Fake Doctors, Real Friends with Zach and Donald - A Good Person with Florence Pugh

Episode Date: March 21, 2023

Zach's new film, A Good Person, comes out this weekend. We're so excited to welcome the star of the movie Florence Pugh to the podcast. She talks to us about how she got her first acting role, why she wanted to cut her hair in the movie, and what it was like to step into the producer role for the first time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi friends, I'm Danielle Robay. And I'm Simone Boyce. And we're here to introduce you to The Bright Side, a new kind of daily podcast that's guaranteed to light up your day. Every weekday, we're bringing you conversations about culture, the latest trends, inspiration, and so much more.

We'll hear from celebrities, authors, experts, and listeners like you. Whether it's relationships, friend advice, or figuring out how to navigate life's transitions, big and small, we'll talk through it together. Listen to The Bright Side from Hello Sunshine every weekday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine you ask two people the same seven questions. I'm Minnie Driver, and this was the idea I set out to explore in my podcast, Minnie Questions. This year, we bring a whole new group of guests to answer the same seven questions. I'm Minnie Driver, and this was the idea I set out to explore in my podcast, Minnie Questions. This year, we bring a whole new group of guests to answer the same seven questions, including Courtney Cox, Rob Delaney, Liz Phair, and many, many more. Join me on season three of Minnie Questions on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Seven questions, limitless answers. six finals and two mirror ball trophies. She knows all the secrets, the behind the scenes arguments and the affairs, the flings, the flirting and the fighting.

Listen to sex, lies and spray tans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Here's some stories about a show we made About a bunch of Docs and nurses in a Canada Who love to hate I said here's some stories

That we all should know So gather round to hear our Gather round to hear our Scrubs Rewatch Show With Zach and Donald Oh my goodness! Hello! I was just crying watching you

So this is a little silly I'm not that ugly We like that Well hey everybody We'll just dive in We'll sit here. I'll go over there. I was going to have it be formal, but you know what?

Let's just do it informally. Hello. Hello, listeners. Welcome to a special version of Fake Doctors, Real Friends. Unfortunately, the only time we could do this is on Sunday, right before our premiere, and Donald is at a basketball tournament with his son. As we all know his son

is just incredible at basketball and it's donald's dream and he wanted to be here so badly but he's at a big tournament with with rocco but we do have the fantabulous joelle monique and dj danil happy to be here of course and um and this is really special because because those of you who listen to the podcast know how important this whole journey of this movie has been for me. We're going to go deep and talk about my journey of writing it, which a lot of you have followed because I have been writing it the entire time we've been doing this podcast. And it's no secret that Florence and I were partners and we did the whole pandemic together and the whole experience of Nick together. And we made this beautiful piece of art. Well, at least I think it's beautiful and I hope you all like it. And so I just wanted to bring Florence on.

Florence, hi. I'm here instead of Donald. Yes. I'm the replacement of Donald. Yes. I'm the replacement. Yes. Amazing. Your personalities are both vivacious. Loud.

Yeah. Attention seeking. Yes. Yes. Hi, you guys. How you doing? Hi. Very well.

Doing good. Very well. Yeah. Yeah. To Daniel's point, there were lots of tears as we were texting each other while we were watching. Like, oh my gosh, Florence is so talented. I got to read the script. I have questions about what happened to one of my favorite scenes.

Yeah, well, don't do any. We have to be careful not to do spoilers. No spoilers. But of course, I want you guys to weigh in because um you know joelle i have to thank you joelle's a very talented writer and i uh i in in the script stage i said hey i'm getting my writing friends input please read this and and and give me any thoughts you have because i did that with a with a myriad of people just to kind of get notes and thoughts from other talented people so joelle it must have been cool for you to see it realized it was cool because so like your scripts are very um detailed and visual and so

you got like a full like idea like a movie mind map if you will of what was happening and so i'm watching the film i'm like yeah this is what i read this is great this is sort of how i imagined it that's different than how i imagined it but it's really cool and then there was a moment where I was like wait did I miss a scene what happened it was one of my favorite scenes

reading it in the script and then it didn't make it to the screen and I was like what happened I'm sure there's a very valid reason but yeah

just give a hint what scene was it so I know which scene it was I can also cut it out yeah cut it I don't think it spoils anything

but let me know, Zach. Molly Shannon makes an important phone call. So Molly Shannon plays Flo's mom in the film, and she makes an important phone call to try to help her daughter. And it's so moving and well-written. But I know sometimes even like the best written stuff or the best performed stuff, you're like, oh, for time or for the pacing of the film, it just doesn just doesn't make it what happens is um you know we shot this movie in 26 days right and and so what happens is the analogy i always use is it's like a scavenger hunt you go out and in 26 days

for minimum 12 hours you race and race and race and collect as much stuff as you can right and then you get back and you're like out of breath and you get back to the edit room and then you're like, what did we get? And what often happens is once you do the assembly, it's two hours, three, sorry, two and a half, three hours long. And so that's when, you know, most filmmakers will tell you a movie is made in the edit room. That's when you start to go, okay what of this giant three hour piece of clay where is our two hour movie and you take stuff out and then you go and put that back and then you take big chunks out because i mean a half hour to 45 minutes is a lot of screen time a lot yeah and but that's where you really truly hone in on which story you're gonna tell with your two hours you know also sometimes

as an actor when your stuff is cut um even if it's not seen or shown and that's also really sad it does it does give you a piece of perspective to the character that no one else does and it gets you from a to b without the audience seeing and actually sometimes it's just as much for you as it is for what it serves to the storyline. So actually, you come out at the end of the story, even if that scene is not seen, with a deeper understanding of who you're playing and where they were before that scene and after that scene. So it actually does serve a purpose, even if it's not in the movie. Yeah, and it's heartbreaking sometimes because, you know,

I cut scenes, like you said, Joelle, I cut a scene that Joelle loved, and that scene is amazing. And maybe there'll be, be maybe one day i don't know if in the streaming days they even do cut scenes do they they probably do um some i love those some streaming channels me too yeah disney plus actually does a lot of it yeah i'd always watch the direct the cut scenes or scenes that didn't make it and they'd be the best bloopers on there well what's nice is like when you love a movie and you and you love the characters and you're kind of like i want more obviously with the streaming series there'll be another season but with a movie i guess you can go well show me the cut scenes i at least want to watch those you know for sure it gives you an entirely different

perspective sometimes to the characters sometimes to the directors or writers visions yeah i love cut scenes wait before we go any further, though, you guys should like, for people who don't know, if somehow you've been living under a rock and didn't see a trailer, what is this movie about? What's it called?

It's a good person. Okay, so the reason we're doing this, for those of you who might be joining us for the first time, because you heard Florence Pugh was on our show. Hi, Florence. This is normally a rewatch Scrubs podcast, but during lockdown, I wrote a movie for Florence Pugh called A Good Person.

And Florence, I always wrote it with her in mind. And when I gave it to Florence, she became a producer of the film and was incredible. It was incredibly collaborative. She was giving me notes that were very collaborative. She was giving me notes that were very helpful. She was giving me script ideas. And her character is a singer-songwriter, not as a career, but as a sort of a way of dealing with her emotions and her almost like journaling, she writes music. And so I asked Florence if she would, because she is a song, well, do you want to say? Yeah, I'll say. I can already hear interrupting me.

