Happy Sad Confused - Himesh Patel

Episode Date: July 6, 2026

Himesh Patel is having a moment and there's even more excitement to come. Coming off a long run on EASTENDERS, Patel led the Danny Boyle hit YESTERDAY and since then there's been no looking back with TENET, STATION ELEVEN, and now this summer with THE ODYSSEY and ENOLA HOLMES 3, plus THE X-FILES is around the corner! He joins Josh to talk about it all! SUPPORT THE SHOW BY SUPPORTING OUR SPONSORS! Rula -- Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.rula.com/happy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ #rulapod Quince -- Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Quince.com/HAPPYSAD ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠for free shipping and 365-day returns. Limited Time Offer–Get Huel today with my exclusive offer of 15% OFF online with my code happy15 at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://huel.com/happy15.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ New Customers Only. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is I mean that one actually really understand what happened in Tenet? Probably what didn't have it was, I think Rob himself went, I don't really know. I don't think I understand the movie. Which I think I believe. Like, I don't know. I completely believe it, by the way. Yeah, I completely believe it. So when you're doing scenes with Rob, did he ever say out loud in your presence?

No. No, he kept to himself. No, no, no, yeah. But I think, I mean, there is a story that at one point he turned to John David and went, am I dead or, you know. You just need a basic ass. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused.

begins. Hey guys, it's Josh. Welcome to another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Today on the show, first-time guest, Hamesh Patel, from EastEnders and yesterday to Anola Holmes and the Odyssey. Thanks, guys, as always, for checking out the podcast. Remember to hit that subscribe button on YouTube, on Spotify, on whatever platform you're using. I appreciate you guys.

Always great to welcome a new guest to the pod, especially somebody like Comesh, who has definitely been on my radar for a number of years. He is killing it. this summer is great evidence of that. He's got the one-two punch of Anola Holmes three on Netflix and the biggest movie summer year, maybe, arguably, The Odyssey. So this is a great chat. Very thrilled to have him on the podcast at last. Before we get to Hamesh, remember give our Patreon a try if you haven't already. Check it out because you get all the early access to every single episode. You get discount codes. You get access to our live events, autographed merch, all sorts of fun stuff. Patreon.

com slash happy, say I'm confused. Just check it out. See if there's something there for you. I won't hold it against you if you don't sign up. But if you do, there's bang for your buck, I promise you. Main event today is Hamesh Patel. This was a one that's been long in the making. He's been, as I said, on my radar for quite a bit. How could he not be, you know, coming off of EastEnders, which admittedly is a blind spot for me and most Americans, but was a huge part of his career, nine years on that iconic British show. But then what he's done in the last six, seven years, really astounding. Yesterday was essentially his film debut, center stage of that one, big hit, Danny Boyle, of course,

and then following it up with things like Station 11, which is maybe, I don't know if it's underrated. I think people acknowledge what an accomplishment that one was, but might have also been a victim of the pandemic. If you haven't seen Station 11, highly, highly recommend one of the great shows in recent memory. But he, of course, joined the Christopher Nolanfold in Tenet. We talk about that. He's back in the Odyssey. And Inola Holmes 3, as Dr. Watson, another iconic role. I had a busy Enola Holmes few days because I had the opportunity to chat with Millie Bobby Brown,

which by now you guys probably have seen if you haven't already. Really great episode, I will say, a live event we did with her at the 92nd Street. Why, if you haven't checked it out, check it out in the Arkansas. archives, a really good one. And then followed it up with this. We weren't able to get him to mesh to my usual studio, but I've made the trip to the plaza in New York to sit down with him at the junk, it carved out our usual big chunk of time. So I appreciate him and the Netflix folks and his reps for making it work. And I'm so glad it did because just a soft-spoken, serious, but also clearly has a great sense of humor and above all else, a hugely talented actor.

So thrilled it finally happened. Hamesh Patel for your eyes and ears today. Without any further ado, enjoy. Hamesh, should we do this? Let's do it. We're here. There are cameras. This is, thank you for, by the way, inviting me to your home.

This is your place, right? This is my home. I live at the plaza in New York. This is where I live. Yeah. This is how I imagine every London flat to be. So it looks exactly like this. There's a few, but not many.

If I invaded your home, is there more evidence that? That's of you being an actor or are you being a dad in your head? Dad. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, just detritus. Wow, you're blaming on your children. No, no, no. We know it's all you.

They can't tidy it up. You know, but yeah. Are you one to keep souvenirs or any like mementos? I'm way too sentimental actually. Really? Yeah, yeah. What do you got? Just every like trinkets and stuff and, you know, there's a little rock.

It's like some rock or something that my kid found maybe when we were in India and I still have it in my bag. And I keep finding it and going, I was probably going out of this, but I don't. Well, at least it's not taking up a large amount of space. No. Small rocks you can do. Yeah, yeah. You're just trying to, you know, get bunch of. But I do, I keep a lot of scripts from, I've got like tubs full of old scripts and stuff.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with those. It marks a time. It does, yeah. Yeah, yeah. And do you, I'm curious, I sometimes ask actors this, I'm curious like what their scripts actually look like. Like, are yours like filled in the margin with notes or is it pretty? They're quite spare actually, I, you know, but I'm getting better at actually being

a bit more sort of academic about it. Yeah. And writing things down rather than just trusting that I'll remember them in some sort of internal way. Yeah. But yeah. Yeah. I'm talking to you at a very cool moment.

