Happy Sad Confused - Alicia Vikander

Episode Date: June 8, 2015

You’ll be seeing a lot of the lovely and talented Alicia Vikander on the big screen very soon. Alicia joins Josh to talk about her new film Testament of Youth, growing up in fun play environment with her stage actress mother, horrible auditions gone awry, and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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So please just go to podsurvey.com slash happy. Take the survey, less than five minutes, guys. Come on, and maybe $100 gift card in the bargain. Go there. Hey guys, welcome to another edition of Happy Set Confused. I am Josh Horowitz, and you're knee-deep in it now. Oh, man, you're in my podcast. Thanks for wading in.

That's the water analogy. I don't know. You're in the podcast of my brain right now. And luckily, you're not going to just hear from me. You're going to hear from a lovely and very talented actress momentarily that you might not have heard of. Okay, so a lot of the actors and filmmakers on the show, probably 90% of them, if you're like me, if you're like a movie or TV fan, you know them immediately off the bat. There's a chance when you clicked on this, you're like, oh, I don't know who this

person is. Let me explain to you why this is important for this episode. Alicia Vakander is the name of the actress I spoke to for this week's episode. And this is going to be a bragging rights kind of show for you to listen to you because in six months, everyone is going to be talking about Alicia Vakander. She, um, she's kind of having a moment. She's got like, I don't even know, six movies coming out this year. A few of them have already opened. She started in Ex Machina, which is out in theaters now, which you should check out if you haven't already. She's in the new film Testament of Youth, which is an exceptional piece of work as well. That's what she really specifically came in here to talk about. It's her and Kit Harrington. Hello, if your Game of

Thrones fan. You get that in the bargain. And she's also just got a ton of really interesting material coming up. She's in Guy Ritchie's new movie. She's in the new Eddie Redmayne movie from the director of King's Speech called the Danish Girl that's opening later this year. And more I can't even think of right now. And she's attached to cool new projects with Tom Hanks. She might be in the next born movie. Seriously, this actress is great and is just going to be her her career's about to explode in a big way. And having seen both Testament and youth and X. Mackina in recent weeks, I can say I support this fully.

She is super talented. I mean, she's gorgeous. That's a given. She really, you'll see. She's very striking on camera, but she's, um, she's a great actor to boot. And she's been doing this a little bit. She's only 26. Um, she's from Sweden.

Um, and it's, uh, it's kind of, this is an interesting one because it's a fun time to talk to her. She is at that moment, kind of like that transition period from someone that in the industry people know and about to get more well-known on a bigger scale, thanks to this really interesting assortment of films. It reminds me of, you know, a few years ago when Jessica Chastain, you know, had three or four movies in one year, and suddenly we went from zero to 60 in terms of knowing who she was. So I'm excited that this one worked out, and she couldn't have been sweeter. I find actually this conversation gets also better as it goes along. I think she warms up. I got a chance to talk to her a few weeks ago about ex machina.

And, you know, sometimes it takes time to establish trust and get somebody out of their comfort zone or into their comfort zone. And by the end, she's hysterical telling some really amazing stories about horrible auditions gone awry and some other fun stuff. So check this one out. I think I'm really proud of this one. I'm really happy we had her on the show when we did. And check out Testament of Youth. and go back and check out X-Makana and then go watch

Anna Kerenina in Royal Fair, which are some of her older films, and then brag to your friends that you knew who Alicia Rakander was before them. As I always say, me up on Twitter, Joshua Horowitz,

tell me what you want to know, tell me who you want to hear. And now, listen to this week's podcast. I'd just like to say her name, Alicia Wakander. I feel like I'm, I feel like it's one of the side. I'm going to put a piano?

What are you doing? What do you want to do with Alton John? What do you want to do? I'm going to record this on here too as a backup because I've learned my lesson because sometimes things go right. It's just technology. Right? How are you with technology, Alicia?

Um, I mean, is this proof? Oh, you're not going to technology. I'm looking at it. we see as very broken iPhone. You know, I have never dropped my iPhone and never cracked it? Well, I, this was kind of coming, I guess, because I think I've dropped my phone about 50 times. And it never broke and I was like kind of proud of having a phone that I could just, you know,

throw in the ground and it never cracked. But, yeah. Oh, well, I caught up with you. Thank you for stopping by. It's good to see you again. Good to see you again. I feel like I'm going to interview you. I love that photo, by the way.

It's a great photo, right? Happy, say, confused. You're going to do it again, by the way. Great. I get you all to my self today, not North Donald interfering. Yeah, I'm going to talk to you like 10 times this year, I'm sure. Because, as you may know, you've been working. Well, we're doing different media.

We do a puppet show next. What should we do? That sounds fun. I've never done that. Me neither. Could be new. Congratulations. There's the door.

