One of the most acclaimed filmmakers in Hollywood, Steven Spielberg faced early struggles that almost led him to direct low-budget schlock movies, a fate he thankfully avoided. Known for his Oscar-winning work like Schindler’s List, the filmmaker has always harbored a deep passion for cinema.
However, Spielberg’s ascent to the summit of Hollywood was not without hurdles, particularly financial struggles. He has opened up about his struggles with low income in his early years as a filmmaker, revealing that during the same time, he was offered many opportunities to work on low-budget schlock films.
Steven Spielberg Reflected on Financial Struggles and Career Challenges
Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has always been candid about his journey to become one of the industry’s foremost directors. During an early interview with Rolling Stone, he opened up about his initial struggles in the industry.
He shared that during his initial years when he worked on Television, he struggled significantly with finances, to the point where he hesitated over basic expenses like dining out and dating, despite holding a directorial contract with Universal Studios.
When I was doing television, I was living in a $130-a-month apartment, and I was looking to eat dinner at night, looking to go to restaurants. It was hard dating because I did not have enough money to date. Even under contract as a director to Universal, my take-home pay was just a little over $100 a week.
During the same period, the filmmaker received many opportunities to work on low-budget films to make ends meet.
I did have a lot of close calls with shooting schlock to make a living. I had many chances to make sleazo, exploitation movies. That was all I was being offered then. You know, you meet the producer and you wind up buying him lunch. I played that game for a long time.
The Jaws director also reflected on the similar challenges faced by other budding directors at the time, including George Lucas and Martin Scorsese. Despite such challenges, Spielberg remained steadfast in his pursuit of cinematic excellence.
Steven Spielberg Was Confident About His Success
During his conversation with Rolling Stone, Steven Spielberg also shared a rare glimpse into the early days of some of the legendary filmmakers in Hollywood. “We knew each other pretty well, we knew the game we were playing,” he said.
Despite the uncertainties and challenges of breaking into the industry as an aspiring filmmaker, Spielberg shared that they believed that they would make it into the industry. “We all knew we were gonna make it in Hollywood,” he said before adding,
We just didn’t know when. It was like waiting to get your pilot’s license. Marty [Scorsese] got his first with Mean Streeets, Lucas got his second with THX, I got mine third. De Palma got his before all of us, ’cause he was making movies in New York City by raising money from doctors and lawyers.
Spielberg’s belief in their collective future proved visionary, as he has since established himself as one of Hollywood’s most prolific and successful filmmakers, with a series of hits such as Jaws, Jurassic Park, and Indiana Jones along with acclaimed projects like Schindler’s List. And the filmmaker has a number of upcoming projects lined up for future releases.
