It’s strange to think that there was a time when Natalie was struggling to get any work. After Star Wars Episode 2 landed, she spoke about how everyone thought she was a bad actress and even getting directors to meet with her was proving difficult. Natalie talks about Cold Mountain as the turning point and it was Mike Nichols (who had directed Natalie in The Seagull) who wrote to Anthony Minghella and basically vouched for Natalie’s ability.

It was a great performance and her career was back on track, cemented by Garden State and then her Golden Globe winning turn in Closer, which Mike Nichols directed himself. During her acceptance speech she sweetly and awkwardly expressed how much Mike meant to her.

That’s a long intro but the setup is for a new piece by The Hollywood Reporter about Mike Nichols. It has some new quotes from Natalie and about Natalie, and you can read them after the jump.

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