Attention: Meryl Streep, Robert de Niro and Al Pacino—someone wants to work with you.

“I’d like to work with Al Pacino and Robert De Niro,” Steven Spielberg replied during our recent conversation when asked which actors he’d love to direct. “I’ve also always wanted to direct Meryl Streep.” It’s remarkable that a top director like Steven has indeed not directed three of cinema’s finest actors.

Steven clarified: “I directed Meryl for about 45 minutes in ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’—she was the voice of the Blue Fairy. She came over to my house. I put the tape recorder down and turned it on. She did the 35 lines and went home. I don’t call that ‘directing’ Meryl Streep. I’d like to make a movie with her. She is arguably the greatest actress this country has seen in 40 years.”