Catherine Tate

get excited. We've got her. We've finally got her. Katherine Tate as a conversation with me in the studio today a k A. Nellie Bertram her character so good. Fans were so unfair to her. Early on, there was like, oh new character, we don't like her. By the end, she gave us some of the funniest moments in the later seasons of The Office, Am I right? The infamous pyramid tablets, the Packer and shrewd love triangle, jousting with Andy, adopting Ryan's baby. The list goes on. I love her

so much. But what many of you don't know this Catherine. She's a legend in the UK across the Pond, as I call it. She had her own show, the Katherine Tate Show. Now there's the Nan movie is out dr who She is so incredibly talented and she has created some of the greatest British humor in the history of the BBC. And in fact, if you're ever curious just about how influential she is, know this. Know that Adele dressed up as Catherine's Nan character on her twenty nine birthday.

Look at the pictures. It is incredible. But we've waited long enough. No more talk from me. Let's hear from the genius herself, Catherine Tate. Everybody, Bubble and Squeak. I love it. Bubble and Squeak, Bubble and Squeaker. Cookie every month left over from the nattypo Catherine, Right, I see you. How are you doing all right? How are you? I mean, you know what I'm hanging in there? How about that I'm hanging in there? Uh, you're busier than ever. I mean,

it's unbelievable how busy you are. It would appear so, but it's really just COVID that has made it sound of scene like I'm very much on the production line. It's that a couple of projects that I did have come out very close together, That's what it was. But they were actually they were actually a couple of years apart in making, and then cod just came in and one got the movie. That Nan movie got held up drastically in post production, and then hard sale to be

fair hard sale. We gosh, we feel that about nine months ago. And that was a very turnaround because it's Netflix run a tight ship and we there was a big old a schedule and we didn't get shut down from COVID. We were very lucky. But yeah, but they got released within sort of like about three, three or four weeks of each other. So it looks like I'm list variants. All right, we're going to talk about both of those projects and everything else that you're doing. I

want to start back at the beginning. Yes, I mean, it's not just the accent. I did my research. You're from England, a small town called England, a small town called England, and you I understand you went to convent school. Is this correct? I went to a variety of Catholic based educational establishments and sort of one by one they picked me off and said, on your way. Because the thing is the thing is I knew I think I need from quite a young age, I wanted to be

an actor. But what the nuns heard. Instead of me saying I wanted to be an actor or an actress, what they heard was I want to be a prostitute, because it seemed to be synonymous with with with loose moraled people. I think, and they didn't really know what to do with me. And it was the in the nineteen eighties. I hopped around quite a lot of different high schools in middle school and ended up what did I end up doing? And I think I ended up

still leaving, still leaving before my final exams. I was a terrible example. I'm a terrible example too. Two children, Well, I also heard, is this right? You went to a boy's Roman Catholic school? I did? How does that happen? How is that allowed happens when all the girls schools have heard about you and go don't let her in? She wants to be a buster child? Did you have? Now? Was this family that you went to a convent school? Was this I went? I started? I started off in

an element each school. Yeah, and it's not not a convent school, but but an elementary Catholic school that my mom had gone to, and my nan my grandmother had gone to, and you know, just right down the line. And then I then I went to I think I went to four different schools and then found a place

in South London that would accept me. But it was a boys school and it was fantastic, you know, I absolutely, I absolutely didn't get a lot of work done, didn't come out many times, but it felt like being it was like being a pop star. They'd allowed four girls into the high school part of it, and yeah, I mean it was people. Kids were just like these young boys. They'd sort of run up, touch you and then run away again. You know, I mean me two kind of way. I have to say, just like year old. But you

were like you were just this novelty. Yeah, and I absolutely loved my time. They're the only thing I got from there. I was doing plays and learning French. Yeah I know French too, probably not as well as you, but and it's one of my biggest regrets. I have to say that I don't speak Spanish. I wish I spoke Spanish, right. I lived in Spain, so I speak Spanish. Yeah. I lived in Madrid and and Lucia all right, when

did you decide you wanted to be an actress? Early? Definitely, by the time I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to be an actor. Yeah, was this from your family or no? No, there's there's no kind of family connection with theater, although my mom does still maintain that. The reason I can do so many voices is because when I was little she used to read me my bedtime stories and used to all the all the voices. So so I know all to my mother and I'm

