Ep60 - Laurie Metcalf / "Lady Bird"

that chair there is? Okay, So she's just gonna grab a couple of quick candidates so we can chat about what you have for breakfast? Oh yeah, or something. I was in the hotel room and I ordered the locks in bagel. Wasn't tasty? Yes, I I get that. Where am I at the Beverly Hilton, which is where the luncheon is? So oh yeah, you're going right there at right after this? Me too, so I'll see you there. But um, usually ordering that is just an excuse for me to eat a bunch of capers. That's what I

really got it. I had a shake. You had a shake for trying to be good. So there is a real luncheon right there. This food, real food, obviously good. All right, thank you, Priscilla. All right, grab my questions here. I love this. Yeah, it's it's gonna feel like it's gonna fall on you, but I swear it's not. It's just a drafting table we're using. We're like in the middle of red building a podcast studio here, but we

are recording and we'll dive right in. All right. We've got Laurie Metcalfe here, the Oscar nominated actress, and Ladybird, which were just discussing, which is one of my favorite movies of the year, one of everyone's favorite movies seems to be. It's doing for you. All right, we're talking this morning, just before the nominees luncheon, which you know, I assume you're really looking forward to that. I have

no idea what to expect. I know that there's that that iconic photo taken which I've looked at over the years and never thought i'd actually participate in. Now you'll get to kind of play the wears Waldo. Yes, I will, I will. I'm looking forward to seeing everybody in that room. My god, and uh, the quality of all the movies this year, it's a great year and so diverse. You know you're looking forward to meeting anybody in particular you

haven't bumped into on the circuit. Well, I it's funny I have started to see on the Did you call it a circuit or a circus, because it's a little bit of both. I've I've I've come to find out again I had no idea, no clue that that this is what happens when you're in such a such a explosive, you know, hit movie. But um, yeah, I've started to run into people that I never would have been able to meet anywhere else. You know, Willem Dafoe I can say hi to now, you know, Martin McDonough, Sam Rockwell,

Octavia Spencer, Francis McDorman. You know, my god, it's a great bunch, it is. It really is. Well, as I said, you know, finally an Oscar nominee. But yeah, in some ways. You know, you've got three Emmy's you've nominated throughout the wazoo for for your various appearances on TV. What has been the most surprising thing, I guess or unexpected thing about being a part of this whole Oscar whirlwind? What's interesting about it? What's so different about it now I've

never experienced it before. Is usually if I wrap something that's on TV or stage, there's a quick toast afterwards, and you either you know, pack your suitcase and fly home the next day and never revisit it again. But but with a movie, Um, I mean everybody else in the world knows this. I just didn't ever put two

and two together. But like eighteen months later, you know, you're talking about the movie and about what that experience was, and it's just, um, a new phenomenon for for me to revisit something that you've done in the past and and you know, like be present with it again. So other projects I've just basically walked away from and that and that was that. I guess that deepens the whole experience a little bit, right, It gives you a whole

different Yeah, it really does. And and where else do you go you know that something that you did, what say, a year ago, is then released and you see the response to it. Um, because like I do a lot of theater, and the response is only uh in the in the moment. You know, if you've got the immediate feedback from the audience every night or eight times a week, and so you know how it's being received. In this instance, I had no idea at all, um, how how it

would be received. Literally, Yeah, theater's interesting. An actor once put it to me. It's like drawing in the sand. Next day you do it all over again. It's a different uh, you know, circumstance in this Uh. You know, theater has been a huge part of your life, obviously Stepping Wolf and everything. And one thing I want to jump ahead to here is in this movie, you got a chance to work with Tracy Lets the first time ever.

We've known each other for a hundred years and we've always wanted to work together on stage and never have been able to have a project to do together. And so it took Greta Gerwig bringing us together into a movie where you know, we could. I knew immediately that um working with Tracy was going to be but well, I was going to say a breeze and it was, Yeah, it was a breeze. Because we have a history, we should have a similar sense of humor, and so we

have an ease with each other. And I was just hoping that that would come across in the parents relationship and uh, but everything else. You know, all we did was take our cues and clues from Greta's script. It was all on the page for us. Well, uh, let's talk about Greta actually, I'll go into that. You know, what kind of director is she on the set? What kind of energy does she establish that's you know, unique compared to other filmmakers that you've worked with. It's all

about her energy, I think. And the energy on the set was a one of collaboration, of support and feeling protected of watching her watch the monitor with this big grin on her face and knowing that she was in her element, she wouldn't want to be anywhere else and that she had our back, and that made everybody in the cast and crew feel very protected. Um. And uh, there was a lightness about the set and maybe even a maternal quality because um, you felt that she was

watching out for everybody. Now, she had to have been going through stressful days, because I think that's inevitable as a director. Um maybe and also a first solo director. Um, nobody knew if that was the case. Um, she just has an ease. She's just a natural at it. You'd never know it was her first time. Yeah. Well, as I said just before the show. I first saw this movie at Tell You Ride where it premiered. UM, and I walked out and I tweeted something like I love