Are we expecting something? Hello? Come in. There we go. Beverages. This is important. You need to be hydrated. I have a lot of running around.

It's all good. It's all good. When you're running around the town, you need to be hydrated. No, actually, no, I've been just, no, it's the, what is called media? It's really weird. It is weird. Did you do another satellite tour thing? Yeah, the worst thing was, though, yeah, satellite for like two and a half hours.

Yeah. And Kit and I, you know, we did it together, thank God. But then midway, they wanted us to kind of look side of camera, not in camera. So they put up without just like, okay, and this is the new, this is the next one. Just look at this and then we were on live. And he was a smiley. No. And he talked and made it and I look at a smiley.

What was the purpose of this? Why? Are they just trying to mess with your head? Well, I think so. It's psychological torture. And this poor, you know, journalist just wondered why we're just laughing on. Oh, my God. On the other side, where we tried to have very serious conversation.

This is a serious movie. We need to talk seriously. Congratulations. Actually, in all, Ernest's this. It's a great piece of work. I saw it the other day. both are excellent in it. Thank you so much.

And, yeah, it's exciting. I mean, it's obviously exciting that you're in a bunch of these really cool films. It's also exciting just to look at them, at least on paper. Have you seen X. Mackinna, obviously, and this, they're all so different. They're all over the map. Very different films. Which is what you ideally want as an actor. Yes.

The Carvada career where you can do anything. Definitely. I mean, you just, you want to try. I think you get excited trying to do characters and tell stories that are something they I haven't approached before. Yeah. You know, that makes it a bit scary, but very creative. And, yeah.

So are you, are you already sick of the narrative of your year of talking to people where they're like, you're having a moment. This is it. This is it. This is like your fall on Jessica Chastainier. You know, I just, I guess I just don't get, you know, I can't really get used to it because it feels so weird. It's hard to actually wrap your hands around them.

Yeah. I mean, I wouldn't, I can't, they asked me, do you, is this true? And I was like, well, I wouldn't say that about myself. Right. You know, but, you know, it is a lot. I'm still quite young. So it's, it's, I'm very fortunate that I've been able to, you know, do so much work, I guess. How is, how is the press side of things?

Because you, I mean, you've, you've been doing this a few years in film now where, um, and certainly for a royal affair and, um, and Anna Karen. And I'm sure you started to do the whole junket thing and everything. I mean, and you've become friends with people that have been doing this for a while, I'm sure. Are you, do you have a philosophy in terms of, like, how you are approaching all of this? Because, you know, I've talked to many actors who want to, you want an error of mystery, not even like in a nefarious way, but you want to protect something. And yet you want to put yourself out there a little bit, I would hope. Well, yeah, I mean, because you want, I mean, I'm, it's exciting when you start a press jacket.

I'm always, you know, I think I was quite terrified in the beginning of this. year because in one way I've been in a very safe zone. I've just been on set and I've been like doing my prep and filming and you know I feel so much more comfortable in front of a film camera than doing press and you know and talk about yourself you know that's why you know going a press joke to talk about the films is much easier and exciting because you know you you're you're a storytelling in the end and you want people to go and see the so having said that let's talk about you okay um no we kind of are you know but it's it's yeah it's it's it's i think it's something that you know you're not used to it in the

beginning so you kind of have to just yeah well it's also just like i mean i've talked to many people about this because it is bizarre it's like is my life that interesting to talk ad nauseum 150 times like it's it must be just an out-of-body weird people just yeah they'll just be bored I won't be bored I'll let you know I'll yawn visibly and that you'll know

to move on no but you you grew up obviously in Sweden yes I did I'll have you know I vacationed in Stockholm

last year you have I did you go well we did some fjords in Norway we did a little bit I'm so well both ex-mac

and I'm from Danish girl that I did now brought me to the fjords I had never been as a Scandinavian to the yours so that was very excited it was beautiful yeah amazing stunning it looks like other

world me yeah um this was is did you grow up close to stockham i've no i've such ignorance about sweden so i mean it's not even the uh the second biggest town um Gothenburg yeah that's where my my my mom and my dad lives just outside of Gothenburg and i i um moved to stock when i was 15 got it yeah too and do you have an affection for it for that city I mean, it's not home anymore, but is it's... Well, I grew up in Gotham over, but Stockholm kind of, just because I was quite young, still when I moved there, that kind of became my home. Yeah. But then maybe because I was so young when I first left, you know, where I grew up.

Yeah. I'm a bit more fluent, you know, fluent when it comes to whatever and what can be home. Right. Like now I have my base in London and I feel very at home there. I do have sweets travel a lot. Yeah. So it's... Many of my friends that I grew up with live here.

uh in l a la and paris and so it feels like that makes thank god a lot easier because it can be quite lonely yeah you're a citizen of the world with friends in each city it's you can visit yeah i'm so happy that my friends don't want to do and i work abroad so i get to you know we get to see each other it was funny to me when i when i we got off the plane in stockholm like one of the first things i saw in the airport was just like a giant poster of stella and scars guard Like, as if he was welcoming me to the country. Yeah, right. They have that in our lot.