very grateful. And although I didn't come from a family of actors, I definitely came from funny people. You know. I think I knew what funny was very early on, and I knew I could I could kind of identify what was a funny turn of phrase. I came from people who can tell a story, and that often goes hand in hand with making people laugh and writing as well. I think because you you you you understand or you're drawn to narrative and you're drawn to characters and dialogue,

and that's what I love to do. And listening to the way people speak as well. Find people speak patterns fascinating. Right from an early age, would you say that you were interested in acting in terms of creating a character or were you Were you more interested early on in comedy. I think I was interested. Well, I was an incredibly shy child, really really shy. So I mean talk about you know, least expected to do anything alone, get up

and make people laugh. That was that would have been me, you know, I mean, I you know, I mean, I was painfully shy. So potentially I suppose if I was thinking about it, maybe I did to find a route in with sort of making characters and and doing sort of voices and becoming other than myself. But I definitely identified quite early on that a really good way of deterring bullies was to be able to make me laugh.

And and that really emboldened me, really because I've had a really unhappy stint at school at one of the Catholic school one of the convents had really unhappy stint there, and I realized one day that actually, if you can make them laugh, they will leave you alone. And and that's I think that's kind of where I definitely honed

it as a defense mechanism. Yeah, so, so so hiding in a way, still being shy, hiding in a way behind the characters that you created early on, I guess, although I although I I didn't do characters or anything when I was a kid, but I I learned a way of making people laugh, you know. I learned to I suppose to create the character of the of the of the of the comedian, of the class clown, you know, all of the of the funny one, and and it protected me, I felt right. So I I came from

theater myself. I never thought I would, you know, do film and television. For me, it was all about theater and live performance and creating characters on stage. You early on very prestigious in in Britain. In London. You became a member of the National Youth Theater. And I heard you auditioned four times for Drama School. I auditioned for four times. Yeah, but no nash to Youth Theater. I yeah, I was there with Daniel Craig. He was the shining light when I was when I was at Youth Theater

and I was. I was when he was playing Leonardo, the lead in Blood Wedding. I was playing girl one. So that's uh yeah, and things things blossomed from there. Well. You must have had experiences though on on stage other than Girl One through your How long were you there? Well, the thing is I was there for quite a few years. But we kept we kept doing, we kept turning out this same the same play, because I guess it has

got a little bit of success. But I know, we took it to Spain, we took it to the West End, we did it again in the West End, you know, and I think at some point, so I wasn't in this particular car, but I think it then went we went to Russia or something, you know. I mean, we really flogged to this one and I just had a

great time. I had a fantastic time. But I had also some running concurrently with that, I joined another youth theater in the East End of London, where I did get the chance to do lots of fun parts and you know, had a little bit more to student Girl One. Yeah, and then by the time I got to Central, which was college essentially, we all got our chance at doing leads and great parts. Yeah. Did you think that theater was what you were going to do or did you

always have an idea of something else. No, I absolutely loved theater. And my my first job out of college actually was at the National Theater. So I having graduation from the Youth Theater, I went to the actual National Theater and stayed there about a year, I guess. And did you know that touring shows, you know, like around the theaters doing My first job was Arf Miller was all my sons? Where did you playing all my sons? The girl? The girl in it? You know? They? And yeah,

yeah it was. It was a long time ago. I did Joe Color twice. By the way, sorry, it's about me. I did Joe Kelor twice as a much much too young man. Yes, I did Joel twice, right right, yes, I would say so, uh so, Yeah, I just didn't didn't occur to me. Even when we were at school, you know, drama school. It was theater that we were trained in. We you had a couple of a tiny smattering of film and television, I mean as a novelty. Really,

I mean, this is like or something. It was still theater was the thing that the school wanted to churn out theater actors, you know, And I absolutely thought that would be what what I did, what I wanted to do. But by the time I graduated, the idea of repertory theater just wasn't in the country anymore, did out all

the all the regional theaters. All they did was received the big touring production on a weekly basic basically, you know, I mean that that was all I want to do and just thought, oh my god, I'll just go around doing plays all the time. And and it didn't really didn't really pan out like that, right, So what did

you So? What did you do? You graduate? And you're like, well, that life that I thought that I had, well, I graduated and it all started off okay because I got I was I was at the Nashville for a year only doing like small parts and I'm studying that. You know, what do you care? You know, twenty five? Who cares? You know, that's what you should be doing. And then my contract stopped and and I realized, you know what,

I've got a feeling. I just had this inkling that I needed to do stand up because I needed to

separate myself from the pack, as it were. If you're if you've just left drama college, there's plenty of young twenty somethings you know, who have who have just graduated when you have, you know, I had to do something that sort of put put me in a different environment, and and so I just held my breasting, jumps in and started doing stand up And that was the best thing I've ever done, because that from there, that was it.

