Happy Sad Confused - Colin Firth

Episode Date: February 11, 2015

The suave Colin Firth joins Josh for a lovely chat about his amazing new movie called Kingsman: The Secret Service, growing up with James Bond & the rumors over the years of him taking the Bond name, being able to take a year off without anyone noticing, his in the Bridget Jones movies, and singing in Mamma Mia! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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and enter offer code happy at checkout to get 10% off. Squarespace, start here, go anywhere. Let's start the show. Hey guys, welcome to another edition of Happy Said Confused. I'm Josh Horowitz, and welcome to my show, and welcome to my gravely strange, cold written voice. Yeah, I'm a little under the weather, guys. But the good news is I'm on the upswing, and the good news is I have just completed a lovely entertaining interview with someone I think you're going to be interested in by the next. name of Colin Firth. Yes, Mr. Colin Firth himself has just exited my office. We chatted a lot about

an amazing new movie you guys need to check out. It comes out this Friday. It's called Kingsman The Secret Service. It is awesome. It is super fun. It's basically a crazy kind of James Bondian adventure in which Colin kicks a ton of ass. Samuel L. Jackson's in it. Michael Kane's in it. Some really great young actors that you will know a lot more about in the years to come. This is the most entertaining movie thus far this year. I mean, I know that's not saying much. It's where early in the year, but trust me, this is a good one. I've seen it twice. I hereby endorse it. Check it out. Kingsman. And I endorse this interview. Colin Firth was and is awesome. We talked about all sorts of stuff from

his career. Kingsman, of course, his rumors of, you know, James Bond over the years. Of course, time in the Bridget Jones movies, Pride and Prejudice, Mama Mia, his singing, we hit upon all the ups and downs of, mostly ups, of a pretty remarkable career that continues to, you know, just propel forward. The man won an Oscar just a few years ago for the King's speech. He's a two-time nominee. We talk about his other nomination for a single man a little bit,

the movie by Tom Ford. It was a great pleasure to talk to Mr. Colin Firth. I feel like I have to say Mr. Colin Firth, because not because he's a little older than me, because he's just kind of like a nice bridge dude. Like he's debonair. He's cool. He's suave.

He's, I should stop. I should stop saying these nice things and just let you listen to the interview, right? Okay. As always, guys, hit me up on Twitter. Joshua Horowitz is my Twitter handle. And go over to wolfpop.com. Check out all the amazing podcasts waiting for you there.

It's free. what the hell else do you have to do come on people and in the meanwhile enjoy Mr. Collin first how long do we have I think we have a bit we can get started whenever you want it's super casual there's no formal introduction

I don't know it's all right I'm sure I have half an hour's worth to say about the movie I love the movie I that that's a good thing right that we have a good movie to talk about. But it's almost like talking about it, we can talk about that actually, but it's almost like when you start to deconstruct a joke. Yeah. Then suddenly, you know, the joke stopped being funny very long ago. Let's just talk through every action series and explain why it's so entertaining. Yeah. No, the process was interesting. Shockingly so for me. I mean, it's, we

were talking before when you walked in, you mentioned Woody, which was the last time I saw you for Magic and the Moonlight. And it's, um, you've, like, hit my sweet spot in the last year of your your films, doing a Woody Allen movie, and doing just like a, I mean, this is just pure awesome entertainment that Matthew Vaughan clearly relishes, you know, that there's pedestrian action adventure, and then there's Matthew Vaughan. I know. Well, I mean, the things he's aiming at are attempted over and over again by film after film.

Yeah. And it's funny, I've seen a few other, the blockbusters, you know, my kids watch and stuff, and it really does seem pedestrian. Yeah. You know, even with attempts at humor and all the rest of it, it. It's partly because of a dependency on editing, which Matthew is minimizing. Well, there's the, obviously, the showpiece sequence, which isn't going to give anything away, but there is... Well, that's single camera continuous.

Exactly. And so, you know, and to see that, there's just an energy you get from human choreography that you don't get when you're dependent on an edit. Right. Doesn't matter how skillfully it's done. And even the intercut fight sequences, he still keeps them longer. than most movies would. So you get three, four moves of a thing, seeing bodies really doing the thing.

