A MILLION LITTLE THINGS’ David Giuntoli on Stepping Behind the Camera: ‘Directing is Something I Want to Do For the Rest of My Life’

More than five years after David Giuntoli made his directorial debut (on his previous series, GRIMM), the actor stepped behind the camera again for the Wednesday, May 4 episode of A MILLION LITTLE THINGS, “slipping.”

“Directing is something I want to do for the rest of my life,” Giuntoli says. “And [show creator] DJ [Nash] knew this since I signed on to the show—but for very good reason, showrunners can’t just be giving out shows to random actors who think they want to direct an episode.”

On a basic level, “it is very technically difficult storytelling, from the writers’ point of view, to write me very light in the preceding episode [for pre-production prep] and in the episode that I’m directing,” Giuntoli notes. “In order to do that, you can’t be shooting, so it is quite a heavy lift for people in order to give me a shot at directing.”

But things fell into place this year when a planned director dropped out. “In knowing and seeing how it all runs on our show—because each show is sort of different—I was prepared and there, and they approached me,” he recalls with a laugh. “I immediately was terrified. I said yes and got to work to try to suppress and vanquish all of the anxiety that I had. And I did…I think.”

Helping matters was the fact that Nash and co-star Allison Miller made their own directorial debuts before Giuntoli took his turn behind the camera.

“It was really a wonderful fraternity-sorority,” he says. “I think had a benefit of seeing both of them still standing on day 8 [when they wrapped]. I’m like, ‘Okay, well, they’re still here. So I can still be there without turning into a glob like the SPINAL TAP drummer.'”

“I also had the added benefit of being in their scenes,” Giuntoli adds. “They were so giving and being like, ‘Hey, flag this. This is something I wasn’t ready for. And this is something you should know.’ So everybody was giving me really good intel, and it was as if we were all arm-in-arm. It was quite a lovely bond we all established.”

With the episode under his belt, Giuntoli acknowledges there was a difference between his two primetime directing experiences.

“GRIMM was more action-visual, and a bigger, heightened show. A MILLION LITTLE THINGS is all in the reactions of the actors, the moments,” he says. “So it was different. It’s all about performance [on AMLT], frankly—or at least ninety percent of it is. And both of the shows are just [filled] with incredible actors.”

“We have such a great cast—little moments are enormous moments on our show,” he continues. “Sso it was really about the performances, watching what the actors were doing, coming in with a few choice words—and not in a bad way—and seeing what they can do. And they always impressed. It was really remarkable and I stand humbled by everyone and their performances.”

Of course, things won’t be exactly smooth sailing ahead…and that includes the newfound relationship between Giuntoli’s Eddie and Anna (Erin Karpluk).

“A lot of his life is tense at this point, and he wants to be the grownup that he wasn’t for Katherine, that he wasn’t for the previous however many years of his life,” Giuntoli previews. “I think we’re seeing him really try to do that with Anna, his friend group, and Katherine, who I’m sure he has residual feelings of love, hate, [and] all of that stuff that people have for their exes.”

“He’s really trying to just be the grownup [with Anna], and I think they have such a beautiful relationship that viewers really seem to be responding to,” he continues. “And the thing about the writers on our show, if there are little landmines out there, you don’t know when you’re gonna step on one. Of course, something’s gonna happen.”

Can’t wait to watch “slipping”? Watch a clip from Giuntoli’s hour…

A MILLION LITTLE THINGS, Wednesdays, 10/9c, ABC

RELATED:

• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘slipping’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Post-Mortem: Allison Miller on How Hot Wheels Helped with Her Directorial Debut
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: Allison Miller Previews Her Directorial Debut
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ’60 minutes’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘lesson learned’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Post-Mortem: DJ Nash on Gary and Maggie’s Next Steps, Filming That Epic Game Night, and More
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘fingers crossed’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘school ties’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘fresh start’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘little white lies’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘piece of cake’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘surprise’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Post-Mortem: DJ Nash and Terrence Coli on the Gary-Maggie-Cam Triangle, Katherine’s New Flame, and More
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: DJ Nash Previews Gary and Maggie’s Road Trip
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘any way the wind blows’ Photos
• ABC Teases A MILLION LITTLE THINGS and BIG SKY Midseason Returns
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Post-Mortem: James Roday Rodriguez Breaks Down Gary’s Unexpected Closure
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘the things we keep inside’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘stay’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘six months later’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘crystal clear’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: ‘not the plan’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Original Series Star Exits
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Post-Mortem: DJ Nash on the Gary and Delilah Twists in the Season 4 Premiere
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: What You Need to Know About the Season Premiere
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Boss DJ Nash Teases the Theme of Season 4
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Season 4 Premiere: ‘family first’ Photos
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Post-Mortem: DJ Nash Breaks Down that Gut-Wrenching Finale Twist
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS: DJ Nash and Chance Hurstfield Preview Delilah’s Return, a Big Cliffhanger
• A MILLION LITTLE THINGS Post-Mortem: DJ Nash on Eddie’s Fate and the Season 3 Timeline

Follow @GiveMeMyRemote and @marisaroffman on Twitter for the latest TV news. Connect with other TV fans on GIVE ME MY REMOTE’s official Facebook page.

And be the first to see our exclusive videos by subscribing to our YouTube channel.

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases made through links/ads placed on the site.