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Shirley MacLaine and Peter Dinklage are starring in the movie “American Dreamer.”
“Extra’s” Billy Bush spoke with Shirley and Peter about the dark comedy, which centers on a frustrated, underpaid professor whose dream of buying his own house is seemingly out of reach until he strikes a once-in-a-lifetime deal to inherit a sprawling estate from a wealthy widower.
It was the first time that Shirley and Peter had worked together. He gushed, “It was one of the greatest experiences of my career.”
Shirley added, “We really hit it off.”
Peter called the movie “a fresh perspective on romance.”
The film, which co-stars Danny Glover and Matt Dillon, is based on a true story.
In the film, Shirley plays Astrid, a widow. She said, “I liked the way she was dealing with age.”
Shirley is about to turn 90, so how will she celebrate? She answered, “I’m going to be on a set… I’ll be in Atlantic City.”
Reflecting on her life as an actress, Shirley — who made her film debut in 1955 — explained what has changed in Hollywood with streaming now in the mix. She explained, “The glamour’s gone out a bit, I’m afraid. I think it’s entirely different…”
When Billy mentioned that there are now more prying eyes on Hollywood stars, she quipped, “It’s alright. I’m kind of open anyway and I don’t have much to hide. I sometimes have a lot of explaining to do.”
Shirley also shared her thoughts on the classic American dream, saying “I think that we should care more about what the American democracy means. We seem to have forgotten what it means, and I think it’s time we get back into the level of reality of understanding American democracy.”
Peter gave his own two cents, saying, “It’s fascinating, the notion of the American dream. I think what the point of this movie, though, is: be careful what you obsess over too much because you meet somebody like Shirley and her character and it just completely upends what you’ve always thought and makes you see things a whole new way.”
“American Dreamer” is in select theaters and On Demand March 8.