Right. And it tells the story of the fight, rather than those, what just happened fights. Exactly, which sadly is the, that cutty kind of thing has, which some people do to great effect, and it can create a art form in and of itself,

but this one is a little bit more rewarding, I would think. Were you a connoisseur at all of action? I did a bit of a crash course and caught up on, I mean, some of them are absolutely, brilliant. I hadn't seen the Bourne films, so I saw all of those. And I can, I just, I mean, I adored them. I thought if we can be half as good as this stuff, but it's a very, very different tone. Yeah. You know, there's a, there's a recurring thing with espionage drama, which is the solitude of the main guy. It's through, it overlapsed to the detective genre, if you like. Going back to Sherlock Holmes, you know, who's a, he's a mystery, figure in many ways we don't we don't know a huge amount about his life or um you know the it hints at a dark side to him um and then all the way through the the the gun shoe things

the the the raymond chandler sure and everything you see in the noir films there's this solitary figure lighting a cigarette under a lamppost and and then with the the very serious end of the the spy genre if you like which is i suppose the graham green john la carrie where you're dealing with real human issues I mean that it's deep stuff and I think perhaps my favorite spy movie of all time is the third man you know and

I think that kind of set a tone for things that came later that either livened up the action or the humor or whatever it somehow has its roots in that sort of thing does a we have to pay service to Mr. Michael Cater himself to Harry Lyme I mean my dad exposed me to those films. Harry Palmer.

Harry Palmer, thank you. Harry Laman thinking third man again, yeah. But not only playing opposite Michael Kane, but basically wearing his Harry Palmer glasses. We talked about it. I think Michael lost no time in laying claim to those glasses. You know, when he saw our glasses, these other side glasses.

And he was right. And he was actually quite interesting about that because I think there were the trappings of that. film, the first Dick Cress file, the first Harry Palmer film, it was it was called into question.

I mean, glasses in the 60s were, you know, they're a fashion accessory now. Right. They weren't really back then. And, you know, you were a square. And Michael said that the studio weren't happy with the glasses.

They said, he cooks and he wears glasses? He said this is not a heterosexual. action hero you know and that was how they read it at the time and of course

you know you look at it now and you know it's something people want to adopt and anyway I think the bond reference in our film

is a very very obvious one and a very deliberate one but I think it owes just as much to the Harry Palmer films to the Avengers and also there's a long

tradition of spoofs. Right. You know, which this isn't quite, it doesn't go as far as... The Austin Powers thing, which is obviously the extreme. The Flint films,

you know, the James Coburn and the Austin Powers thing, which is obviously, who's dialed as firmly at comedy. Yeah. This is, this is, occupies a much more,

well, interesting, but it's a, it's an interesting little fine line it's drawing between homage and, and satire. Well, yeah, what I love about it, and I'm talking to Matthew

later this week, is like it feels like the Bond films, which I adore, I mean, I grew up with them, we all did, I'm sure, but there are constraints within that, and, you know, like, the people that hold that, that franchise, that literally control that franchise, have constraints that they put on it, and it feels like Matthew

was basically able to do a Bond movie and just be like, okay, this is what I like, this is what I don't like, this is how I can push it in areas where... Well, he's taken his love for Bond films, you know, having grown up with them. I think Bond cinematic Bond is my age I think we were pretty well born

the same year. Doctor No, was it, about 1960. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And so I've grown up with it and it evolves and it obviously has survived several reincarnations literally with the casting. And it has echoed

the preferences and the taste of the times. And it I love where it's going now. I mean, I don't think that this is a hostile reaction to where it's going. No, I think this is left. There's room for both, definitely. Well, it's the fact is it's gone so squarely in a particular direction. It's left a lot of space

for the alternative route. And I think I actually, I think although these, the recent bonds are more rooted in reality, they're darker. There's a I find that there's a kind of theme now where our superheroes

have issues. Right. We get a glimpse at their issues. They have unhappy childhoods, they have some sort of inner rage, they're... A lot of daddy issues. Socially isolated, yeah, it's... And we, we get a window into that, you know, but I, and I think that must be because that's when we are, even our, you know, even our entertainment at its most purely entertaining is probably articulating something about what we're looking for, yeah, and where we're at.