So Florence will now take over. Well, that's not who she is, Alison. Well, you tell me. You're Alison. I'm Alison. I'm going to say. So there's a beautiful script. I wasn't allowed to read it until it was completed.

Zach was writing it during the pandemic, and he'd go down to the office and would write for like four hours or five hours a day and would come back up and would be very, very excited to share with me all the things that he had learned about these characters.

And it was at the same time when he was starting the podcast that he'd go down sometimes in the morning and then would come back in the afternoon and would say, I've written this amazing scene between you and Daniel. And then we'd discuss it and chew the fat and talk about why that's amazing,

where that could go. And so I kind of was very much a part of the story from the beginning and understood these characters on a deeper level than if I'd just been given the script one day. And when I finally got the script, And, um, when I finally got the script, I, um, Alison goes through, uh, a load of amazing and awful interactions with these characters that she meets throughout this story. Um, all because of an awful tragedy that happens at the very beginning of the movie. And, um, she is in such a, such a mental state that I've never even come close to or seen really before.

And I think for me, I just, I really had to try and imagine what it is that I would be feeling if I was in that position and if I had affected people's lives in the way that she did. And I guess just to figure out if I was on the right path, I wrote a song for me in my life. I've always, I've always digested life or falling in love or going through heartbreaks and with, with songwriting. And it's been like my diary form, I suppose. And so with this, I was like, okay, I'm going to, I'm going to write something and try and get in the headspace of Alison and showed it to Zach, played it to Zach, and Zach said, that's great. Can it be in the movie? Which I had no intention of it actually being in the movie. I don't remember like that. Yeah, I do because I digested it.

I was digesting the character like that. I remember asking you, is this how she is feeling? But I feel as I always wanted her to be a singer. Yeah, she was always going to be like a piano player. Yeah. Well, anyway, however it occurred, Florence wrote these two incredible songs in the character, which is something just really unique that, you know, doesn't happen very often, that your lead actress can get in the headspace of the character and then write a piece of

music that the character might write and then perform it in the movie. I thought that was really just special. It's a unique form of collaboration, I think, specifically in cinema for a song from an actor to appear. And it's really lovely and it's so wonderful to hear you sing, Florence. I wonder, so you knew Zach was working on the script but you couldn't read it until it was done is am I right in assuming this is the first like script where a

character was written with you in mind to play the character um I've had I've had people write scripts and have me in mind of the role when they've written it, which is very flattering and wonderful. And maybe they had me in mind to act in it. And that's a different thing. Zach wrote with the intention of having my voice and the essence of me coming through in a character. I think that was the difference there. Yeah. I really just, you know, I just think Florence is an incredible actress.

And so I wanted to write something to her. And because I know her so well, as I was writing, and I've never done this, you know, the two other features, I've directed four movies. The third one, Going in Style, I didn't write. It was a studio heist comedy. But the two others I've written and wish I was here, I should note, I wrote with my incredibly talented brother, Adam Braff. But those were written for me. They were things I was going through and dealing with, and I knew that I'd be playing the character. So for the first time, I wrote something wanting to deal with things I was dealing with in battling the grief of losing my sister and my father in the last four years. And then of course, as while I was writing this,

all of this happened with losing Nick to COVID, our friend who was living on our property. So I wanted to write about all this stuff, not tell those specific stories, but write about the grief that I was battling and people I loved were battling. You know, looking at Amanda Kloots, Nick's widow, looking at my mom who would sit by my sister's bedside every day. That was just what was, what bubbled up for me in the pandemic was wanting to write about standing back up after trauma and grief but also with my own tone try and find a way to find the humor in it because i didn't want it to be too maudlin when you hear me talk about those subjects you might be like oh my god this is so heavy and

don't don't get me wrong the movie is emotional but also there's a lot of yeah no but i mean you guys can attest to it that there's a lot of humor in it as well. Oh, of course. There is a lot of humor in here as well. That's what you do so well is write lightness when people are in such darkness. That's why I think it's so easy to watch your movies that are about really depressing shit. Yeah. I think what I really enjoyed about it was the messiness involved with like healing and standing back up i feel like a lot of times when we see it mapped on to films it's you know a rising arc and then you reach a peak and then you're better and that's totally fine um but in real

life it's a lot more complex i think the most emotional scene for me is again without spoiling anything you go to a group like alice and the character goes to a group to get some help and figure things out and she's been encouraged to for the first time like speak her truth like hey you have to contribute if you're gonna be here and it's such a vulnerable place and florence you obviously played that so well but then what's also happening underneath is all the things she doesn't know yet all the lies she's still telling to herself and it's such if you've ever been

in a position of having to take a first big step it's just it's huge it's really hard and it makes you feel like just oh it's so awkward and I'm uncomfortable and then there's also the absolute certainty that there'll be failure following that. And I think all of that somehow is embodied in a single moment.

And it was really brilliant and beautiful. Thank you. I really wanted that scene. I mean, she hasn't been honest for maybe about an hour. She hasn't really truly spoken. And she's very good at getting out of conversations and getting out of being you know put on the hot seat and I think with that scene it was really really important and I really wanted that scene to be like she has to speak she has to be truly honest and and actually talk about

what she thinks she is and and what she knows she is otherwise I think after a while the audience would have been a bit like oh my, she's getting out of another opportunity of talking about how, you know, how flawed she is. And I think that moment, you know, to film as well was hugely cathartic. It was a scene that I was really, really nervous to shoot, partly because we all know what those scenes look like when we watch movies.

We know that it is a sensitive scene. It's a sensitive topic. And also just in all honesty, like the reason why I get scared about playing characters that I play is because I love the ugliness in humans and I love the rawness of the characters that I get to play. And that scene specifically is something that like has to be done perfectly. Like we have to nail it and it has to be achieved because you don't know who's going to be watching this movie and you don't know who it's going to affect, who it's going to help, who it's going to hurt.

Right. And a scene like that, both Morgan's share and my share really needs to be like delicately held and delicately directed and also we kind of have to know that you can't get scenes like that wrong it's so it's so uh it's so well said and also i feel like someone once said to me the greatest scenes of all times and movies that you love whether it be brando or you know de niro and raging bull just insert your favorite scene there that was just like a regular Tuesday, you know? And the actor got up and went to their trailer and went to hair and makeup.

And they're like, it's time to do that scene. You know, I could have been a contender. I think that's my line. And, you know, and I feel that way with Florence and Morgan's performances in this movie, because there's some scenes that you would just drop your jaw. You know, and I'm someone who loves actors. I've dedicated my life to not just being an actor, but just loving great actors. I go to the theater a ton, as you listeners know.

I love it. And so those scenes, I mean, there's several scenes in this movie where you're just watching some of the finest acting. And as a director director you're so nervous like okay today's a scene that's super intense yeah and um you know is is morgan in the right headspace is florence in the right headspace how what was their morning like you know did was the coffee shit and they're in a bad mood like you you just you know as a director you're so nervous you're you know as an actor i'm actor, I'm more nervous of hard scenes. But it's funny.

I was in a movie. One of my first movies was a movie called Broken Hearts Club. And Greg Berlanti, who's now become one of the biggest showrunners in town, but it was his first directing thing. And he'd always say, you have a big scene today. You ready for your big scene today? You would do that to me. No, I wouldn't. Not on the day. Yes, you would do that to me. No, I wouldn't.

