SmartLess - "Olivia Colman"

Episode Date: August 25, 2025

Congratulations, you won: it’s Olivia Colman. A timely pat on the back, getting slightly better at saying no, and “nice to meet you” (and then you have a sex scene). How very dare you! It’s an all-new SmartLess. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Good morning. Good morning, Jason. Or afternoon or wherever our listeners are. Wherever we find you, sure. Does anybody have big plans today at all for anything? I mean, I'm doing a pretty smoking podcast in the next couple of minutes. It's called Smartless. Oh.

Cue the music. Smart. Smart Less Smart Less How's Seattle? Will, how's Seattle?

You're up there in Seattle visiting family? I'm doing a little thing tonight with our friend Ed Vedder tonight. We're just doing like a little... Is it Ed now? Yep.

And he's just growing up a little bit. And Eddie and I are doing... a little thing tonight and he's going to perform he claims that I might help him sing a song on stage that's not going to happen

because he's heard your impression of him no he hasn't yet and I plan on doing it but he said he was like hey do you want to I'm gonna you know what song do you want to hear

I was like well what song do you not want to play and he was like well anything I don't know what you don't know and he goes well you get up here and you'll sing everybody likes to sing right and I'm like no Eddie

nobody wants to hear me singing you have to do unless it's hello Leasley I couldn't you know what I couldn't love him more. He's up on that level of those dudes

that I just absolutely adore. I include him. I include our friend William Bradley Pitt in that, whom I just adore. I just have like massive man crush. He's got the middle name down and everything. Do you know a sign? I think it's exit.

Meaning get out of my face. They don't want me around, but that's okay. Wait, do you remember when he was on and then afterwards he sent us all ukuleles or something? Remember that? Yeah, he did, I know. Yeah, so it's nice. He's such a class act.

He's such a great dude. And anyway, so yeah, that's why I'm up here. I'm doing this thing tonight with him, which is going to be fun. I got my buddy Cutch is coming in from Calgary because he's such a fan. So I said, why don't you come and join, you can hang out? What's a Cutch? Yeah, my buddy, Dave McCutchen. He's one of my oldest friends.

And his name is Cutch. Oh, hey, Cutch. Yeah, how's it going? Well, is he a dirty flames fan? No, he's from Calgary, but originally from Cunora, Ontario, eh? Oh, so that. makes him a dirty leaf fan. Yeah.

Actually, we got room for the Leafs. We got room for the Leafs. It's a really catchy nickname. You know what, Sean? Wait until the guest gets in here. Save some of that. Anyway. Anyway.

J.B., what am we going to see you? Are we going to see you on the East Coast? Are you going to come to London to see Sean's play? That's the big question. Of course I am. Yeah, isn't that nice? Oh, I didn't know that. Are they coming to stay with you guys?

We're staying with you for like three or four days, aren't we, Shawnee? Yeah, yeah, it's going to be great. It's going to be super fun. It's going to be super fun. So, yeah, you know, go ahead, Willie. You know, you go. No, just, I was, Jason reminded me of staying with me in the house. I was talking to a friend that said, we were talking about, like, grocery shopping and once again.

And he's like, I go, where can I get some good milk? And he's like, cow? And I was like, yeah, cow's milk. Do we talk about this? And I was like, it just sounded gross when he said it because I forgot that, you know, that's where, like, that milk comes out of a teat. Like, I know now he's. meant like almond milk oat milk i was like because i didn't think there's any other milk anyway let's just back let's go to the very very beginning of this of the great story i i want where when's the

like way will i'll just ask you will when's the last time you approach somebody and ask them where you could get some good milk right that was the question yeah not milk just general but this is somebody you know not a stranger right this is correct okay because because because what's the context of like were you guys mid-conversation or is it no i was like you were i was talking about Because I'm like, where do we go, grocery shopping? Where's the new latest? In London? In London, because I don't know if they have, like, American stuff.

Like, what's the equivalent? And you hear, good milk's hard to find. Well, I didn't know, yes. I want really good non-fat milk. Anyway, let's get to the gas. You really, no, we're not getting there. We're going to stay here for a minute until we knock it out of you. Sean, you asked somebody where in London you could get good milk?

I've heard it's a real challenge to find some good non-fat cow milk. Honestly, and I love you, and I know a lot of people. But honestly, what the fuck are you talking about? I drink it every day, because I don't really drink soda anymore. Well, I tell you what, it's a good segue, because our guest might be able to help you locate some good milk in England. When it comes to find in good teats. Yeah, she, well, she lives here.

Yeah, take that back. You don't want to take it back. Also, because she's a really classy guest, you're really going to want to take it back. Damn it, Sean, you put me up to that. It's a phenomenal guest that we have today and she hails from London She lives in London She's an Academy Award winner

Three nominations, three-time Golden Globe Winner, seven nominations Taking home two Emmys out of five nominations You might remember her from her turn in confetti Or is the hairdresser in I Could Never Be Your Woman He's trying to throw a song Or even as Ian's mother in 2005's one day I remember her from one of my all-time favorite TV shows

Broadchurch films like The Father for which she was nominated for Academy Award, and of course the favorite for which she won an Academy Award, which is a new film called The Roses, Whichie Co-stars, Benedict Cumberbatch, comes out of 29th, give it up for a huge welcome. Olivia Coleman. Hi!

This is a real pleasure. This is a real pleasure. Hi, guys. Hello, good morning. Hello, Lydia Coleman. Oh, it's so nice to be here. Look how bright and cheery you are. I know.

It's very sunny here. Really classing up Will's list. Will's list was really starting to sink a little bit. Was it? Yeah. You really buoyed it. I needed to turn around. And thanks for the teets comment.

Yeah. Sure. No. I retract that with all apologies. But do you know where to find good non-fat milk there? I know some excellent teets in London. Really? Oh, well.