And so I think there must be a need for that. But at the same time, I think that there's, Matthew has tapped into a yearning that he had, but I think he's found out that a lot of us have now, judging by the reactions to this film, for the campy, implausible, you know, gadget-strewn, crazy stuff with a, you know, a Roger Moore-raised eyebrow. Right. I mean, you mentioned Bond, and I know you've been asked about this before, You've talked about it for probably almost decades now. But was there ever anything to James Bond?

Did they ever, did you go through a screen test? Yeah. Anything? No. I did have a meeting a long time ago, which was, I barely remember it because it just is one of those meetings where you just know is a formality. It's clearly not going anywhere. And I think it was probably around the time they were looking. It was about the time Dalton did it.

Wow. Okay. So I can't remember how old I would have been, and I might have been a little young. I was not taken seriously for the role at any point now. Did you take that meeting seriously? I mean, that's got to be for someone. No, I didn't. Really?

Well, I mean, if I had thought that there was any sign that they were taking me seriously, I'd have been quite excited. Right. I think would you accept Bond if it were offered is something you can't answer unless it happens. Yeah. Because it would become your life. It's a complicated question. It's not so as easy as one would think. I think it delivers a huge amount if for you, if you're a popular bond.

And I think there's a huge amount to be envied. I love the films. I don't think, I think Daniel Craig's as good as they've ever been. But I think you must have to give up a lot. And I mean, even someone like Connery, look at his career, it kind of took him, it feels like it took him a while to carve out another path in addition to bond. Yes, I think he, and he succeeded in winning people back over. But you're right.

I think you're going to carry something with you. I actually think Brosson's doing an amazing job of it as well. Yeah. I think that the work he's doing is so thoughtful and imaginative and with such a sense of irony. Right. That I think that's pretty triumphant. And Daniel Craig established himself as a brilliant and very versatile act

before this came along. Absolutely. So, you know, I don't know if it had come my way then whether I could have said that. So, you know, it's a, but it just didn't happen. And now I think this will do very nicely. Yeah, this works just fine, right? Since we have a little time, I want to go back a little bit with you.

I mean, I'm curious just growing up, like, who do you consider your contemporaries? Did you, were there people that you came along with that you felt were on the same path as you, that, you know? Well, the parts all proved to be very different, but the people who were coming out of drama school or arriving at the same time with the likes of Kenneth Branner Rupert Everett was a little ahead of me Daniel D. Lewis was a little ahead of me.

In fact, the play, my first job was a play called Another Country which was the vehicle which launched Rupert Everett and Kenneth Branner and Daniel D. Lewis. So we all came through the same theatrical piece and I'm trying to think, oh,

Gary Oldman. It's not a bad group. No, it's an extraordinary. group. I mean, it's interesting in looking at that and, I mean, I would think, you know, growing up with that caliber of actor and some of which kind of hit earlier than others, right? Some of them had the opportunity and it clicked and Daniel Day Lewis, obviously my left foot, that's pretty early on.

Is there a sense from your end of when is my time coming? Is there an anxiousness about that? Well, it looks as if there should have been when you look back over it. because some of those guys became film stars early. Yeah. And most people would wonder what I was doing during that time. Hugh Grant was another one, by the way. You know, but I kept, because I didn't have high expectations,

I thought I was probably going to be off doing raptory theater, experimental theater, or something. You know, when I was a drama student, I was not innocent about the odds that we faced. Right. because they're terrible and I was not the most talented person in my year at drama school and a lot of them have never worked and that's basically how it works you know that's there's that there's the numbers yeah um and so getting a starring role in a west end play I even though I was the third person to take over in the role right and you know I was largely playing to the last remaining tourists who hadn't seen the play still felt meteoric to me sure and then I got a movie I did the movie of that play and to be in a movie

to be employed to be a member of equity to have an agent was so far beyond my expectations and it took anyone else that I was at drama school with if they ever got any of those things it took a long time

so I was just reeling from my good fortune and I was probably that was in my mind far too much to be thinking why aren't I an even bigger deal what was Hollywood movie making was like classical kind of