It was the difference between waiting for the phone to ring from your agent going oh, there's this this audition and picking up the phone and booking your own spots, you know. And I had a day job. I was working in an office ironically, and then and then after a few years, I was able to stop the day job and do do stand up full time. But it

was having that power. It's taking back that power and feeling you've got some agency over your career where you know, as many actors they don't you know, they don't you are you are at the mercy of of the of the casting calls, aren't you? Yes? How how was that experience for you? Terrifying? Was it exhilarating? Obviously it's still in front of a live audience, so you have experience with that, but now they have to laugh, right, How was that experience for you? It was it was all

of those things. It was terrifying, exhilarating, It was like an out of body experience. I mean, if you analyze it. The act of doing stand up. It's a preposterous idea, and you'd never you'd never suggest anyone does it, and you certainly wouldn't do it for yourself, you know, the idea of Yes, I definitely had a bit of stagecraft. So when I when I went out and did my first open spot, what would you call them open spots? Yeah, yeah, sure, yeah,

open mic er whatever, yeah yeah, open mic exactly. It wasn't the first time I've been in front of an audience, so I had that going for me. But even little simple things like I've never held a microphone in my hand. Why, how Why would I worked in theater? You didn't need you didn't use the microphone. It was just like what

you do with this? Oh my god? What's this? And it was but it dawned on me, I think halfway through my sort of my little five minute opens but was this is ridiculous because not only am I asking people, not only are you expecting people to be quiet, you're asking them to listen and then laugh at what you say. I mean, it's that the notion is ridiculous. If you, if you, if you analyze it, But I loved it. I loved it, and I liked being frightened. I liked

because it did frighten me. But I liked the challenge of it. I felt a great sense of achievement and just facing all those demons of being able to shut people up and and and that for me, I loved that. I just love that, you know, I loved thinking people could smell blood in the water. Because the thing is, this was what was this the nine in the nineties.

This is in the nineties, and it was not uncommon for as your name as they introduce used to before you've even got to the microphone, people would just shout out your ship, yes, so it's really really um it was. But I liked the gladiatorial aspect of it. I did. I did because most of the time I actually thought, it's all right. I know you think I can't take you on, but I can and I and I can make you laugh as well. And obviously the thing about

there's two different kinds of feelings. I think. One is when you've written a joke and you try it out and it gets that laugh and it lands and you go, oh great. And the other one is coming up with something on you know, on the fly, and there are two different kinds of things, but they are both equally beautiful, you know too, to absorb. And it's just, honestly, it's feeling.

It's just feeling king of the world, Queen of the person of the world when you walk, when you walk off off a gig, and it's gone well as a posed to walking off a gig, and it hasn't. Yeah, that's worth And I remember a much more, much more experienced stand up at the time said to me, you will learn much more from your bad gigs than you

ever will your good gigs. And it's absolutely true. And I didn't have a bad gig till I've been doing it about for quite a while, so I was the hubris I had was dangerous because you walk in, you think this is here, here, we are, you know what I mean, And then suddenly the first time, everything you've done before, the alchemy is not there. Suddenly that that chemistry or whatever it is, and you know you're saying the same thing and you're doing the same thing, and

you are the same person. They're not having it. And I remember walking literally walking off stage to the sound of my own footsteps and just honing my craft on that night. I remember, I remember like doing a workshop with myself and go, when this happens, You've got to do this when this happens, you know, and and it rung in my ears what that guy had said, you will learn more from your bad gigs, because you know, six weeks in and I'm thinking, I'm never going to

have a bad gig. You you suckers. Yeah exactly, yeah exactly. And then and then when when you do the we have it. Well, we did have a thing here and it was called the Network, and you go around and do college campuses and they were brutal and that was that that was a learning ground, you know what I mean. But the deal was unless you stayed on for your

full five minutes set, you wouldn't get paid. And that that taught you many things because you just had to find a way of just staying there before they physically because you know, the students would want to physically remove you. And you're like, no, I'm not not getting plaid unless you did that a peri king. Yes, do you And this is an ignorant question. Do you think that the stand up form? Would you say it's similar or the same as the United States or do you think in

