Tim Robbins has worked with plenty of legendary directors over his career, but few relationships shaped him quite like the one he had with Robert Altman. Long before he became known for The Player, Robbins found out just how far Altman was willing to go to protect his actors from studio interference.
Robert Altman Threatened To Walk Off Set To Protect Tim Robbins
Speaking about their time together on The Player on Happy Sad Confused podcast, Robbins said Altman was already a hero of his before the two ever met, crediting Nashville with changing how he understood what film could be.
Robbins admitted he was nervous walking into their first meeting, but Altman quickly put him at ease, hosting him at his own home for lunch instead of asking for an audition.
That meeting didn’t immediately lead anywhere. Altman was trying to get Shortcuts off the ground at the time, and it fell through. Robbins ended up turning down other paid work in the hope that The Player would eventually come together, a bet that paid off when the film was financed.
Before production started, Altman laid out exactly how he intended to run the set.
“Basically said, ‘I want to make a deal with you. We’re going to do things to this script. We’re going to change stuff. And we’re going to do things to the schedule. We’re going to go with a different way, and it might piss some producers off. So let’s make a deal. If the producers start messing with you, I will walk off the set. If the producers start messing with me, you walk off the set.'”
Robbins said he agreed on the spot, calling Altman a rogue he immediately wanted to work alongside. He went on to describe Altman as someone who operated on his own terms while still knowing how to navigate the studio system when he needed to.
Robbins also recalled watching how Altman handled his crew, often deferring to department heads rather than dictating decisions outright. When Robbins asked him why he did that despite already knowing what he wanted, Altman told him he never wanted to cheat himself out of a better idea.
The Player marked a turning point for Robbins, who said the experience doubled as film school in the lead-up to directing his own debut feature, Bob Roberts.
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