Not on the day. Yes, you would. Oh God. But anyway, my memory of it is, I'm sorry I did that to you because I remember, I remember Greg being like,

and I'd be like, Greg, please, you're building it up so much. And now I'm, now I'm scared. But, but Florence,

you, you have, you do deliver every single time. And it's just such a joy to, to watch it happen because, you know, some actors need to stay in character and there's no, there's no right way or wrong way to accomplish this very hard task of being vulnerable on cue, go. So some actors, as we all know, need to stay in that for the day or stay in it for the length of the movie. And, you know, both Florence and Natalie Portman, our wonderful actor, says that I've had a chance to work with who both can magically. I mean, I want you to speak to this because it's your process. can do something that's such an incredible moment and then kind of take a breath and like you know turn around and talk to the dolly grip about like you know if you know how was his dinner last night and what he ate you know and how do you i want to know no but how do you i guess for me as someone who can't necessarily um be that um easy with it how do you do that i was actually talking about

this in an interview yesterday someone a woman, asked me a similar question. And I hadn't really put that much thought into it. But I think I really love living in the adrenaline of a moment and a scene. And I really love that magic energy that happens between the actor and myself in front of a camera right then and there and part of the thrill is that I get to live in it for two or three minutes or a minute and a half and then it's it's almost like wrestling and then you go okay break break and then I kind of have to get out of it just almost so that I can jump in it in the same excited and thrilling and energizing way as the last time.

Unless, of course, it's like a major moment where I need to go over something physically. I think I'm a very physical actor. Like I need to know how I'm going to react to something. So, for example, in the wrestling scene with Molly and I, like figuring out how I'm going to turn and ache or move, like that's really important to me. And I'll definitely prep over that. But when it's about catching that right moment, I love living in the adrenaline of that moment for that second, for that scene, and then drop.

Like and come back to it when I can do it again. It's a very, very special skill. I, as an actor, find that I can't really do that as well. The times where I have had to do major emotional scenes in Garden State, for example, I ended up making it about the single tear in the tub, and she collects it with the cup, which ended up being great. But what I had initially written it as was that he has a full emotional breakdown. And that happened in the wide master shot. I was so present.

Natalie was so good. We had no crew in there except the two cameramen and a boom mic. And I had this really emotional release. And then I, the director, moved the camera in tight to cover it and I just couldn't find it again. It's so horrible. And so I said to myself as a young director, I said, you know, if that's not happening, then that's not the scene.

Because I have a very big pet peeve and I'm going to hand it on to you, audience, now. You will see it and it will bother you too. Actors who are crying with their voice, but there's no tears coming out of their eyes. Crocodile tears. I really – and it's a big scene, and you're like, oh, then they should have just pivoted.

If the actor isn't feeling it or it's not happening, then you need to pivot, and that character's not crying. But as an actor, I've always loved that about you. And, I mean, you told me that anecdote years before we worked together. And I've always loved that because usually in script, especially as a young actress, you'd always get this scene in, even in audition scenes, where, like, she'd be saying something and then the direction would be like, and then a tear falls down her face.

And you're like, I don't know people that actually cry openly. I don't. I always hide my face or I go in a bathroom. Like you don't see people usually just crying all the time. It doesn't happen. It just happens in movies. And I loved when you kind of released that pressure off it. It's like, if it doesn't happen, it's not supposed to happen.

You even told me to take it out of the script. Yeah, I did. Which I thought was really cool because you said, because there were moments in my screenplay where it would say, you know, Ali's eyes well. And she goes, would you mind just taking all of that out because I need to feel it naturally. If it happens on the day, it'll happen on the day.

But when I see it written, it makes me uncomfortable. And I totally think that's wise it feels like you then have to tick a box with it it's like you then i think when when the when i mean obviously for example if there's like a direction in a script where it's like gunshots go off everybody's terrified like of course that makes sense but i'm talking about emotion no i know and i'm saying but with with emotion it's like it's it's completely dependent if a if the script gets you there b if if it's making sense with you and the other actor and i just i've always loved that about you just taking the pressure off i think it's a very kind thing to do as a director well thank you i was just gonna ask do you think

it makes the writing stronger too because you can cue like oh and then they cry okay so now we know the character is sad versus you had to construct the dialogue in such a way that it was emoting to both the actor performing i think it's in all honesty yeah i think if someone says and then they cry i think that's quite lazy it's like well why are they just crying like well i would say that i think that's a really well said joelle because i find as an actor there are moments where i'm just reading this the page and my eyes will well and i'm like wow that's been written in such a way that i'm naturally going to feel that but but i just think you know and this if you're a young filmmaker or an actor listening to this my my two cents after making a bunch of stuff is,

you know, if you're, if you want, if you expect the actor to cry or have a moment, it has to come naturally. And then if it's not happening on the day, by all means, do not have the person make crying noises and have no tears in their eyes, because that to me is so false. And you will now, I'm sorry, I'm going to ruin a lot of movies for you you will see it all over the place now you'll be like but why are their eyes not teary and it goes up here like this yeah just slightly now if you absolutely if it is script dependent that the person eyes are well there's this thing there's a cheat way where you can blow um um it's like a menthol thing that uh and it makes your eyes cry but you have to shoot and then you have to get you have to say action and then the tear comes out you don't have any time yeah it's not like you can do a two minute scene and then it wells up yeah yeah exactly it doesn't happen

and then also nowadays it's true you'll see them now now too. The age of CGI tears has arrived. Oh my God, they're horrible. I know, but I got to say one thing about CGI tears that is good. No, there is one thing. You should not use CGI tears as totally fake, but there are moments when you are cutting a piece where someone is crying with continuity and the most amazing take is natural and real and then you need to cut to the side

angle for whatever reason and there's no tears you're fucked unless you have this new invention so then it is fine to match that's just movie making no no i i'm okay with a cgi tier if it is matching continuity for a actual emotion. That's my personal take, isn't it? But I can tell you right now, we had no budget for CGI tiers in this movie. Good. When you find that bright spot to help you get through your day, it's powerful. That's where The Bright Side comes in. A new daily podcast from Hello Sunshine that's bringing you a daily dose of joy.

I'm Danielle Robay. And I'm Simone Boyce. Listen, both Danielle and I are reporters. We've covered the news and we know the world can feel heavy. But the Bright Side podcast is a space to have a little fun, to learn something new and get into some friendly debates. That's right. Join us five days a week to see how life can look from the bright side.

We'll hear from celebrities, authors, experts, and listeners like you. Whether it's relationships, friend advice, or figuring out how to navigate life's transitions, we'll talk through it all together. Listen to The Bright Side from Hello Sunshine every weekday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever

you get your podcasts. It's Chelsea Handler. And if you listen to my podcast, Dear Chelsea, you know that I love making space for women to share their stories. And that is why I'm excited to be part of Women Take the Mic, iHeartRadio's celebration of women who make music, influence, change, and create culture. All month long, your favorite voices from talk radio, music and podcasting will highlight the remarkable achievements made by women and discuss the most significant issues facing us today. Search Women Take the Mic to listen to a collection of International Women's Day episodes

from iHeart's top podcasts, including Angela Yee's Lip Service, The Psychology of Your 20s, and Dear Chelsea. It is a great way to support women and discover your new favorite show. Listen to Women Take the Mic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, good people. This is Laia.