Hollywood, when we think of Hollywood films, something you grew up with, something you aspired to, something you ever thought I will get to, or was it just sort of apples and oranges from what you were doing in the theater and the kinds of television work you were doing for a while? Oh, well, again, I thought it was beyond, it was so beyond my idea of my prospects that I didn't even contemplate it. I mean, of course,

if someone had told me I'd end up doing films at all, or, or wherever to do a film that had an international audience, I would have, well, I'd have been astonished. I mean, it just wasn't in my thinking. So I didn't get as far as aspiring to it. I just hoped I'd get to do this job. And in some ways, that's never left me.

And you hear other actors, actors older than I am talking like this, about this strange feeling that all you really want is employment. Yeah. You know, and as soon as the film finishes, you think, am I going to get another one? Sure. It never quite goes away. So I think this isn't some sort of false humility. It's just pure actors' insecurity.

Well, it's funny, and we mentioned Michael Kane early on. I mean, in preparing for this and looking at the breadth of your work, it's not only the breadth, it's frankly also the quantity. You are a working actor. Yeah, but if you can't get the quality. No, I mean, there are qualities there, too. But I mean, and that's something that's often associated with Michael Kane as well, is he clearly enjoys working and he just, he cranks out three or four movies it seems a year. And frankly, you do too. I mean, it's actually remarkable.

Like, is that something just, again, a work ethic you think that came from parents, from growing up, from never feeling secure enough to know that like, okay, I've got my place situated, I need to keep hustling? I mean, it's actually none of those things. I don't think. I don't think it's much of a work ethic. my first instinct is a is a sedentary and a lazy one. So I know I just actually like it. I mean, I like. There's that. It didn't even occur to me.

Wait, you actually like what you do? I like doing it. And it feels, because it's a, it's a rather strange, there's some strange and unnatural aspects to this business. You know, the promotional side of it can be strange. And you're in a, it's just not the same as everyday life. Of course.

You know, you're in a rarefied environment where you're having to give some version of yourself to the world. Right. And the film set or the theatre rehearsal is a wonderfully sobering and refreshing practical place to be where you're just back to doing what you set out to do. The reason you went to drama school, the reason you did school plays, it's just because you like it.

You like the collaboration. You like telling stories. You like trying to nail a role. Even the research that goes with it, that's, you know, having never been to university, that scratches that itch. I'm reading stuff. I'm finding out about things. I'm even dipping my toe in learning skills that I never would have.

That's the thrill of it. And so there's an eagerness to get. get back to that place. It feels like my natural habitat. And so it's not about building something or climbing a ladder or trying to establish anything and that instinct does not have my eye on the external world at all, really. Right. It's just getting back to where you're actually happy and...

Yeah, it's just doing the day job. And, you know, I just don't have it. And actually, funnily enough, because films are, you know, there's something conspicuous, I can take a year off and no one will notice in fact I once said to a journalist I'm thinking of doing that and it became a bit of a news item

you know is he going to take time is he going to take a sabbatical I thought actually you guys will never know you won't know and I think I'd already done it and no one did know I mean last year I hardly worked

between the end of Kingsman and the end of last year I've hardly done anything and if all it takes is for some of the old stuff to come out two in a row and everyone thinks you're busy. Right. Hey guys, time for a quick break to tell you that this week's episode

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Was, you know, obviously you'll get anyone's career and you see some things that seem like turning points and clearly Darcy in both forms will follow you forever in your life. Was Pride and Prejudice something that felt like it marked a turning point for you, that it felt like things changed? I was very slow to get it. I mean, I think I'm only just beginning to get the message now. That must have had a big impact,

because I don't, one of the joys of being in work, and maybe this on some subconscious level is what drives me to keep, going back to the film set, is that I'm in a new place and it protects me from the old place. Right. And so by the time people are saying whether they like or don't like the last one.

