How Ken Burns got Josh Brolin to play George Washington | The Mishal Husain Show

Filmmaking Approach - The filmmaker emphasizes inhabiting the words rather than projecting, suggesting a more intimate and nuanced performance [3] - The director seeks to capture glimpses of emotion and passion within an otherwise opaque portrayal of George Washington [4] - The filmmaker aims for actors to lower their voices, creating a sense of closeness with the audience, similar to reading to children [3] Casting and Collaboration - The director cast Josh in the film after hearing his voice in "Dune 2" [2] - The director communicated with Josh via Zoom, highlighting the use of technology in modern filmmaking [2] Project Challenges - Depicting George Washington is considered an "impossible task" due to his opaque and unknowable nature [3] - The director acknowledges the difficulty in accurately portraying historical figures, particularly George Washington [1]