Now, for years, we have celebrated Women's History Month at QLS with a month of very special programming. This year, we have three Grammy Award winning ladies, Brittany Howard, Corinne Bailey Ray, and Letticey. All three of these artists make music and write songs that fit many genres, and each will be discussing new songs and albums. songs, and albums. We also have the incomparable, incredible Queen of Dance, Fatima Robinson, who has won NAACP Image Awards,

choreographed the Oscars, the Grammys, your favorite Gap ad, and Super Bowls. You know her from her work with Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, and of course, Aaliyah, and most recently, the color purple. Celebrate women's history with us at Questlove Supreme every week in March.

Listen to QLS on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Scrub to Rewatch Your Wits at 10.0 Can we go back a little bit? I know you've rehashed

your career before, but just for our audience who might not know, I just think your story is so incredible. And I know you've spoken about it before, but just for our audience who might not know it, will you talk about how you were discovered? You were in school and they were going to make a movie with Maisie Williams. With Maisie Williams. So I was definitely at school. I was 16.

Was I 16? 17 years old. And I was just finishing, I think, my second to last year of school. And everybody around town was talking about this tape. Have you done this tape? Have you done this tape? And essentially, the BBC were making a movie called The Falling, directed by Carol Morley, starring Maisie Williams. And they needed to fill a school's worth of girls. They needed to find faces that could be possibly from 1969, just like different, interesting, normal faces. You didn't need to be anything

special other than maybe you fit the look of a girl being at this school during this era. And they basically just needed to find as many girls as possible. Some just to be essays, background, and some to be extras, and some to be characters. But they were just trying to find new talent. They didn't want anybody that was recognizable. And honestly, it was like two months of everybody saying, I've done the tape. I heard it's first come, first serve. Like yada, yada, yada. And every school from London to Oxford was talking about this tape, this tape. And it was, you just have to do a one minute tape and you have to say who

you are, what your name is, what you're good at, what school you're at, where you are. And that's it. You had it in that tape. And if you didn't hear anything back, you didn't hear anything back. And my brother had been in the industry for a fair few years prior to this. And I'd been watching his entrance into the industry and just how hard it was and how cutthroat it was and how you do hundreds of tapes every two weeks and no one would ever get back to you. Or they might do, and you have to be there at Friday at 9 a.m this, you know, 10 minute audition, and then they also might not tell you again, just like the brutal reality of what it is to be a young actor or just a new actor in the industry. And my mum had very much helped him out of figuring that out as well. And I remember

when this tape was going around, I was like, absolutely not, I'm not doing this tape. Like, I know, I know how hard it is, because I can see how hard it is for my brother. And there is no way in hell that anyone is going to be giving one of these random, one of us random girls a role in this movie. And I remember the deadline was on Saturday and I got back home from school. My mom was like, have you done the tape? I literally rolled my eyes and I was like, you're kidding. You know about this tape? No, I haven't done the tape. What do you mean? and I was like, you're kidding. You know about this tape as well? Like, no, I haven't done the tape. What do you mean?

And she was like, what do you mean you haven't done the tape? I was like, well, mom, you know better than anyone. Like, why the hell am I doing this leaf audition? I'm not going to get it. No one's going to get it. It's going to go to someone famous. Why are we doing this? This is ridiculous. And she was like, no, no, no, I know you're not going to get it,

but why don't we just give it a go because this is something that you want to do and maybe we can just start practicing being on camera and talking to camera and just start figuring it out because at some point we're going to have to figure it out. And I was begrudgingly going, oh, fine, okay. And I had greasy hair and a sweaty mustache and I was so not okay to do a tape. And I handed in this tape and I said it and I even made a mistake in it. I forgot how old I was made a mistake in it I forgot how old I was and my mum shouts from off camera going how old and I go 17 and then on Monday I

got an email from Shaheen Baig casting who cast the movie and she said that Carol Morley wanted to meet me in two weeks time time. Here are the sides. You get a meeting with the director. And I was like absolutely dumbfounded because this is not what I've been telling everybody at school. Anyway, I went in, and then after that, it was like six months of re-auditions and chemistry tests and all of this stuff, and it was mind-blowing to me.

I'd never done any of this before, and I'd never gone to an audition before. And when I to my audition I remember I was wearing this little gray crop top um like like a little like turtleneck gray crop top and by the time I went into the room my sweat patches were down below my boobs and I was just like I was so terrified and I'd been I'd caught a train with my mum to London which was really big and I was like just all the scary stuff that you know as a 17 year old you're not usually doing job auditions. But were you excited? I was so excited, but it was just, I just was like,

I was so nervous that because of not knowing how to do it that they were going to catch me out. And I did my first audition, and I remember literally like a day later I got another email saying Carol Morley would like to see you again and then each time it was like okay wow gotta get in the mode of this learning all my lines you know it was just it was nuts absolutely nuts and then I didn't find out until end of September so I handed in the the tape in June maybe May and I didn't find out until September so it was a whole summer of like going in.

And then I got the movie and I got the supporting role. And I was playing opposite Maisie Williams. And it was like, whoa, I'm in a movie and I'm missing two months of school. And this is so cool. And I lived in a house with all these beautiful young actors. And Game of Thrones was happening, right? Game of Thrones was happening. Maisie Williams was and is like the toppest name that anyone knows of.

And we were just living in a house together and it was just quite possibly one of the most amazing, eye-opening, oh, my God, yes, this is exactly what I want to do. Thank God this has been my daydream since I was like six. And it was just so cool to think that the thing that I had been dreaming of doing was actually really fun and I really loved it. And I remember being on set, same thing as now asking, you know, what a prop master is and what they had for dinner. And can I help you out? And can I help clean things? And asking, but I just constantly asking questions. What's a boom? What's a boom

operator? Like all of these, all of these fascinating things. I would go to go back home and I'd be so excited and high from the day that I wouldn't be able to sleep. And I remember my alarm would go off at 3.30 or 4, and I'd leap out of bed just out of excitement. And then when we completed the movie, I ended up, actually Shaheen Baig very, very kindly knew that she wanted to get me an agent and she wanted to help me get an agent.

And so she set up these meetings, and I had an agent agent and the whole plan usually was that I was going to go to drama school. And then after that, I'd probably get an agent or try and get an agent. But now I had this agent. So it was like, okay, well, all I need to do now is finish school, which I did not want to do. My mom was like, babe, just finish it. I don't care what you get, just finish it, go to school, get it done done and then we can crack on with it and so that's what happened so um in the last few months of school I'd be going to do auditions on the weekends or going to do this or that and then um and you never did go to drama I never went to drama school I had my agent and I got doing auditions and then I obviously had to

realize that you don't ever get the first job you audition for and then i had to figure out how to actually do auditions you had to get it you had you had the ultimate case of well it's not luck because we've seen what's become of your career but you did have a case of like getting the first thing oh but i mean when when young actors ask me like oh how do you get into the industry i go do not listen to me at all like my i think I think every way into the industry is a fluke and every way in is like hard work no matter how which way comes because ultimately even if you get an easy way in it's what you do with when you have the microphone and it's what you do with when you have the stage and it's like if if you're if you're shit it's not going to continue and I think for me

I had to be I was at the right place at the right time, right age with a director that wanted to find someone that was new and had a new face. And I had a casting team that just actually wanted to support me and get me an agent. And Shaheen then cast me in Fighting My Family. She cast me in Lady Macbeth. Like all these movies that really made my career. Yeah. But also, I mean, she discovered that you had a natural. I knew what to do when I had the mic.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Now, how long after was Lady Macbeth? Lady Macbeth was two years later. So I did The Falling when I was 17, finished school, turned 18. And then I had just a year of doing auditions and trying to figure out if I can do this, if I'm good at it. And then I did a pilot in the first month or two, and I turned 19.