Yeah, right. Of, like, different Swedish celebrities of people working in different professions. It just tickled me that, like, and I have an affection for, for his work, of course. I mean, is that, how many scars guards do you know at this point? Do you, are you? Many. I work with some of them. And, you know, it's the dad.

And I think he has now seven children. There are a bunch, yeah. It's beyond just Alexander. There's a few that are working. Four, at least, that are actors. Yeah. So growing up and your mom was an actress, is that a path? Is that something when you see what she was able to do or seeing someone like Stella

or other people that have kind of quote unquote made it? Is that, okay, this is a viable path for me? My mom is a stage actress. And, you know, of course, I grew up kind of very close seeing the passion that she had for what she did. And I, as a kid, I think it's an environment that, most kids just love because it's also cool hanging around like grownups who just like to play right right so you know and so in one way you know i don't think i really had to

i didn't have to acknowledge the fact that i was interested in theater or acting it was just that i loved being around that yeah and then so my passion kind of came from that and then it was in one way good to the mom i saw how you know it's a tough industry too and i kind of saw the reality I would think also like a component you're absolutely right like yeah like who doesn't want to play for a living for their entire life like if you can if you can make it work that sounds awesome and also like I would think you know that early validation can be important to a kid did you find that like in terms of like the early stuff you were doing that you were told you have an aptitude for this that you were really good in that and then that kind of push you along because you had

it sounds like you had a few interests in terms of ballet et cetera yeah I you know I I think I I like to just be very active when I was a kid. You know, I was in a few musicals and I did ballet. And I guess it was just nice to be, you know, around, you know, creative people and also being, you know, other kids. I have many of my friends, you know, it becomes, you know, a social thing too. I kind of, it was me and my girlfriends and we went to ballet. Right.

made plays and performed together. What was the interests, like where was like American television or quote-unquote Hollywood film living in your life at that time? Was it a big thing? Was it? Well, it is. I mean, it's like still, that's why I think, you know, in Scandinavia actually, or in some other cases in like European countries where we don't dub films or TV, you know, your

English becomes quite good. Sure. Even though you learn it in school, you're kind of hero. because we have probably every single, you know, TV show and, you know, the films come to Sweden, sometimes the same time they come out in the state. So, you know, you are brought up with that and then, of course, with Scandinavian TV and film culture as well.

So what were their first obsessions in terms of film and TV that resonated with you that were your big touchstones as a kid? It's interesting, you know, doing a test. Testament of youth now, actually, because I was a kid who kind of was totally in love with British kind of costume palms. I was also, which, you know, it's something like a merchant ivory kind of stuff. Was it that kind of thing? Well, well, it was a lot of, I actually had, I mean, it feels so pretentious to say

something I don't mention often, but I was a kid, I think because my mom performed a lot of Shakespeare on stage. Sure. I was like a nine-year-old kid. You had, like, every single adaptation of different Shakespeare plays that they had done in Britain. Look, you're talking to somebody that vividly remembers, and I had Kenneth Brown on the podcast. Like, I vividly remember, I'm a bit older than you, of, like, basically skipping school to go see Hamlet in the theater. Like, when his four-hour Hamlet came out, it was, like, the biggest event of my life.

So you're in a safe spot. It's okay. Yeah, you know, no, I mean, it is great stuff. It's just, you know, it's sweet. Yeah, so I remember my mom was in, like you, I didn't go. It was not Hamlet, but I remember she did a version of Romeo. of Juliet, and I think I saw it 27 times. And, you know, it's like how kids, you know, I can be surprised when my friend's children

kind of can see the same cartoon every single day. Yeah. And that was how it was theater, you know. Yeah. So when did it go from interests, fun, to something that felt serious, felt like this is actually viable? It's one of those things when, you know, I think with every kind of big transition in life, you can't really, you don't, you don't know when you're in it.

It's maybe something you can start to reflect of looking back. And then it's also your idea of whatever memories and whatever happened. But I, you know, I think it was probably when I, I did a TV series when I was 16 with Thomas Alfredson, who did let the right one in. Right. It was quite big here. And then I was still in ballet school. And, you know, mid-teens, you started out. At least other people ask you all the time,

so what are you going to do with your life? What are you going to be? And, you know, people maybe thought I was on that path of being a dancer, and I thought myself. But after I almost quit to do that series for two months, I think I realized that I had, you know, that passion of not, I couldn't say no. That was what happened.