Yeah. Don't you worry. Good, good. Are you in London right now? No, I'm out in the countryside. inside in the sticks. Oh, great. Oh, great.

Yeah, lovely. But you do live in England full time. I do, yes. Lucky. Yeah. Do you like it? I love it. I love it.

My mother's British, so I've always sort of had an affinity for it, but I've never spent the amount of time you'd think I would being a son of. But every time I go there. Shrewsbury. Oh, nice. Very nice. Lovely. J.B., do you ever consider getting your UK passport?

I haven't. Should I? Why, what have you heard about America? Is something... No, all good things, all good things. No, okay, go out the window. Don't turn out the window. I don't get much here in the hostage cell.

Yes, we're all big fans. We all love England. We spend time there. Sean's on his way there in a couple days. Yeah, I heard. For a while. I'm going to come and see you. You should.

I love it. This guy can play piano. Watch out. Get ready to be impressed. So Olivia Coleman, you know, it's funny, I was, I went through your, your, your, your awards that you've won in nominations. You've got like, you've been nominated for like, I think it was like 156 international acting awards and you've won like 65. Did you know, did you not know this? I didn't know that.

Congratulations, you won. Thanks. But, but what's staggering is, is the breadth of your work, which is, and by that, I mean, not just the actual amount, but the actual, you know, that you've done comedy, you've done drama, and everything in between. And it's really remarkable how you're able to sort of go back and forth between the two.

So my first question to you is, do you, at your heart, consider yourself to be a comedic actor? Do you consider yourself to be a dramatic actor or none of the above? A little bit of all of it? Sure. Yeah, I don't know.

I mean, it's funny talking to all of you guys about it because you all know, you all know. My first work was in comedy, and I loved it. And sometimes you just need someone to take a punt to give you a chance to do the other thing. So comedy has my heart, because that's where I, you know, got work. But I always wanted to do something dramatic,

and I was so pleased with someone. What was that punt? What was that punt you're talking about? What was the first? It was Paddy Considine gave me a chance to do a film called Taranosaur. It started as a short film and then he

decided he wanted to know what happened to these characters and made it a longer film. What was that? What was that? I want to say 20 years ago? Longer. Yeah, I think we filmed it in 2011.

Okay. 2011, and it was a huge and it was like a big Sundance hit, wasn't it? It was a huge... I mean, it was like it made a lot of waves. It was a... Well, it sort of, at the time,

yeah, Sundance loved it, which makes me love Sundance very much and then and then it was sort of built as the years went by so now film lovers have seen it but at the time it was quite a slow burn I think

but you didn't just get incredible 20 years ago I you know like I imagine that there's been a real you're just you're such a special magic actor. I mean, that is why you can do comedy and drama so well is because it doesn't

it doesn't ever seem like you're asking for a laugh. You're never doing a comedy. You're playing a character that is eccentric or whatever, such that it makes us all sort of giggle and the same for drama. So when This is nice. I'm loving

this. Well, you won't like this question. I'm very shallow, isn't it? You know, like when did you realize that you were special? And I know that that takes admitting that you think that you don't suck, but you're allowed to admit that you don't suck. And when did it start? Was it, was it, was it acting school? Did somebody tell you you're great? Or did you see yourself do something and go, oh, that, that works for me?

Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, do you all remember the moment when you went, okay, don't suck? Right. No, I guess I don't. You do. Wait, Sean, you had a moment where you thought you didn't suck. Many of them. I'm like, oh, my God. No, my first one was... My first one was really, just really quick, and then maybe it'll...

Great to have you on the show, Sean. Thank you, so much. No, I remember, like, you know, the pilot of this show I did Will and Grace for many years. We love this show. It's so complicated. It's actually not the opposite of it's complicated.

He's gay, she's gay, very gay. Wait, wait, it was the pilot, Shawnee? It was the pilot that I didn't really, I'd never done a TV show. So it was like a pilot and I walked in not knowing how cameras were anything, right? And I walked in and I got a laugh on just like some benign line like, hey Will, can I borrow your blank? I don't know what it was. And people laughed. I'm like, in my head, I'm like, why are they laughing?

I just said something. And then at the end of the pilot that night, the first assistant director came up to me and she was like, you know, she was like, you're great, you're amazing. I'm like, really? Like, I didn't understand any of it. Yeah.

It does take hearing it from the outside, doesn't it? I mean, Olivia, was there a moment there where somebody, I mean, sometimes it's a parent, you know, that goes, hey, you know, you've done good or a teacher or was it, do you remember, was there a moment like that? Yeah, maybe my first ever school play. when I was 16 and that's the first time I'd done any acting and yeah I've got to say I really enjoyed

afterwards people clapping that was brilliant at that age too that's such a tricky age you're just coming on to... Oh so shit it's everything so rubbish and finally thought oh and my mum and dad who just couldn't really speak afterwards went oh fuck yeah that's a good thing Yeah, yeah. That's interesting. I know it's very English to not want to, you know, sort of pat yourself on the back.

And I get it. But there are those moments that you have. There's undeniable where you go like, yeah, okay, I was kind of... J.B., I remember when we were doing Arrested Development 20 years ago, over 20 years ago. And remember that? There was a guy one of the first editors. And I remember you and I were walking, and he came down the stairs. You and I were on the old culver lot.

And he said, do you remember that guy? And he came over and he goes, guys, I've been cutting the show. And we'd only made like three episodes. And he was like, guys, this show is really funny. We're like, really? I know, you never know. We had no idea because we were in a vacuum.

And he's like, really good. I remember doing 12th night, the Shakespeare played 12th night in high school. Olivia, we're going to beat you in one second. Yeah. No, I want to know about your high school the play that you said you had a response to. And I didn't know what,

I didn't understand what I was saying. It's literally Shakespeare. And I got a laugh on some, I'm like, why are they laughing? And I was 16 years old. Same thing. But what was yours? Oh, the prime of Miss Jean Brody.

