Ellen Burstyn, the Oscar, Tony, and Emmy-winning actress, expressed amazement that she is still working at age 93, stating she once believed her career would end by 40. She is starring in the upcoming film “Place to Be,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
Burstyn shared her thoughts during a press conference for “Place to Be,” a drama centering on an unlikely friendship between a no-nonsense elderly woman and a divorced man. The film stars Burstyn and Taika Waititi, with Anderson and Murray Bartlett playing Burstyn’s children. Edgar Ramirez and Lena Waithe also have cameo roles. Burstyn has been using a walker after a recent fall, and Waititi assisted her to her seat before the press conference began.
Director Kornél Mundruczó developed the role of Brooke specifically for Burstyn, rewatching much of her filmography while writing the part. He described creating the platonic relationship between Burstyn and Waititi’s characters as “very beautiful” and a “love story.” Pigeons are central to the film’s plot, and Mundruczó hopes it will change perceptions of the birds, which he feels “get a bad rap,” noting their historical importance as messenger birds.
Waititi jokingly complained about working with the pigeons, stating, “They shit a lot. Every minute. And that’s a scientific fact.” The filmmaking team briefly considered using diapers on the 30 pigeons featured in the movie but abandoned the idea due to the difficulty of removing them with visual effects.
“Place to Be” represents a career resurgence for Anderson, who made her Broadway debut in 2022 and recently received critical acclaim for her role in “The Last Showgirl.” Burstyn admitted she was initially surprised by Anderson’s casting as her daughter but quickly realized she “could be my daughter.”
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