The Academy Award-winning actress, getting Oscar buzz for her performance in « Pieces of a Woman, » talks about channeling her childhood, and the magic of « jamming » with other actors.
During these challenging COVID days, Ellen Burstyn enjoys her solitary walks in New York City’s Central Park, with the ducks and geese as company – and the occasional human interaction. « A frisbee came over the fence and landed near me, » she told correspondent Nancy Giles. « And I went and got it and gave it to the girl. And she said, ‘Thank you.’ And I felt so much better! She related to me. « And not only that, I was useful. I had a reason to be on the Planet Earth! » she laughed. Still, at 88, Burstyn is as busy as ever. Her latest film, « Pieces of a Woman, » was just released on Netflix. She stars as a mother whose daughter, played by Vanessa Kirby, loses her baby after a home birth. « It’s not an easy relationship, but we go through something together, » Burstyn said of the film. « Vanessa and I really bonded. It’s wonderful when you get to work with another actor that it’s like you’re jamming, like you’re jazz musicians jamming. » Watch a scene with Ellen Burstyn and Vanessa Kirby in « Pieces of a Woman »: Giles asked, « There’s Oscar buzz about your performance. Now I’m wondering, is still exciting when you hear that, you know, your work might be Oscar worthy? » « Oh, you bet! » Burstyn laughed. Burstyn’s first Oscar nod came in 1972, as Lois Farrow, mother to Cybill Shepherd, in « The Last Picture Show. » it was her first big role in film, with Peter Bogdanovich as director. « We had a scene where I hear my lover drive up. Oh good. My lover’s here! And I’m just about to open the door, and my daughter comes in. And then I realize, Oh, it’s not my lover coming to see me, it’s my daughter – oh my God, my daughter’s in bed with my lover! « So, I said, ‘Peter. I have eight different things to express here, and I don’t have a line.’ And he went, ‘I know.