Ladybirds so much I can't stand it. And H four is used it in their advertising, which, yeah, that's the truth, I mean. And what's interesting to me is that it's been such a universally a loved movie this year. I mean, all the talk of the critically acclaimed, the rotten Tomato score, all of that. Why do you think that it struck such a universal core? You know, I saw it for

the first time, I tell you right. Also, um And I was so, I was right in the middle of a group of with you seeing it for the first time. And I was literally seeing most of the movie for the first time myself because all my scenes were with and no, no, I'm in like I don't know it. And so I was having a blast seeing what all the high school scenes were about. UM And and when I walked out and where, and I was hearing people saying I've got to call my mother, I want to

see this with my daughter. Um father's or men saying I have witnessed that mother daughter relationship and have also felt like I was the outsider, like Tracy's character is like just just just wanting to be um, non confrontational about it and not really understanding it, not understanding how they can flip on a dime, like in the thrift store scene where they're looking for a dress together and arguing that the classic passive aggressive banter going back and forth,

and then they find the perfect dress. Um, it's a it's a complex relationship as far as the mother daughter scenes go. That Greta was able to walk such a fine line and find the balance so that one is just not an ogre, you know, one is not doing all the button pushing. The mother doesn't exist, just to show what the daughters homelike as home life is like, and what she has to put up with with parents

who don't understand her. You know, she really I guess that's what people are responding to that it's it seems very it's very detailed. Um, it's not our own individual details that are up there on the screen, but it's

so close. Yes, I mean for me, and and in fact, some of the specifics do ring true because you know, I graduated high school in ninety nine, so the period of the movie, I knew the guy who smoked clothes and was trying to be cool and the shallow may of it all and just all of these different moments

really just you know, I recognized them. Yeah, there was always um, the struggle to fit in, whether it's with your best friend or you're the popular friend who you you know, there's all it's just finding yourself what makes me different? You know? And God, I just can't wait to get out of here and start over and reinvent myself.

But and it's only in hindsight that you see that all these influences, the people who raised you and the people that you grew up with and the town that meant so much UM are a part of you that that has provided that shape. Yeah, absolutely, and I love that, you know, Ladybird can can embrace that at the end in hindsight, it's just so but it But like Gretta's writing is so delicate. Nothing, none of this is hit

over the head. You know. There are a lot of little bitty lines that go by that have such weight to them, but they're just done with ease and delicacy. You know that people have been quoting like, you know, I just want you to be the best version of yourself that you can be. What if this is the best version you know that, just say so much and resonate, Um, but just go by, you know, in the blink of an eye. I think that it warrants uh, second viewing,

second third viewing. This movie does because it's it's just in those tiny details. There's something to be said about finding the profound within the mundane exactly, you know, And that's that's a real trick. And she pulled it off. She did. Um. I had both Greta and Sarsha on the show earlier this year, and you know, part of this is obviously a dance with Sarsha on the screen. So let's talk about working with her. Oh my god, she's like the the the the best scene partner that

any actor could hope to have. She's fully present, um in in every moment on camera. But what she does she's amazing because um, well, first of all, I looked to her for guidance because she has so much more film experience than I do. UM, but I know, I know, and talk about a natural you know, Um, she has a really great work ethic. You know, she is prepared, she's done her homework every day. She takes it seriously. She takes the job seriously. It's not a lark, you know.

But yet at the same time, she can find the lightness during the day, you know. Um, and and she brings that lightness to the set, to to the hair and makeup trailer when she steps in and the because she she's there, She was there, you know, she's in

every frame. Practically, she carries the movie with such ease and such grace that she really she and Gretted together set a tone that was just had a lightness about it and that everybody wanted to Everybody got very attached to the movie in a personal way and wanted it to be the best that it could be, to to support Greta and to support Serscha, who were both um,

just setting this lovely tone about the day. And but it literally Sarsha walks into hair and makeup trailer with just a joyful attitude and it's in infectious that helps the shoot. I think I heard Greta say that it was thirty five days you were on four. Oh, I don't know, probably, um, a couple of weeks, yeah, a couple of weeks here and there, you know, sporadic. Well, I must say, I feel this is, you know, one of the most low key, brilliant performances of the year.