Which I obviously didn't have a clue what it meant at the time. Yeah, yeah. And looking back now, it was all sort of about fascism and... So at that age, that's the age where you start to think about college, right, and picking a career. And so it was kind of timely that you kind of got this pat on the back. And did you then, at that moment, choose this is the direction I'm going to go? Well, I sort of, I never really admitted it to anyone out loud, but in my head I thought, I wonder if I'm allowed to be an actor.

Because I didn't come from that, you know, so I didn't know. Allowed. Yeah. And so I didn't tell, I went off to teacher training college, which I left after a term and then worked as a cleaner for a long time and still sort of secretly thinking, I really want to try the acting thing. Yeah.

What did you teach in the train? But you went to Bristol, sorry, you went to Old Vic The other? school though, yeah? Brislavik afterwards, yes. So, yes, I went to the teacher training college where I met my husband who was at the university and we were 20, we were doing a play then. And I walked into the rehearsal room and saw him

and got Thunderbolts. And then we did a play together. And he was doing law but was sort of didn't really like it. And then I said, run away with me and we'll go and be artists. and join the circus, and so he did. It was nice. He finished his degree because he's, you know, proper, clever. And then what was that first job or moment

where you go, okay, this is something I think I'm going to be able to make a living at this? Well, we went to drama school. He got in first, and then I got in the year after, and we did drama school together, and then I got a job just before my last term, which was a sketch show. and I don't think it was particularly great

I wasn't very particularly good in it but the fact that I'd got a job I was so excited and then I felt like I'd know I'd earned some money and I could actually put actor on my passport yeah that's cool yeah it was exciting and then not long after that when did peep show come into into your world peep show yeah not long after that

great yeah oh thanks yeah so good so good oh I love it when people People love Peep Show. Oh, yeah, that show. It's so good. That was, Rob and David, who I'd met when I had left my teacher training college, Rob Webb, David Mitchell. Yeah. They had, you know, spent the interim time writing and working hard.

And then they met Sam and Jesse who wrote Peep Show, Sam Bain, Jesse Armstrong. And they said, we need a woman. And they went, oh, our mate, Collie, we could try him. her and it was great and I was called into the BBC for an audition I was so excited and I couldn't work out why

and it was then and they'd also yeah so nervous and they'd also got me in for the sketch show which was did you did that it must have helped sort of shape your sort of your comedic point of view a little bit

working on that show with those guys yeah and I mean I could I couldn't write for shit. If Ogun was to my head, I couldn't write anything funny, but they can. And so they sort of make it easy. We say their words and, you know, you appear to be funny, which was nice. I would imagine working in that environment with those guys, you know, and you with your talent and working for the, I know it's not to embarrass you.

We're just, these are just facts, Olivia, so you have to accept them. Okay? Yeah, yeah, yeah. We have to, but taking that, and I think working in that way with those guys who are so funny, and you're so funny, and as you guys developed that show

and worked on Peep Show over the years, I wonder if that sort of that spontaneity and that ability to work in comedy helped you later on as you sort of gravitated towards more dramatic roles. Yeah, maybe. I think, and, you know, I don't know how you feel about it, you have to sort of be

have an enormous dollop of humility I think to be able to for people to laugh at you and with you yeah you got to really pull your pants down yeah yeah okay I'll do it some people aren't comfortable

I think some people aren't comfortable with it and I think that helps with you've got to show vulnerability in the drama side and maybe because it's quite brave to show yourself to be an idiot in front of people and for them to laugh and to be broken. Yeah, it is. And to be broken, but also because, as you know, so much,

you know, timing plays a big part of it in comedy, right? And so when you, and you really have to, in comedy, for the most, you really have to listen. I mean, if ever there was a discipline, you know, an area in our world that you have to listen is comedy, because you have to, it's so important to be able to land stuff. And so that, if you bring that into dramatic work, you know, you are really listening

and you really understand rhythm. There is a sort of almost a musicality to it, you know? Yeah, totally. You're explaining it really well, yeah. Done. Yeah. First time. Thanks well.

First time I've done it right. I'm always surprised that people are still shocked when people in comedy can do drama. It's like, oh my God, what? I know. It's like, well, where does it come from? It doesn't work the other way, though, doesn't. Yeah.

No, it doesn't. Yeah. Well, often it doesn't, yeah. Yeah, I mean, obviously, plenty can. But it is odd to how it's easier to make them move from comedy to drama than the other way around. I think that it does have something to do with that, with that rhythm and that listening and all that stuff and being present. Like, you're forced to. Oh, look, somebody's just delivered a drink.

So my husband's just brought me a massive gin and tonic. There we go. Oh, that's great. It's that time of the evening. It is massive. I just want to... Hi. Sorry.

That's Ed. That's Ed, the bartender? What's Ed? Thanks, Ed. Thanks, Ed. We'll be right back. And now, back to the show. Didn't I just see a trailer for...

You've got a hilarious comedy coming out. Oh, excellent segue. Yes. But what is it? It's... I want to say it's like War of the Roses, yes? Yes. Yes.

Is that what it's called? It was in my introduction, Jason. You see you weren't present and listening. Wait, I wasn't really much. Maybe I was busy clapping because I guessed it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wait, wait, is it War of the Roses? Yes, so, well, that was a jumping off point.

Yes. So, yes, you know, Tony McNamara, amazing. Tony McNamara, writer, he has loved War of the Roses, as we all did, and he's slightly changed a bit. And so it's called The Roses. But that was definitely a big influence. Gotcha, gotcha. Wow.

Who's the fella? Benedict Cumberbatch. Oh, that's great. That part I remember. Yeah, I remember something hearing about Cumberbatch and your... You know, you probably've heard this all the time. Americans, I think, a lot of us were so and are still enamored with British comedy, right? That's nice.

