'I burst into tears': Steven Spielberg had emotional reaction to seeing The Fabelmans' Michelle Williams and Paul Dano together

Steven Spielberg cried when he first saw Michelle Williams and Paul Dano in character together for 'The Fabelmans'.

The 76-year-old filmmaker's Oscar-nominated movie is based on his old childhood and he explained how a "routine" first day of filming proved to be very emotional for him.

Speaking on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert', he said: [Costume designer] Mark Bridges came over to me and said, ‘I’ve got Paul and Michelle here in their hair and make-up and costumes.

“I turned around and there was my father and mother, and I just burst into tears. Just like that, I didn’t even think about it, it just happened.”

Steven noted he had seen the two stars separately in costume but not together before that moment, and they were both quick to offer him support.

He said: "Michelle ran to me, hugged me. Paul came around the back of me – he’s really tall – hugged me around the shoulders and just held me.”

The 'Jurassic Park' director admitted he had previously "given speeches" to Michelle and Paul in which he told them not to "worry" about how he'd feel seeing his own life being played out in front of him because he'd had the opportunity to let out his emotions when he was working on the script.

He said: “I had given them speeches long before the first day of shooting. I got all my tears out writing the scripts with Tony Kushner.

“I’m a professional. [I told them,] ‘Don’t worry about me. You don’t have to take care of me. My job is to take care of you and guide you to giving some great performances.’ And, it wasn’t to be.”