Britain there is more theatricality And I don't know. I think about Eddie Izard or others that I feel like that I've seen British comedians who I feel like there's more of a show as opposed to just telling jokes, or do you feel like the form is similar. I would have to say, now, I have to preface this with the fact that it's been a while since I've been in a comedy club, It's been a while since

i've seen life stand up. I kind of feel there's more, there's more similarities, partly because I think even though British comedians have a very very distinctive style, I think there's always We're always looking to what's happening in America and most people's influences more Americans stand ups, you know, most people's influences or not necessarily influences, but but points of

reference and memories. And I can remember when I was a student going to see Bill Hicks, and um, I've just never seen anyone on stage be so irreverent, you know, and just so I was open mouthed with with just how thrilling it was. And and I just think there's a I don't know, there's there's Well, at the time, I think there was possibly less self deprecation in the American stand ups. I think I think it's all evened out now and we all find our common ground of

of of of speaking about our own failures. Really, I think that's funny as failure. Really, when did you start developing your own character? So when did you decide that that was a direction you wanted to go so that that that wasn't through your stand up? Was that separate? Yeah, it wasn't. I wasn't. I didn't. I just didn't have the stomach to go out with props. I just think

that's you've got to be pretty fearless, you know. It's sort of like it's another level up when you say, not only going to be quiet, you're gonna listen, you're gonna laugh, You're gonna wait, will I get these hats out of my bag? You know what I mean? And I was like, for me, it's because I didn't really love seeing character comedy too much, you know. And I also didn't want that barrier between me and the audience. I didn't want to have to filter a heckle through

the mouth of someone else. Or anything like that, and so I didn't I don't think I really had any interest in doing characters. It was only that one of the real bankers in my set was was the germ of what became, bizarrely what is now a film. It's called the Nan Movie. And I used to I, I kind of like put it in context as if it was a conversation I'd had with my Nan, which my Nan wasn't like that, you know. It was good shortcuts

and I just did this voice. All it was, I would do this voice, this Nan voice, and it became a kind of calling card really, you know, because it was at the end of my setting. Uh And and it got me noticed because it was I guess you know at the time, Um, it was it was strange to see this this what essentially was a younger was a young girl with with a with a very old voice coming out of her and it and it took people by surprise and that and it was only it

was funny enough. It was having said I wasn't mad on character comedians. There is a character comedian and I don't know if you know him. I don't know if he's in America, but he's called it's called Al Murray and he does a character called the pub Landlord and he's incredibly popular here and he's absolutely brilliant. But he came up to me one day and he said, you need to do that as a character, and I said, oh, I don't know about that. But anyway, through doing stand up,

I met a comedian called Lee Mack. He asked me if i'd go to the Edinburgh Festival and do a sketch show with him. But he he wrote it all and I was just I was just kind of like the girl in the sketch show, you know what I mean. We did that a couple of years, we got nominated for Perier and the next year it was suggested that I go up with my own solo show and that was that was the first time when I thought, oh my god, I better come up with some characters. And

I developed that. I kind of like fleshed out that non character. Went up to Edinburgh, did it, did it? Did a show with five I think it's five characters. Absolutely petrified. I was completely unprepared. The first night, I improvised most of it. Didn't realize there was a national newspaper in They gave me a massively great review. I sold out that run and it kind of just went

like that. But I remember coming off stage realizing it had gone well and having to run to an internet cafe in order to get to try and remember everything i'd i'd said and write it down, and that became my script. Yeah, it was. When I think back, I was a good lord. It's and I don't know where. I imagine it's some sort of gene that I'm missing in terms of preparation or fear or organization or something. I've I've always sort of flown on the seat of

my pants quite quite a lot. And then from then on the BBC saw me in that show and you know, it kind of went a little too smoothly, but I can't complain. Yes, well, for those of you who don't know, the Katherine t Show ran off and on on the BBC for a long time. What were your what were your inspiration? So you you had this show that you did in Edinburgh. I guess you know. For me, we I've watched these like French and Saunders and we had a show called Three of a Kind and a brilliant

woman called Victoria would was a massive um. I would never I could never say. I mean, she was an inspiration to me because she was so funny, But I mean I could never compare myself to Victoria would but she she was incredible. But to be honest, I didn't. I didn't, you know. It wasn't like I was thinking, oh, I've got to make these characters up. It was just purely the deadline of going they're going to be filming this. I think, oh, I better do a Scottish one. I