Even the most crass, vulgar, like, sketch shows or comedy shows that come out of... There's still, like, a sophistication to the... You know what I mean? There's still, like, a slickness to it and a subtlety. He's getting to, he always gets to. He wants to know your views on Benny Hill. Go ahead, John. No, no.

But there is. There is, like, so who growing up made you go like, was there anybody you'd watched on the telly or the movies that you were like, oh, that's really interesting? Well, I think it works the other way, too. I mean, we, I'm obsessed with American comedy, and on Channel 4 here, every morning,

We have Cheers and Frasier and King of Queens and everybody loves Raymond, all those lovely comedies that I remember. Any others or? No. Will and Grace. Oh, shit. Only the good ones.

Only the good ones. But literally, and friends and arrested development. Sure, yeah. And we are all, we can sort of quote most of, you know, all my friends, excuse me, adore American comedy. And I find American comedy

very sophisticated. It's so funny. It's so funny. We all sort of look longingly. I've always my favorite film of all time is Whitnell and I, and I've said it a million times. Oh my God, yes, that's fantastic.

To me, it is the gold standard because it's not just a comedy, it's quite dramatic. Everything about it is so perfect, and I just find it so hard to believe that somebody can make something like that here. Hard to believe that I have still not seen it. I'm putting it right in right now.

Oh, it's such a treat. I'm so jealous that you haven't seen it. I know. What's the title again? With nail and I. With nail and I. It's the most perfect film. Richard E Grant.

Bruce Robinson wrote and directed. Amazing. Yeah, yeah. Amazing. Like with a nail? Oh, God, this is so embarrassing. It's one word. It's the guy's name.

Last name. Okay, but that's why I ask. It's his name. It's a fair question, Sean. I've got you. I've got you. I don't know. I don't know.

There's something, but there is like, British humor tends to be to sort of lean back just a little bit and lets you kind of discover it, whereas I think we in America, along with everything, we kind of want to show it to you a little bit quicker than you than you might see it. You know, we're a little bit more earnest, a little louder, a little more obvious, I find is the difference.

And I kind of like having to lean in to find it a little bit more. I love that the dryness and the no winking of British humor so much. I think that's lovely of you, but I do sort of feel that way about watching all of you perform, you know? Yeah, there's, yeah. I wonder, you know, I listed off your credits, and I'm such a fan of so many of these things.

First of all, you know, broad church. Again, that's what an example of a show that is like the gold standard to me. I mean, if every show could, I, for every once in a while, I look, you know, I go into one of my streaming services that I subscribe to and go, like, is there, is there a way, yeah, Britbox, is there a way that there's a new series of broad church?

And I've just missed it and now it's going to be on. And no, there's not because I love, but you've done so many things. And I think once in an interview you said you don't really, that you're, do you say that you're bad at choosing jobs, you just kind of do the next job that comes along that can't possibly be true. Well, I feel guilty saying no. Yeah. And I think in the early years, you know, not working very often was actually brilliant

because it's made me very grateful for work. Yeah. Same, same, same. Yeah. And I think it's better that way around than doing really well straight away, I think. But you've had to sharpen your scissors a bit, right? Because I imagine you get a ton of offers and say, submissions and scripts to read and incoming calls because of all the obvious reasons.

So you can't possibly say yes to everything. And so your picker does need to become somewhat refined. Yeah. Is there something that you really look for that starts to have you lean one particular way? Is it character? Is it script? Is it director? Co-star?

Location. I don't know. I'm getting slightly better at saying no. because I want to be at home a lot. Yeah. Up until COVID, I had never been away from Ed for longer than two weeks, which in our world is quite unusual. Yeah.

I didn't really take jobs away from home, and I made sure I got back. Yeah. Because I get quite homesick. And you've got a family. You've also managed to somehow have three kids in there as well. Yeah. And they're really nice. Yeah, I bet. I bet. That's the best. Right. It is. I was talking with a friend about this last night. You know, you could be a great parent, but it's still, you're just still crossing your fingers that you get good ones because it's not really in your control. You can move your kid just a little bit. We've talked about it in the show before in this nature versus nurture. What's your experience been like with that? You've got a great sample. There were three how you never get two of the same. Now you've got three there.

are they wildly different? They must be. Well, two are boys, one's a girl. Got, that's a good start. So it's a bit of difference there. But also not really, you know. No? No, and I feel when people talk about difference between genders,

I sort of, I don't really see it between them. They all arrived nice. They were so nice when they turned up. Nice. Yeah. And they're all equally amazing. emotional and funny. How old are they?

So nearly 20, nearly 18, and nearly 10. So there was a bit of a gap. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We were home and dry and went back in, had another. Yeah, yeah. Good, good for you, yeah. So is that, sorry, Willie, is the eldest out of the house yet? Is the second eldest about to go out?

Because I'm dealing with that in our house, and it's just like, it's so like, oh, I hate it. Yeah, so our big one is in his second year of uni. Okay. And second one is, literally did his last A-level today. So he's at the beach now with his friends. How to go? Celebrating. He said it was good.

Yeah. Which is words that never came out of my mouth after an exam. And, yeah, the eldest one, when he was about to go to uni, so we knew for a year, obviously, he was going to go to uni. And I pre-greaved, and every time he walked past me, I'd burst into tears. And I just imagine him going, back to being a baby in my arms. And he was so sweet, he would just give me a cuddle.

He just knew I needed it. And then my husband was going, he'll be great. You know, it's exciting. This is what you want for them. And then on the day that we were driving him to uni, our youngest came out of the gate and watched us drive down the road

and just stood there waving. And Ed burst into tears. And I went, are you fucking kidding? We've got five hours in the car. I don't pull it together. Yeah, yeah. You know, speaking of being a good mom, you and Heart Stopper, like,

ay, aye, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, I wished my mom at the time, she turned around was great when I came out. But that scene that they used in the promo of you listening to your son come out and your response and your reaction. That scene was so powerful. I'm like, it's just incredible.