So I mean, I've been on my radar for quite a while. quite a while. Congratulations and all the success. Thank you. Thanks. And right now, you know, I joke, but we're at the Inola Homes 3. Junkett making some time for me and happy, say, I can't view as I appreciate it. I'm also going to see you next week for The Odyssey. Great. So we better get along today. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Otherwise, it's going to be all good. Yeah, yeah. But, I mean, look, those are two great accomplishments, obviously massive entertainments in their own right. You're also, I think, shooting or just shop maybe X-Files, which we can't be more excited about that. you and Ryan Cougar. Just give me a little sense of like, do take a moment to kind of like assess where you're at 35 years old, a dad, a husband, but also where you are at in your career. I can barely fathom it in all honesty. It's kind of beyond my wildest dreams. So I am very thankful for it. And just I'm trying to be better at living in the moment. I was saying earlier,

You know, this week in and of itself, probably the next 10 days or so is going to be a real whirlwind. Yeah. This is the unusual. Yeah, it is. But I don't want to take it for granted. I don't want to wish it away. Maybe I've been a bit guilty of doing that before. So it's just sort of just soaking it in and maybe allowing a little pat on the back every now and then.

But, you know, it's not very British to do that. We'll allow it. In this circumstance, we will. But, I mean, are you a gold-drip? of kind of an actor? Like, do you set markers for yourself? And what do those look like? I don't think previously I've set, like, you know, specific markers. Yeah. But I certainly, maybe more recently have come to terms of the fact that, you know, yes, I do have ambition. I have things that I would like to do. But what's happened is they just sort of ended up

happening. You know, now I think that's maybe got a lot to do with. I've maybe got a good team behind me who just got to understand me and what's going to get me going. And so they've, they've found me that stuff but it's also I guess you have a sort of sense of what what gets you going and and so whatever's been guiding me thus far is you know it's done me well and I certainly you know want to maybe take the ball by the horns a little bit and go okay what can we what can we achieve while we're up here you know what what can how can we continue to steer X, Y, Z conversation, you know, that sort of thing. So, yeah, there's plenty that I want to achieve.

And I just, I want to do it in the best way possible. Well, there is that always that transition point for many actors I talk to, which is like a fascinating one because it's that period of time from like just taking a job because God knows any actor just wants a job. Of course. How hard out there to the luxury of choice. Yes. And it is a luxury, yeah.

And also the strange thing. have to wrap your brain around where you have the opportunity to say no to things, which is also like a crazy thing because I would imagine now you say no to things that five years ago, 10 years ago would have been unfathomable. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. It is a real luxury. And it's scary to say no. It's scary to say no because you're just kind of going, is this horrific mistake I'm making. But as I say, I think so far it's worked out well. From the outside, looking in, yes. Yeah, yeah.

I can be a non-partial arborist. But I think it's also, you know, your priorities in life will shift. Yeah. You say, I'm a parent now, so that shift certain things. But, yeah, so far it's all generally balancing out pretty well. So if I talk to friends and family that knew you growing up, are they surprised at the trajectory of like that you're in the arts, let alone so successful?

Like, was this always in the cards, you think? I think it was pretty much always on the car. cards not not anyone went yeah of course he was always going to get to do the kind of things that i've gotten to do um but i always enjoyed it i always loved it from a young age and um and i was encouraged you know my parents really encouraged me to to to you know go to youth theater to begin with and then to audition um and and so you know they they were behind me all the way and and And I've got wonderful friends in my life who don't allow me to leave Terra firma. They very much make sure that I'm grounded.

And what was, when you think back, was there early formative moments of validation that really kind of kept you going even as a kid where someone said, you stick with this? You've got something? The first time that happened, I did. There's a show in the UK called This Is Your Life, if you know about this show. and the guy and they did it there was a version of it that would that would be done in schools around the country called this is your life Santa Claus okay and I played Michael Aswell he was the host of this show in the UK and they'll see you're playing a version of him for this sort of Christmas show at school and and I did that and apparently as my mom tells me that the the teacher said that you know he's got a certain aptitude for this and you know maybe sign him up to the local youth theater which she did And then, you know, I had a great time of the local youth theater. They were really encouraging the key youth theater in Peterborough at the time. And they really nurtured me.

And then I joined another youth theater in Cambridge in the UK called the Young Actors Company. And they, they, I did a screen sort of Sunday Screen Academy thing with them. And that was my first introduction to cameras and how cameras work and how you shoot things and that sort of thing, which couldn't have come out on one opportunity, an opportune time because then a year later I got my break in the UK on EastEnders. And then so there were just sort of, I felt really well nurtured along the way. You know, I was very lucky that those infrastructures existed around where I grew up and very lucky that my parents were very encouraging of it and supportive.