That didn't go. And then pretty much like two months later, I started shooting Lady Macbeth, which then... Okay. So for those of you who... I'm going to interrupt you to say, for those of you who haven't seen Lady Macbeth, you really need to see this movie.

It is really, truly... The Falling was Florence's first job, but Lady Macbeth is what launched her onto everyone's radar. And it is an incredible film. It doesn't have anything to do with Shakespeare's Macbeth, although the title is probably a nod to behaviors of the character. Lady Macbeth of Metesk. It's a play.

It's a play? Yeah. Okay. It's actually an opera and a play. It's an opera and a play. It's a play? Yeah. Okay. It's actually an opera and a play. It's an opera and a play, and it was adapted to a very low-budget independent film. I think it takes place almost entirely in one house. One house and a few more, and we shot it in like two and a bit weeks for a quarter of a million. Yeah, so it cost a quarter of a million dollars to make,

which if you don't know movie budgeting, is minuscule. And two weeks time. And it's just the ultimate example. I'm not just saying this because Florence is here. It is just the ultimate example. If the writing is brilliant and the acting is brilliant, you can have people on the edge of your seat and have a movie take place in one house. place in one house and every single person who loves actors and acting who saw that movie said who the hell is this person because it was incredible incredible performance and you were nominated for a BAFTA I believe or did

you win a BAFTA I won a Biffa and I was nominated for a BAFTA. Yeah. At how old? Well, I did the movie when I was 19. So there you go. Yeah. That's pretty incredible. Thank you. I highly, highly recommend that film to everyone.

And my scene partners is Naomi Ackie. Hey. Yeah. Wonderful Naomi Ackie and Cosmo Jarvis, who are doing wonderful work. And every time I see them at events, it's like seeing your sibling when you were younger and before you got adopted. It was truly like, oh, my God, there you are from the past. And Naomi is doing incredible work, and she's so unbelievably talented and beautiful, and it's been so wonderful watching her rise

after playing Whitney. Did you see it? No, I didn't see the film, but I know that she's an incredible actress because she's incredible in the movie. And I've watched, I think, some other things with her. And then, of course, Midsommar. So many people love that movie. Yeah, if you're weird, Midsommar. So many people love that movie. Yeah.

If you're weird, then you love it. I think non-weird people love it, too. Some people come up to me and they're like, oh, my God, Midsommar is my favorite movie ever. I watch it all the time. And I'm like, you're really weird. I accept it. I cheer every time in the finale. You do? Yeah.

And every time I watch it with a guy, they're like, what are you doing? I'm like, it's just so beautiful. She chose herself. And it's so lovely. I love it I cheer every time in the finale you do? yeah and every time I watch it with a guy they're like what are you doing? I'm like it's just so beautiful she chose herself and it's so lovely I love this movie

this movie has spawned more fan art than any other film I've ever seen you know he used to collect it he used to collect the fan art

and put them on a shelf it was very cute well I there's so much fan art for Midsommar that I would Florence would look at some of it but I would go deep dive because I just thought it was I mean there's so much fan art for Midsommar that I would, Florence would look at some of it, but I would go deep dive

because I just thought it was, I mean, there's so much talent. You know, there's sculptures of her. There's actually. He would get things made, like little sculptures. No, I didn't commission them. I would like find them and be like, how could Florence not own this? And I would DM the artist and be like, are you selling this? Because I know Florence Pugh and she should own it.

And the person would be like, Florence is going to own that? Take it. No, no. And I'd be like, I am not taking it. Your art is beautiful. You name the price. And I always obviously paid and then paid them probably more than they were asking. But there were a few things that were just.

He got me earrings, Danny earrings. Oh, there was a pin. They were pins. I've got the pin and I've got the little sculpture. There's a sculpture. You could go on Etsy and just go down on Midsommar art wormhole. And the amazing posters from all around the world. Didn't you get me the Japanese movie poster?

Yes, there's a Japanese. I don't know if it was their official poster or if it was a special commission, but it was gorgeous. You can Google image it if you're curious. And I hunted that down and bought that for you. I just think that's so cool. I geek out. Like Florence, with the Black Widow toys, she's not nearly as interested as I am.

I am. I look at it. I'm like, oh, that's little me. That's cute. No, I remember pulling out the Lego figurine. Now, first of all, Legos were my favorite thing as a child, and I still love them as an adult, obviously. Donald and I, that's another thing Donald and I share in common is our love of Legos.

But when the Black Widow Lego set came out, I bought it, and I was running to Florence like, you're a fucking Lego figure. And she's like, that's so cool, that's so cool. I'm like, you're not excited enough. And she's like, that's so cool. That's so cool. I'm like, you're not excited enough. But I got to see you excited, which was just as good.

Oh, my gosh. Listen, on the life goals list, you know, I'm honored to be a Funko Pop, but I really would love to be a Lego figurine. Hear that, Lego? Are you hearing it? I don't know why Lego has not made the Freck from Obi-Wan set yet. What's going on, guys? Yeah.

Let's do it. When you find that bright spot to help you get through your day, it's powerful. That's where the bright side comes in. A new daily podcast from Hello Sunshine that's bringing you a daily dose of joy. I'm Danielle Robay. And I'm Simone Boyce. Listen, both Danielle and I are reporters. We've covered the news and we know the world can feel heavy. But the Bright Side podcast is a space to have a little fun, to learn something new, and get into some friendly debates. That's right. Join us five days a week to see how life can look

from the bright side. We'll hear from celebrities, authors, experts, and listeners like you. Whether it's relationships, friend advice, or figuring out how to navigate life's transitions, we'll talk through it all together. Listen to The Bright Side from Hello Sunshine every weekday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Chelsea Handler, and if you listen to my podcast, Dear Chelsea, you know that I love making space for women to share their stories. And that is why I'm excited to be part of Women Take the Mic, iHeartRadio's celebration of women who make music, influence change,

and create culture. All month long, your favorite voices from talk radio, music, and podcasting will highlight the remarkable achievements made by women and discuss the most significant issues facing us today. Search Women Take the Mic to listen to a collection of International Women's Day episodes from iHeart's top podcasts, including Angela Yee's Lip Service, The Psychology of Your 20s, and Dear Chelsea. It is a great way to support women and discover your new favorite show. Listen to Women Take the Mic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, good people. This is Laia. Now, for years, we have

celebrated Women's History Month at QLS with a month of very special programming. This year, we have three Grammy award-winning ladies, Brittany Howard, Corinne Bailey Ray, and Lettucey. All three of these artists make music and write songs that fit many genres, and each will be discussing new songs and albums. We also have the incomparable, incredible queen of dance, Fatima Robinson, who has won NAACP Image Awards, choreographed the Oscars, the Grammys, your favorite Gap ad, and Super Bowls. You know her from her work with Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, and of course, Aaliyah, and most recently, The Color Purple. Celebrate women's history with us at Quest Love Supreme every week in March. Listen to QLS on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Scrubs Rewatch Show with Zach and Donald. So talk a little bit about Black Widow because, as you know, Joelle and Donald in particular are Marvel mega fans. Well, what do you want to know? Yeah, we have the script for Thunderbirds do you want us to read it it's not Thunderbirds what's it called

it's not Thunderbirds what's it called Thunderbolt oh I'm sorry come on Joelle would you like us to perform the Thunderbolt screenplay for you right now

as long as it's not Thunderbirds yes please oh my god Joelle I'm giving you a moment to ask any of your Marvel questions on behalf of you and Donald I have so many questions she obviously can't say much but yes yes Oh, my God. Joelle, I'm giving you a moment to ask any of your Marvel questions on behalf of you and Donald.