And I wish everybody's experience was like. Sean, give me a little. A bit of context. What's the context? So, Heartstopper was about a lot of things, but Olivia played the mom of a kid who came out of the closet and his journey in high school and all of that stuff. Yeah, it's beautiful.

It's coming of age. Yeah. And I think just so beautifully written, it's like the blueprint for, you know, hopefully parents will reply in that way. And a huge hit, massive hits. Yeah, huge hit. People have really loved it.

That's been a lovely response, actually. whenever anyone, often men over the age of 40 get really teared up and go, thank you so much for that. I wish it was that. Really nice. That nice when we were all coming out in the 80s, but anyway. How are you able to keep your two-week thing going

with as much work that you do away from England? You haven't. Is Ed able to come with you? Does he do something that he can do remotely? We do try to do that Yes, so he is a writer And we have a production company

And he sort of runs that I am useless in that And you guys produced You produced the roses Well, you and Ed did Okay, okay, okay Ed and Sunny March That's Benedict's company

Yeah And Fox Searchlight And yeah But not me I'm called an EP on it But I did absolutely fuck all But you get a fee What about

Where did you shoot that in England? Or are out here in England? No, in England. We were, our characters live in America, but we did, forgive me, UK, for getting Devin and Dorset in a muddle. I mean, that's sacrilege. But we filmed in one of those.

And it was very beautiful. You've done it. I'm going to have to come over and live in America with you now. I miss that. What did you say? I just got two counties in a muddle, and they'll get really upset by that. Oh, oh, oh, got you.

Oh, wait. So then you both play, you're both. British actors, you played Americans. No, we played English, because they thought, I think, Tony liked the idea of our Englishness in America. Oh, that's great idea. Got you, got you, okay. And the way we properly slag each other off

and the American, incredible American cast, by the way, Kate McKinnon, Andy Sandberg, Zoe Chow. That's great. Yeah. Yeah, amazing. Sunita Mani, just brilliant. Who directed the film? Jay Roach. Oh, Jane Roach.

Yeah. He's a nice man. I love him. Yeah. Lovely. Oh my God. Poor thing. He was like herding cats.

This is kind of like an all-star movie. This is an all-star movie. All-Star director. All-Star Cass. Yes, he is. August 29th. Oh, nice. I'm just giving you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We all realize it's a business at the end of the day. Listen, you may have got to. Come to the premiere. Come to New York. We're definitely going to come to the show. Will you? Yeah.

I mean, we'll say we will come. How do you like that. How do you like that. part of it, doing the chat and giggle tour, doing the talk shows and things like and stuff like this. Like, does it come naturally? It's never really to me. Do you like it? Do you enjoy

it? No. I has no point lying. I don't. Yeah, right? Did Michelle Pfeiffer, name, say, she does the film for free, it's the press they pay her for? Is that why I kind of feel the same? Yeah, I know. I love Michelle Pfeiffer. Oh, my God. I was going to say

you mixed up to English counties for which you may never be forgiven. However, you've got so much credit, you've built up so much credit because you played arguably the most iconic English person of all time when you played the queen. In the crown.

And I gotta ask. I know, I just want to know. The weight. First of all, you were so... Sean, no, sorry, it's not the show. It's not the queen that you're thinking of. No, it's the sequel to Heartstopper, yeah. No, it's not that queen.

Got it. Got it, got it. It's not, oh my God, you're here. it's it's it's it's it's what are you wearing how very dare you um no it's it's it's uh you must have been when how did well a couple questions how did that come into your world how did you how did that offer come around and when you got it and the weight of playing the queen as an english person what you felt when you got the offer Wait, well, all of that. Well, I've been watching Claire Foy.

They'd advertised it so much here, no, big posters everywhere. Yeah. And everyone loved it, which made me go, I'm not going to watch it. I don't want to be pushed into... Right, yeah, yeah. I like to discover things, yes. Yeah, but then, of course, I watched it and absolutely loved it. I was obsessed with Claire Foy.

Yeah. And then my agent called me once when I was driving and said, um, that they'd like to see you for... She said the crown. No, she said the queen. that's it, and I went, oh, the play. Oh, and she said, no, no, the telly, what's it called? I went, oh, the crown, are you kidding?

And I went, absolutely yes. She went, oh, you should think about it. No, no, it's a yes, and it's an absolute yes. And I hadn't really thought about the weight of what it would be. So you're like, I'm all in. I was so excited. Also, to be fair, I had a huge tax bill as well that year. Really came at a good time.

After they saw the cut or? I thought you were going to say, to be fair, I just had a huge gin and tonic, which I'm like, you know. I mean, that's often the case. Yeah, of course, of course. But I was driving. So, well, right, so it was a smaller gin and tonic. So when you get this, so your agent calls and you say, and you say yes, straight away.

Okay, great. Okay, fantastic. Now, there's the lead up, whatever it is, the months leading up to doing it, and you've got to get your head around playing the queen. So you go in and you meet everybody. I did start to regret my decision a bit because. I thought, oh, actually, this is massive. And, yeah, and everyone knows what she looks like.

Everyone knows what she sounds like. Yeah. Yeah, and I did start to go, oh, fuck, I shouldn't have done this. Also, I can't walk posh. You can't walk posh. No. Is there a walk? Is there a posh walk?

Yeah, I walk like a farmer. And the director did shout out. He's not pleased that I keep reminding him of this, but he did say, more queen, less farmer, as I was walking. Take your flats off and the heels on. No way. Oh, that's funny. Wait a second.