And so those were rather than necessarily any, particular validations of talent. It was more just the continued support that I had from various contexts. And did you see a path even then, before EastEnders, I'm even saying? Like, did you see people like you that looked like you on screen that said, yeah, that could be me? There were a few, you know. I mean, I'd say probably not long before I got EastEnders was when Dev appeared

on skins. Sure. And that was a big thing. And actually around the same time, Riz was doing. He did a show called Brits, which he doesn't know this actually. I don't know we've ever spoken about it. I did a day's extras. I was an extra on that show for a day, which I don't know if he knows that.

This is the source of the friction because you were just on the outside while big time gris. And that's why we hate each other. I have to say, just like off topic for a second. One of the most enjoyable things I've watched the last week was you guys at South Buy. Oh yeah, yeah, that was great. Promoting bait, yeah.

Yeah, the dead hand, the commitment to the bit. It was great, yeah. It was a lot of fun. No, so, you know, they were appearing. But there was a whole generation of actors before, almost all of whom I've had the privilege of working with since, South Asian actors who I saw on TV. But it was rare to see anyone in a prominent position or a leading position or anything.

And so, So yeah, I felt very, the path wasn't that clear. Right. I just wanted to try and then see where that led. Yeah. And then the same thing, even when I left EastEnders after nine years, there wasn't really a path necessarily of, okay, I can. This is what XYZ has done.

There's so few exact exact. I had a little bit, you know, my mate Ben Hardy had just left and, you know, he, I remember But he left and then a week later they were like, he's going to be an ex-men. I'm like, oh, that sounds good. I was like, what? Who does that? But there was no one that I knew who'd been on a soap for nine years. Right.

And then got to be in things like that. So contextualize this for the dumb Americans like me. Because I know of EastEnders, of course. I've not, to be honest, watched an iota. No. And I apologize. This is not part of our cultural fabric. What is the comp? I mean, is it daytime soap's here? Like the night time? Like, is it like, what's the...

It's somewhere in between those things, I think. From what I've, from what I've learned about US soaps, so it's a very different thing. But it's somewhere between that and a sort of gritty drama, really. And the volume of work? Because you're there for nine years. Like, how, like, are you... You're shooting a block is four episodes of half. half an hour TV and that takes two weeks to shoot and that's sort of overlap overlapping blocks. So you're, you know, then you can have one week where you in the morning are shooting one block and then in the afternoon you go back in time to the next block. Sure. And you have to remember where you are and what your character was doing at any given point. So it's a great training ground.

It must be. It's just you're putting in the reps, you're putting in the albums. Yeah, exactly. Like, it really, you know, you drill a lot of things. And also I was very, again, when you talk about being nurtured, You know, they really believed in me and pushed me in many ways as an actor. You know, they wrote things for my character to do that didn't necessarily pigeonhole me. Right. And so I got to try my hand at various different things. And that really stood me in good stead, I think.

How did you handle, I mean, I would imagine being a prominent part of that show, especially back in the UK, that changes your life. Like, I mean, in terms of, like, walking the streets, like, how did you handle? It did to some extent. It did to some extent for the first five years I was still living at home with my parents in my little village. Right.

So there it didn't really change a whole lot because there's a bit of a novelty for a bit. Then the villages are just like, well, you're just a kid from the shop still. Like, you're not, you know, you're not all that. Yeah, exactly. Especially when I was still delivering newspapers for my parents for those five years.

So it keeps them in track, yeah. Yeah. Like it doesn't really, And then, you know, I moved to London. People kind of, they see people around all the time, to be honest. It is a very different type of fame, though. It's a different type of fame because people don't necessarily know you. They know the character.

You're in their living room. Yes. You're with them a lot. Yeah. So it's not like anyone knows who, Hamesh, is that they know, like, the character and the show. Yeah. And so it's a very strange, specific type of fame. But I think there's a very sort of thin line I found between being on a soap in the UK and being a celebrity, being a someone who does, you know, that sort of thing.

And if that's what you want to do, that's great. You know, there's a lot of people who've had great success through doing that. And that's wonderful. But it was never my aim. You know, the actors that I had the privilege of working with on that show, they were about the work. Yeah. They, you know, they were really about making the work that the most important thing, making it the best it can be and that's how you grow as an actor.

And that was my main name. My main name was to get better every day as an actor. So I made sure that I had a real interest in fame. You know, it wasn't really I really value being able to just walk down the street with a relative sense of anonymity and live your life, you know. And I'm very lucky I can still do that, really. You know, so I, it doesn't, I don't, I don't really, I don't want much more besides that. Yeah, you're kind of in that sweet spot, I would imagine, where you get like a nice, I'm sure there are some nice nods and some nice back.

Yeah, of course there are. But it's usually just people just sort of being really nice just coming up and saying, you know, I liked you in X, Y, Z. And that's lovely. Gives you a little boost and on a new day. And then you get on with your day. Yeah. Continue to work around. We'll be right back with more Happy Sad Confused.

