Samuel L. Jackson "asked" Brie Larson to cast him in 'Unicorn Store'.
Brie Larson in Vanity Fair
The Oscar-winning actress is making her directorial debut in the upcoming comedy and her 'Kong: Skull Island' co-star put her on the spot when he learned she was pursuing Bill Murray for a role in the film.
He recalled: "[I asked her] 'So do you really think Bill Murray is a better actor than I am?'
"I pretty much asked her for the part."
And the 68-year-old actor was impressed by Brie's abilities behind the camera.
He said: "She was well prepared.... co-operative. She knew why she hired me.
"She allowed me to bring a lot of different things to the part and have as much fun as I wanted to have."
Samuel doesn't think the 27-year-old actress will have her head turned by fame.
He told Vanity Fair magazine: "Brie is a bright, unaffected young woman who is in a wonderfully corrosive business that would ruin most people. But it's not going to ruin her."
And her 'The Glass Castle' co-star, Naomi Watts, agrees.
She said: "Brie is totally down to earth, charming, and unspoiled.
"She's already surpassed that precarious thing that can transpire after winning an Oscar.... She's balancing it well. For God's sake, she just directed a film."
Naomi was instantly blown away by Brie's talent when they worked together last year.
She said: "I'll never forget, the first day Brie and I were on set together, we did this scene and she had literally one line.
"I was bowled over with how much power could be in this tiny little moment. It was so magnetic. Just what goes on behind her eyes."
Tagged in Naomi Watts Samuel L. Jackson Brie Larson