I love that so much. So you get there, and then it's day one. We've asked this before, which is like that moment when you're going to do your first take and you're rolling for the first time. Oh, God, yeah. And you've got to, and like, okay, I'm now about to. I know that first time you open your mouth and you can sense everyone going, oh, no. And everybody's watching, right, the video village, whatever it is.

Oh, wrong choice. Oh, really. Let's see her version of the queen. You know what I mean? And I can watch back that first scene I did, and I can tell that I wasn't. Talk about it. Talk about it. Talk about it. I think they did try to do things chronologically. So it was the stamp reveal, you know, when they update our stamps as the monarch ages.

and so they went from Claire Foy's face, beautiful young Clare Foy, to me. And I guess I really felt incredibly nervous. I think I had a skirt below my knees, but my knees were absolutely going up and down. You know, that's wobbly knee thing. Yeah. And I sounded quite, it was really quite tight in the back of the station.

I wonder if that worked, though. I wonder if that worked, like maybe, you know. I don't ever look either. I don't want to know in people. People might have been writing and going, what the fuck, why is she doing it? All right, so then two questions. So it does sound like yes is the answer to the first one, which is do you watch, you know, playback on set or once the job is done? Not on set, no.

You can't. So once it's... Because I think it takes too much time. I just want to get the day done. Yeah, yeah. Well, but, exactly. But maybe once they moved on, you know, they're setting up the next shot. I've always found that it's helpful for me to look at, like, just the first couple of days to see if I'm...

Well, help the off track or not, right, to see how it's kind of coming across. But you don't. So you wait until it's all done. I didn't really want to on that first day. I think I would have unraveled. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Sort of, like, oh, I just got to keep going.

It's going to get better. I'll relax as we go. Right. And then once it's done. So, J.B., you're watching the first couple days. You're watching Dailies or you're watching playback. Yeah. To see, either, both.

Really? Yeah. Just to see if I'm kind of in the same movie. like dailies, I'll see scenes that I wasn't on the set for to see if I'm in the same tone, the same project as they are. Oh, that's a good idea. But then once it's out, do you not look at reviews? Well, my husband will show me if it's a good one.

And if anyone's been mean, I don't want to see it. Gotcha. Because then that's all you think about. You never remember the good bits. You remember the bad bits that people are saying. I know it. I know. I know. I know.

I know. I know. But I always struggle with like, well, but we're making this for the public and it would be helpful to see if what I think is working works for the masses, right? Because you are looking for a consensus. But don't you ask someone else a trusted friend to look for you? Yeah, but also you are making it for public consumption, but I'm not making it for them. I'm making, I always think like I'm making it for me. Yeah, you have to want to watch it, don't you?

It's tricky. Yeah, it is tricky. Yeah. We'll be right back. All right, back to the show. So you were talking about this great cast that he worked with on The Roses and Kate McKinnon and Sandy Sibird. Well, Dan, you're very good at bringing it back around.

I'm not just doing it for, well, you know, I'm one of the worst interviewers on the planet. No, I think you're doing superb, John. Sean was nominated once when we first started. Sean was nominated for Best Interviewer, and Jason and I were snubbed. Is this why you're all in separate rooms? Yes, we can't be together. This is why I went to Seattle.

But I was going to say with those great people, did you, was there a lot of, there must have been a lot of fun, because Kate McKinnon and Andy in particular are so funny and such great improvisers. And Benedict is wonderful, right? I don't know Benedict at all. Oh my God, yeah.

Yeah, just a tiny bit. I just only met him a couple times, but he seems to have an incredibly good sense of humor. Really does. and just so enthusiastic. Yeah. And like a great, big, intelligent human Labrador. I saw him once repacking his suitcase in the lobby of the Greenwich Hotel.

That's the only time ever. I didn't say hi, because he looked like he was really, he's really trying to jam something, and this is a true story. He's really trying to change. You know, in that little part right there between the restaurant and the thing, yeah. Wasn't he mumbling stuff like, no, the dogs will smell it here. I could have just swallowed it. I should have just swallowed it.

but it must have been it must have been a lot of laughs on it like a lot of improvising and there were some scenes where we were all together like a dinner table scene and it was so hard to get through the day and I really felt for poor Jay Roach just no yeah and the crew waiting for you guys to finish giggling I know to stop finding ourselves so funny I know the well did the I've worked with some really incredible actors that are great at and coming up with alternate jokes and stuff. Oh, thanks, man. It makes me go back to my dressing room in between setups

and try to catch up and look at my scene and try to come up with other lines so that I was being as sort of creative as they are. Did you find that kind of, not pressure, it's not like a bad thing. I think because I've never written comedy and we were talking about this, Benedict and I, we're very much, Tony McNamara has written it and our job is to do the script and then it was sort of fairly boring of us.

But then you're in the, you know, in a room with Andy Sandberg and Kate McKinnon, for example, and you go, oh, fuck, I mean, I can't do that. I don't think I can do that. Which is also fine. Yeah. And I think, know your strengths, no limits. Exactly, exactly.

And I'm so thrilled to have seen them do what they do. You know, S&L alumni. Yeah. It was so fast. Did I say, it's right around? Yeah, that's right. SNL. Yeah, yeah.

Can we change lanes for a second? Just talk about the favorite for a minute. It was such a brilliant film. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. How did that come into your world? I think it was because I'd done the lobster with your Goss Lantham. Oh, right. Yes, yeah.

Yes, right. And so, what a filmmaker he is. My goodness. Oh, my God, he's amazing. Do it. If he asks you, say yes. Oh, please. I'd pull cable on his set.