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Everyday Mysteries is perfect for kids and is just as entertaining for grownups who love a good mystery. The whole family can listen now wherever you get your podcasts. I want to come to kind of the exit out of these centers. I want to backtrack also because I love to get more of a sense of like

your sensibilities of like as a consumer of pop culture, entertainment film and TV. I'm always curious like, you know, obviously the films that made an impact, the TV that made an impact, the actors that early on really were resident to you. What comes to mind when I say stuff like that?

I mean, early on, there was a real sort of a rich tapestry of things in the home I grew up in. Because I had all the pop culture that was there as being a young, a sort of British household. So you have everything that's coming through the TV. You have all the sort of Disney movies. I mean, Aladdin was a huge one for me. The Lion King, those were huge. they had a big impact on me, toy story, all those sorts of, you know, space jam. That was a big moment.

I loved space jam. You know, the Jurassic Park, all those sorts of classic movies that we all grew up watching on both sides of the pond. But then I had a whole other context of Indian cinema and Bollywood. And that was huge for me. You know, that was really a huge part of my childhood and of, because I think it was probably a lot. to do with, oh, there's someone that looks like me on a screen in that and doing the center of the frame. Yeah, exactly. And the whole context of music and a culture that I understood in that way. So that was a huge thing. And then, you know, as you grow into your teenagers, you sort of, music was a huge thing for me.

You know, growing up in the noughties, there was the big sort of indie move in the UK with, you know, some great bands, probably spearheaded by like Arctic monkeys and amongst many others. And what about like, you know, when you think of like the quintessential, you know, British TV film, like, I know you have some, you've had some connection with Doctor Who over the years. Was Dr. Who big in your house? It was, yeah. Yeah. So who was big. Yeah. When it rewinter came back, it was rebooted.

That was a big one. Who was your doctor? As in my favorite? When you think of Dr. Who, like, Pete Doctor Who, for you? I mean, it's got to be David Tennant, really. I mean, it was really, you know, I love Christopher Ackleston. And then, like, there was a really special time just in the year.

It felt like everyone was watching dogs. Yeah. As opposed to it being this sort of niche sci-fi kids show. It was like everyone was just watching it. Yeah. So that was, you know, that was a big, big thing in our house. household. James Bond, Harry Potter. Bond. Potter was big. Yeah, I remember my dad taking me to see Casinoa. It was the first Bond movie I saw in the cinema. That's a good one. That was like,

because then I'd seen Bond movies on TV. Yeah, there was something visceral, that black and white sequence at the beginning. Oh my gosh. I mean, he just rewrote the rule book. Um, and when I say he, I mean, it was Martin Campbell, right, a director of that, but there was something in his, in his eyes, man. I just, I always go like, you're going to reboot Bond and you go, let me, okay, let me just drown a guy in a sink and then shoot the other guy. Totally. I announced themselves. They did. They, they, that's a mission status.

Okay. Then, uh, I guess we're not, we're not, we're not doing any subtle winks to the audience here. It's just. A Roger Moore this time. Yeah. And, um, and, um, what great movie it was. So. What's your place in the Bond universe going for it?

Whether your Bond or a Bond villain. Oh, gosh. Well, I just want to see them do it really well. you know and what is doing opportunity yeah I mean she was just like how can you get it wrong and and so let's see what happens but I I I'm really excited to find out who's gonna play bond it's like we're getting closer yeah that's what I was reading and and then yeah let's see what story they choose to tell I heard you were were you a big war in the rings guy I was a big Lord the Rings guy yeah books films both like the films led me to the to the book

and then I had this like it was the whole on bridged version with everything and then the appendices and all of that and you know I got into all of it and I also got into you know that the the games workshop is that does that mean anything to you in the US no no Warhammer is yes yes okay so I never got into Warhammer that was there but I I did a whole Lord of the Rings version of it like his tabletop game with these I never cared about the gang I never cared about but I was really into painting the like there was just something sort of meditative about have you talked to Sherlock about this no Henry no no We don't really get so much time together because they're caught.

You know he's like the biggest warhammer. Yes, so I've heard. Yeah, yeah. He's trying to get a movie, isn't he? Trying to make a movie of it. He's legit. He's like. Yes.

Yeah, so I, you know, Lord of the Rings was, was massive for me. I mean, you know, and of course I'm looking forward to seeing what they do, but I just, I don't see how you. How do you talk about? Andy knows the world. He's a, yeah. And having met him a few times now, I mean, what a lovely, lovely guy. Have you done performance capture yet?

I would love to. Yeah. I would love to tell. Some actors let me, not from me, I can't, but that sounds intriguing to you. I remember taking my dad to see the second Planet the Apes movie, you know, that he did? Oh, I was. Matt Reeves directed that one, yeah. The Matt Reeves ones are... I'd seen the first one with James Franco, and I thought it was fun. And then I was like, I was going to take my dad to the cinema and take him to see a Planet of the Apes movie earlier in the second one, that would be fun. It came out of it having like an existential crisis about why we'll never be a utopian society and that we're all going to be. just like kill each other eventually.

