Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist - Kate Hudson

Episode Date: December 18, 2022

Kate Hudson is part of an all-star cast in the highly-anticipated new Netflix film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Even before it has begun streaming, the movie has been nominated for two Golden Globe awards. Hudson and Willie Geist got together in New York for a Sunday Sitdown. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey guys, Willie Geist here with another episode of the Sunday Sit Down podcast. My thanks as always for clicking and listening along. Today, a conversation with one of my very favorite people to talk with. She is Academy Award nominated actress Kate Hudson. Kate is one of the stars of the highly anticipated new movie Glass Onion. It is the follow-up to the 2019 hit Knives Out, that hilarious, smart, brilliant, who done it and this one is just as good with a different cast. It is written and directed by the brilliant Ryan Johnson who comes up with these wild adventures and these twists and these turns and

these mysteries and assembles a cast that includes Kate Hudson, Janelle Monet, Edward Norton, Daniel Craig is back for this one. Catherine Hahn, who is Kate's old friend from How to Lose a guy in 10 Days coming up on its 20th anniversary. You'll hear us talk about. that. Incredible cast, just another really fun watch. And Kate steals the show. She's so good. And her character is named Bertie J. A former model who now runs an activeware company, which is actually something that Kate Hudson does in real life. So we get into the movie. We get into why she loves Ryan Johnson, why she loves Knives Out in this movie in particular. But also, we talk about her life off camera, which is that she's had the successful

active wear company for 10 years called Fabletics. She's got a vodka company. She's got all kinds of things going on. Breaks a little news that she's going to put out an album next year. She's going to be singing for us. My gosh. Also, her oldest son, her oldest child, Ryder, went off to college a couple of months ago all the way across the country. So we talk about what that's like to have your kid fly from the nest. So she's just funny. She's smart. She's charming. She's got it all going on. She is Kate Hudson right now on the Sunday Sitdown podcast. Hi, Kate. Hi. Great to see you again. It's so good to see you. I feel like we've just done a whole interview. We did, but we can start from the top. I'm just going to repeat everything and we just talked about. The last time I saw you was on Zoom in the middle of the pandemic. It's great to see

see you in the flesh. It's nice to do this. Isn't it fun? It is fun. I've been having such a good time doing this because it's like, I actually like connecting with people, you know? Me too. So, So being in person and going into the movie theaters and doing Q&As and talking about this movie with an audience, it's been really great. Yeah, I don't relate to the people, and to some extent I guess I do, who are like, I just want to stay in my sweatpants and stay home forever. Yeah, some people are like that, and some people aren't. You know, I'm, I like being a part of the world. It's definitely more. That being said, I'm not like, as extroverted as I think people think that I am.

Really? So, yeah, like, I have like a, I reach like a level of being out and about. And then, you know, the world starts to like crush in on me. And I'm like, get me to my house. I'm actually kind of a homebody. So I like the balance. You were saying last time we talked over Zoom, you were saying your whole life, you've kind of been a gypsy moving around.

So it was weird to be like, here I am again. Yeah. Back in the house with the kids. It was good, though. I think it was good, you know, other than the fear part and the world turning upside down, there's that part. Sure. But the personal kind of introspective time just look and go, especially at this time in my life, like 40s, early 40s, like, what am I doing? You know what I mean?

Like, where am I at? And what am I want to be doing? Like, where is this going? and that time being so insane. And like the fragility of it made me realize like, oh, there's a lot that I want to do. It's so interesting to hear you say that because almost everyone I've interviewed since the pandemic has said some version of that. With musicians, they say, I had to rediscover myself and what it's like to not be on a stage with people clapping for me. Like, who am I?

Yeah. So what did you take out of those couple of years? Do you feel like you're different than you were? when it started? Definitely. But I feel like I'm always different. You know, it's like there's this thing where even like doing interviews and stuff, I think about things that I've said about who I am or what my life is or where I'm at 20 years ago.

I probably would take something completely different today. And I feel that that's what we should do. So what's wrong with politics, right? It's like we should be able to change our minds as things change and evolve and grow. We should have different perspectives on things, right? Then you're a flip-flopper in politics. Yeah, that's . Some would call that evolution, but yeah.