Oh, Jason emails him every day. Every day, Jason, emails him. Yeah, I think, I might not have the right address. I'm still alive. No, so, right, so you did the lobster, so then the favorite comes along. God, that film is remarkable. Oh, my God, and I read the script, and I love, you know, when you get proper, sometimes you go, I think I like it. But this one, you go, oh, my God, I could potentially try and run someone over if they were up for

the same job, you know, I want it so much. Right, because it's so clear on the page what a colorful character that is. You must have, like, I would imagine your only challenge was like, what version of color should I do on this character? Because it was just so spicy, right? Yeah, or was it clear to you right from the beginning? Yeah, sort of, yeah. It was so, you know, clear on the page, I thought.

also some actor friends of mine they read a script and they read it as one thing and then they read it again in another way and they read it again and they see all this and I've never had that and I sort of you know when they talk about their way of doing things

I panic I think oh God I'm a very simple person I just can't really Yeah I know what you mean And so that reading the favourite I just went oh god I can picture exactly I really want to do it and then I was doing

Broadchurch I think the third season and I couldn't fit it in and I sort of lump in your throat when you go I'm not failable and he said okay well we'll wait

it was amazing so he waited for me which was what a voter confidence oh God I love him forever for that did you when was the first time you gave him like a little taste of the character Was that scary?

Like, were you sitting around a table? Were you guys progressing at all? He's from theater background, and he does, we did, I think, three weeks of rehearsal. Oh, great. What a luxury. I know. Amazing. It makes for a better product.

Yeah. Also, he does it with sort of theater games. So you might do, he loves to do the whole script from start to finish, but without maybe saying it, you might go, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. In the sort of gist of what you're saying, and you all just go, blah, blah, blah, blah. to each other and get through the whole story. Or you do it all holding hands and you're tying yourselves in a massive knots. You end up with your face near someone's bum and someone's foot in your armpit.

And so you end up with no inhibitions, pissing yourselves laughing together. So you start your first day on set, you know the film inside out, you know each other, you're totally at ease with each other. I've never done anything like it. It was amazing. It was lovely. It's the best. It's like astonishing that not every director does that.

It's like, don't you want the whole cast to feel like they know each other and, like, there's history there? Otherwise, it's like, hi, nice to meet you, ready to go? Well, I don't know. We haven't had even a dinner together. Yeah, yeah. It's like, I don't understand why it's not always like that, yeah. Oh, I'd love to know more about that.

Yeah, that whole rehearsal process. That's amazing. It was really nice. Jason's going to come in London. Go ahead. Thank you. Oh, yeah. We'll all come.

We'll all come to your rehearsals. Yeah, yeah. That's a good idea. That's a good idea. Yeah, yeah. Let's do that. And do the games and do the stuff so that Jason's face ends up near Sean's bum.

There we go. For a second time. Wait, Olivia, what were you going to say? I cut you off, I'm sorry. I have no idea, sorry. Okay. My attention to Spanish. No, sorry.

So then you went, you know, again, at risk of embarrassing you would further, but you win the Academy Award for the favorite. And... Great speech, by the way. Thank you. I did. I loved the speech.

It was so memorable. Thank you very much And then the next So then the next day So you win the Academy Award You're great, Sean's right, great speech And then you win the, and then it's the next morning and you wake up

And then it's like But just get a cup of coffee like every other day Like how, you know Or a couple of ibuprofen And a few coffees and yeah, yeah, of course Yeah, yeah, of late that Yeah Yeah, yeah, kind of bonkers

Yeah, and then you've got to fly home with it, right? Yeah, yeah, and and I put it in my hand luggage because I didn't want it to go into the hold of legs. And then as stewardess is asking, can we see it, have you got it? I mean, yeah, I've got it in my bag. How about that going through the, you know,

the actual thing? The Reaper. Yeah. Did they see it? Yeah, I suppose so. They must have done. Just going by the screen. There's an Oscar going through the screen.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And you don't want to check it in the luggage and put it in the hold because if they lose it, then it's Good Night Oscar, you know? Oh, my goodness, Will. That's Sean's play.

That's Sean's play. Good night Oscar. Oh, my God. It's a terrible tieback. So you take it out and are you showing it around the cabin there with the stewardesses and whatnot, or is it just kind of unzip and just take a look in the bag? Just a little look in the bag.

Because I find I don't have anything out on show at home. I find it a little. Yeah. But showy off. God, you're so English. You're so English. It's delightful. It's absolutely delightful.

Is it hidden in a closet somewhere? Yeah, it was in a cupboard in our sitting room. Yeah. Just because I, but we've discovered the cupboard's a bit damp. So we live in a very old house. Our house is, the front of it's 1600. Wow. I bet it's beautiful.

But it's so pretty, but it is a bit damp. it is a bit damp. Yeah. And our lovely Darren, who's a carpenter, handyman painter, he opened the cupboard,

went, Oh, are you fucking kidding? You know I'm stamping here. And so he made me take it out, and I've now got it on a bookshelf, but behind a book. So that's... I know it's there,

and I can say hello to him. No, that's nice. It's really nice. That's very good. So Darren rescued him. You get another one? make bookends you know then you're gonna have to look at it so so before we let you go i mean you you got a very busy life you're you're working all the time you're just you i mean you could

and a mom and you're a mom and you're a mom and you have and you're doing all and you're out in the country's out what do you do is there we always ask people is there one sort of guilty pleasure like thing that you do like little like sort of tv that you watch that you enjoy the dumbest thing What's the, do you do anything dumb as a sort of hobby that's kind of secret nobody knows about? I think I tell everybody everything, so nothing's really very secret. Good for you. I really love shit reality telly.

Yeah, good, there we go. My God, have you seen Too Hot to Handle? No. It's fucking brilliant. What is that? Is that up there with, like, Love Island and Below Deck and stuff like that? Below Deck, I love Below Day. Yeah, I didn't either.