Your three projects past it. It doesn't, yeah. And it protects you. It doesn't matter if they're, you know, you feel it less because you're always engaged with what's next. And you always have your hopes there. And so you can shrug it off.

It also means it's not as easy to own the success of something that people love. Right. But I think that's a, probably a fair trade-off, and it's probably a leveling thing. When the Darcy job happened, I was, the first thing that surprised me, because I thought I'd arrived three or four times, you know, the one we just talked about earlier about kind of leaving drama school,

I thought that was it, that's it, look, I made it, and then I think, you know, when that happened, and people were announcing me as this new arrival, I've been here and then I suppose with Bridget it sort of happened again because that was a film so I've kept arriving so I suppose it amounts to a slow burn

I didn't I mean all that was all they've all been is an engagement I've shown up for work done it gone home at the end of the day and leave it to be other people's business

what they make of it really It must be such a strange thing because, as you all know, like, you encounter people probably daily who you approach it from such like a, you know, a practical standpoint because you are, you've done probably a hundred different projects in your career and it's one of a hundred. And for some, it's like they're, they see you and they're in that moment and they're breathing that's that really touched them. And that's a beautiful thing. But to engage with them on that level, that's a complicated. Well, it's impossible. I mean, there is a, there is a straight, there's a sort of paradox here, obviously, because what you're doing is intimate by nature, by aspiration, that's what you're striving for. To connect with people, so, yeah.

Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, you want the lens to read, if you've found something that is as honest as you can make it, as connected with the other actor, as, you know, you try to. You try to be as daring as possible. You try to be as rigorous with yourself as possible. And it's why I do. It's what we're all striving for. And so if you find a moment like that, then it works, and the camera was rolling at the time, it's an immense feeling of satisfaction.

And, of course, it's supposed to be communicating. So there has to be somebody on the other end. Otherwise, our job is irrelevant. There have to be people. There has to be an audience. You are trying to do. You're trying to reach. them and you're trying to tell them a story which hopefully chimes with something that is their story too.

Yeah. But you cannot, you have to go off duty and you cannot own that intimacy with, you know, a huge multitude of people who are responding to it. You can be grateful that they've responded and immensely, and I truly am. I mean, I'm, the reason I'm still here at the age of 54 talking about my work is because enough people have responded to it. enough of it over some, at some point. So in the end, they are what it's all about. But at the same time, that's me on duty, and you'd go crazy if you can't go off duty, anyone would.

Do you feel like you've come to some kind of strange reconciliation with the Bridget Jones films in a way? Because, you know, obviously that first film was huge, a second film, I think, maybe not as artistically rewarding. I don't want to put words in your mouth. And this third one that's been around in the ether for a decade. And I know you and Hugh, I'm talking to Hugh actually tomorrow. And I know you guys are asked about it every single day.

And it sounds like you guys have kind of gone through different ideas of like whether it's the right thing, the wrong thing. Have you come around to a different place? I don't know. I haven't spoken to Hugh for quite a while. And I know we're both cautious about it. He far more than I. Right. so I think you'll probably

you'll get a well I'll be curious to hear what he says tomorrow I think there's a very strong case for leaving it alone and it's been a long time now it's possible that she belongs to a particular decade I think that

the film made enough of an impact to have been imitated and I think that in some ways can risk leaving behind the original but on the other hand it has to evolve

if you're going to do it it has to be an evolved version of it and I've always been intrigued and I said this back at the time that the most likely the most fertile time to ever think about it is rather than trying to drag out some version of the first one into a sequel is to come

back almost in a Richard Linklater form you know to come back and say look what happened 10 years 15 years later What do they look like now? What are their issues now? It can't be about, does he fancy me, am I fat, am I thin? Is it, you know, what about parenthood or not being a parent?