Right, exactly. No, so, yeah, so I feel like, but for COVID, for me, it was more about the creative. Like, what it, creatively, what, you know, it took me back to when I started making movies. When I first was on a stage, when I first started to sing and write music, it was like, that's my, that's my, that's my, that's my, happy place. That's my happy place. That's where I feel fulfilled the most. And so coming out of COVID, for me, it was about how I was, like, what are the best ways to nurture those parts of me, you know? And so, yeah. And so then doing Knives Out was sort of like going and then doing Glass Onion and working with someone like Ryan Johnson, who I have so much admiration for, and then having the

experience with all of those actors and the joy we had working together. And it was hard, fun, great work, being back doing comedy, which is where I love to be. I love that. I love that. I love it being in comedic space, you know. But having great comedic writing, it was like, oh, yeah. You know, this is where I'm happiest. The movie is so good. I got a chance to see it yesterday. and I just can't say enough good things about it except I can't say everything I want to say about it because we want people to go watch it. I know, that's our way out.

Like, when the cast and we're doing press and we're really tired, we're like, I don't know, I just can't talk about it. But the world that is created, maybe we can talk about that. The universe that Ryan Johnson created is, that's Glass Onion. Right.

Well, he really reinvigorated the genre. I mean, I mean, you know, it's a genre I was never, like it wasn't something I ran. A lot of the cast was like big murder mystery genre people. I just remember murder she wrote because that was always on in my house when I was younger in the 80s, you know, such a huge show. And I love any great movie. You know, I'm more, I think I'm more of a movie fan than a genre fan. But really thinking about what Ryan did, I remember seeing the first night.

out and it was like so delightful. That is the right word to use for his, the tone of these murder mysteries. It's like, it was funny and biting and intriguing and mysterious and all the things you want. But at the center of it is this great story with great rich characters. And as someone who loves to make movies and reads a lot of scripts, like it's so hard to do that. It's so hard to actually craft a script like that. I mean, it takes, I mean, almost impossible. You try to read them and there's always holes. There's always things that you come to the table and you're like, I don't quite understand this or this character feels flat or, you know, I read Glass Onion and I was like, whoo, Ryan Johnson is something else. I mean, he really is just a phenomenal writer. And

then to be able to execute something like that. The enormity of the production is the fact that you've got all of these kind of heavyweight actors coming into one, literally one room for months. You have to be able to run such a tight ship and know and be so clear about what you want and have the kind of personality Ryan does to let us all play. in his sandbox, you know. So it was like that, you know, I mean, your question was more about the genre was... No, no, this is way more interesting than my question. Yeah, thank you for making him more interesting. I just keep up.

I'll just, you got to stop me from talking. I will not. Absolutely will not. So obviously you're a fan of the first movie, I think most of us were. So when the phone rings or the email comes in that says, hey, Kate, they're interested in you for the next. one your reaction is. Oh, fuck, I hope I got this part. I mean, I hope it's me. You know, if there's, usually there's the short list, you know, of like people write for parts.

You hear about it. I was on that short list. He wanted to meet with me. And I was like, absolutely. And we met twice. I think we talked once and then we met in a room together because it was COVID. So we had to like test, you know, it was like a whole thing. And I remember reading it for the first time, Bertie, Jay. And I was like, oh, man, come on. Put me in, coach. Like, this is right up my alley. And, again, going back to his writing, I read so much comedy.

And, like, it's always, somehow comedies, they read a lot like sketches. You know, they're like situational comedy. Like, the device is funny. The situation is funny. funny. But when you get a writer who knows how to write a character that earns the laugh, it's like, it's like a dream for, I think, anybody who loves to play comedic roles. And so I just kind of, you know, chanted a little bit, prayed to God, and went in and tried to charm the pants off of Ryan. And it worked. Clearly it worked. Clearly it worked. And Greece, I mean,

come on. The whole thing. I told you I interviewed Ryan about an hour ago with Edward Norton and he paid you a big compliment and afterward he said when you talk to Kate she is one of the best comedic actresses I've ever seen and so he was excited that you said yes as excited as you were that he asked you

there's something very familiar about Bertie J she's not a person but she's sort of a archetype of a kind of person she's a thing she's a thing yeah she's sort of a Yeah, she's definitely, I mean, she chooses to show up in a room to be seen. She chooses to open her mouth when she probably shouldn't say things to be seen. She calls herself a truth teller.