I almost left school because I so badly wanted to do that series. That's a good sign that you were that passionate about something. That should tell you, okay, maybe this is worth actually committing to. Hey guys, I'm here with another thing to talk about with you guys. Something important. Something we've talked about before, it's snacking. This is big stuff, guys, because I like to snack because I'm a human being, and you're

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Right now to get a free trial box. That includes four of their top-rated and most delicious snacks and use the special code happy. That's graze.com with the code happy for your free box. What was your first experience? in the States. Did you go as a kid or did you go for work? The first time I went, it was, I had finished as quit.

No, first time I went to the States was actually for ballet. I was here for a summer course at the American Academy of Ballet for three months. Where is that? It's just outside. It's not Manhattan, but it's in New York. So I was there for a few. but we only went to Manhattan to see like one Broadway show

one day see hairspray one afternoon and then we went back so I didn't really see New York so then I came back with a few friends when I was like 18

I bought my I had saved some money and I went here for like 10 days stayed at the Jane Hotel I remember yeah and was it mind blowing

was it a big thing it was a big thing I was still, you know, young, I was 18, so it was quite a big thing, but I loved it. And then I was back here, but before I had done any English, like, work, really, I was here for, I've saved money for some Swedish work that I had done, and I was here for four weeks starting to do some meetings and castings. And that was also, I was walking down the street when Joe Wright gave me a call. I had no, you know, picked up the phone, and it was Joe Ryan.

I had no idea. I had my number. I got really freaked out. And he'd just asked me because I had met him and done a casting back in London. And he said, you know, would you like to come and do Kitty with us? And so that's a New York memory I have because I kind of walk with those big, you know, and I was crying and dancing by myself on the streets of New York. I couldn't believe it.

It was overwhelming. And that was post probably both pure and royal affair, yes. Yes. Because it seemed like that that was the one to punch that probably got you on the radar worldwide, right? Yeah, those were the two Scandinavian projects that kind of managed to travel and go to some film festivals. So they kind of, you know, suddenly opened up possibilities and doors that I probably, I never thought I'm going to be there. Did it feel, I mean, Joe Wright, you know, Anna Karenina, it's obviously you're not yet delving there into like superhero film or anything like that. But Joe Wright is, like, you know, working within the machine.

It was probably like a focus film or something. It was a studio kind of project, I would think. Yeah. Did it feel like this is, I'm in the big leagues? I'm in something different. Oh, I mean, it was big. So, Joe, I mean, Joe Ryder is quite extraordinary. And he, I love, that was my first experience, you know, in English language, as I said.

And he likes to, on Moses' film work a bit like, like if it's a theater company, you know, he really, you never have time. but he actually pushes and always had like two or three weeks of rehearsals. So we kind of all met up and, you know, it was Kira Knightley and Jude Law and all those other actors that I've seen up on the screen and admired for years. And we kind of all were told to come in sweatpants and like sneakers and we all sat in a ring. And then we kind of got divided into groups and we got like different missions to do.

And then we had like show and tells. Total typical experience. experience for... Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was like, well, and everybody, the nice thing was to see how nervous everybody is like, this is how you do it? Because I don't do it this way. This is awesome. And then, you know, when we kind of learned different kind of, you know, games, we're running around, like lying on the floor, rolling around. It was very, you know, but the good thing

was that, you know, within two days, you kind of had, you know, got to know, no people. Yeah. Because you just had to throw yourself out there. But, I mean, I always had to run to the, I felt sick. Like, I thought I just signed on to do the movie, not. do trust falls and have games. I always think of like, you know,

Coppola famously does something similar where he brings everybody to like at the winery, like a napa for like, that sounds amazing. Right, well that's it, right, and come on.

And like spends a month just drinking wine and reading from the book that it's inspired by. It's like, oh yeah, that sounds like acting fantasy camp. I can think it helps though.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think in, well, in Testament of views, I knew Kit since a few years we've been friends.

We were. And, you know, Ex-Mack and I, Donald and I have worked together before. Every time I totally understand now why people maybe go back and work with the same people. Because it's, like I said, you don't have time. And it's such a work, trust means everything, making films and being creative and dare to do mistakes in front of other people, I think. So, you know, go away to a vineyard. That's the best possible one to do. I was saying before I really did enjoy the film and it's it's frankly a story it's based on a true you know true story I was relatively totally ignorant let's not even like whitewash it I was totally ignorant about this woman that you play I feel like this is almost this is a horrible analogy it's almost like your superhero origin story because this is like this is the beginning of what like what I didn't even realize by the end like went on to be a really important life that really transformative life um

Talk to me about, like, knowing where she ended up, did that help inform sort of the arc of this character through these, it's like World War One Tale, it's a romance, it's a lot of things. I mean, like you, because I grew up in Sweden, I didn't know of her until a friend of me, mine recommended the book a few years ago. And, you know, so only if you read about her, you kind of read a lot about the work that, you know, that she did when she became the name of the novelist and the books that she wrote. and she was a big feminist and pacifist in the 20th century. But, you know, with this story, you know, we kind of tell the story of her finding her voice. It's a coming of age story. So I kind of, when I read the book and some of the kind of letters and the diaries that I actually read of her from that age, I kind of like that she was a bit, you know, difficult to kind of like it.