better do an Irish one, you know. And even when we were forming it, I was completely convinced it's I was like, it's not gonna it's not like that actually going to show it? Is it? You know? And and they did. They went and showed it. They showed it, showed it on the telly and you you have a particular distinction. I read this the Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year for two thousand six. Yes, they came from

your show, well one of my characters. This is the other thing, you know, I kind of seem to have catchphrases, which I had no idea year anyone was going to pick up on what I was saying. And the thing is, it's not like you can actually sit down and write a catchphrase. You can't. It's the public. It's your fans who make a catchphrase by repeating it. And I just could couldn't believe it that anyway. One of the character I died was a belligerent teenager who's stop phrase to

anything was am I bothered? I bothered? Look at my face? My face aunt bothered bothered, which is of course just a bastardization of the word bothered, And then you know, I'm not bothered. But it was very much with VS and it took off like wildfire, to the point where it's still a thing people use and still a thing people say, and it's incredible. But yes, but but but it infiltrated the language so much that the Oxford Dictionary made it an official word. And yes, it was word

of the Year one year. But now it is actually an entry into the into the yeah, into the Lexican. So that is that's cool. Yeah, that's cool. Now we're getting to to Nan. So, one of everyone's favorite characters from the Catherine Tade Show, which was based on not based on your nan, right, was not based on not based on your name, but probably a collection of old ladies. I had the privilege of growing up with there was some there was germs of of you know, that idea.

I don't know. I just had this voice in my head and it really went from there. Right. Actually, So wait, I have a question about that. You the characters you create, do you feel like most of them come from your own past experiences? You say, a combination of people. I mean saying that very loosely, very very very loosely, I guess. But it's but they don't end up being the people

that I then portray, you know, I mean that. You know, it's like you can steal from people's characters and you can hide you can hide someone's personality, well you can steal it, but you can hide their identity rather as long as you change their physical appearance, because people seem to only identify themselves physically. And it's so interesting. I mean, it's so interesting because I have one of my characters. It's just a married, married couple. They're married couple. They're

called Paul and Sam. And she starts off every conversation with you aren't believe what happens to me to day? Right, you just don't believe it, right, And she just puts on to tell quite an art story. Now I know that person. I absolutely know that person, but because that person doesn't have long, dark hair, they seem to have no idea that's them. Because when the show first went out, they came up to me and said, I've just seen

your show. You won't belave it. It's on television and this and the shows like that character that is hilarious, and it's like, it's so extraordinary. There's there's another character that I do, which is I mean is actually it is based on my mom and it's it's we just called a screaming woman, and it's someone who screams every opportunity.

Is what my mom did that that the phone would ring and my mom would go, you know, scream and it's like, well, you know that's what the sun does, like the doorbell would ring, you know, she s. Anyway, I remember watching that with my mom when my show went out, and this this it was it was a sketch of a woman standing in front of a microwave and looking at the countdown go from nine seconds to zero, and on zero it beats and the woman screams and my mom laughed and I said, Mom, you're not that

space that's you. You know that. And my mom said, don't be ridiculous. My hair doesn't look like that bad curly hair on this on this character, and how funny someone who screams at things. So obviously you you have different hair, you have prosthetics, you have different things that change your appearance. My question is, are there are there things that you do physically to get into certain characters? Brian, If only I was so highbrow that I did that.

I literally I get into characters because I've got a tax bill to pay. No, I would say, I mean, I'm not. I'm definitely not very message. If it feels right, I do it. But I don't. I don't have any backstories to my I'm not talking about that. Hold on, I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you an example. Okay, so this is not highbrow, that's not backs. This isn't that so Kevin Malone, right, the character that I played on the Office. So for me, I had this idea

that he didn't realize his size in space. He just was unaware that he was as big as he was. And so one of the things that I thought about was his hips did not rotate, right. There was no rotating, so if he had to look to the right, his entire body had to move to the right. Like there was this status thing. So that's what I'm talking about, Like, is was there anything like that? And if the answer

is no, then then that's fine. But I don't I don't think there there were, partly because most of the characters that I do ask are in are in short form, they're in sketches, so you kind of don't know that you don't have that relationship with them to build up that that kind of stuff. So it has to have a shorthand. And that's why I say, like, if it felt right, I did it, and I would I would