She obviously can't say much, but. Yes, yes. Okay. Do you want to know who's in Thunderbolts? Are we allowed to say? I don't even know who's in Thunderbolts. I know just from reading the press releases. I find out online.

I'm like, okay, all right. That's how secret it is. Well, this isn't a secret because I'll tell you stuff that has been on the interwebs that Harrison Ford is in it. Yes, you told me that actually. Yes, my friend Harrison Ford. I believe, what is that amazing actress from The Bear? Yes, she's in it. Oh my god, I'm so excited. Yes, what's her name?

Ayo Adebri. She's incredible. So funny. Fabulous. I did squeal when I read that online I read that on the interweb she's in it I'm gonna be her best friend even if

even if it I don't know how I'm gonna make that happen please make TikToks Florence because we need to see the drinking adventures of you and I over here

oh she man I love the bear and she's just fantastic in it I think Sebastian Stan fantastic in it. I think… Sebastian Stan's in it. Sebastian Stan, and I believe Wyatt Russell is in it.

Yes. Is that a spoiler? I think that's on the interwebs. That's on the interwebs. Is Steven Yeun in this? I think so. And I bet you Julie Weiss-Dreyfus is probably in it. Guys, this is tricky stuff for me to talk about.

Oh, yeah. We don't want to get Miss Flo in trouble. But I can talk about the one that I have already done and the series that I was already done. Yeah. So what was that like? I mean, just for, you know, a lot of our audience does love Marvel. Yeah.

So tell us just, you know, I know you've spoken about it a lot, but, you know, what's it like to step into a movie that gargantuan? I mean, the movie, I remember watching that movie and being like, I just can't fathom the scale of this thing. When you guys are, when you went, that sequence, for example, of the skydiving with Scarlett, and, I mean, how does, how the fuck did you, was that even done? I don't know.

I mean, I do know. So, yeah, I mean, saying yes to a project like that is all for the right reasons terrifying because for me, it's a world that means so much to so many and so many people know my character better than I'll ever know it. And Yelena had never been played before. It's also, you know, she's associated with Black Widow, with Scarlett's character, who also everybody has such a sensitive

and tough time discussing her character because of how it all ended and everybody's very sad about that. And so, yeah, getting involved with this film was like, oh, my God. Again, the same thing of like I've got to get this really, really right because I don't want to offend people and I don't want people to be upset. And I don't want people to think that it should have been played by someone else. Like that to me was the biggest fear, but just the nature of what the film was, was discussing and dissecting and tackling and, um, everything to do with its storyline, female subjugation, trafficking. Like, it was just, I couldn't believe that Marvel were making a movie like that

and being very openly, we were openly discussing all of this in the script amongst our characters. And Scarlett obviously was very much involved in the movie and producer and actor in it. And then we had Kate Shortland, who was just a fantastic director. It just truly felt like one of those projects that wasn't just doing a superhero movie. It was like we are discussing a lot and we are challenging a lot. And it was terrifying stepping into it, but I'm so, so glad that I did.

Also just the family that I got from it. Family of fans, family of fans, family of all the people at MCU. Did Scarlett share anything with you? I mean, obviously, I mean, something that you're willing to share, but did she – she knew that you were going to be stepping into these enormous shoes, obviously not taking over her character, but entering the Marvel Universe in a giant way. Did she guide you in any way?

The best thing that I learned from her and it was never ever i mean i'm sure she that there were specific things that she told me but i think the coolest thing about watching a woman that has been in the industry ever since she was a child and also in the mcu um for a decade was just like her, her consistency of, of needing to have fun and needing to enjoy the whole process. Cause otherwise I think you could possibly get too bogged down with it and it become too serious and it become too daunting. But I think for me, it was just really, I, when I stepped into the role, I was so stressed and I was so eager to be perfect and eager to train really, really hard and to learn how to do the in the middle of the air flip role with my dagger out.

And I really wanted to do and try and do all of my stunts and respect the craft and respect the stunties and give it my best shot. And I just remember her from the very beginning being like, you've got to enjoy it. You've got to, A you've you've got to a let the professionals do the things that they are professional for so like no you're not going to be jumping out of a building and b just enjoy the process don't don't don't let it eat you don't be don't be nervous about about the world that you're stepping into and know that these these

fans will love you like that that's that's why it's so wonderful. I remember we went to Comic-Con and I was so terrified because we'd be walking around with masks on or going around with cars and just the crowds of people that were there. And we'd only just kind of released the information that we were shooting and that it was me. And I remember being so nervous that people weren't going to like it or like me or want me to be the role. And I remember Scarlett and I would just hold hands behind the stage before we went out. And I was just holding her hand and we were watching our trailer go.

And it was nice to see that she was nervous too. That was quite cool. And then going out and just this sea of people. I couldn't see the back wall of the warehouse. I could not see the back wall. You're talking Hall 8? Yeah. I couldn't see the back wall of, of the warehouse. I could not talk in hall eight. Yeah. Yeah. I could not see the back wall.

And, um, it was just unbelievable. The instant adoration that all these people had for our movie that hadn't even come out yet. And we only showed them a small trailer. It was like truly, I mean,

it's because of that love and that support that makes doing those massive movies, I suppose possible, but shooting it was nuts. We shot in so many different countries. And by the way, you, you loved being with the stunt.

I loved it. And they loved you and you really trained hard. And even though your, your stunt double did incredible work for you, you did. Yeah. You did do a couple of things. You did run.

She did run down that wall. But I did. I the wall, yeah. That was really dope. I also love doing it. It's so much fun. And hanging out with Stunties is the coolest. The English call them Stunties. That's amazing, first of all.

We need to upgrade our language here in the States. Stunties is much better. And you know, Florence, I can tell you that I think, like, you and Jonathan Majors feel like the future of Marvel. I think these are the two characters that people have really globbed onto the most as we moved from, like, Phase 4 to Phase 5. And we're seeing it, like, grow and everything. I know there's this, like, especially because I think villains are sort of the new wave for Marvel. Like, we've had all the iconic heroes in their very shiny vestments and everything. It's fun to get some of it. When you did Hawkeye,

watching you with Hayley was so much fun. I was like, this is the level of cool, badass girls who feel very grounded. I think there's something about specifically those two characters. Those two characters specifically feel like, oh, hey, yes, we're like women and it's cool that we're here. But that has almost nothing to do with our story. It's we're not here because we're women.

