Steven Spielberg Thought Maddie Ziegler ‘Should Win an Oscar’ for Music According to Sia
Maddie Ziegler may have gotten her start as a competition dancer, but she’s pivoted to acting in recent years. The 20-year-old recently wrapped production on Bloody Hell, her first feature film where she was the lead. In the past couple of years, she worked with Steven Spielberg in his rendition of West Side Story. She also starred opposite Jenna Ortega in The Fallout. Furthermore, she also nabbed the titular role in Sia’s directorial debut for her movie, Music.
Sia’s movie ‘Music’ received very poor reviews
Music was met with some pretty harsh criticism. Many people felt that the film was both ableist and harmful. However, Ziegler herself managed to circumvent the brunt of the criticism for her portrayal of the autistic teen. This was especially true when reports surfaced that the Dance Moms alum was hesitant to portray the character the way her godmother, Sia, wanted her to.
Sia claims Steven Spielberg thought Maddie Ziegler should win an Oscar for her role in ‘Music’
Interestingly enough, Sia felt that Music would positively and drastically change the course of Ziegler’s acting career. In fact, she sent the film over to Spielberg prior to its release to show him the work the dancer had done for her before being cast as Velma in West Side Story. While speaking with Sirius XM’s Fierce Women in Music, the “Chandelier” singer relayed this story.
“I sent Spielberg Music to watch,” Sia recalled. “He’d already cast Maddie in West Side Story, and it was a very small role, and it was as a background dancer. But Maddie loves to work, and she said yes. And then he saw Music, and he was like, ‘I don’t think she should do it. It’s too small a role. This is terrible, she’s gonna win — she should win an Oscar for this role.'”
The ‘Dance Moms’ alum desperately wanted to keep her role in ‘West Side Story’
Continuing on, Sia shared that she spoke with Ziegler about Spielberg’s alleged concerns. However, Ziegler relayed to her that she still really wanted to keep her role in West Side Story because she loved dancing and working. Following her conversation with the actor, Sia called Spielberg back to relay that news. The “I’m in Here” singer claimed that the director promised to try and put Ziegler in the middle of every frame.
Ziegler has gushed about how much she enjoyed working on West Side Story. She even got to attend the Oscars thanks to her role in the film. However, Sia truly thought that Music would be the project that really catapulted Ziegler’s career.
Sia thought Ziegler might not have to audition for movies after ‘Music’
“I’ve basically been just saying to her, ‘Take some time for yourself,'” Sia shared of her conversations with Ziegler. “Relax because when Music comes out, I think you’re gonna get a lot of offers, and you may not need to audition anymore.” While Ziegler has gotten roles post-Music, she’s certainly had to audition for them. And considering how poorly the film was reviewed, it seems as if the dancer is booking work in spite of the project, not because of it.
