Steven Spielberg supports Ruby Barnhill's dream of becoming a director when she's older.

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg

The 12-year-old actress plays the lead role of Sophie in Spielberg's latest film 'The BFG' opposite Mark Rylance as the Big Friendly Giant.

Ruby hopes to follow in his filmmaking footsteps, saying: "I don't know if I want to become a big, big Hollywood movie star, to be honest. But I do like the idea of becoming a director. Luckily, I'm only 12, so I don't have to decide yet."

And Spielberg, 69, is certain Ruby could be a brilliant director when she's older.

In an interview with The Times newspaper, he said: "Ruby can be anything she wants to be."

'The BFG' is based on Roald Dahl's novel of the same name and tells the story of an orphaned little girl who befriends a benevolent giant who takes her to Giant Country, where they must attempt to stop the man-eating giants from invading the human world.

Speaking about her first day on set, Barnhill said: "I was surrounded by this whole other world that I had no idea existed. Steven and Mark made me feel really relaxed and that I could just be my own weird self."


Tagged in