Now, I’ve heard before that our world is smaller than one would think, but I never cease to be amazed by the kinds of pairings the universe brings together. The latest being Steven Spielberg and Paul McCartney, who were spotted on Monday watching Oppenheimer and its non-linear timeline together in New York. That may sound odd on the surface though, as I’ve come to learn, the iconic filmmaker and songwriter actually go back decades! And I'm so here for this celebrity friendship!
It blows my mind to know that 76-year-old Jurassic Park helmer and 81-year-old Beatles frontman just casually hang out. Both are living legends who have absolutely altered pop culture and, thus, the world as we know it owes both a great deal of thanks for their bodies of work. The pair were photographed together (via People) in the Hamptons this week, where they were checking out Christopher Nolan’s historical drama together. On that note, I later learned they have a pretty interesting history together.
Steven Spielberg and Paul McCartney have apparently known each other for some time, as their chummy interactions date all the way back to the ‘80s. It was during that specific decade that the "Coming Up" singer approached the Jaws director to ask for advice about making a movie revolving around his band’s career. Can you imagine if Spielberg did (or does) helm a Beatles biopic? It does feel like the rock band deserves the Bohemian Rhapsody treatment.
Another fun tidbit from the pair's relationship surfaced in December 2022, when the Oscar-winning filmmaker appear on BBC Sounds while promoting his latest movie, The Fablemans. He spoke about how a song from The Beatles factored into a memorable moment from his life, saying this:
I was a freshman in college and there was a girl I liked a lot and she would agree to let me take her out to dinner or to a jazz club or out to a movie but she would never ever ever let me kiss her. And, we were coming back from some place and we pulled into the big parking lot by the dorms on the college campus at Long Beach and “Michelle” came on. I think we heard it for the first time together on the radio. And, the melody is just heart-achingly beautiful and I look over at her and she’s got tears in her eyes — just before the song was over she jumps over on my side of the car and starts kissing me. When I got to know Paul a number of years ago, when Paul and I met and became friends, that was one of the first stories I ever told him. I had a chance to tell Paul McCartney that story.
It's definitely intriguing when public figures -- especially ones that hail from different creative backgrounds -- meet up and ultimately become friends. While so many of us engage in parasocial relationships with the great artists of our time, Steven Spielberg was once able to tell Paul McCartney that “Michelle” starting playing while he was dating a college girlfriend. How sweet is his story about how a first kiss was initiated by one of the Beatles classic tunes? Now, I can't help but wonder what those two talk about on a regular basis.
And then there’s the fact that they were two of the many moviegoers who saw one of the biggest 2023 new movie releases of the year. I do wonder if they also went for the ever popular "Barbenheimer" double feature, which is in its second week. Both Oppenheimer and Barbie boasted some wild stats after first seven days in theaters. Regardless of whether they took in both feature films, my heart feels a little bit fuller knowing these famous gents connect over cinema.
