Steven Spielberg Pulled an Ocean’s 11 Trick on One of Hollywood’s Biggest Studios, Ended Up Creating History as Its Youngest Director
- Steven Spielberg has established himself as one of the most successful filmmakers of all time.
- Spielberg had to use an unconventional way to get inside one of the biggest Hollywood studios.
- His trick is somewhat similar to what the characters pulled off in the heist movie Ocean's 11.
Steven Spielberg is one of the most acclaimed directors in Hollywood. He has proved his proficiency as a filmmaker with movies like the Holocaust drama Schindler’s List, the sci-fi flick Jurassic Park, and the coming-of-age period drama The Color Purple.
Spielberg has been the mastermind behind some of the biggest blockbusters and is someone that a lot of young professionals have looked up to over the years and continue to do so. However, the story of how he managed to gain access to Universal Studios will shock some as it was in a very unconventional way to the point that it resembles an Ocean’s 11 trick.
Steven Spielberg’s Record as the Youngest Director of Universal Studios Involved a Little Deception
Steven Spielberg began his career by directing segments of the pilot episode of 1969’s anthology supernatural horror Night Gallery. Initially, some people involved had their doubts due to his inexperience in the field, but eventually, they realized his true potential and appreciated his work.
Impressed with his work, Spielberg signed a four-movie deal with Universal and the first of these films was Duel, released in 1971. Interestingly, the director used unfair means to get into the studio according to best-selling author Alex Banayan. In a video posted on his official Instagram page, Banayan recounted the story.
The lore is phenomenal because he went on a tour bus at Universal Studios, rode the tour, jumped off the bus, hid in a bathroom, waited for the bus to drive away and started walking around the lot. And once he was on the lot, he met a man named Chuck Silvers who wrote him a three day pass.
On the fourth day, dressed up in a suit and carrying his father’s briefcase, he showed up at the studios’ gates and casually greeted a security guard who waved back at him. He spent months on the lot and eventually got inside. The rest, as they say, is history as he became the youngest director of the studio.
Steven Spielberg’s Deception Is Similar to What Cinephiles Witnessed in Ocean’s 11
Spielberg might have gained access to the studios by deception, but all he intended to do was prove his worth. Given the chance, he did prove that he had it in himself what takes a person to become one of the best directors in Hollywood.
That said, the heist film Ocean’s 11‘s characters did something similar as they tricked the security guards and the system into executing their plan of robbing three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
For instance, in the scene in which Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon) poses as a high roller and charms guard Benson into revealing information about the casino’s security system. Linus got Benson to trust him and then used it to his advantage. Spielberg seems to have pulled something similar, but his intentions were not malicious.
Ocean’s 11 is available for buying and renting on Apple TV.