And to actually do it have an updated version of it for an entire, same people in a new generation, if you can find material in that, then I think there's, you could turn it from a rather dangerous and tawdry idea. of exploiting something and actually have some fun with the idea of seeing people years ahead and years on. We're knee-deep as we sit here today in that crazy sort of award season,

which you navigated, you've navigated a few times and clearly got a few accolades to say the least, King's Speech, winning you the Oscar. Do you... I'm curious, like, your memories of that night and whether you had sealed yourself

for the slim possibility that you weren't going to win. It seemed like at that point, that you were the, based on the precursors, you were going to win that night? Were you ready in case you didn't? Did you explain that fight? I don't know how ready I was for either scenario. But yes, I definitely was allowing for the possibility.

I know all about upsets. Did you feel like you were able to enjoy that moment, or does it feel like your own autopilot at that point? Autopilot isn't quite the right word because it's so intensified. Yeah. And you're at the end of a very long season. at that time. It's not...

When it comes from nowhere, which I think is rare for anybody, it'll feel different. When single man was first screened at the Venice Film Festival, that was an unbelievably unexpected and extraordinary moment because not only had no one campaigned,

there'd been no press, no one had even seen it what was a filmmaker that wasn't a filmmaker it was a guy that just nobody had any there was no buzz one way or the other it was just Tom Ford has made a film and the first people were going to see it

are at the Venice Film Festival apart from about 12 people you know he'd shown it to some of his friends and I think his agent but no there'd been no focus groups there'd been no distributors there'd been no there was no publicist attached

it was completely for sale and it closed the Venice Film Festival and it closed beautifully. And coming away with an award from that was a bit of a Cinderella moment. And I remember thinking at the time, I don't know if it can ever be quite this good again because even if things go forward with this

or anything in the future, there'll be, it won't be as, it just won't have the purity. You know, it's... Well, there's something sad, and maybe sad as to do a strong word, but there's something very orchestrated for about the season we're in now

because there's so, it's on a schedule. Yes, there's a political dimension to it, and obviously. And I'm not going to, I don't want this to come across as if I'm dissing the whole thing because I think there's an awful lot of joy in it and I think it draws attention to the industry. But I also think it is, it can make you very neurotic. I mean, even if you're one of the few people in my business

that isn't naturally neurotic, Somebody is, and you know, this is contagious, so there's going to be, somebody else's insecurity about, you know, this is all going to go away if we don't do A, B, and C, can affect everyone. And because you're not on your own with the whole thing. You know, other people have things at stake as well. And, you know, we can all get through that. It's all fine. I think as long as people don't succumb to the danger of forgetting why they made the movie. Right.

You know, thinking it finishes on February whatever. It doesn't. And that's, you know, if you've made a really good piece of work, it probably wasn't whatever people think with awards in mind. So that's not what you set out to do. It's not what you thought you were doing. And it's also that connection we were talking about earlier that you're striving for. That's the real story.

And I know this all sounds a bit earnest and lofty. And also awards. you know, for every good moment you might have, if you're one of the lucky ones, there's so many bad moments people are having during that time. You know, so it can be a cruel business. Do you, do you, are you the type of factor that I mean? We talk about how much joy you just simply derive from doing the work, but what about being in situations that are not necessarily comfortable or necessarily

in your zone? I mean, I think of things like Mamma Mia, where you have to sing. I think of things where, I think of the mocap, where you did for, what, a Christmas Carol and putting those crazy suits on. Those are all actually part of the adventure of it, being out of your natural zone. I made no secret of my singing limitations when I went to meet them, and they were not dissuaded. That wasn't the deal breaker.

And so it's funny, you know, when I went into to record the tracks, because it wasn't I think it was recorded live. We did record it live. I don't know what they used in the one sort of solo bit I had. But we went in to do the pre-record. And I met, that's where I first met Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarska.

And I stared into, to look into their eyes was looking into spirals of fear. A deep abyss of terror. It's funny. Nothing in Friday in James Bond, but the prospect of singing. Absolutely.

I mean, it's one of those things like public speaking. There are guys that could probably face machine gun fire that don't want to get up on a podium. And this is how we felt. I don't know what it is about singing. It's very exposing. I love singing. I'll do it in the shower and all over there.

You know, it's no one's edification but my own. But to face a microphone and have to try to hold this particular tune, none of us had those skills. Well, also on a set, are you singing with background or are you just singing a cappel? Because that would feel like dead, I think, a dead kind of weird moment to just sort of...

