> At a Glance
> – Lewis Pullman, 32, never understood why strangers swarmed his dad at restaurants
> – After starting his own acting career, he finally watched Bill Pullman‘s films and “did a whole deep dive”
> – The father-son duo just wrapped Spaceballs 2, a project they’d wanted “forever”
> – Why it matters: Shows how celebrity looks through a child’s eyes-and how artistry, not fame, wins respect
Lewis Pullman grew up baffled whenever diners interrupted family dinners to gush over his mild-mannered father. Now an actor himself, he tells Interview Magazine he finally gets the fuss-and he’s sharing the screen with dad in the long-awaited Spaceballs sequel.
Dinner Interruptions
The Pullman kids rarely ate out, but when they did, somebody always approached the table.
> “I was always like, ‘Well, what’s the big deal? I mean, he’s the best dad ever, but they don’t know that,'” Lewis told Paul Walter Hauser.
Those encounters taught the siblings to sense ulterior motives early on.
Discovering Dad’s Talent
Lewis wasn’t allowed to watch The Serpent and the Rainbow, so he started with lighter fare:
- Newsies (1992)
- While You Were Sleeping (1995)
- Independence Day (1996)
Once he caught the acting bug, he binged his dad’s filmography for a month and realized Bill’s natural warmth is a deliberate artistic choice.
Spaceballs 2 Set
Production on Mel Brooks’ follow-up just ended, and Lewis calls the experience “a bizarre simulation” he couldn’t believe he was part of. The pair had hoped to collaborate for years before the opportunity finally landed.
Career Pressure
Early on, Lewis felt pressure to fill his father’s shoes. Letting go of that impossible goal let him blaze his own trail-a mindset that now fuels both his craft and his appreciation for the man he still calls the best dad ever.
Key Takeaways
- Lewis once saw Bill Pullman only as a parent, not a celebrity
- Acting himself unlocked an appreciation for his dad’s range and warmth
- Their Spaceballs 2 scenes mark a dream team-up decades in the making
- Accepting he couldn’t duplicate his father’s career freed Lewis to succeed on his own terms