But I think it's more like, I think she's, honestly, what I played with with her, where it comes across as kind of like, you know, What I played with was for Bertie was that I just don't, I'm not so sure that she's as intelligent as she thinks she is, you know, that that kind of, she actually thinks she's going to be making waves in a positive way. And it just always backfires on her because she's so, it has such a desperate need to be validated and loved and seen and everything. That's so much fun to play with her, you know. And yeah, she's completely tone deaf. I mean, she's... And then underneath it, what's so great, too,

is because it's a whodunit, we all have to, you know, really look at what our motives are. And so everybody has a motive. And that gives every single character in this, a dark layer, which is, for Bertie, was able to kind of balance the highs and the, lows, you know. The examples of her tone deafness are so beyond.

And we won't give them away here, but oh, my God, just one after another. Honestly, it was terrifying. Like, when I read it, I was like, oh, my God. Even some of the things coming out of my mouth, I was like, if it wasn't Ryan Johnson, I'd be scared, you know, like, to actually even just say, oh, yeah. I mean, you know, say any of those things. But yeah, she definitely is loose lips and uncensored. To say the least.

There were some things cut, too, that were crazy. So, you know, which I think made the other stuff, like the subtext of it, the fact that we shot all this other stuff. Good. We'll see that in the director's cut when it comes out. The cast, just, oh my gosh. You go around that dining room table and you're just so excited that each of you is at the table from Leslie Odom to your old friend, Catherine, Hahn, Daniel Craig, Janelle. Janelle Monet is amazing. But Jess Henick.

I mean, honestly, the younger, the girls are so amazing. And Catherine and I, to be reunited like that was honestly like one of the great joys of this experience for me because she, she, she, eye on how to lose a guy in 10 days just fell in love with you. We just loved each other so much to see her career and how far she's come and how much, like, wisdom she now brings to her work, you know, from where we both started when we were, like, in our 20, early. I was, I was, I was, my, I was 21, 22. It was 20 years ago. Oh, my God. I think came out February of 03, so it'll be 20 years and that's right it's very soon like a month boy I would say that goes fast but it feels like five lifetimes ago yeah everyone's like god how time goes I'm like no I don't know I

I've been through a few things since then five chapters of my life yeah um yeah but you were saying that how she's you know you met on the set and you guys really connected and then you go about your lives for a while yeah so to come back here did you have the same old relationship and the jokes and it was all still there. Yes, which is the best feeling because you don't want people to change. You want them to grow, but not like change the essence of who they are. And I think we're both like that. Like we haven't really changed much.

We've just grown. We've just experienced, you know, things, life experiences. And I was just so nice. And then also Leslie Oden, who I'd worked with on music, we had such a great experience making that movie. And it was a very intimate experience. And now we got to come back and this felt a little more like fun for us because it wasn't as like heavy, about heavy intimacy.

So we got to like goof around a little bit more. So it was great. And then Daniel, I mean, geez. Wow. Yeah, he's amazing. Yeah. And very quickly, I think we all learned that Daniel was there to play with us. like there was no, there was no us and him.

You know, he wanted very much to be a part of our little crew. I can imagine when you get the cast list, on a good movie you're lucky if you get, you get Catherine and McConaughey and you're happy, that's good. But here you're just like, whoa, whoa, whoa, it must just be thrilling to walk into that room. It's so rare, you know. It's also like, we really all love what we do. I think there's this outside perspective that it's just like

everything's easy and it's like, you know, but when you get a bunch of actors who work really hard at the craft and love it and then you get to, like we're such dorks. Like we get to see each other do what we love and what we love seeing and each other do, right? Like when I see it, I watch Edward in some of the performances he's made,

I admire his work so much. And then same with Leslie. I remember watching Leslie in Hamilton going like this, God, He blew my mind. And he continues to. His work continues. Janelle, same thing.

I mean, just goes on and on. And so, and Daniel, obviously. But then when you're watching it in person, when you're actually interacting with it, there were moments that every single person had in this where we got to see them, like, really show up in the way that makes them who they are, you know, that like star quality.