I just wanted to watch a movie about talking apes. I don't know what happened. But I'm basically having some sort of existential crisis. The power of someone. I mean, I thought it was amazing. You know, what you can do with that technology, that really brought it home for me. And yeah, I'd love to try something like that. Okay, so coming out of these tenders, you kind of alluded to this.

Like, yes, Ben Hardy accepted. Like, did you feel there was a path? that like, oh, crap, this is going to, like, I don't know, I've had security for nine years. That is a luxury. And now there's opportunity, but it's also scary out there. Like, what were you feeling coming out of these standards? It was scary. Yeah, you know, I'd taken a leap of faith, you know, because I decided that I wanted to leave.

And I had no promise of anything because you also, you can't really audition for anything while you're on the show. Right. They have to know that you've left and that you definitely have left so that they're not going to have any issues. But, you know, I think I talked about this recently, but at some point I heard Brian Cranston say, maybe on your podcast, but I heard him say something about acting being, you know, having a career as an actor being 50% hard work, 50% luck. Yeah. And I think I've leaned very heavily on that 50% luck side of it because things just sort of lined up in a really nice way.

You know, I hadn't long left Eastenders when I got a role on a Channel 4 comedy show called Damned. Right. that was almost immediate and then off between then I did that and then I went to the Edinburgh Fringe and did a play with my friend where I played a pigeon which was a lot of fun and that had the best summer of my life and then you know towards the end of that year I got a role in a Western show with David Tennant and in directed by Patrick Marlborough that gave me a whole world of experience and then I did that while doing a second series of damned and then I went came here to New York to do a play a one of one

wonderful play called People Places and Things with Denise Goff is a fantastic actor. I'm sure. And that was an amazing experience because it was a very hot play in London. And then I joined the cast for this New York run. We had like everyone coming to watch it. It was not that it's being the hot play in New York. Oh man. There was, I was a part of the ensemble. I had like a one specific line in a specific sequence and then we had the interval. And I remember one time during the interval, someone was like, did you see? It was like what, Pacino's in the audience. I'm like, I'm glad I just found that out because if I knew that at the beginning of the play, I don't know what I would have done.

How am I doing Mr. Pacino? Yeah, exactly. So, you know, that was a great experience. And it was during that play that I got the email about or taping for what would eventually become yesterday. So, okay, yesterday, I mean, we all love Danny Boyle for a thousand reasons. There's a body of work. There's also the man. I mean, I'm obsessed with him.

Yeah, he's a wonderful human being. Like the most energetic, enthusiastic person. Yes. I mean, to have his, again, validation, to have him at your back, you know, that must mean the world to a young actor at that pivotal moment. It was a huge, you know, I'd say if we're talking about something like, yeah, validation or just a sense that, oh, maybe this is if I, you know, this is the opportunity. Yeah. And I couldn't put my pressure on that my pressure on myself when the audition came in Because the audition is just an audition and you know

You put that much on every audition you're gonna I'm glad that I got to audition yeah I sent this tape while I was in New York and then and then I heard back that they wanted to me to audition in person with Danny and and and with Richard Curtis and I I was like how amazing how exciting I I don't think I've got a chance in hell of getting this role, but I'm just going to enjoy myself. Yeah. And so I will, you know, I finished the play, came back home. And I just walked into the audition room, I was like, I get to play a couple of Beatles songs and do a couple of scenes with these guys. You know, what a privilege of a lifetime that's going to be and just enjoy that.

Yeah. Don't have any sense of what's going to come after, you know, just enjoy it. Well, that's kind of what I did. And I think actually, you know, that's why it was. such an enjoyable experience and there was something there that Danny saw. Yeah. Well, I mean, I often talk to actors about kind of like achieving that kind of flow state, that relaxation. It sounds like that's like what you did going to that audition room. Yeah, I tried yourself to, I guess because it was like at that point, like was kind of the most absurd room I'd ever

walked into. Not just Danny Boyle, but Richard Curtis, like, both of them just in the room. And they were like, please seeing us two Beatles. Right. It's like, where upon where. Anything else is Mickey Mouse going to walk in? What happened? There's no point me trying to like amp this into anything else. It just is fun. Has there been a similarly surreal moment in the years since walking into an audition room? Just endless. And walking into an audition room.

Whether you got it or not, like just from an experience stage. Like, oh, I just had that moment with this filmmaker I admire, this actor I admire. Man. It's been more like, to be honest, been lucky of being on set with people. Yeah. And kind of going. the Nolan experiences the company backers. What am I doing here?

This is crazy, you know? Before we move into Noah and the work with Chris Nolan, I do want to mention Station 11, which... Oh, thanks, man, yeah, yeah. Obsessed. Yeah, I'm really proud of that one. As you should be. I'm really, really proud of that show.

And we made it during a really difficult time. Yeah, so remind me the timeline. Did you shoot the first episode before the pandemic? We shot episodes one and three. Those were the episodes directed by Hero Marae. Right. at the big in January into February of 2020. Yeah.