She was a very frank and a bit, you know, takeheaded and a bit, you know, which I also think is a very youthful thing. I think it's a very teenage thing to. Right. Think you know better than everybody. Yeah. You're on top of the world. And that's fine. And it is very true. And that was also a way for me to connect with her weirdly too.

Right. Because it kind of, I was almost a bit, like you said, a bit terrified taking on this part of such an important story and such an important woman. And suddenly bringing her down feeling, making her huge. And having those flaws make me like her even more, understand her. And then also knowing that she had those beliefs, that's how she was, and then how much she had to grow up in such short amount of time. She was 18 when the First World War broke out. And the loss that she had, I mean, I don't even know how you emotionally pick yourself up from something like that.

I can't imagine. So, you know. When you look at, because a couple of things striking. me like when I was seeing you in this film and seeing that you know you're you're the lead in this film and this is not your first lead like from the get almost from the get go in terms of films you've really had been fortunate enough to have some really significant roles um and you're 26 you're just ostensibly getting started relatively speaking do you feel closer to like 18 year old alicia or are you 26 going on 35 like do you feel like I'm an adult I'm still a kid in this

I'm still maybe maybe that was a good thing to kind of be in a bit in between you know doing doing doing still such a journey between being a teenager and becoming a young adult or, you know, I think I had to, actually James Kent, the director, was quite on both me and Kit to kind of remember because, you know, both of us like we probably, like you said, we had the kind of ideal of who those people were in our heads. Right. He was like, you need to remind yourself. You're that person.

You're 17, 18 years old. Yeah. And I think it's hard, you know, I feel young, but I also, I think I've just. Kit and I talked about this, how we suddenly feel like, you know, you've entered late 20s and it's a lot more responsibility that you, I don't know, that you've started to think about the last kind of just one, two years at least. Both of us had the same thoughts about that. And, yeah, I think this is the time, this is, between mid-teens and now is probably one of the times

when the most things happen. Right. It's a big change, so. Is there a sense of that, too, in terms of the career, you know, we joke about, like, how much you have going on and how many films you've got that are in the can that are coming soon, where it's like, clearly there's some opportunities, some really exciting opportunities at your feet right now. And it's like, my God, I'm not going to say no to working with Guy Ritchie or Joe Wright or Alex Garland. Like, now's the time. Do it.

That's probably, that's what has happened. You know, first when you start acting or, you know, which I thought was going to be the case, who just always just get of any job or come off the one you're in and suddenly I had filmmakers

and actors and people that I've admired and looked up to and I meet them and I just want to praise them and suddenly they asked me if I want to come and work with them and like you said

no I haven't been able to say no and it has been also some really amazing strong female complex roles and that is really rare you read a lot and I think it's a change yeah in it now over the past couple of years I think it's more and more both female directors and writers and roles like start to appear but it's still you know tricky to find them um let me if you'll indulge me I want to read off a couple of

things you've done and things to come and just sort of get some thoughts on certain sort of the kind of people you worked with or your experiences like for instance um fifth estate which featured the amazing Benedict Cumberbatch who doesn't love him master of a that thousand voices like he's the most charming man on the planet i mean they're both amazing actors and bill condon is yeah i mean what do you what do you glean from that experience or from those actors what do you think of when you think of that film um i mean to see the transformation that you know first of all uh benedict did was quite extraordinary i remember i just stepped in doing the table read and i think everyone knew because he has such you know it's a person

that people know people know how what he looks like had talks, even though he's changed his appearance quite a lot of them, many, over the last few years. And he just kind of came in and had that ax and nailed it already in like a couple of two months before he started to shoot. And I got, you know, I was like, wow.

I was like, shit, he had his, he's done it all. I was like, I hope I've done some of my prep work. You're showing us up, Benedict. Come on. And, you know, and Daniel, I had seen and goodbye to Lenin already many years ago. And, you know, I met him, we have some common friends and he is like the coolest guy his he he's a mix of being that you know german and spanish guy at the same time he's very like conservative german during the days and as soon as you

enter like during the night he becomes very spanish and just which i love you know yeah i remember when he was doing press for rush and we were talking a bit he would like just love to go into that character like he could just do it like that and it was just always like entertaining it always made an audience laugh. Yeah, and it was like, it's top as bar in Berlin when we went well shooting. It was a really, it was, I mean, it was a smaller part, but every time I came, we had a, had a really good time. Is something, it's something like Seventh Sun in retrospect kind of like a rite of passage,

like something you have to do, where it's like that kind of filmmaking, which sounds like it had some issues with production or whatever it was? I actually, even though I filmed it after Anna Crenna, I got it, I got the part before. So that was the first part I actually got that I thought I was going to make. So, you know, just suddenly have, and Sergei Bodrov, he was directing. I mean, I was a big fan of the Mongol. I was an Oscar nomination a few years back, and I've seen some other of his films. And then, you know, I had never been to L.A. or that year was the first thing they flew me out.