And seeing that happen, I mean, the dork in me, the movie geek is just like, oh, like, we're so lucky, you know, we have the best job on the planet. And this movie, like, highlighted that. I don't think I'll ever have another experience like that. I hope I do. Is that the bar for you, Kate, because you've got so much else going on in your life, professionally, home, all of it. Is this project going to be fun? Is it worth me going?

and spending all this time and effort to do it. Yeah. I think I started to, I mean, it's a hard industry. Like, it's a pretty brutal industry. And I always say, like, you know, if you really want to be a part of it, like, you've got to be a little crazy to want to become an actor for hire. And you realize kind of early on that you really kind of, you can't really wait for things to happen to you once you read a certain,

once you reach a certain kind of success, like you have to kind of start making things happen for yourself because the industry is always looking for something new and always looking for something else. And, you know, for me, the bar now after like success and failures and everything is just a good storyteller. I mean, I just want to work with good filmmakers. I want to work with filmmakers that inspire me

that know how to tell a great story, that hopefully I can bring something to life for them. But what I don't want to do anymore is those moments where you look at something. I mean, I say this. I mean, I'm not going to, you know, I may. You never know. You always may think something is going to be better than it might end up being right. And you're like, and I'll eat my words.

But I really want to, like, if it moves, moves me, that's just what I want to be doing. I mean, that's, at this point in my career and in my life, I, I just want to do interesting art. And art is not always like wacky and weird and dark and complicated. Like, the great artist to me are ones who know how to like move an audience to like propel an audience into, you know, boisterous laughter or. captivate in something that feels bigger than life. Like, I think we don't give enough credit to how hard it is to make a film like Glass Onion or to make these larger kind of entertaining films, you know.

People, to get people to want to, like, get so immersed in that is the hard, is one of the hardest things to do. Yeah, I think that's right. Isn't it? We associate, you know, great movies with being small and dark and all. And there's a play. I mean, those are obviously they move you and they're amazing. But you watch this movie unfold and you go, my gosh, this is difficult to conceive up, to write, and to pull off.

For you guys, without the characters being cartoon versions of people, there's a subtlety to it. Yeah. Hey, guys, thanks for listening to the Sunday Sit Down podcast. Stick around to hear more from Kate Hudson right after the break. Welcome back now more of my conversation. with Kate Hudson. So this to me is the kind of movie I want to see, and I think a lot of people feel that way,

which is like it's fun, it's smart, it's a mystery. Hopefully, it's not an easy thing to make, but hopefully it opens the door to show people like, hey, more of this. Yeah, I hope so. We need it. You know, I think the industry needs it. I think that my hope is that it inspires the people that are giving us the money to make them to want to invest more in movies.

like this, you know, because people want to, people want to see a good movie. I say good movie. I mean like an entertaining movie. The thing about this, who done it in the who done it genre, it's also like a stage for like movie star quality characters. The tone that Ryan says, like everyone has an entrance and everyone has a moment. And it can be broad at times. And, you know, it pushes it. And I think people, we love that shit. Like, you know, we got to have some of that.

And it's like people are so enamored with Hollywood. And Ryan brings that to it, you know. I think we can handle more of that. I think we can handle and need more of that in our industry. Amen to that. Yeah. I thought I had some inside information on you, but it turns out it's been made public. This came from Edward and Ryan.

Okay. Said, ask her what Kurt called her. Yeah. Growing up, which is? Birdie. My nickname is Birdie. Bird. That's my brother, too.

I mean, Kurt and Boston call me Bertie the most. But that's my nickname since I was like four, three and a half four. So when you get this character on the page, you say, of course it's me. Yeah, I was like, come on. I mean, you know, look, we don't want to. I like to say Kurt was there first, right? But Birdie, it was like, I loved it. And then when I was on set and people would call me by my character name.

It was the only time of my life that it never felt like I had to get used to it. I just felt like everybody was calling me Birdie. What, my dad calls me, you know. But yeah, he calls me Bird. Okay. And Birdie is like when, you know, Birdie is like the soft moment. It's like when my mom calls me Katie. Like Kurt, when he yells out to me, it's like, Bird.

Yeah. And that's based on what? He just called me Bertie. Just when I was a little girl, he just called me a little birdie. I feel like Ryan is so smart that he might have researched that, named the character Bertie, and then sent you the script. You know, I like to think about that. That would be a nice thought. He actually had me completely in mind when he wrote Bertie.