And of course the first episode is all my characters discovering a pandemic is unfolding and it unfolds. And then we wrapped and we said, we'll see you in the summer. And then it all came to life. And then suddenly an actual pandemic appeared. Yeah. So then we came back a year later and everything shifted over to Toronto from Chicago. and we and we shot the rest of the show in the midst of a real lockdown, you know. So a variety of factors I would imagine contribute to making that a meaningful experience,

the very unusual circumstances, but the material hero who is now doing Widows Bay, which I'm also obsessed. I haven't started watching it yet, but I can't wait. You've heard what people are saying. The company of actors, I mean, McKenzie am a huge family as well. She's wonderful. Yeah. And just the arc for your character.

It's a big, it's a big journey. It was, it's a gift of a role. Yeah. You usually get handed to something like that and, and as much as you go, I'm going to work hard and make this the best it can be. You're like, that this has landed in my life. I don't want to screw this up. Yeah, you know. I auditioned and as soon as I found out I had it, I was like, this is a real opportunity to, to challenge myself.

Yeah. And so I'm just really glad we got to make it that we got it done and people keep discovering it. And it's sort of getting its dues spread out over time rather than a sort of like immediate, a flurry of awards thrown at it. But it was a show that will stand the test of time. It's a really wonderful piece of work. So Christopher Nolan, the journey began with Tenet. Yeah. Is that an audition?

That was an audition. I'd been making a show in New Zealand, and I got a call from my agent saying, and it was one of those where I knew, they obviously announced that, you know, Christopher Nair was making a new movie and whatever. And I was like, cool, I look forward to watching that. And then my agent called and said it's the last role that they're casting. And they want you to audition for it. So you'll fly home to London via L.A. I was doing press for yesterday already at that point, so then I auditioned with John Papsidera, wonderful guy, wonderful casting director. and it was dummy sides from and I've discovered I was reading them with my partner and she was like,

why do I recognize this? And we realized it was Oceans 11. And so that was quite fun. But clearly I went, he doesn't want me to do Oceans 11. Right. I'm not playing. He wants me to just read this cold for what it is and do whatever. So I had a lovely session with John just had a nice audition and then a month or so past,

maybe even a couple of months. And then I got a call and I just couldn't believe it, you know. To even be auditioning for him was a thrill because I love his movies. It genuinely like one of my favorite filmmakers, probably one of the most influential filmmakers of my generation, specifically like, you know, he kind of changed a lot of things. So it was a real, you know, I had a ball. And what I got to do in that movie, you know, was just all the really fun stuff.

Yeah. So, yeah, that was great. More happy say confused coming up. The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust. Now the survivors claw to what's left of a broken world, praying the darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadow dark, the darkness always wins.

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We joke about Tanaway, all love all of Christmas movies. But you know, like, there's the joke about like, is I mean, that one actually really understand what happened in Tannet? Probably what didn't have it was I think Rob himself went, I don't really know, I don't think I understand the movie. Which I think I believe. Like, I don't know.

I completely believe it, by the way. Yeah, I completely believe it. So when you're doing scenes with Rob, did he ever say out loud in your presence? No. No, he kept it to himself. No, no, yeah. But I think, I mean, there is a story that at one point he turned to John David

and went, am I dead? Or, you know. You just need a basic ass. Yeah. But it's, I think, I would dare I say, I think Tenet is one of his underrated movies. Absolutely. It's, you know, what I get with Chris is I just, he doesn't, he doesn't stop with the ambition. Yeah.

He just wants to keep pushing it and keep pushing it. And what's the next thing? What's the next thing we can do to elevate the cinematic experience, to put a marker down. in cinematic history. Yeah. So I remember the first time I watched Tenet and, you know, I didn't know how they were going to achieve all of the inversion and all that sort of stuff. And it still does something to me when I watch clips from it or if it comes up and

I just go, like, it does make weird to my brain. Yeah. When I'm watching it more than any sort of CGI will ever do. Yeah. Something about watching it is just, it's in reverse. It's, and it's because I think he got them. to flip the camera. So it was being filmed in reverse, as it were. Right.

It wasn't, it's not like he's CGI'd it backwards either. There's something and he does, he seems to understand some sort of alchemy. Right. The secret of the universe lies in Tenet, perhaps. Yeah, well, just in Chris's brain. Or not, yeah, yeah. So then you get invited back to the party. It's one thing to get the shot one time.

Then you, now you're officially, oh wait, I'm part of the troop. Yeah, yeah. Like I'm back for The Odyssey. I'll be seeing in a couple days. I'm sure. Have you seen any yet or you? I wonder if we're going to be at the same. screening so there you go so to get that opportunity I know I've talked to a bunch of

the actors that have been in it and everybody says like this is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime experience practical sets practical effects as when possible giant just like you know the the scores of extras it does everybody kind of like share in that do you feel that like palpably among the cast and crew like we're in it like let's enjoy this guys absolutely yeah because the context we were in were just mind-boggling. No one can, you know, I think Matt's been telling this story, but at one point we were shooting in Iceland and we were doing night shoots in Iceland during this time of year

where there is no night in Iceland, but there's that weird twilight. And when people watch the movie, they'll know why we're there. But it's, it was like 2 a.m. We're in this weird twilight. It's raining sideways. and it's whatever temperature is we're freezing. Right. And they hand us our lunch in these little foiled dishes

and we're just sort of sideways rain, just sort of eating lunch. And happily doing it, by the way. Yeah. You know, and Matt really sets the example. You know, it was an example of how to be number one on a movie. I've never seen anyone work harder and not a word of complaint. I never heard a word of complaint.

