M. Night Shyamalan Recalled Being Starstruck After Meeting Paul McCartney — ‘He Was so Gracious’
M. Night Shyamalan is known for his unexpected plot twists, but even he couldn’t predict bumping into Paul McCartney while on vacation. The director has worked with many famous actors for his films, yet he was still starstruck after meeting the former Beatle and even discussed filmmaking with him.
M. Night Shyamalan was shocked when he bumped into Paul McCartney
Shyamalan has worked with A-list actors, including Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and Will Smith. However, meeting a former member of The Beatles might cause anyone to be starstruck, no matter how many celebrities they’ve met.
In an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Shyamalan detailed his recent encounter with the “Let it Be” singer, admitting it left him “speechless.”
“Not often do I see someone that I’m, like — speechless,” Shyamalan explained. “And we were on vacation, and I got up from the table and went down the hall — and Paul McCartney bumped into me in the hallway! And I’m like, ‘Hi, Sir…I’m a…’ — I’m never like this! — And I’m like, ‘Hi, Sir. I’m, you know, I’m M. Night Shyamalan, I’m a filmmaker, I’m a big fan!’”
McCartney showed Shyamalan a genuine curiosity in filmmaking
Paul McCartney has shared in the past that he doesn’t like stopping for photos or autographs, but he does like to have chats with fans. M. Night Shyamalan is unique because McCartney is a fan of his and wanted to discuss filmmaking with him. The Knock at the Cabin director said he talked about film for a while with McCartney, and he even introduced the director to his grandchildren.
“He’s like, ‘Oh, wow! You tell stories. You’re great!’ And then he was so gracious and he was so beautiful. And we sat there in the hall, and we talked forever in this hallway! And he was asking me everything about filmmaking, and ‘why’ and ‘how’ and ‘what’ — you know, ‘how’ do I tell stories? And then his grandkids kept coming up, and they were like, ‘Grandpa, where are you?!’ — And he was like, ‘You know, this is a very important filmmaker!’ And he was introducing me to his grandkids. It was so beautiful.”
Shyamalan’s latest hit movie is ‘Knock at the Cabin’
While Paul McCartney appears to be a fan of M. Night Shyamalan’s work, it would be fascinating to know McCartney’s thoughts on his films. Shyamalan is a controversial director, mainly because critics and audiences never seem to agree about his movies. The director had an initial run of universal success with movies like The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable. However, his career hit a bump with flops like The Last Airbender and The Happening.
His latest movie, Knock at the Cabin, is a hit thus far as it recently knocked Avatar: The Way of Water out of the No. 1 spot at the box office. The movie stars Dave Bautista and Jonathan Groff and tells the story of a couple whose lives are upturned when a dangerous group kidnaps them and forces them to make a crucial decision. The movie is available to watch in theaters now.