I would move differently. But I just think it was just putting on the stuff and the voice coming out, and just knowing I had to do it, I wouldn't be able to particulate it. Yeah, okay, because it was just more of a thing that happened, but probably because it had to happen much more fast, right, Yeah, but that's really interesting. That's so interesting about Kevin. Yeah, But to be to be honest, that was something that I mean, I think, like you, that was something with the voice,

with the physicality that I did. It wasn't until afterward that I went back and was like, oh, that's what I'm doing. I don't know if that makes sense. So I think I think kind of similarly was sort of approach similarly, Oh that's just how he moves. So Nan takes off. You have you have the show now, Nan? Was that a challenge for you taking to spending so

much time in that character's body. I think it was the only I realized it was the only character out of all of the characters from the Step show that really had the as they say, you know, the legs too to sustain a longer form of narrative. And so we did quite a few specials with that character and and people loved that. You know, people do love that character here. It's she She's just kind of got into

the society somehow. And it's probably because everyone knows someone like that here, whether it's a neighbor, whether it's their own mother, whether it's their grandmother. But I'm always told, oh, my god, my mother in law's just like that, my aunt's like that, my neighbor, you know, my own mom, you know my name, you know, and and it's it's really yeah, it's really lovely to see the way she just got embraced and I felt, I mean, also there's you know, not not to be coy of out there's

there's there's a great deal. Um, there's a great deal of the success, which is just about old people swearing the privilege, privilege of ages. It's funny to see old people swear. Right, Well, you're just at the movie. The Nan movie come out. As far as I can tell, it is not available yet in the United States. I'm sure very soon. Yes, I saw you showed up at the premiere as a name that Nan showed up. You know,

publicity is always a difficult thing. I think, you know, it's much more fun to be it's certainly much more fun to be able to do it as as Nan. And that's um yeah, I mean that was the biggest challenge to take what was essentially a sketch character and and and do a film. But it became an origin story and we go back in time and it and it kind of explains why she is such a kind of contact us old bastard. And we shot the past

on film and it's not what you expect. I mean, it's certainly not what anyone I think would have ever thought was going to come from a skep character. So so it's great. What are what are some of your favorite British comedies all time? Um? Well, the Catherine Tae Show obviously, But I mean, come on the Office. I have to say the British Office, I always thought and maintain is a piece of modern art. I really do as I say. French and Saunders Cada. Gosh, I'm not,

I'm not. I'm wondering what are the British compedists. What are they? Well, I don't know, I don't. I don't know the doctor who qualifies um as a comedy? But how was that experience for you appearing on such an iconic show? It was at the time. Well, I I didn't realize until recently how extraordinary my stint on that show has been for me, because I I just I mean, look, it isn't the kind of subject matter I choose to

watch or engage in because I don't. I just don't have a big enough imagination to grasp what I mean. Most of the time I was in a show that I didn't know what I was doing. You know, I didn't understand it. I think you just want to be quite intelligent to gott to stand side by, and I guess I'm just not. I had a most fantastic time making it. I made it, you know. We had just the most brilliant year in Cardiff in Wales, me and David Tennant and we loved it and I loved it

and that was it. And I just thought, and that was it. I had no idea the fan base of Doctor Who. I really didn't and also because I don't watch it and I didn't watch it when it went out or anything like that. I didn't And I'm so I'm not on social media. I have no idea really how things are are going. And it was only David saying to me, why why don't you do comic CON's And I said, for what? I mean, who who would possibly would remember me on it? You know? And he

said you should come and do it. And I was blown away because most of all, yes, most of them are in America. So I had no idea. Not only did I have no idea anyone knew the character was anyway after it finished, that it had traveled across the continent. I had no idea. I was amazed, amazing, it really is. I do consider it. Of all the things I've done, I do consider doctor Who one of the greatest privileges to have done, because it really matters to so many people.

As to be fair, does the Office. And I'm sure you know that more not more than I do. But you know, things that aren't in people's it's almost like there in the fabric of people's lives. And that's that's not nothing. No, it's not nothing. No, it really matters to people. I've been fortunate enough to have been told many times the comfort that the Office brings to people, the feeling that it gives them, it is. It is a privilege. I think you're I think you're exactly right.

