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.'» «Dastardly!» said Giles.
