Lily Gladstone, America Ferrera, Erika Alexander, Emily Blunt and Fantasia Barrino Share On-Set Memorable Moments of Their Co-stars

What makes a great co-star? We asked SAG Awards ensemble-nominated actors to answer just that question, as well as their favorite on-set anecdote or story, about one of their scene partners.

Emily Blunt spoke to THR about her Oppenheimer co-star Cillian Murphy; Fantasia Barrino about Danielle Brooks from The Color Purple; America Ferrera about her Barbie co-star Margot Robbie; Erika Alexander about her scene partner Jeffrey Wright in American Fiction; and Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone about her co-star Robert De Niro.

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As a refresher, you can see the full list of the SAG Awards nominations here, and which actors are nominated in the best cast category.

See below on what each actor had to say about their scene partners.

Oppenheimer Star Emily Blunt on Cillian Murphy

“He really was Hercules on it. He’s one of my favorite people I’ve ever worked with, if not maybe my favorite scene partner ever. And he’s so clever and detailed, and mercurial as this character and the most prepared actor in the world and so free within the scenes. He’s thoughtful and wise and shy and sweet. And I think when I read the script, I was a little unsure about the character’s ambiguity and whether he truly did feel terrible guilt, or whether he was sort of playing the martyr to absolve himself of what he created, but Cillian’s just innate humanity and vulnerability, I think I just really felt his trauma watching the movie for the first time and just the trauma not only of living with a brain like that, but of what he created and how it haunted him and how it ultimately killed him, probably. And I think Cillian just has all of those material, vulnerable qualities. There’s no one who could have done what he did. There’s just no one… you can’t imagine anyone doing what he did. And he’s a friend. I just really love him as a person.”

American Fiction Star Erika Alexander on Jeffrey Wright

“Jeffrey is a very intense actor, but he’s not so into his own performance or process that he excludes you or the value of what you bring to any scene. And it shows how confident he is. He’s very confident. But you can also see him working through it, but not at the expense of you, not at the expense of the whole. And so I think that that shows that he’s got a very balanced sense of himself, that he has to continue to work the way he needs to, but it’s not at the expense of you, the people in the room, the crew.

“I remember it was a cold evening, we were in Scituate, Massachusetts, and we were filming with the great Leslie Uggams, who is 80 years old. She’s playing Monk’s mother, who has suddenly gone missing because in the film, she has dementia. And Jeffrey was very concerned that Leslie Uggams be taken care of because it was cold, and it was already a long day. And it was on the beach and we were near the water and there was this beautiful blood moon that was resting on the horizon, and it was lighting all the activities where they wanted to make sure they got that, but you could feel his anxiety rise, and it wasn’t just because he was in scene. It’s because he was anxious that Leslie would be uncomfortable. And he’s famously said that he’s been raised by two women, his mother and his auntie. So I saw in that moment, the character and Jeffrey merge, because she would not be lost in his tender love and care. The thing I mentioned before, that he would take care of her, and that wasn’t going to happen on his watch. So at one point, he says to Leslie, ‘Do you have a few more in you because we’ve been going for a while?’ She was standing there in just a night gown. She says, ‘Jeffrey, we’re making a movie.’ And then he starts to laugh because he’s recognizing, this is a pro. This is her job and she’s gonna get this shot. And so I think that there would be no one that would disrespect cast or crew or prioritize filmmaking over the person and that was the mark of a real pro. And that’s the mark of mastery. And that’s Jeffrey Wright.”

Killers of the Flower Moon Star Lily Gladstone on Robert De Niro

“I feel like at the heart of a great co-star is a spirit of collaboration and care. Robert De Niro is without a doubt one of the most caring actors I’ve ever met, which was so evident in how seriously he took every small detail into consideration while crafting the chilling William Hale. He was so thorough in working with Christopher Cote on his Osage language, and would often ask me and other actors for any insights he might integrate. Plus he is just kind as can be.

“[One story I remember from set is] watching how unfazed he was by about 20 flies that descended on his prime rib in the dinner scene when Mollie and Ernest announce they’re expecting. Leo and I then spent all the time between takes swatting at flies.”

The Color Purple Star Fantasia Barrino on Danielle Brooks

“What makes a great co-star is someone who embodies their character so well, they can’t help but enhance your performance. Danielle was a master class on her own, bringing such boldness and strength to Sofia that I couldn’t help but transform that into hope and ambition for Celie. Danielle Brooks will forever be my sister in character and in real life.

“I remember the day we were filming ‘Miss Celie’s Pants.’ They called cut and we went outside in full costume. One of the PAs had a motorized scooter. Danielle and I jump on and start riding. We both almost fell off. Mind you, there was a casting call with over 300 people for another production filming us act like big kids. We thought we were going to get in trouble, but we made it through. The marketing team actually loved it! It’s never a dull moment when we get around one another.”

Barbie Star America Ferrera on Margot Robbie

“A great co-star is present with you in the moment. They’re open to what you’re giving and looking to discover the scene with you. Margot always stays so intensely present and generous. You get the sense that she enjoys other actors’ coverage more than her own, that she delights in watching other people work.

“I remember that Margot walked into Barbie dance rehearsal from having done her producing obligations all day. She stood in her spot, nailed her choreography, and then without missing a beat moved on to the next thing she had to do. I realized that something that would have been painstakingly difficult for anyone else, was just one of a hundred things she was doing in her day, and that she was doing them all at the same level of excellence.”

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