And I, you know, knew that Jeff Bridges and Julian Moore was attached. I mean, I was. I was like, well, I can just go there to do the casting and to like get one chance to meet some of my idols and shake hands. I'm very excited to see you've worked with Eric Cien France recently who's certainly... I was in and saw first or a second cut just yesterday. Oh, really? Yeah. What can you...

Is it a similar kind of approach that he... I mean, he approaches things in a unique way. Yes, he does. Anyone that knows about the production on Blue Valentine, etc., or a place beyond the pines. It was amazing working the way that. that he like, you know, I was, well, I did know, like, you know well how he approached his films and he kind of invites everybody and it's very much, you want a naturalistic feel. And when we shopped this film, a lot of the film is set on an island and we were, you know,

it's bigger production than the other two films, but still he was like, yeah, I'm going to have my crew. We all lived in caravans. We had like camps. We were two hours away from civilization. Went back to a little town, a few thousand people. every weekend to kind of just

come with some insane sure but then we kind of you know fished around crayfish and did barbecues in the days

and you know and we you know the storms in that nature I mean every time when I came back and sent pictures to my family

and my friends I had never been to New Zealand and the South Island New Zealand where he shot is just feels like I'm in

you know on the moon or something so and then you know he builds up his set so every

we should shot a lot of the film in a house and everything exists. Like if you open a 1920s can, you know, it's actually food in it and everything just works. Amazing. Time for a quick message from our friends over at Lute Crate. I have a question for you guys. I think I know the answer. Would you classify yourself as a geek, gamer, or pop culture nerd?

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So go to Lukecrate.com slash happy and enter code happy to say $3 on your new subscription today. today he's somebody that's also done the podcast and one of the things that strikes me in talking to him and seeing him in both film and then off camera is like it's kind of that disparity like he seems like has that kind of like anarchic spirit that kind of like rogue quality that he can either bring to camera or not depending on the role yeah and I mean you know I admired his work somebody was so happy when I got the chance to work with him and he's he has kind of a very raw animalistic side to him in his parts that he's done but it's also so sweet because in this role he plays

a very much more gentle and closed and timid man. Interesting. And so it's a very different role from anything I think anyone had seen him do before. Are you a better dancer than Michael Fastbender? Because you've got the background but I feel like I've seen him. The first time we met was at the Toronto

Film Festival and I was there with my, you know, friends and I really like a boogie. So I was standing there. I like the way you say boogie. Yeah. So I was I was standing there and at my dress and I was so sweaty. I had a beautiful dress on and I was just like dripping and I did my moves and I was down the floor and felt it and it was like only me and my, you know, one of my, well, best friends

who were there with me and, you know, everyone else like stood with our cocktails and being a bit more cool and suddenly when you feel that someone else is like having a move and then turn around it was Michael and he, you know, he's like he's a good disco. he's got talents all around um we talked briefly recently about you've just finished the danish girl like that must be still be fresh in your mind yeah it was just a few weeks ago but we finished up on that mountain in the fjords there you go so is that something like are you one of those actors that it's like you can make a quick kind of separation this this this is i mean tom hooper this is eddie obviously the subject matter sounds fascinating and quite timely um are you still kind of living that

roll a little bit, or are you kind of... I think I very much, you know, to keep saying, I try every day to just leave work and do something else. But then it doesn't matter. I mean, it was a very intense shoot. It's a very strong story. And, I mean, I think we had to push ourselves on every level quite hard, you know, emotionally. So it's more that physically you get really exhausted.

you know because it's long days it's long days and you get almost no sleep and it's like nine weeks of just you know being in it most I think both Eddie and I are most scenes many of the scenes of the film

so it was more that thing of you kind of saw the end when you're getting closer you're like oh I'm soon there and then you just hold on but then suddenly when you're standing there doing the last scene this last take you get complete I mean, I was like, really emotional because it is three, four months with people.

You know, it's sometimes when you try to describe, because it is a kind of strange work environment and a strange thing, but it's like being, if someone's been to summer camp, it's a bit like to, you know, it's like that becomes your new reality for a while. Right. And then, you know, everyone suddenly is going to go back and, you know, go on their next adventures and go. And then hopefully, you know, you get to reunite doing press a year later. There you go. the um i mean what's very exciting i mean to to talk to you and to also see sort of the opportunities that are also at your feet that are coming up it sounds like like am i going to see you in this i mean there's talk of born there's talk of like a jason born movie can you say anything about what that would be um i don't know i mean i'm a huge fan of the born movies and matt and poor greengrass uh but it's all i'm figuring out my own schedule yeah at the moment but i'm i'm a huge fan so that would clearly check off a different kind of box for you that you haven't done. Yes.