I'm trying to remember how we did it. I didn't have the burden of singing. You know, I had one song, and my blushes were somewhat spared, at least to me, by the fact that I was sitting with the guitar as if I was a guy who decided to sing a song.

I didn't have to interrupt a conversation by breaking into song. Right. So it had the convention of... Okay, here's my guitar. A little naturalistic in the way. So I was in that... Yeah, yeah.

So that, I had a bit of a break in that respect. and I think we were sitting on a boat and I think I must have had an earpiece in for the background So it's so traumatising you've blocked it out You've There was a traumatic element to it But there is to you know

We're facing that all the time You constantly wonder why we do it I mean people do theatre Even though they're in shreds with stage fright People are terrified of whether it's forgetting lines or being humiliated on the stage or doing what you can't do. But, I mean, you know, with acting, from day one of drama school, your comfort zone is being threatened.

Yeah. And, of course, once you get into the business, it's a business which will try to find a comfort zone for you and keep you there. Yeah. It's funny. I think we all, maybe not all of us, but many of us are attracted to those kind of challenges that we feed off the accomplishment in a way.

like of getting over that hurdle. For myself, I have to do a lot of live stuff, you know, live stuff on air. And I'm petrified before it. And yet it's the thing I enjoy most in a weird way. Well, I think that's part of the narcotic of adrenaline is that there is nothing more exhilarating. I've watched this, my kids go through this when they're frightened of something, that actually the thrill of fear and then not letting the fear stop you doing it. And then if you can triumph after that, there is no great feeling in the world.

You don't always triumph. Speaking of adrenaline, bringing it back to Kingsman, you must get a kick out of just seeing yourself in these contexts and to see that you sold it. Because, you know, there's one thing on paper to say, can Colin Firth be an action hero and take out 89 guys in a church? But to actually see you do it and to do it so awesomely,

it's got to be a buzz. Yes. Well, the audience reaction is a buzz. Yeah. I mean, I don't think I've seen a crowd react. Like, funnily enough, Mamma is the only other time I think I've ever been in a theater where people have been so vocal.

Here it's clearly very, very different in nature, but this gets rounds of applause in the middle of the movie. And to be a part of that is a hell of a buzz. All I could see initially was how better, I know how much better the stunt guys can do this than I can. And that's really all I could see because, you know, they were teaching me. These guys can do this stuff every day.

They're all world-class martial arts experts and stunt men. And when they displayed the choreography, it was a magnificent bit of athleticism. And I have no athletic history whatsoever. I mean, there was a guy who, Damien Walters, he's got something like 25 million YouTube hits on his display. He's a gold medal winning gymnast. He was somersault through car windows and out again. And, you know, we're on the tops of skyscrapers. And he was, you know, teaching me to do one somersault.

Right. And that's how it started. And so I just felt so inadequate and implausible, which is why I was cast. I mean, that's the stunt that Matthew Vaughn wanted to pull. Right. It was the big surprise that the last guy in the world was ever going to kick ass is me. But for that reason, he wanted me to deliver it myself. And so it was six months.

of training. And the first month was intimidating and agonizing, but then it started to come together. If you persisted

at anything, something will happen. Physically transforming, actually, what they were, these guys' challenged, it wasn't to,

you know, it would have been a failure if any of those guys had to step in for me. Right. So, you know, because they can just do that. Their challenge

was to teach this guy, this middle-aged man with no, athletic history to do to approximate what they can do and for them to get me on camera as much as they did was was a triumph um but when i first saw it back i thought i don't look as good as rick i don't look as good as rudder you know these guys look so balanced and you know and uh well you've been doing it for six months you should do it as well as the guys that have been doing it for 40 years no exactly

unfortunately I have to remember that you guys haven't seen Rick and Rood exactly he's good he's no Rick

though guys come on quite does um I mean it's interesting in looking at your career and this is a potential kind of a franchise

film clearly and I hope we see more adventures of this crazy universe Matthew's created but you really haven't been part of like any

franchises I can think of no I suppose Bridget's the closest I got and we're still talking 15 years later about whether a third one is feasible. Was that conscious? Is it just a

