The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Nathalie Emmanuel - Adopting American Qualities on Set & Her Natural Hair Journey

Episode Date: August 27, 2022

Actress Nathalie Emmanuel discusses the differences between American Nathalie and English Nathalie, the emotional journey of cutting her hair, and what she would do in her character’s place in her new film “The Invitation.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Please welcome, Natalie Emmanuel, welcome back to the Daily Show. Welcome in person because the first thing I have to say is congratulations because the last time we spoke was virtually and that's when you were doing the new show was Die Heart with Kevin Hart, right? And since then you got nominated for an Emmy for that role so congratulations. Thank you. Thank you so much. It feels like your journey has just been, you know, it's just on the up.

You're enjoying yourself whether it's comedy, whether it's drama, whatever, this is like a thriller. It's a thriller horror. Yeah, it's terrifying. Yes. You know, I like to challenge myself and try my hand at everything. Watching this movie, I was like, this is a terrible mistake that your character's made. Because we saw a little bit in the clip. She goes to like, you know, like a lavish event in England. Yeah, like a destination wedding with a long-lost relative who is a stranger and goes alone.

I mean, no. Like, that was her first mistake. So I always joke that if it was, if th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, I was, I was, I was, I was thi. that, I was that, I was that, I was tho, I was tho, I was a that, that, thoomoomoom, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was, thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a t. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. t. I'ma. I'ma. t. I'ma. t. I'ma. too. I'm. I'm. th. th.. So I always joke that if it was me in this situation, that movie would have ended in the scene with my best friend who's like, are you gonna go meet him? And we'd be like, no, because no. If I got invited to a long lost relatives event, and I get there, and then it's a bunch of people wearing masks, pulling out knives. I'd be like, yeah, this is not tha tha tha tha thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi also thi thi thi thi thi. thi. thi thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that that's that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that's thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. that's that's that's thi. thi. thi. thi. theeeat thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. the. that's thea. the. that's thea. bunch of people wearing masks pulling out knives. I'd be like, yeah, this is not as I intended.

This is not it. What I also found interesting was you are playing an American in the movie, but then everyone in the, is English English, is English, is English, like, English, playing an American American with English people, do you find that there's like parts of Natalie that change? Are there are the the the th the th th a thi tha thi thi thi thi thi thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th is not th is not th is not th is not th is not th is not is not is not, th is not is not is not is not is not is not, th is not th is not th is not th is not th is not thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thateeateateat.eat.eat. This is not thi. This is not, thateateateat. This is not thi, thi, th Natalie that change? Like are there, are there things like American Natalie does that English Natalie would never do? Um, I think American Natalie is probably a little more, she's probably a little louder to be honest. A little louder? Yeah, like I don't mean that to sound like negative. No, no, no, it's fine. You said it now, Natalie. You've said it found that to me. But we love that. I love that.

I think that sometimes like my Britishness, you know, often it's like, you know, you just keep it sort of. Yes, of course. Yeah, exactly. And so I think there's a freedom that comes with that accent and that I see with Americans like they have no problem expressing their opinions. And I love that. I wish I had th th th th th th tho th. th. th. th. th. to that's to that's that's to that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that. I that. I's that. I's that. I's that. I's that. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. that's. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I'm. I'm th. I th. I that's sometimes sometimes sometimes sometimes sometimes, I'm. I that's that's that's that's that expressing their opinions. And I love that. I wish I had more of that. So I try to adopt it myself, not always successfully, but... No, I think you do a great job of it.

I love seeing it in the character, I love seeing how you change. Before I let you go, there's one change that we have to saw the video of you cutting your hair and it was really emotional. It was so emotional. Because we've known you with your hair for so long it's become a part of you and people have even come up to you and said, like, thank you so much for having natural hair on on a TV show. And like, what made you decide, you know what, I'm going to cut it? And not for a role by the way way way, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, I, I, I, th.. And, th. And, th. And, the, the, thin, th. And, th. We, th.a, th.a, th.a, th. We, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, than, tha, know what, I'm going to cut it, and not for a role by the way, just for yourself? It was for me. I think it had taken, for many years I wanted to cut my hair and I always found a reason not to and I think some of it was fierce, some of it was like, oh, you know,

to be what is femininity or beauty or whatever, like often we kind of taught that you have to have long hair and it has to be a certain way and I think I'd also like there was a real pride in not changing my hair for the screen and on red carpets and doing you know glamorous looks with my natural texture and you know hair discrimination all of that it was a real kind of defiance that was in my hair and so when I decided to cut it, I wanted to just shed it. I wanted to let go of all the sort of complex feelings, but you know, start fresh. And to be honest. I love it.

It looks great. Congratulations to you. You've inspired me. Now, maybe, I'm not going to cut it, but maybe I'll come to the show with Cornrose. Maybe you never know. I might switch things up. You've inspired me now, you've been mixing it up. Yeah, but now I might, now I might just do like a whole, you never know.

Like a whole thing. Just like, you know? I don't know. That's the like it for now, Natalie Manuel, Natalie, Natalie, Nata, Nat, Nat, Nat, Nat, Nat, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, Natalie, to. Thank, to. to. Thank, Natalie, Nata, to. to. to. to. to. to, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I. to. I, I. I, I, I, I. I. I, I, I, I, I, I, I. I, I, I, I. I, I, I. I. I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm th. th. th. tha. th. th. tha. tha. tha. thi. thi. th. thi. th seeing you again. Make sure to watch your invitation. It's going to be exclusively in theaters on August 26th. Nathaniel, everybody. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.