Cameron Crowe learned a career-making lesson from working with John Cusack on the 1989 movie Say Anything.
Crowe is an Academy Award-winning director who’s helmed films like 1996's Jerry Maguire and 2001's Vanilla Sky.
In his new memoir, The Uncool, Crowe recalls the first feature film he ever directed: Say Anything. The film follows a romance between recent graduates Lloyd (Cusack) and Diane (Ione Skye).
"I have all these people on my shoulder because it's a first-time guy," Crowe told People. "[Cusack] finished this take and immediately all these people were on my shoulder. Cusack's standing there on set, and he motions to me."
"We go for a little walk. He goes, 'I've worked with some really good directors. I've worked with Rob Reiner and John Sayles, and I just want to say I'm here to throw down for you,'" Crowe recalled.
He continued, "'You're going to meet other actors like me, and they're there for you. So when I finish a take, I don't want to look up and see a huddle of people whispering. That s--- doesn't work with me. I want to see you and me locked in. Are we doing it together?'"
That taught Crowe a lesson: to be there for the actors.
"You literally cannot pull me away from being as much there for the actor as possible because they are throwing down for you," Cameron Crowe said. "They're going to give you their best stuff to do what you want to do with it. So f------g be there for them."