Love Island I've never seen. But Too Hot to Handle is. Please watch it. So it's all these really over-sexed, incredibly hot, beautiful people who are on this island. They're told they're there for a show, a dating show. And then it's great. And then the presenter comes on and says,

actually, you're all here for too hot to handle. And you can see them going, oh, God! Because it means that they're not allowed to touch each other. And they start with a money pot of like 100 grand. And they forget that there's a million. cameras in this house. And anyone, so masturbation is like five grand, a snog is two grand. It's hilarious. It's so funny. It's so good. And then the next morning, this sort of, it's like a, what are those, I don't have one, those gadgets in the house that you can talk to.

Oh yeah, like an Alexa. So this Alexa type thing goes, let's all meet on the sofa. And they'll go, I haven't, I haven't, if you, who's lost us some money? And then she says, the money pot is now down to 90 grand. Someone was being shamed. And they're all looking at each other. And you've got to figure out who did it. And then they go to like a hand moving under the duvet. Oh, my God.

It's so funny. Wait, I've got to see it. 10 grand, but it's only five grand. Yeah, no, Gary jerked off twice. Oh, that sounds so good. Wait, is that on British Shadows? And sometimes I think totally worth it. I'll take it.

Yeah. this show or is it on like Netflix or something like that? I have a feeling it's... American. I've seen it with Americans and English. I think it... All right. What about the traders? Have you seen the traitors? Do you know that show? Love traitors. Love it. Yeah, I love it too. We play it. We have gone

holiday every year with four families and we play Mafia. Same. Yeah, during the pandemic... Yes, now listen to this. During the pandemic, we were playing Mafia on Zoom with like 20 people, right? And after like 10 times... I'm like, I feel like this is a TV show but I didn't do anything about it and then cut to

one of the biggest shows in the history of the world, the traitors. I mean, it's exactly the same thing. Where do I find that? Well, Sean. Peacock is at the Alan Cumming, the American version. I haven't seen the American one yet. Oh yeah, and I've seen the UK version as well

and then what's her name? Claudia Winkleman. She's great. Who's my friend Chris's wife. She does the UK version. Oh my gosh, she's incredible. You know her? I do, yeah. She's my friend Chris T.K.'s.

I would love to meet her. Yeah. But, J.B., remember, we played Mafia every night at New Year's this past years. Yeah, I'm always surprised. With the kids and with every, we had all our kids. We had everywhere. Yeah, the kids all play. Do you find, if you get murdered, you know it's your kids that have done it?

It's every time. It happened a lot. It happened a lot. Kids always murder their parents. I ended up, I tell you what, I ended up. having to run it most of the times. I only got to play, like, twice of, like, the 20 times we did it, which was a bummer.

And if I get, if I pick the killer card and I'm the murderer, I start laughing immediately. Like, I'm the worst. What, you do a killer, you guys do cards that you pick? Or somebody is, yeah, yeah, you pick a sign. We assign, we assign, we, every close their eyes and we go around, and whoever's running it assigns. Okay, good.

Oh, we do cards. Yeah, we do, interesting. Same as Sean. And we have the same guy called Guy, who is the best, guy at running it and he loves it. He likes to run in. He's got a gentle Welsh accent and it really works. He loves it.

That would be so fine. Olivia, if we see each other in London, we should play. Oh my God, we will. I'll get guy along. Yeah. He can run do it while me and Amanda are there, Shawnee. Yeah, yeah, we should. That'd be so fun. Let me know. Well, Olivia Coleman.

I'm so thrilled to meet you. I've had such a nice time. What an absolute thrill. What a huge massive fan we all are of yours massive fans well me too i was incredibly nervous for the first half of this my heart was going like mad oh and then ed came in with the with the with the with the with the with the lubrication i bless ed you can tell that i needed a little you were fantastic you were awesome very nice of you to do this nice to meet you thank you for doing this oh thank you for having me have a great i'll see you in london or we'll play math yes in london and a lot of success with the roses

august 29 once again very happy for you and your success yeah oh thank you so much that i'm I'm a huge fan of all of you, and I'm really gratefully had me on. Thank you. Thank you, honey. Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye. What a nice. It was like a strawberry Wimbledon breakfast, you know. Sure.

What's a strawberry, Wimbledon? I don't know what, the creams, it just feels so refreshing and European, you know, first thing in the morning. Yeah, it was really nice. You know, people who are that joyful work a lot. I like that. You think that? That's the key.

Well, I think it's part of it, don't you think? Sure, exactly. I mean, nobody wants to hire assholes. No, exactly. This is what I keep telling you, Sean. Straighten out. Get in line. I mean, it's, yeah.

She does work a lot. She's in so many different things and so many different types of roles. I forgot this is how she's in the bear. She also recurring. Yeah. No way. Yeah.

What's she doing in that show? I don't know, man. She's poking the bear. I guess she pokes the bear. Sounds like a dream. What about the, what about where she lives is just in the middle of the countryside

in England? I mean, doesn't that sound amazing? And you can just sort of see here, like, just kind of children laughing in the wind just sort of, you know, gentle breeze through the trees and the birds and stuff is light. Some ice clattering against the side of the glass. Large genitonic.

Yeah, yeah. With something grilling on the thing outside and friends over, maybe some mafia late in the night. Yeah. Is he trying to get closer to a bomb? you know I don't know

when did Rob just send what does that word mean but he's trying to he's pitching a bye here and it's something like brov arm yard is trying to pitch a bye alcoholic yeah it's like bucolic but

bicolic what is that even mean bucolic what does that even mean bucolic bucolic is sort of country leafy and tree outdoors it's pretty good one I actually think it's nice but it's view and not buy

I'll tell you it would be good if you could somehow work in the word combined into something like that you could really lean on the bye section combined. Right, if you took the two but then you were saying, and you put two saying, yeah, right.

So, oh, I know, she's an actress that can do comedy and drama, so I don't know. What if she found the perfect role where you... Oh, what? Oh, do she take the two things and she was able to... Oh!

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