But he doesn't write like that. I learned a lot from Ryan. I learned a lot from Ryan. I think that it all begins and ends with a screenplay. I mean, at the end of the day, when you have such a thorough writer and, you know, it allows so much room for us to feel confident in the character

because it's so well written. It's like, you know, I learned a lot from him. He's a serious, like... Yeah. Like... He's different. Anyone should work with him, you know? Yeah.

Anyone who says no, it's like bad move. It's a bad move. I don't think anyone's saying no to him anymore. I don't know. You never know. I mentioned all the other things you have going on, which is awesome, that you keep this part of your life, the acting, but you're running phobletics. You've got vodka. I've got in bloom.

I've got three. I've got three companies. I do a lot. You know, I was talking to someone else who's like a, he's an investor and he's like got all these different companies and hotels and fashion. And for some reason, if you're a money guy, you can be in all the different businesses. But if you're like a face, it's sort of like, how can someone do a bunch of different things? It's like, I think a lot of people do a lot of different things, right? I am so, I get so bored.

Like, there's no way I could just sit and wait like six months to make another movie. Like, I have to be doing something. Right. And I'm also quite linear. Like, I go back and forth. Like, I have my weird creative artistic times where I, like, have to, like, throw everybody out and I got to get weird. And, you know. And then I have moments where I'm like, I just want to, like, be administrative and, like, organize files.

I want to, like, get my linear brain going. And that, I think, is where the business side came in. Like, I started with just wanting to be, wanting to, before it was like everyone was, like, growing some kind of company. I wanted to be in fashion. I saw this idea. Everyone was like, it's a little risky. It's, you know, not like a normal endorsement. It's not like doing something for Gucci or, you know, it was like investing in a company for leggings that's,

you know, affordable clothing for women. And I was like, this is awesome. I get to talk about something I'm passionate about. I get to learn about this business. I had no idea that the success of the company would be what it was. And then the learning curve came. And then I got really, and I like the business aspect of it. It's not easy.

It's hard and it's a grind, but it's, there's something about it. I like the nature of the like the, I like the grind. Like, I like the winning part of growing a company that means something to you that has, like, purpose. I enjoy that. It sounds like the answer to this question is no, but is there any world where you just run your businesses and you say, no. No.

The acting part of my life is over. No, no, no, never, never. It'll be the opposite for me. For me, it'll be, like, I think that part, I think it's, I think that as I get older. I want to just read more. I want to write more. I want to sing. I want to get more. I think that for me, like, I'm going a little bit more. I think the growth model for me is sometimes I get a little put off by it. The grow, grow, grow, grow, grow, grow, grow. I think we need to figure that out. I think the business world needs to figure that out. That's a whole other

conversation. I think it's, I think it's running its course. I think it's more about purpose and sustainability. And that's, that I find interesting, you know? Do you think there's a lot more of that now, even than when you started 10 years ago? Yeah. You can't just be a company. Yeah. Consumer expects more out of you. That's right. You can't, you can. And that's right. And that's right. And, and, And I, that's the kind of stuff. That's where I like to read. That's the stuff I like to do.

I like to think outside of the box. And when I see, and I think that's something I've actually, I might be good at. It may be good at like, wait, I have an idea. But I, you know, I, for me in business, like, that's the thing that I find, it's like, unsustainable. At some point, you have to stop growing. And what is it? What is it, you know, that's why I love what Patagonia has done. And, you know, he's the CEO of Patagonia is, I think, a remarkable man.

And so there's different ways to look at business model and growth. But like the startup for me is, has, I've done it. I've done it. I like it. I'm in it. The grind is fun. And some days I just want to read more. You know?

I'm laughing because my wife has a start. up and it's that same. It's like seven years in, it's like they're doing great, but like everybody wants to pull more out of it. Move and go, go, go. And I think sometimes, you know, like, you know, and you, there are some people that you meet that are so great because they love that hustle. It's like in them, you know, but I'm more like a purpose-driven person. Like I wanted, you know, I don't, I would never have wanted to be a CEO and I never will want to be a CEO. You know, what I like, I like purpose-driven business, and I love sort of like creatively thinking about how to, you know, build whatever, to build what that is. But the growth model is something I'm constantly thinking about.

