On My Radar: Jamie Babbit

What’s the most creative advertising idea you’ve seen recently?

It's funny, because I've been in the UK, so most of the ads I've been seeing recently have been in cinemas. They have such an amazing cinema culture here. It's not just ads and then trailers; everything's mixed together, so you get to see it all at the same time.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought? 

The most recent piece of tech that I bought was an iPad with the Scriptation app. I have always been a physical script gal, but the Scriptation app is just too good not to use. 

What product could you not live without? 

Really random, but I love my NeilMed sinus rinse. It's like brushing my teeth, a daily necessity. It feels so good, and once you start, you'll never stop. 

What’s the best film you’ve seen over the last year?

The best film I've seen this year is a 1946 movie called The Best Years of Our Lives. William Wyler directed it, and Harold Russell plays one of the guys coming back from the war. It is so incredible. It is three hours long, and my wife said, “You gotta see this movie.” I'd never heard of it. I watched it on YouTube, and it blew my mind.

What film do you think everyone should have seen? 

The movie I think everyone should have seen is 9 to 5, because it's a comedy, a social commentary, and it shows the power of female friendship in the workplace. As a woman in 2025, working every day, it's an incredible movie. 

What’s your preferred social media platform? 

I mostly enjoy my private Instagram account as a way to catch up with friends, since I'm constantly traveling and shooting all over the world. I also use it to see who is in my town. Like, “Hey, I see you’re in London. I'm here too. Let's hang out.” 

What’s your favourite TV show? 

I love Only Murders in the Building, and I love the cross-generational friendship story. That's something that you don't see in a lot of modern media, and it's a real organic dynamic that those actors have. It's great to go to work and laugh every day. 

I really liked Nobody Wants This, as well. It's the sort of the Nora Ephron of today, and to be able to work with two top-level romantic comedy actors is great. We need joy at this time.

What’s your favourite podcast? 

I've really enjoyed Allison After NXIVM. Allison Mack talks about coming out of the cult and facing yourself, and the process of deprogramming. Really fascinating. Highly recommend. 

What have you been most inspired by recently? 

I'm always inspired by nature — just the sun rising and setting. Especially in England, where I am right now, it’s so close to the North Pole, there’s a very short amount of time in between the sun coming up and going down, and it's stunning. 

If you could only listen to one music artist from now on, who would it be? 

Stevie Nicks, her voice always haunts in all the right ways. 

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be? 

I would love to see bigger budgets so that we can always hire union actors, because SAG actors are the best in the business. Great acting makes our thoughts resonate. I would also like it if commercial pools were less insular, allowing people who create stories outside of the commercial space to also make commercials. 

Who or what has most influenced your career? 

I would say David Fincher [below centre] and Ceán Chaffin [below left, with Angelina Jolie]. They are the power couple, director-producer combo that I worked with at the beginning of my career. They really taught me how amazing it is to marry a producer, and I feel like they're the best compliment to a director in love and in life. I'm currently married to a producer.