What it's like to work for Woody Allen

Larry King: One of your most recognizable roles was Vicky, working with Woody Allen. Is it true when actors- I've been told this- work for Woody Allen, all they see is their part of the script? They don't see the rest of the story, cause they don't know what's happening in the rest of the story.

Rebecca Hall: Yeah, I think it's true, often. I've heard this as well. It didn't happen to me. I got the whole script. I was rather shocked to get the whole script, it arrived in a brown manila envelope with a typewritten note. On an old typewriter- I could tell, because of the font. Which said, "Dear Rebecca, Here's the script, I think you'd be great in the role of Vicky. Best, Woody." And I was like oh, that doesn't happen every day.

Larry King: Because I understand why he wants the actors to read only their scenes. Because they don't know the other scenes.

Rebecca Hall: Yeah, I understand too. Yeah, absolutely. But I think, you know, I was in quite a lot of that film so I suppose he let me get, he let me read all of it.

Larry King: What was it like to work for him?

Rebecca Hall: I had a really, really wonderful time with him. You know, a lot of actors talk about the fact that he can be quite hands-off. And I think that that is true but I think in my experience some of the best directors are hands-off when they trust that they've cast correctly. And they allow you to do your job. I mean, you definitely don't get the sense on a Woody Allen set that he doesn't know what he's doing or he's not speaking to you because he's, you know, he will speak to you if he's unhappy. And he will, and he definitely makes it quite clear what the tone of the scene is. And, I mean, you never watch a Woody Allen film and don't notice how all the actors know they're in a Woody Allen film.