Because it's just, I mean, for everybody in business, I think it's just a constant, what's next. Yeah. You're the conscience of the company. I hope so. Yeah, I hope so. Stick around for more of my conversation with Kate Hudson right after a quick break. Welcome back now to the rest of my conversation with Kate Hudson. You mentioned singing, and you mentioned that a few times in public. This is happening. Here we go. It's just happening now. So what do we? You've got an album coming? I do. I have an album. I've been making an album. That's what came for COVID for me. That's sort of out of. that was like, okay, I'm making a record. And actually, the way it happened was, it started with me just saying, you know what, I need to sing more. I was so terrified of singing in front of people and I was over it. I don't like being fearful. And I, and so I was like, okay, if someone asked me

to sing, I'm just going to say yes. I'm just going to say, so I got into the parent band at my school. But the parent band, they asked me that like, well, you come sing a song with a parent band. I was like, oh, I said I'd say yes. So, yeah. But the parent band is like all Grammy award-winning, like, musicians and producers. But they really, like, they were like, Keith, you need to make a record. Like, you, then Linda Perry, she's a songwriter, and she was like, you know, she did what's going on. Four non-Blondes, but she's very, very, very prolific, like kind of a hitmaker.

writes the most amazing songs. And she cold called me and was like, what the fuck? Like, why are you making a record? And I say, because I don't know, I don't have the structure. I don't have the time. I don't have the, and she was, no. And she said, come into my studio, and I sat in her studio. She made me sing a song that she had written.

And then she sat me down. She's like, we're making a record. You got to do it. Put your fall aside. We're going to write. And she goes, you write music? I go, yeah. She's like, all right, we're going to write together.

So we wrote. And me, Danny and Linda sat for two months and wrote 25 songs. Wow. And then so it's been just from then, it's just like kind of no expectation, just like a love for songwriting. It was all the emotion needed to just pour out. It did. It's there.

You'll hear it. I'll sing. Yeah, we'll sing. So what genre are we talking about here? This is the question. This is the answer. I don't want to put you in a box. There's no, we don't know what it is.

We don't know what it is. Right. And I was talking with my manager, my music manager, and we were, we were both like, what is it? And that's exciting because I think that it has something that feels its own. And it will find its pocket. But I think it could fit anywhere in like pop singer-songwriter to Americana. to a little country rock. Oh.

It's just got a little... Maybe we're in that, like, little classic rock. Yeah, that might be in that space. That's a good space. Yeah. With a little more, maybe pop.

I don't know. We'll see. We'll see. It'll find its space. So what, is this going to be summer? What are we going to like, the song of the summer? It's going to be from Kate Hudson.

I think it'll most likely be a fall album. But yeah, I think you'll hear music earlier. Amazing. I know. That gets to your earlier point. Keep growing. Keep growing. Just do it. I mean, I would terrify yourself. Like, I also think, like, for my kids, you know what I mean? Like, they know I sing every day. I literally have a setup. I write music. Even for them to see that at this time in my life, I don't give it, I don't care. I'm just going to, I just have to do it. I don't know. I think,

you know, I don't, I hope that that's, I hope, and I hope it's as warmly received as I, have cared for it, you know, because it's just a labor of love. I mean, that's all it is. And if it means that then I have this pivot and I'm playing shows and I'm doing things like that, I would love it. But I have no expectation for, like, there's no calculated move. I just want to put music in the world. People love you. You have goodwill. They're going to root for you. I'm going to bring for you. Good. This is good. Okay. We'll start there. You'll like one song, at least, you know. You'll find one.

I love your philosophy, too, where you're like, I just go do a thing. Try it. If it didn't work, it didn't work. I walk away onto the next thing. Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's like, my mom, when I was little, was like, oh, you know, jump right into the deep end. And that's just what I, I just, I've always lived like that. And then, like, you know, I've had to like, you know, what is it, the Leonardo DiCaprio went in a, Wolf of Wall Street when he's like trying to get to the car. Like I've had to do that a couple times, okay, out of the deep end. Just trying to get myself out of it. But like, I don't know. That's just my nature. I just... And then... And a great example. Sometimes it doesn't work.

