‘The Fablemans’: Steven Spielberg Eventually Told Gabriel LaBelle To “Figure It Out” [Interview]

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At just 19 years of age (reportedly), Gabriel LaBelle is already at the pinacle of Hollywood cinema. The relatively unknown Canadian actor is turning heads as Sammy Fableman, a fictional version of the legendary director Steven Spielberg in the new period drama “The Fablemans.” A movie that is arguably the frontrunner for the Best Picture Oscar and will put LaBelle under a massive global spotlight in the weeks and months to come. Not bad for just his fourth credited film role.

During a Q&A for members of The Academy over the weekend, Spielberg revealed that he would sit down with LaBelle about three times a week to answer his questions about the script and playing “Sammy” who was effectively, himself. The four-time Oscar winner joked that it might have been a bit too much.

“I mean, he wouldn’t answer every question,” LaBelle says during an interview with The Playlist earlier this week. “And I think he would answer questions about his life. But in terms of the script, and if I would be asking like, ‘O.K., but for this scene specifically,’ he’s like, ‘Figure it out,’ which was honestly better. But yeah, there were definitely some questions I had to ask a few more times if I needed more information. Sometimes I’d feel like, ‘O.K., I don’t need to press on this.’ But it really wasn’t this interrogation. It was us having amazing conversations, not only about his life but mine as well. Definitely, the focus was on him. But no, those were a lot of fun actually.”

Over the course of our conversation, the charismatic Vancouver native revealed the long process he went through to land the role, what aspects of Spielberg he thought was important for the role, his reaction to playing against what turns out to be a delightful cameo in the movie, and much more.

Please note: There is a spoiler regarding the previously noted cameo in this interview.

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The Playlist: The most obvious question, how did this role come your way? And what was your reaction when you realized you were playing a young Steven Spielberg?

Gabriel LaBelle: I auditioned. I auditioned once in March, of 2021, and I don’t know what it is. Everything is untitled and “to be decided,” and you don’t know who’s attached. And I find out after I sent it in. And I just taped it with my dad, two scenes. And then I hear whispers that it’s a Steven Spielberg movie and that it’s about his life and that, “Your character was him.” And so I was like, “Oh my God.” And so I come across these articles of Paul [Dano]‘s attachment to it. And I never hear any feedback. And then three months later, in late May I get a text, they want to call back over Zoom. And so I have a meeting with [casting director] Cindy Tolan, they send me a new set of sides, and I get my dinner table and I stack a bunch of books up. I have my laptop levels so I could stand and I have a tripod with my phone on it filming, that I have to then send them later because the quality on Zoom wouldn’t be reliable. And that was really cool.