You brought up that the u k. The Original Office is one of you know, your favorite British comedies. Were you aware of the American version before you came across the pond? Yes, I was. I was. I have to say, when I first heard that a remake was going to happen, I was furious, apoplectic. I was just you know, I was full to the brim with scorn and derision at the idea that anyone would would touch this show until

I saw it. I've heard this before. Yeah, I mean, it was just well, I think it's because we we we we prejudged what it was going to be, and I think what for what what essentially was a very very Unamerican show that was where the two things just didn't You just couldn't see how these would make bedfellows. This this British show in the hands of American comedy, American comedy that is brilliant and we love it, but it doesn't do that. It doesn't do that, And what

are you going to do? Are you going to make? Well? How wrong we were and how wrong I was, and I was hooked and I didn't and I didn't think I could have loved anything more than I loved the British version. And then I saw Steve Krall yeah and everyone else and it was amazing. And so it was very very close to my heart before I before I got a phone call to say they were thinking about putting me in it. You know that to me, that was like that was nuts, that was like, that was

like a fan moment. You know, that's like all I do is watch this show. I watched this show, right, and the idea of being in it was too surreal for me, Right, I talked to Ricky Gerveiz about this. I don't know that he fully agrees with me, but with you know, with time and distance between the two shows and both of them being done now, and and part of it is I understand the model in the UK is very different, but at least I guess defined

in terms of American sensibility, the British version brilliant. I mean, I was a huge fan of it, but I think by the time it is over, I think in terms of America it really is like a mini series. The show starts and Ricky Gervais character David Brent, the clock is ticking from the beginning, like there's there's no way that Ricky, that David Brent lasts in that job for

nine years. It's not. It's not possible. So I think to me that that now is sort of where I I sit with it, And just in terms of them being almost two totally different entities as opposed to trying to compare them, I think that's absolutely right. And I think also if you talk about the model, and I think that's right, but I think I think he went

into that show. In fact, as I understand it, I'm pretty sure he went in to that show, knowing there was going to be a cut off point, and knowing it was going to be short lived, and knowing it was going to come in, burn brightly and go and remain. But it wasn't. You know, I don't think he had any interest in doing doing the American model of it on on on his turf, you know the fact, and that was the thing that was so like, how is

this going to carry on? You know? But of four it was like the battle was passed and a different race began. I think you know it was because I think you're absolutely right. They are. They are two very very different things, both equally brilliant, and and and and and sort of strangely not comparable, even though the same thing, you know, came from them, right you you came in in episodes in season seven Search Committee episode at that point, were you aware that you were coming back when you

came and did the guest stop? No, when I came, I'm pretty sure this is what happened. I think I came in and and sort of filmed the interview. That's what she did, didn't in the interview, And I was I remember I was, I'd taken a forty eight hours off from rehearsals. I was doing much ado about nothing in the West End, funny enough with David Tennant and and I said, I've got to go and sort of essentially do a bit of a screen test on camera

really on this show. And they let me go, and I was it was a forty hour turnaround, and I went in, did the shot this couple of scenes, went out to dinner with my agents that night, about to get on the plane the next morning. And when he arrived, he said, they have rang to book you for ten more episodes. Ok, that was going to be in the next season, the next season, Yeah, And I think it

was ten episodes, And I think that's what happened. So I knew I was going back to do ten episodes because that would have been a brand about April time. And then I was coming back in the four to do ten episodes, is what I heard. And then while I was doing the ten episodes, they extended the contract for the whole of the next season. But I think there was a very different because I had met with Greg a few years before I eventually turned up, and he had expressed an interest in putting the in. I

think it was a very different idea. Then I think things changed, but I remember him saying, he said, I would love to put you in the show. He said, I can't do it yet because I've got to get this new show up and running. And that was part of some wreck and that and that started, and that took off, and I thought, oh, I'll never hear from them again. And then he did Frank and said, we like to do this part. Yes. How was that experience for you coming and joining all of us? It was

one of the happiest jobs I've ever had. I absolutely loved it, and I loved all of you and I and again, a bit like the doctor who showed you. You jump in to this incredibly successful show, phenomena, franchise, you know, or whatever. You coast on the coattails of everybody you know. You turn up and it was an absolute dream job. It was. It was. It was the best way I could have ever experienced working in not only in America, but in Los Angeles. Where As someone

once said to me, don't go until you're invited. It will be a lonely old and you to go with no real risk to me, do you know? I mean? I was going on this highly established, brilliant, loved show. I mean, albeit I have to say doing you know, playing an incredibly divisive and not very likable character, but that was fun as well, you know what I mean.

