Quick Question
The prolific TV director shares how she pushed through years of rejection.
The man,Yutaka Tsuji, would become a father figure for Glatter.
She adapted them into the 1985 Oscar-nominated short film,Tales of Meeting and Parting.
Shes also an eight-time Emmy nominee and currently serves aspresident of the Directors Guild of America.
And of course, we have a character who picks absolutely the wrong way to fill that.
But I am really interested in that.
I feel a lot of empathy for that.
Glatter has her own experience with gendered assumptions.
But once she got into film, her gender felt like an obvious setback.
She realized she needed to work harder, be more prepared, and ask the right questions.
You made a pivot early in your career from dance choreography to directing.
What were the biggest challenges you faced during that transition?
I faced huge challenges.
Then I directedTales of Meeting and Parting.
But I didnt really care that it wasnt a commercial film.
I wanted to tell my mentors stories.
From being on set that first day, I knew this was my next chapter.
I knew that storytelling in this particular way was what I wanted to do.
I have gotten so many rejections.
I was blackballed from a internet.
I did a pilot, and they forced us to hire someone who was absolutely wrong for the role.
But they said they wouldn’t make the pilot if we didnt hire that person.
And of course, it turned out it was the wrong person to cast.
But they dont blame themselves for that choice.
They blame the director.
I started directing when there were so few women.
But you have to remember why you wanted to tell stories.
If you forget that by the time you get your chance, youll become bitter.
That was a constant balancing act.
You directed a lot of iconic TV shows, fromMad MenandHomelandtoGilmore GirlsandThe West Wing.
Are there characters you really resonated with, or ones you could see yourself in?
I see myself in all of them, or parts of my psyche in all of them.
But I relate to the men, too.
The struggle we humans go through in life is so universal.
Whos inspiring you these days?
In thinking of people you admire, do they have leadership styles you emulate in your work?
Early on in my career, I was lucky enough to shadow Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood.
Then my first job on a series wasTwin Peakswith David Lynch.
Yes, there are things about leadership that cross over.
But in terms of how you work, I dont think it’s possible for you to copy that.
You have to find it deep inside of yourself.
Whats the best piece of advice youve ever received?
You have to keep that channel open and be honest about it.
[And] follow the dream you want to follow.
Forty thousand noes will happen; it only takes one yes.
And in all that tenacity that it takes to succeed, remember the joy.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
This article was originally published onMay 25, 2023
