Sam Taylor Johnson on her 23-year age gap with her husband: ‘F–k off’

I’m genuinely surprised that Sam Taylor Johnson (formerly Sam Taylor Wood) is putting herself front-and-center for the Fifty Shades of Grey promotion. It’s a new media paradigm for female directors, especially if those directors are somewhat celebrities in their own right. Sam covers the new issue of Red Magazine, and make no mistake, she has stuff to say about being a woman director in the studio system, and how she had to fight to protect her vision of the story. You can read the full Red piece here. Some highlights:

Working on the final edits for Fifty Shades: “I’m literally going out of my mind. I have seen this film over a thousand times and I’m now in a blancmange. But the nuances within – the tiniest shift, look, blink of an eye – can make all the difference and flip it into the wrong territory. It’s like walking a knife edge.”

Directing by committee: “I want to protect my vision and that’s the hardest thing. There are so many voices. With any idea, 12 people have to approve it. And then you make it and 12 people want to adjust it. And you have to try and keep them all at bay. To keep your voice clear. To keep the shape of your art. You think, you hired me because I’m a creative artist with a vision. Don’t try and knock it out of me.”

She’s staying true to the book: “I’ve practically eaten it. I have read it over and over. More than any other book ever. I had it on set with me the whole time. I have it in the edit room now.”

On her 23-age gap with her husband, Aaron Taylor Johnson: “Tell them to f–k off. If you love someone, you love someone. It doesn’t matter; age, colour, c’mon! We are tight. We travel as a pack. Aaron and I try not to work at the same time. When he was doing Godzilla in Vancouver, we were all there with him. And then they sent us back for Fifty Shades and Aaron was a stay-at-home dad and did all the school runs. And I think that consistency helped. I got lucky with Aaron, he’s amazing.”

What she wants to get out of Fifty Shades: “It’s going to be controversial, whatever. A Machiavellian part of me thinks if this is successful, it affords me the freedom and the power to make something on my own terms, later on.”

[From Red]

While I agree in theory that “if you love someone, you love someone,” the fact is that Aaron and Sam still got together when he was 18 years old and she was 41. I’m sorry, but that still bugs me. As for the rest of it… I actually have no doubt that Sam’s directorial eye will improve the source material. I’m not saying Fifty Shades is going to be a GOOD movie, but it will in all likelihood be more coherent and interesting than the book.

Sam & E.L. James also did a really good piece with Vanity Fair about the behind-the-scene struggle to make the film. Sam and E.L. James had a lot of fights and disagreements – you can read the full piece here. Some stuff I didn’t know: Aaron delivered both of their daughters (Romy & Wylda) at home. Aaron & Sam have four daughters combined (two older girls from Sam’s first marriage, plus Romy & Wylda), plus they have two girl dogs.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Red.