circumstance? Oh, no, I'd love to have that. You know, people who have a good franchise. I mean, I mean, good films. You keep going back to do the people want to see in a very enviable position. It's, you know, there's always the conflict about,

you know, your craft versus, you know, your mortgage. Yeah, exactly. And so if, I remember Jeffrey Rush after the King's speech, you know, going off to do a long stint in the theater knowing he's got another pirates coming out. It's a great thing to have, particularly as, you know, because pirates is a lot of fun. And so it's not conscious, I've not, again, have not been invited. So you're waiting for the call for Marvel, basically.

the call for Marvel, basically. Marvel let them know. Marvel or Marv, in fact, which is Matthew's company. Oh, yeah, yeah. Quite prolific. If we can, if I can find my way back into Vaughnworld, I'd certainly love to do that. Yeah. What's coming up next for you? Have you shot anything?

I've shot, the one thing I shot just before Christmas was a film called Genius, which is about it's John Logan's script about Maxwell Perkins and Thomas Wolfe. An amazing cast on that one, too. It's Jude Law as as Thomas Wolf. Nicole Kittman.

We've worked with now. It was now, one of my recurring fellow travelers. Like three in the last couple of years, well, Nicole and Mark Strong, I think, at two of my moments.

And Rupert Everett, I think, are my highest not bad, not that company. Not a partnership count. Yeah, unfortunately, I barely work with Nicole in Genius.

We have done two scenes, I think. Yeah, Michael Grandage did his first, it was his first film. You know, having, has done such amazing theater work over the years. This is first outing into cinema, Laura Lilly, who's another old friend.

And a great cast, beautiful story about the two different kinds of creativity. It's the editor and the somewhat out of control artist. Is that where your head's at now? Are you done with that? My head is somewhat in it. Actually, having said, I like to shake them off and don't dwell on the old stuff. A few of them will linger, and that definitely has. I sometimes find myself still researching after it's over.

over. And that one did get under my skin. I think it's an extraordinary story. I know you have to run for a film of this type. You have to do a ton of press. I forgot to mention that if you look to your right, you'll see on the board, Colin Firth at the bottom of the board. The is a genius is not something I wrote. It's something that Ethan Hawk, previous guest of my podcast. He saw that you were on the board and he went on and on. You should know, this is not me flattering you. I would never do such a thing. But Ethan wanted me to tell you how he thought you'd nail magic in the moonlight and, and how, you know, there have been a lot of different interpretations of that kind of Woody Allen protagonist and that he thought

that your interpretation of it. Well, I'm glad you can't see me blushing on the radio. I'm absolutely overwhelmed by that. That's because I think he's a genius too. So it's, and in fact, I told him that. We met briefly at the Globes. There you go, the mutual admiration society. Yeah, and I've just mentioned Link later in the earlier on.

So I'm clearly been tracking him out. That's fantastic. Thank you, Ethan. It's good to see you, Carl. Congratulations on this one. It's always a pleasure to catch up. Thank you. That's the show, guys.

I'm Josh Harrowitz. This has been happy, say I'm 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

Hoppy, sud, confused? Wolf Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop, Pop. Pop is part of Midroll Media, Executive Produced by Adam Sacks, Matt Gourley, and Paul Shear. movie's Hello Fall. I'm Anthony Devaney. And I'm his twin brother, James. We host Raiders of the Lost Podcast, the Ultimate Movie Podcast, and we are ecstatic to break down late summer and early fall releases. We have Leonardo DiCaprio leading a revolution in one battle after another, Timothy Salome playing power ping pong in Marty Supreme. Let's not forget Emma Stone and Yorgos-Lanthomas's Bogonia. Dwayne Johnson, he's coming for that Oscar in The Smashing

Machine. Spike Lee and Denzel teaming up again. Plus Daniel DeLuis's return from retirement. There will be plenty of blockbusters to chat about too. Tron Ares looks exceptional. Plus Mortal Kombat too. And Edgar writes, The Running Man starring Glenn Powell. Search for Raiders of the Lost Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.