We're not here to try to, like, prove anything. We're just badasses independently of anything else. And that's been really fun to watch. I hope we get more of the two of you soon. Oh, well, that was so fun to do. And I had such a small stint of shooting on that show i mean they were going on for months and i just popped in and did some some elena here's a very funny florence story um so we she shot hawkeye um and that sequence at the rockefeller

center ice rink um in atlanta on a soundstage where they had recreated the giant thing. And she shot that whole sequence on a stage in Atlanta. They made the whole thing to scale. Well, not all of 30 Rock, but the rink maybe. The rink and the walls, the blue walls, you know, all around. It was enormous. But anyway, but she had never been to the real ice rink at 30 Rock. And when we wrapped, was it when we wrapped a good person?

Yeah. We wrapped a good person. We came to New York. And Florence was like, I really want to go to the ice rink because I've been to it on the stage. What, am I telling it wrong? No, you're telling it wrong. All right, go ahead. stage what am I telling you no you're telling it wrong all right go ahead you you we were we were here with our friends Jess and Kerry and before we'd all go back to our corners of the world

we were like okay well let's have a few Christmassy days let's go to a Christmas market let's go and have hot chocolates and Zach was like I know what we can do and Zach and Kerry booked us slots to go ice skating I didn't Kerry. Kerry did. Kerry did. But it was like an exciting thing that we all did. And we were walking up and I'd kind of forgotten about it. And as we were walking, it was so Christmassy and we were all holding hands and it was just like so sweet. And then as we came up to the ice skating rink, I was like, hmm.

I've been here before. We put on our ice skates and I go, guys, this is where I shot my action scene with Jeremy Renner. And everything, like everything was to scale. I was like, yes, so this is where the star came down on the ice and I kicked him in the face. And even the fountain. I was like, I have a picture of me by the fountain. Yeah.

She was like looking around the real 30 Rock. She's like, I've been here. But in Atlanta. That's just a real experience. I know. Movie making. When you find that bright spot to help you get through your day, it's powerful. That's where The Bright Side comes in.

A new daily podcast from Hello Sunshine that's bringing you a daily dose of joy. I'm Danielle Robay. And I'm Simone Boyce. Listen, both Danielle and I are reporters. We've covered the news and we know the world can feel heavy. But the Bright Side podcast is a space to have a little fun, to learn something new, and get into some friendly debates. That's right. Join us five days a week to see how life can look from the bright side. We'll hear from celebrities, authors, experts, and listeners like you. Whether it's relationships, friend advice, or figuring out how to navigate life's transitions,

we'll talk through it all together. Listen to The Bright Side from Hello Sunshine every weekday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Chelsea Handler. And if you listen to my podcast, Dear Chelsea, you know that I love making space for women to share their stories. And that is why I'm excited to be part of Women Take the Mic, iHeartRadio's celebration of women who make music, influence change, and create culture. All month long, your favorite voices from talk radio, music, and podcasting will highlight the remarkable achievements made by women and discuss the most significant issues facing us today. Search Women Take the Mic to listen to a collection of International Women's Day episodes from iHeart's top podcasts, including Angela Yee's Lip Service, The Psychology of Your 20s, and Dear Chelsea.

It is a great way to support women and discover your new favorite show. Listen to Women Take the Mic on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, good people. This is Laia. Now, for years, we have celebrated Women's History Month at QLS with a month of very special programming. This year, we have three Grammy Award-winning ladies, Brittany Howard, Corinne Bailey Ray, and Letticey. All three of these artists make music and write songs that fit many genres, and each will be discussing new songs and albums. We also have the incomparable, incredible Queen of Dance, Fatima Robinson,

We also have the incomparable, incredible queen of dance, Fatima Robinson, who has won NAACP Image Awards, choreographed the Oscars, the Grammys, your favorite Gap ad, and Super Bowls. You know her from her work with Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, and of course, Aaliyah, and most recently, the color purple. Celebrate women's history with us at Questlove Supreme every week in March. Listen to QLS on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Well, with our last few minutes, let's just circle back to our movie, A Good Person, which is coming out this Friday in theaters. We hope, I hope, Florence and I hope that you go and check it out in movie theaters. Oh, you'll love it. I really think you will. And it will hopefully affect you in all the ways that you want it to.

I do think my just sales pitch for seeing it in the theater is there is something really magical, I believe, in sharing what this movie is about in a room full of people. Oh, yeah. We've been traveling the country. I've just been on a major tour, and I'm watching it with audiences, and there's just something magical about when it's pin drop silent. Of course, in the emotional times when you hear people sniffling, then when there's humor and everyone has a laugh release. times when you hear people sniffling then when there's humor and everyone has a laugh release and um you know people often say there's not enough movies uh for for grown-ups out there

well i i really tried to make one and i that's my plea for you to please check it out in theaters and joelle do you have any more questions as a smart entertainment journalist you wanted to ask us i do uh and again florence correct me if i'm wrong but this is your first producing credit as a smart entertainment journalist you wanted to ask us? I do. And again, Florence, correct me if I'm wrong, but this is your first producing credit, right? It is. Okay. So you've worked with a ton of women directors in your career.

You talked throughout this interview about your love and passion of just being on set and learning all of the little jobs. What did you love about producing? What are you excited to do again? And have you considered directing at all? That is such a good question. Joelle, you nailed it. They're all so ready. Thank you.

It's funny. I have been dipping my toe in the producing world. I think it's something that I naturally end up doing anyway on a film. I want to be involved in things, even when obviously I've seen I've only got the finished script and I can only now kind of help when we're shooting. But I think naturally over the years, I've always wanted to tweak things that aren't right or are right or could be better or have a say in who do we think should be cast for this. It's something that I very much, not because I want control, but because I want to be a part of making it perfect. I really do want every line to be fantastic for everyone. And I

think I have a good handle on dialogue. I think I'm very, I love when it makes sense and everything clicks. And I think with this movie, when we were working on it together, we had been discussing some character arcs or something and we were just chatting it, going through it, and I was like, Zach, I think I'm a producer on this movie. And he was like, um, and I was like, no, I think I am. I'm a producer on this movie. And then he was like, yeah, of course, you can be a producer on the movie.

And so, but also just chatting about like casting i love i love um figuring out who's going to be right for what and who deserves to have a role like that i think like one thing that was amazing was sorry interrupt you but she goes she goes um you know florence's friends with alex wolf and we had this amazing scene for uh someone to come in and do and she goes, do you think Alex would do it? And I go, oh, my God, Alex Wolff would be perfect for that scene. And obviously so many fans would love to see you and Alex Wolff go toe-to-toe in a scene. And she's like, well, let me ask him.

And she asked him, and Alex was like, oh, my God, I like Zach's work a lot. I love you. Like, I'm in. And she hangs up with him. And she's like, I'm the best producer. I was getting roles in and every time I would do something I'd put the phone down and be like Zach I'm a producer but she was she was not only was she really helpful in casting but a lot of script

stuff I mean talk about the the cutting of the hair conversation. Cutting of the hair. Yeah, I wanted that. I wanted to do that. I just wanted, I think when you're that low, there are so many levels of trying to fix yourself or trying to change something because you're kind of doing anything, then look at what it is that you are and what it is that you actually need to change. And I just wanted her to be, like, doing everything and anything possible than actually figure out what's wrong with her and what she actually thinks of herself. And I think for me also chopping the hair, now watching it and seeing what people have to say about it,

I think getting rid of the vanity is an amazing aspect to Alison that it's just gone. Like her female long hair, her womanly long hair is gone and she butchered it and she doesn't care. And it's like it's at a new level of low. I think also for an audience to watch someone in that state of distress for a whole movie, the visual, I suppose, it being so pleasing to watch the visual of her vanity being destroyed by herself and that you're not getting distracted by anything.

