MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL SPITS ON ELLEN BARKIN

Maggie Gyllenhaal discovered the best way to break the ice with her cool co-star Ellen Barkin in Trust The Man was to spit water at her. In the film Maggie plays an aspiring children’s book writer who has lunch with uber literary agent Barkin and gets so nervous she blurts her drinking water at her.

Maggie was unnerved by the direction from Bart Freundlich because she was intimidated by Barkin’s presence.

“I have always thought that she was incredibly sexy and kind of regal just seeing her on screen. I came into the make-up trailer and she didn’t say anything to me. It was my birthday and I was kind of a little taken aback. I also totally went with my fantasy of her which was she would be just like that. She wouldn’t say anything when we shot the first part of the scene and then we did the first take where I had to spit all over her. I didn’t really do it. I kind of chickened out and half spit on her. Then Bart came over and said, ‘I think you should really spit on her, isn’t that part of the scene?’ So the next take came and I took a huge gulp of water and I spit all over her. Something happened and she cracked open and became the warmest loveliest woman and since then has remained that way with me all the way through.”

Trust The Man opens Friday in theaters nationwide.