Right. In a similar way to is Assassin's Creed anymore formulated or is that also kind of potential but who knows kind of a thing? Yeah. I wish I knew. Yeah. Actually, I knew. I wish I had an answer.

Were you, have you gained a certain amount of confidence in terms of like, I don't know how often you still have to or do audition? Is that something where like, okay, I know now that I, people are liking my work and I've been the lead in some. films or is it any easier or what i mean it is strange because i don't know how many i think when i started off in sweden i when i started to do the auditions in from you know including the joe right movie and a krenna and the seventh son it was like you put yourself on tape and you send away and you i you know it took hours to kind of prepare them and have someone who helped you and you i think

you know i've done probably you know 80 you know casties when you or maybe 20, 530 tapes where I never even heard a no and I was like just asking why am I doing this? Just going into the ether. It's just. I was like he's there. I hope it never comes out. But you know and so then to suddenly for the, I think testament. No, I think it was the guy Ritchie film was a thought I had been I was filming in Australia and I was on Skype with him and I prepared very well. I said we're going to talk about the film, the script. And he just wanted to talk about dogs and boats. I remember because it was a boat and a dog next to the computer. It was really strange.

And then it was like, yeah, so when do I see you? And I flew out. And Tom Cruise was involved in the film then. So I met up with them. And it was really surreal. And then suddenly they talked about, you know, so when we start, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. And I just didn't get it.

We talked about dogs and boats and guitars when we were. met and suddenly you know I called my agent and she was like I think yeah I was like what I was like I don't I didn't really get what I have when do I when do I again go in and do my reading you know when does the test happen yeah so that was the weirdest thing I think I call my agent three times and like so you know I'm foreign so I just want to make so what you just said what did that mean I was I was really confused can I get something on paper for Mr. Cruz. Do you have a worst audition nightmare?

Was there one in particular that stands out as the one? It was, it turned out to be a, you know, good film. It was World War Zed. And it's this Israeli, you know, warrior girl in it. And I got science, you know, sent to me. And I was like, okay, I'm going to learn this. it's just in two days and it was seven pages

of like I could see the page number on the top and every single place that I had a bunch it was from different it was like number four number 26 number 40 you know and they and they were only three lines

and the rest was just like text action right like oh she's you know killing zombies running through that a courtyard jumping on a plane killing some more zombies talking to him

you know let's get out of here and then it's more And I was like, so I was like, what am I? I going to read? I'm going to do this. And then I, so I came there. And I was almost, this is probably one of the times when I probably almost would have walked out

because I would have thought that it was like a joke with the, you know, the director was there, the cast an director and some pretty, it was like seven people in the room. So I walked in and I saw this little plastic gun in that table in front of me. And I was like, because I knew that the first page was that I shot some, and I was like they're not going to make me do that in front of this little camera on this Dan so there was like this is the actor next to you here is going to help you out so he's first of all this scene is actually in the film I loved watching going back watching this so I've done this so that they told his actor I was like okay so she's going to walk in here and you

you start just shoot some zombies and then he's going to be the zombie who who bites you in the arm so just react to that and then he's also going to be Brad bits character who you then chops off your arm to, you know, save you

so you don't get infected. And then it was like continued. It was like in one line there somewhere. So I started

up shooting with this tiny little gun and I mean in the script he was like the biggest machine gun

you could imagine he's got a water pistol and then you know he bit my arm and I was like well down on the floor like scream

for my life and suddenly you know I wait I was like oh you know I hope he's going and chop on the arms soon and then I just screamed

screamed and then I got really silent I was like, when it's it happening and then I would like turn up my head and he stood there I already chopped off your arm and I was like oh shit so you know and this is all filmed I want all of this video

where I wonder myself I'm gonna give you I don't know what to do of that one hopes that Brad Pitt doesn't every Sunday night just turn on your audition and just laugh and laugh yeah well it wasn't good enough

It all worked out for everybody. What an amazing story. Before I let you go, we have a couple random questions. I have this weird Indiana Jones Fedora. You don't have to answer all of these. Although Bryce Dallas Howard... It's a big hat. Bryce Dallas Howard basically answered everyone.

Don't do that. Just answer one or two. And we'll see what... It's so exciting. It's very exciting. Just everyone go like all over the... It's up to you. This says something about you of how deep you put your hand in the fedora.

She went deep. Okay. Yeah, I did. Okay. What do you got? Karaoke. So are you a karaoke lady? I actually went to a place in New York just a few weeks ago here.