You're not getting distracted by beauty or if it's aesthetically pleasing or if her hair is in a bun or a ponytail or plait or whatever. It's like you just get to see this person on rock bottom with a raw face and raw hair basically just falling. And then when she came to me with that, I was like, that is so brilliant and I love it. Here's the thing. so brilliant and I love it. Here's the thing. We're shooting in 26 days and we shoot completely out of order as we tell you folks who aren't in the

industry. Everything's shot out of order. I said, Florence, that's brilliant but logistically really impossible. She took a beat and she's like, you'll figure it out. Then I go to the team and I'm like

you know the first AD who's in charge of the schedule and everyone my amazing cinematographer Mauro Fiore and you know

the producer we're all huddled up and I'm like Florence has this great idea don't freak out but I kind of like it but I know it's going to be hard

but let's so they huddle for like a couple days and they're like Zach Zach Zach here's all the reasons

why that's not going to work so I go back to Florence and they're like zach zach here's all the reasons why that's not going to work and so i go back to florence and i'm like florence i we tried but it's just this it's brilliant but it's just not going to work on our budget or our scale she goes you'll figure it out and um and so it was her and they figured it out well there's a great it made me think of um there's like that awesome Industrial Light and Magic documentary. I was just going to say, it's very George Lucas of you. Yes. I really recommend that to anyone who hasn't seen it.

But in that documentary, they talk about how George, when he would come to them, and he would say, I want you to do some insane thing. And the animators would be like, that's not possible. And he would just go, think about it. Right? Is that what he said? Think on it or think about it? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And he would go, just think about it. And they'd come back, go, George, we did huddle, this is impossible. And he goes, all right,

just keep thinking about it. And anyway, the point is, I want to thank Florence because it did push us to figure it out. And I didn't want to use wigs because wigs are pretty bad always.

It burns at the moment. The whole point, she chops her hair and then it's gone. We wanted her to to we wanted to really chop her hair off on camera and we also didn't want to use wigs because wigs even with a high budget are not great wigs on a low budget are really bad yeah and um and so when you see her cutting her hair off it's really Florence cutting her hair off um also just so know, the whole week up to that, everybody was shit scared.

Zach was really worried. He was like, are you sure? Like, how short are we going? Let's do a practice run. Let's do a practice run. And everybody would be checking in with me and being like, are you okay? Are you nervous about it?

And I'd be like, no, I'm so excited. And then people were starting to get a bit confused because I was, like, completely thrilled about it. And even on the day, Zach was like, okay, so I just want to go over, like, where are we going? Well, the hairstylist came in because I was like completely thrilled about it. And even on the day, Zach was like, okay, so I just want to go over, like where are we going? Well, the hairstylist came in and I was like, all right, just show her where she should cut. And he was like, she knows, she knows.

I don't know, but just let me see. Because you only have, you know, take one. And we actually had to cut a port in the wall of this house because every single moment of this movie is shot on locations. There's no sets because we just didn't have the money for it. And so we took the medicine cabinet off of the wall, and there was no way to get the shot we wanted. So we went to the homeowner, and we were like, can we cut a hole in this wall? We'll obviously patch it and make it look brand new, but in order to get the shot we need, we need to cut what's called a camera port in this wall we'll obviously patch it and make it look brand new but we in order to get the shot we need we need to cut what's called a camera port in this wall and they were like okay as long as

you promise to restore it and we were like oh my god we can't believe they said yes so um so in order to get those shots of of florence um looking in the mirror like like she does several times in the movie just a little for those of those of you filmmaking geeks out there, we had to cut a hole in the wall. But it turned out perfectly, and it was such a good choice, and that was just one of many examples of Florence saying, I'm a producer, and you did a great job. I'd love to keep on producing. I love it.

Yeah, and talk about filming. I definitely have told her that she should be a director one day and fold that into her resume. I'd love to be a director. I think I need to learn a bit more. I need to soak it up. It's such a tricky position to have and to lead and to be a leader on a film set.

You really have to be like, you have to know your shit and if you don't um a lot of people can get you know twisted up by that and i think for me i don't want to um i don't want to go in and not know and then and and affect an actor badly like you just it's something that you really should go in knowing that you can do so i think i'm just going to do a bit more learning well if you ever want to take the the zach braff camera geek camera toys workshop i will give you a one-on-one thank you because i'm obsessed with it all um i i hope you direct because not only do you have a great um vision and intelligence and clear knowledge of acting but you you're a great leader. And, um,

and I think you'd be a fantastic filmmaker. So thank you guys for tuning in, um, to this special conversation with Florence Pugh. Our movie, a good person comes out this Friday. It comes out everywhere in, um, United States,

uh, Canada and the United Kingdom on, uh, on Friday, the 24th. Really? So I know I've gotten a lot of people on social media saying, when in my country, when in my country? I promise you it's coming to all.

Australia I know is end of April, but all I can say specifically now is this weekend in the United Kingdom and the United States, it's on many screens. It's not one of those ones that's on States. Whoa. It's on many screens. It's not one of those ones that's on one screen. It's on lots of screens. So please go check it out. And thank you, Joelle and Daniel, for this awesome conversation. That was such a lovely chat.

Of course. It was my pleasure. It was lovely seeing you guys again. It was good to see you too. I used to see you during the pandemic, randomly, every now and then. Remember when you came on and made your... Remember when she came on and made her martini that's basically just cold vodka? That's what a martini is.

It's cold vodka. It was amazing. Inspiring for us all in the Jesus double times. All right. Would you like to count us out? Donald's not here. Would you like to count? You count down from five.

Just really slowly? No, you just like in tempo. Five, six, seven, eight. Oh, so count up from five. I'm glad to know you're such a fan of six, seven, eight. Oh, so count up from five. I'm glad to know you're such a fan of the podcast. I am, but you said count down from five. Yeah, like five, six, seven, eight. Five, six, seven, eight. Nurses and a janitor who love to hate. I said he's got stories that we all should know.

So gather round to hear our, gather round to hear our Scrubs Rewatch Show with Zach and Donald. Mm-hmm. Hi, friends. I'm Danielle Robay. And I'm Simone Boyce. And we're here to introduce you to The Bright Side, a new kind of daily podcast that's guaranteed to light up your day. Every weekday, we're bringing you conversations about culture,

the latest trends, inspiration, and so much more. We'll hear from celebrities, authors, experts, and listeners like you. Whether it's relationships, friend advice, or figuring out how to navigate life's transitions, big and small, we'll talk through it together. Listen to The Bright Side from Hello Sunshine every weekday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine you ask two people the same seven questions. I'm Minnie Driver, and this was the idea I set out to explore in my podcast, Minnie Questions. I'm Minnie Driver, and this was the idea I set out to explore in my podcast, Minnie Questions.

This year, we bring a whole new group of guests to answer the same seven questions, including Courtney Cox, Rob Delaney, Liz Phair, and many, many more. Join me on season three of Minnie Questions on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Seven questions, limitless answers. and two Mirrorball trophies. She knows all the secrets, the behind-the-scenes arguments, and the affairs, the flings, the flirting, and the fighting. Listen to Sex, Lies, and Spray Tans on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.