And then you crawl out to the next thing. Yeah. I mean, I hope my kids don't have as many mothers as I have dads. You know, I'd like him to like keep a date. You know, I'd like him to like keep a to two, that would be nice. But I got really lucky with my dad. Yes, you did. Yes, you did. Before I let you go, speaking of the kids, we got one guy out of the house. How are we holding up?

It's so hard. I mean, he's in the city, so it's great because when I'm here, I get to see him and we hang out. He's loving the city. I mean, and the first two weeks of school, he wrote me. He's like, Mom, you'll be. lost me for four years. Like, I'm here. Good. I'm in it. I love it here. And I was like, oh, all you want is your kid to thrive and, like, be happy and feel good in his skin. And he's such a great person. I'm so, and he's always, writer's always been that way. Ryder's the best.

He's good, human. He's super talented. He's really smart. He's very, like, perfectly self-deprecating. He's got that great sense of humor that will get him through life, like his, like his uncle. He's the most similar to Uncle Ali, which is a little concerning. You know, I'm working on a couple things there. But I couldn't be happier that he has that Hudson kind of humor. But man, when I'm in L.A. and I go to the coffee machine in the morning and I don't hear his voice, it's a big one. I know Gwenith and I, my girlfriend, Gwyneth, that our kids were in school together. And we both have that moment together when we like look at each other.

We're like, how you doing? Because we experienced it at the same time. And Anne Rees, all three of us, ladies, all of our kids went to college at the same time. I told you I interviewed Gweth this summer like a month before in the very mention of her name. She was like, whole. It's tough. Hold. Let's stop down. Because they don't want to see us like that either.

You know, it's like, you want your kids to like, you know, it's like, no, we're going. I'm good. I'm good. And inside you're just like, oh. It's, I mean, I didn't think it would hit me so hard, you know. And, yeah, so I. But it's also validation. You raised a great kid who can go all the way across the country and thrive on his own.

That's right. You did it. And that's, I hope, yeah, I feel that in him. And I think the other thing, too, is like, someone said to me, because I was having a moment, he was talking about, I don't know, you know, the second he was 18, he, like, got a tattoo, and then he was talking about motorcycles and things. I was like, oh, my God. And this woman said, faith, not fear. Faith, not fear. And that's become my mantra, because I am such a high anxiety.

I was just like floating mother anxiety through life. Like where's where's Bing? Where's Ronnie? You know, like I'm like, you know, want all my baby cubs. Like faith not fear. That's my new motto. I love that. I'm glad he's doing so well.

He's doing great. Good. He's going to be a part of this weird world that I'm in for sure. He's in the performing arts. He's got the bug. He'll figure it out. I hope he falls on his butt. bunch. But I think he's, I've seen his work and I'm excited for him. I told him too, I'm like,

you don't know how lucky you are, man. Like, don't you, you better honor your gift. This is a gift. Like, you better honor it. I'll come for you. You know, like, this is, it's a real thing. It's not just something that you blink your eyes and it's like working with all these great actors on Glass Onion. We all love the craft. Like, it is a craft. You have to really immerse yourself in it, as silly as it might seem on the outside. Like, we thrive on it. So when I see someone like riders got that, like, natural thing, I'm like, you better, you better work hard. It's like, all right, mom. Yeah, I got it. I got it. You know, he did call me at one point and said, mom, I just want you to know, I've got one class today on, you know, Wednesdays or whatever day it

was. And we rolled around on the floor. And that's what I'm. I'm doing at college. I just want you to know that I was an animal on the floor for two hours. And I was like, you know what? I'm like, that's actually really good for you. Yeah, it's part of the journey. It's good for you. Get out of you.

Pretend you're an animal for a couple hours. All right. I'll go back to work and you roll on the floor. Kate, thank you so much. Congratulations on Glass Onion. Thanks. I wish I could tell all of your amazing jokes. No.

People just have to go watch on Netflix. Good to see you. Good to see you. Thank you. Good to see you. My big thanks again to Kate for a great conversation. Always loves sitting down with her. You can check out Glass Onion, a Knives Out mystery, streaming on Netflix starting December 23rd.

My thanks to all of you for listening again this week. If you want to hear more of these conversations with my guests every week, be sure to click follow so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to tune in to Sunday today every weekend on NBC. I'm Willie Geist. We'll see you right back here next week. Sunday Sit Down Podcast.