I did a very splendid duet version with my friend of Torn, Natalie and Bruglia. Oh, wow. If I think it's a karaoke classic. Yeah. Otherwise, I'm usually, when I'm abroad, I'm always put, you know, they were like, oh, it's Sabbath, it's your song. They know. They have your photo in every karaoke joints. Yeah.

Okay, this was fine I'm gonna do it Go for it The rattling is real We're not adding that in post What can you eat a ton of Almonds And this is not a joke

Underwhelming strange answer to it That question ever I'll be honest No but I actually had a conversation With my friend the other day I was like I wonder how many kilos And they were like They were like

Yeah maybe your own You know body weight I was like no. You can exceed. No, no, no. It's like, I know that that is not being, you know, pushing it too far.

Like, if on every single film I've made, that is actually one of the things. I always, I'm. That's your writer. That's my writer. I have pink lady apples and almonds. Ammons, I feel like are tasteless. There's nothing going on.

What's, I don't, are you tasting something I'm not? What's, I don't know, but I kind of, you know, it's like the big kind of very expensive, organic raw almonds. You're like an almond sommelier. You know the difference between all almonds. Yeah. I even had a friend once who, you know, I came to the house in LA to see them and they had bought, so this is the thing.

They had bought like six kilos of eight different kinds of almonds as a practical joke. And like the daughter put a little, you know, drawing. It's like, it's really sweet. It's the secret to your heart. And I lost some almonds. I'm very happy. It's a win all around. Would you like to end there?

Do you want another? It's off to you. You determine your own ending. my favorite number what was the last time you threw up I know the last when I was a what yeah I don't want the specifics of what it was

this is a Derek Seam-France story so it's a scene in the film where you know he kind of will I threw up it's a very emotional scene I get a very difficult news and you know around and I react to it and I throw up and I partly I was like really

I mean that's such a film thing to do I was like really tough and I was like you know you don't really me do that straight after I was like yeah no I've seen that people do that I was like okay so so I stood there and he you know I have put some you know fake whatever thing

I was gonna pretend to throw up and he just thought that I was shit at trying to do that he did not look real and blah blah blah so he was like so it was like well I mean he's very much you know engaged like I you know he he gives everything to do his actors and you know we want to do the same thing it's a very you know giving taking bination sure it's like alessia please you know I want you to

you know I really believe this means a lot for the film and can you just down like four beers and just you know just pull the trigger you know so you know and I was like I'm not going to do that but I stood there and try to like yeah yeah gag a little Yeah, a gag for a. Dear God. So you didn't, it didn't come. No, I couldn't do.

Yeah, no. It's just like, it was just, yeah, I think I have a bit of a fear. You have a bit of a fear since I was a kid. I remember when I got, you know, I had, I got a bug. And I, I, you know, your parents kind of like, you're going to feel so much better. And I just forced myself. I just had it like very in my throat. Yeah.

Well, there's a good, good last image for our listeners. of you attempting to throw up and failing. Well, it's been there in the film now. Maybe I'll say it was there in the last cut. Something to look out for when the film comes out. Sooner, you can see Testament of Youth, which, as I said, it's a great piece of work. I know we're going to talk a lot more this year

about many other things, but it was really fun to talk to you today. Yeah, this is really fun. Save the hat and those things, and I'm looking forward to coming back. Excellent. Good to see you. Bye. That's the show, guys. I'm Josh Harowitz. This has been happy, Sad, Confused. Hope you've enjoyed the show. Hit me up on Twitter. Joshua Harowitz. Go over to Wolfpop.com. Check out all the amazing shows over there. And most importantly, check back in next week for another edition of Happy Sad. Confused? again we'd like to thank our sponsor graze.com the snack service that wants to show you the tasty side of healthy snacking graze.com delivers tasty and nutritious snacks right to your work or home they are perfectly portioned and ready for on the go snacking

each snack is approved by their in-house nutritionist and contains no GMOs artificial flavors or trans fat so you can feel good about what you're snacking on imagine that choose from over 100 unique snack creations and rate all of the snacks when you sign up to help them handpick a personalized box of snacks just for you. So go to graze.com. That's G-R-A-Z-E.com right now to get a free trial box that includes four of their top-rated and most delicious snacks. Use the special code happy. That's graze.com. Happy for your free box.

Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Wolf Pop is part of Midroll Media, executive produced by Adam Sacks, Matt Goorley, and Paul Shear. Hey, Michael.

Hey, Tom. You want to tell him? Or you want me to tell him? No, no, no. I got this. People out there. People. Lean in.

Get close. Get close. Listen. Here's the deal. We have big news. We got monumental news. We got snack. After a brief hiatus, my good friend, Michael Ian Black, and I are coming back.

My good friend, Tom Kavanaugh and I, are coming back to do what we do best. What we were put on this earth to do. To pick a snack. To eat a snack. And to rate a snack. Mentifically? Emotionally. Spiritually.

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