For director Guillermo del Toro, the key to a movie is the actors, and the key to the actors is their eyes.
“When I cast a movie, I cast eyes,” the Oscar-nominated director of “The Shape of Water” says in an exclusive video clip premiering at TheWrap.
“The eyes of Sally [Hawkins]. The eyes of Octavia [Spencer]. The eyes of Michael [Shannon]. Completely different eyes, and they suit the character.”
“The Shape of Water” leads all films with 13 Oscar nominations, including three for del Toro himself: Best Picture, which he shares with producer J. Miles Dale; Best Director; and Best Original Screenplay, which he shares with Vanessa Taylor.
“He’s an alchemist,” says Oscar-nominated costar Octavia Spencer in the clip. “He makes everyday things seem so otherwordly.”
Adds Best Actress nominee Sally Hawkins, “He himself vibrates with emotion and the passion of it, and you can’t not respond to that.”