Steven Spielberg recruited David Lynch to terrify Fabelmans star Gabriel LaBelle

With that real-life base in mind, it's easy to see why that on-set surprise helped bring LaBelle into character. He told The Associated Press that it gave him just the right amount of emotion to conjure up in such a pivotal scene.

"[Lynch is] a great guy. But before that, Sammy gets nervous, so I get nervous," he explained. He recalled that he and Spielberg were on set together when an unknown man entered the set. When he realized the new man was none other than David Lynch, LaBelle really got into Sammy's mind.

"My cover wasn't going to be until later, so I wait and wait to do that scene," he recalled. "It really helped me get nervous meeting him."

It also helped that he had Spielberg with him as a guide of sorts. Although the film obviously came first for both of them, LaBelle said he found the insights of the iconic director from his childhood helpful in his preparation. However, he kept a few things close to his heart, wanting the actor to not just mimic his reactions or feelings.

"We had to ask. We had to go scene by scene," he explained. "It was really about knowing what the purpose of each moment was. How did you feel? What do you want from me?"

"The Fabelmans" hits select theaters on November 11, 2022, before expanding on November 23.