I never heard him go, oh, at any point over six months. And so you're just like getting on with it. And I asked him at one point, I was like, Matt, is this the hardest conditions you've ever worked in? And he was like, I don't know, man. If there was anything harder, you were probably there with me. You know, so it was just that sort of thing. But it was also just the biggest privilege. Yeah.

To get to go to these places and shoot the way we were shooting in situ, in camera. It was a thrill. See, like the IMAX cameras, the technology, does it affect performance? Like, are you the kind of actor that, like, wants to know your framing? Or is it sort of, no. No, and especially when you work with someone like Chris, you know, there is precision to the framing, but there's also, he leaves like a slight window of where you can play with it

and see where you might end up. And him and Hoytah sort of work in that way where they like to sort of leave slight things open to chance. It's just so probably antithetical to what people probably imagine what Chris Nolan set would be like. It's like again. Actors love him, like love that as big as it is. it feels pretty intimate I know.

There's no video village. Right. He has a monitor. Hoytah has a monitor. And Gurki are a script supervisor. I had a monitor. That's it. So no one else is monitoring what's going on.

And you just have to be ready. Everyone's ready. Because at any point he might go, we're shooting over here. We're shooting over here. And it recreates a sort of, you know, it's been said before, a sort of indie mentality and indie ethic.

But we're just liking with the baseball. possible scale, so it's, yeah. We should give some love to Noah Holmes 3. I had a chance to have, Millie did the podcast last night. I made her cry. It wasn't my fault. Really? I won't make you cry.

So I'm going to wait 10 minutes left. We'll see what happens. What happened? How did you make her cry? We were talking about stranger things. I showed her right. It was very emotional. Yeah.

Yeah. So, okay. Having someone like Millie at the top of the call sheet, I mean, fascinating. She's an amazing, like, you know, 22 years old, has had a decade plus of experience. of experience and yet like good head in her shoulders. Just like talk to me a little about having someone like Millie as the number one. As an actor, as an actress, she's she's fantastic. We all know that.

And she comes to work prepared and ready to do the work. But you know, being working with her on a movie like in other homes where she's also producer. Yeah. She also feels that responsibility keenly. She cares about not just the film and making the film the best it can be. and caring about that, but she cares about everyone's experience. Yeah. She wanted it to be a really nice set, a nice place for people to come to work every day,

where we will have fun. And we did, you know. And that's not to say she didn't also, you know, fight her corner when she believed in something being the way it should be and that sort of thing. And that's great. But she does it respectfully and does it in a way that she trusts in the relationship she's built with fillet, for example, or with our producers. You know, it's all very professional. And I just forget the fact that she's that young. I know. You know, who knows where her career is going to go?

Because it's just what she's built and what she's crafted with such maturity at such a young age, I just find it really, really admirable and amazing. I can always tell the actors that I'm going to respect it and like as you've been being by the ones that talk about the crew as much as they do. Yeah.

That realize it's, yes, we're, the face of this production, but this is a true collaborative. Nothing gets done without them, you know? Nothing gets done if they're not happy, if they're not, you know, well looked after. So this one, is it odd to kind of like sign on for something where you're like the glorified like Easter egg for a kid in the verse film? Like, hopefully we get there as Dr. Watson. Like I would imagine that's part of the deal.

It's like, right, like sign on for Noah Holmes too. Fingers crossed, plans are afoot. And there was, you know, two years after I was kind of like, are we? Or am I going to be like the briefest Watson in history? Like what's going on? A footnote in Watson history? But it's what happens when you have like, you know, Millie, she's busy, she has projects she wants to get off the ground and stranger things to commit to and this sort of stuff.

Henry's got everything that he's got going on. So, you know, it wasn't easy to put it all together. And I'm just really glad that we did because everyone wanted it. Yeah. Obviously the audience wanted it, but also everyone wanted to tell this story. And I'm really excited that we did because I think it's really special. Let's tease a little bit of the X-Files. I know you can't see a bunch of anything,

but this is like high on my radar, high on many people's radar, to say the least. Cougar, you, Danielle Deadweil, have you shot it now? Have you shot the pilot? We shot the pilot. Okay. Did it feel like a pilot, a film? I mean, Coogler's directing, you have an Oscar-winning DP?

It was very special, that's all I'll say. It was very, very special. And we await a decision, of course, but all I can tell you is I had an incredible time. Is that a meaningful show for you? I know it's a meaningful. I've talked to Ryan about the show. It was. I mean, look, maybe not as meaningful as it is as it is for people who really dived into it or lived it at the time.

