Fabelmans

'The Fabelmans' star Paul Dano details the emotional journey he took to portray a fictional version Of Steven Spielberg's father.

And it’s incredible that so many people do it, and I certainly feel fortunate that I’m getting to do it now in a way that I want to and that I feel really good about. And then you made me believe again in a very different context.’ And speaking of Sammy and what The Fabelmans is about, it was seeing actors who could take you somewhere that felt like a character, a world, and a life. So, the example of going from The Batman to The Fabelmans is just that I feel so lucky that I would get to do something so different. I also love when I can believe in the final product because I don’t just do this for me; I need to believe in what we’re all making as well. I remember going to audition after audition and what it felt like to get or not get a part. It’s really fun in a way to have all of that run through you [as an actor] as well, meaning I was letting Arnold into my life but letting Burt lead the way. I always saw this wonderful parallel there, which said so much about Arnold with the way his brain worked through engineering and electronics, much in the way that I think Steven works through movies. And I think it’s some combination of not being able to see or acknowledge or face the truth while also knowing and trying to contain it for the sake of his family. In terms of what I saw in his eyes, his father had passed about eight months before we first spoke, and it was hard for me to process that in real-time. And it certainly wasn’t, but I think he was doing that for the sake of his family, and I think he did that because he still loved Mitzi. But once he told me about the idea, I felt very strongly about the project in terms of how I might meet the material, what I might have to offer, and how it resonates with me. Here, Dano reveals his deep research and close work with the director to capture the true essence of a life well-lived.

The Fabelmans, loosely based on Steven Spielberg's upbringing, has picked up awards momentum since its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

[The Fabelmans](https://deadline.com/tag/the-fabelmans/) has picked up awards momentum since it had its world premiere in September at the Toronto Film Festival, where it won the Oscar bellwether People’s Choice Award. [Steven Spielberg](https://deadline.com/tag/steven-spielberg/) said onstage at the Golden Globes on Tuesday that he and his longtime collaborator [Tony Kushner](https://deadline.com/tag/tony-kushner/) have been discussing a way to tell the story of Spielberg’s upbringing and love affair with the movies since the two worked on 2005’s Munich. [Read the Screenplay](https://deadline.com/tag/read-the-screenplay/) series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will factor in this year’s movie awards races.

Steven Spielberg's new semi-autobiographical film, The Fabelmans, won best picture (drama) at the 2023 Golden Globes. With 11 Critics' Choice nominations and an ...