I would I have and still do I have people that, you know, I have a huge kind of like section of people who only know me as Nellie from the office, who only know me as as are you from the office, you know, which is fantastic. But I've often I often get oh my god, you're Nellie. I hated you. Oh my dad, you're the worst. It's so funny, you know, when you're like a comic card, and it's so funny the way people. I mean, I've learned to be very thick skinned about what people say, who don't who mean,

who don't mean anything? But when they say, like, I don't care what anyone says, I liked you. O, thank god I'm not on social media. That is so funny. But I think that by the end, Now, did you did you talk to the writers at all about the about the character or the journy of the character. I mean that you you having a baby? Yes, I do, I do, remember, I don't, I don't know. I didn't that wasn't my idea or anything. But I do remember at one point going in and saying, I can't send this.

I can't say surely, surely we can't remember she was just being so obtuse about stuff, and they're like, it's funny, it's gosh, um But I just I loved it. It's it's one of those things that you know, obviously because we're shooting much more than ever gets seen. I just thought, unfortunately some of the stuff that I shot with Paul Toby, um, it didn't make it. But I just thought they were a very funny couple, very funny. Yeah. And oh and I just have such such great memories of of experiencing

American TV the way I did. I obviously it ruined me, you know, it ruined me because I came back here to do to do shows that the the entire budget of the show was less than our craft service budget, you know it was. It was a different experience. And obviously by the time I got there, because I remember,

I remember who it was told me. It might have been Kate at Lee who said that there was a stock difference, you know that when from when you started out to where oh yeah, now you were there for the good days, seven different types of cereal day, you know, in kitchen, and honestly, people say to me, what's the best part about working on the Offstina was the food. I don't know if you remember this or not, but there was in the in the season finale, there was

there was the baby right that you ended up. Yeah, but now this is my recollection. If I'm wrong, you tell me. My recollection was that the baby would only smile at me. And so when you were shooting, I wasn't even in the seat. I could have been in my trailer eating cereal, but I was standing right by the camera for the or like behind you, so that it that you and smile. I don't remember, but I absolutely right you'd be standing there and the baby would

turn its head and smile. I've only just remember that. That's absolutely correct. Thank you for doing that. Well, I have I have a face on the baby with love um hard Sell out now on Netflix. Just ow how was that process of doing that? I am so excited to watch hard Sell with the c because it's set in prison. It's a prison cell. No no, no, no, hard kill No. Well it's again, I'm I guess I'm back to my roots because I'm playing six different characters.

It was brilliant, I was. I've never worked for Netflix before, and I was really heartened in terms of how much creative well, how I owned everything creatively, but I, um, they let me go there and it is the show

that goes there. And I think in comedy that's quite important that I wasn't censored or anything, and if anything, you know, occasionally a question would come up and I'd answer it and then they'd go, Okay, fair enough, you know, because at the end of the day, I was very lucky to be working with a team whose answer was yeah, fair enough. It's just funnier that way, and that's really important.

That's great. And the style I understand is mockumentary documentary style. Yeah, of course, yeah, because I realized, because I was directing it as well, I needed a device that would get me out of jail. No pardon sended, but you know, get me out of trouble. And that's a good thing, you know what I mean, because you can explain something to down the line, down the ends, down the barrel when you need a little bit of glue. Actually, not not that I in the end you ended up doing

it because everything was pretty tightly scriptured. But it's so lovely to be able to have It's a perfect device to be able to improvise the camera obviously, and we and we did. I did certainly use that and I had I had a great experience. Actually, I mean it was a fairly arduous shoot, just because there was only one character that wasn't in prosthetics. But but it was. It was great. It was great, and amazingly people of well, I'm doing myself down too bad. Amazingly people like it. Well,

I can't wait. Hard Sell on Netflix. Also the Nan movie. The Busiest Woman in television, directing, writing, acting, not just Why Part but seven. I can't tell you how how much I appreciate Catherine, you coming and uh and talking to me. I remember our days so fondly, and I can't wait well for more of the pandemic to disappear and we can see each other. Well, thank you so much for asking me. I'm delighted, Catherine. Thank you so much. It was so great to catch up with you. It's

been so long. Not only was that fun, it was educational. I learned so much about you today. You are an absolute delight to all of you listeners. Thank you for joining us, and make sure to check out Catherine's new mockumentary Hard Sell with a C C E L L, which is now out on Netflix. And I'll see you next week for another well for another week and another guest on Off the Beat. Make sure to follow along

at Off the Beat on Instagram. We're verified now baby, so we check us out for all updates about the podcast and i I will talk to you soon. Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by Seth O'landskip