You know, I think I was maybe three or so when it first started. So a little young to be watching it. I seem to remember my mom sort of telling me things there. like to tell me stories about I watched a show and this thing happened and I'd be like, it's weird. She was prepping you. She's like, one day she knew.

She believed in me. Yeah. But yeah, it's, you really do come to understand the, the responsibility of it. Yeah. And the power of it as a sort of world. I'm just curious, like, for a show that was, you know, the motto was the truth is out there in 26 when truth is under fire, what is truth even mean? Is truth even values nowadays?

Is it safe to say that is addressed that like we are living in a, it's obviously a contemporary show that feels up its time? Ryan and his whole team and myself and Danielle were all very aligned in that way that we love depth, we love everything to have a meaningful context. And we, you know, much the same as a lot of great filmmakers like Chris, Ryan, he believes that the audience is intelligent. Yeah. And he wants to give them as much richness of tapestry as he can. So, yeah, people will, hopefully, people will see it.

Yeah. Are you the skeptic or the believer? We actually, so there was a, in the production office, there was a board. And Ryan had had everyone take a Polaroid of themselves. And then there was a believer or skeptic on the world. And where did you fall in? I put myself in believer, but I think I'm a believer maybe like one time out of 10. Okay.

In that, you know, I sometimes listen to these like podcasts where people recount stories about strange things that have happened to them and all this sort of thing. And most of the time I'm like, I could explain that to you immediately. Like, you know, you were just like tired while driving or you, you know. Yeah. But every now and then there's a story where you go, that's freaky. Yeah. That I can't.

explain to you and that always makes me go there is something out there isn't it the right hand for this job apparently then maybe and is the character a skeptic or believer we'll see tvd we'll talk about that at the right time don't worry yeah okay we're unhappy say i confuse of the profoundly random questionnaire you ready for these can't wait okay are your dog or a cat person cat okay do you collect anything um i guess currently cameras maybe not that I have that many but I do yeah and that the tritis of your children that's also and that yeah and that favorite video game of all time uh Spider-Man 2 the the Toby McGuire one yeah very nice that was an era

that or Mario Kart double dash did the franchise boost or hindery or comic book availability a complex movie availability they haven't come calling yet So let's see. It don't come around. I'll come around. I apologize. This is the Dakota Johnson Memorial Question. She asked me to some contractually obligate.

Oh, wow. Everybody. Would you rather have a mouthful of bees or one be in your butt? Be in my butt. Yeah, that's the correct answer. What's the wallpaper on your phone? My kids. Last actor you were mistaken for.

I mean, you know, probably dev, maybe. Just adding insult to injury. Really? It's a privilege to be. You know, people go, oh, I think you, you know, but it's, it's, you know. Worst of the director has ever given you? Worst note. Yeah.

There was a director once on Eastenders who, who tried to, who didn't quite understand dry humor. And so I was, there was something like, there was a noise upstairs and I was like, oh, what's that? Oh, that doesn't sound great. And he was like, no, you should do it like this. Oh, that doesn't sound great. I remember going... Maybe you stick on your side off the... No.

I'm 16 years old just going, that's... no. That doesn't sound great. Can I do a little more subtle? Yeah. That wasn't great. In the spirit of happy, say I can fuse. An actor who always makes you happy. You see them on screen, you're in a better mood.

Oh. Steve Correll. Yeah, of course. A movie that makes you sad. There's a movie called Song of the Sea. It's an animated movie. And it basically made me sob. Yeah.

And finally, a food that makes you confused. You don't get that. There is a fruit. And they made me try it once on live TV. I want to say it's called durian fruit. Yeah. And it's like, it's horrific. It didn't agree with you now.

I think it's durian fruit. I'm not getting that wrong, but it was. awful. You just went to a place. And I'm like, this isn't food, surely. Right. This isn't edible. You can't eat this.

This is a mistake. Yeah. This is a plant going, don't eat me. And we are ignoring it. Yeah. On which you're choosing to go. That are you? Yeah.

Don't do it. Yeah. Is that when you have to cry in a scene, you're thinking of the time you had to eat durian fruit? Yeah. Yeah. Like, is he thinking about losing a loved one? No.

It's the time you eat a bad fruit on 5 TV. I didn't actually. In the end, I was like, I can't actually do this. This is stupid. Yeah, wise. Yet you were wise enough to do Happy Say I Confused today. Yes. A privilege, man.

Thank you. Thanks for me. Congratulations on all the success. And yeah, I'll see you in like four days. So don't get, don't worry. This continues. It'll be okay. It's going to be okay.

Yeah, can't wait. All right. Thanks, you, Ben. Thank you so much. And so ends another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused. Remember to review, rate and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person.

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I'm Anne Foster, and I have never seen this show before. And I'm Gina Berry, and I have watched this show maybe too many times. Join us every other Monday on the Nefer TV podcast as we discuss the real history behind Spartacus, Blood, and Sand. Follow Nefer TV. That's N-E-F-E-R-TV, wherever you get your podcasts.