re going to be good. Or not so good.”