[told ET](https://www.etonline.com/the-fabelmans-cast-on-making-steven-spielbergs-most-vulnerable-movie-yet-exclusive-194894) of the filming experience. [Steven Spielberg’s](https://www.etonline.com/people/steven-spielberg) new semi-autobiographical film, The Fabelmans, won best picture (drama) at the [2023 Golden Globes](https://www.etonline.com/2023-golden-globe-awards-the-complete-winners-list-196859). No streaming release date for The Fabelmans has been set yet. [Jordan Peele’s Nope](https://www.etonline.com/how-to-watch-jordan-peeles-nope-online-now-streaming-190119#:~:text=Where%20to%20stream%20Nope%20online,Prime%20Video%20and%20Apple%20TV%2B.) and the [Billy Eichner rom-com, Bros](https://www.etonline.com/billy-eichners-bros-makes-its-streaming-debut-heres-how-to-watch-the-new-rom-com-online-193332). Expected to hit [Peacock](https://imp.i305175.net/LPJdYY) in mid-February, The Fabelman's is now available to buy or rent online at Amazon or Apple TV. [told ET](https://www.etonline.com/the-fabelmans-cast-on-making-steven-spielbergs-most-vulnerable-movie-yet-exclusive-194894). [Michelle Williams](https://www.etonline.com/people/michelle-williams), [Paul Dano](https://www.etonline.com/people/paul-dano), [Seth Rogen](https://www.etonline.com/people/seth-rogen) and Judd Hirsch. [The Fabelmans](https://www.etonline.com/movies/the-fabelmans) is distributed by Universal Pictures, meaning when it does become available to stream, it will likely be streaming on Peacock. [Brad Pitt Was the Most Popular Actor at 2023 Golden Globe Awards](https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/brad-pitt-was-the-most-popular-actor-at-2023-golden-globe-awards-197208) [Golden Globes Get The Look: Fashion Trends Inspired by the Red Carpet](https://www.etonline.com/show-stopping-fashion-trends-from-the-golden-globes-red-carpet-and-how-to-get-the-look-197182) ['Abbott Elementary' Renewed for Season 3 After Golden Globes Wins](https://www.etonline.com/abbott-elementary-renewed-for-season-3-after-winning-big-at-2023-golden-globes-197186) [Watch Lisa Marie Presley Crash Austin Butler's Golden Globes Interview](https://www.etonline.com/watch-lisa-marie-presley-crash-austin-butlers-golden-globes-2023-red-carpet-interview-exclusive) [2023 Awards Season Guide to Golden Globes, GRAMMYs, Oscars and More](https://www.etonline.com/2023-awards-season-guide-everything-to-know-about-the-golden-globes-oscars-and-more-196063) [Jennifer Coolidge Weighs In on Her 'White Lotus' Future (Exclusive)](https://www.etonline.com/jennifer-coolidge-addresses-her-future-in-white-lotus-franchise-after-golden-globes-win-exclusive) [Austin Butler on Why He Thanked Denzel Washington at Golden Globes](https://www.etonline.com/austin-butler-explains-his-denzel-washington-shout-out-during-emotional-golden-globes-speech-197183) [Shop TV Deals at Amazon, Samsung and Walmart Before the Super Bowl](https://www.etonline.com/the-best-tv-deals-at-amazon-walmart-and-samsung-to-shop-before-the-super-bowl-2023-177526) [How to Watch ‘If These Walls Could Sing’](https://www.etonline.com/how-to-watch-if-these-walls-could-sing-abbey-road-documentary-premiering-december-16-196080) [How to Watch 'The Woman King' — Now Streaming](https://www.etonline.com/the-woman-king-is-now-available-to-stream-at-home-heres-how-to-watch-195527) "When the captain of the ship is willing to be that open and vulnerable and naked with us, it only invites us to do the same back to him." The award-winning coming-of-age drama, The Fabelmans, is now available to buy or rent on Prime Video and Apple TV. [Movies](/movies)

Why The Fabelmans Isn't Called 'The Spielbergs'. Chloe East and Gabriel LaBelle in The Fabelmans Universal Pictures. By Tyler Llewyn Taing ...

I'm going to try to adhere to what you told me, but it's going to be a work of fiction.'" [knock down the illusion that he is a uniquely special individual](https://www.slashfilm.com/1135530/how-the-fabelmans-demystifies-the-filmmaking-process-and-steven-spielberg-himself/). And he was very much in agreement with that." If this movie was going to land with audiences, it would need to stand alone, even without all the personal baggage and self-fulfillment being brought into the creative process. "I wanted to have some of that meaning, and I've always liked the German word 'fabel,' which means fable. Kushner explained his dedication to staying true to Spielberg's story amongst all the artistic freedoms: [Total Film](https://www.magazinesdirect.com/total-film-magazine-subscription) Magazine, Kushner revealed more about the process of mapping out the original draft of "The Fabelmans," which started taking proper shape in Spring of 2020. I've always thought how wild that this guy is this great once-in-a-century storyteller who would be called Spielberg, play-mountain," Kushner said, explaining his process of renaming the Spielberg family in fiction. Kushner has an elaborate and understandable answer to this question, first opening up about it to Since their first pairing together on 2005's "Munich," frequent collaborator Tony Kushner has been just as invested in telling Spielberg's childhood story as the man himself. "I've told this story in parts and parcels all through my career ... "I've been hiding from this story since I was 17 years old," the filmmaker said last night, accepting his