And I say low key just because there's so much going on underneath the surface that could be played much bigger than you play it. And I just kind of am curious what you were drawing on personally. I mean, you have daughters, so I assume a lot of that, But just what what were you drawing on personally to kind of craft this incredibly complex mother without being big you know right right? I was, um relying on Greta.

I knew that we talked early on about the fact that there are so many arguments between the mother and the daughter that we didn't want them all just to feel the same, repetitive after a while, because then you would just tune them out. So we wanted to even though even though she had crafted it, and so she knew where where the triggers were, she walked me through it. Um. We had a couple of rehearsals with with me, Sersha and Greta in the room to make sure that we

were all on the same page. Um and uh. And then I think she just sort of trusted us with the material, which was also confidence building, you know, because you know, obviously she had spent years crafting this script and to turn it over to us was I felt the responsibility of that, you know. But if I ever had a question, I could go straight to the source because our director was the screenwriter, um, which was which

was a comfort to have on the set. And Greta just has the ability to know how to talk to actors, not all just because she's an actor. That doesn't come with the with the job. Most actors don't know how to talk to other actors and make to me, make lousy directors um um, because we fall into the same trap that a lot of directors do, which is just

blurting out what you want the result to be. Be funnier, be sadder, be you know, something like that, and it gets in the actor's head and becomes a barrier and all of a sudden you've turned them self conscious and the day is screwed, you know. But so you can do a lot of damage. So it's the rare director who knows how to um toss out a couple of suggestions that spark an actor's imagination and that are doable. Um. But so yeah, I I, um hadn't done a film

in a long time. So as far as the broadness of the character, you know, I I think that I was overly wary of being too big because I just stepped off thousands seat stage of yes, of playing to the back row. Yeah, And so UM I tried to be. I tried to follow the lead of everybody else in the room of how um minimal and nuanced the role could be. And one of my leads on that was Tracy because um, I've always admired his minimalist acting style, you know, very intelligent and and and so low key.

And he's he was like the rock of all the scenes. Um, so I was I was trying to be. I was trying to look around and read the room. Well, how about specifically reading the room, the environments, the production design, the stuff like that living room. I mean it just you know, it feels so legit and textured. He always

has to help your performance, it does. Yeah, there was no way that you could walk into Ladybird's bedroom and not feel that a seventeen year old had lived in there for fifteen years and decorated it exactly how she wanted it done. The details were extraordinary. Um. I went with um Greta early on because I think I was one of the only actors who were who were in town, because she wanted to do a lighting test in the house that she had chosen to shoot all the interiors

and it was pretty bare. There was hardly any furniture in there. But just had me walk from room to room and see how the light played. UM and and and uh she thought. I think that it was really valuable because she I don't know it just it just lent a um a real realism to her that all, and to me to walking through before it was even deck set decorated, that oh, this is our house. Okay, I get it now, I understand this family a little more.

The flow stuff like that probably helps. Yeah, for sure. Well, you know you've you've received more critical awards than than any other actress in your category this year. I believe you're do one more. I hope you. I'm going to say, I hope you. Want to ask her a couple of random things here, I just want to branch out. You know, this isn't even really a question, it's uh, I guess it's a confession. I was a big fan of Scream and I put together a group of seventeen people in

eleventh grade to go see Scream too. So anyway, I just want to throw that out. Did it not disappoint It was an interesting film. I think that the reveal was pretty clever. Yeah, mom, yeah, absolutely, yeah, exactly. You have to go off the hinge a little bit. I did. Was that fun? Yeah? Who was the director on that? Was okay? Yeah? What was he like to work with? Oh?

He was fantastic, like like wicked sense of humor? Yeah. Yeah, And then listeners realized by now, any time I ever have anyone on the show who was in JFK, I have to talk about working with that cast, working with Oliver Stone. Does anything kind of immediately come to mind about that production? Wow? You know what, I want to see it again because I saw it once when it

first came out, and that's been way too long. Um. I was I didn't get to work with that many actors, you know, because it had such a deep bench of really great actors in all those roles. Um theater actors too, Yeah, there were there were. Um. I just remember, you know, being in New Orleans and like stepping out in the morning to go to work, to go to the set like at six am and being immediately drenched in sweat. You know, it was balmy. But yeah, and uh, and

working with Kevin Costner was was great. Uh he said a great tone on that film also, as did Oliver. Yeah, how do you like Oliver? I loved him, I wanted I was almost gonna work with him again. And I can't remember the project name, but it fell apart shoot. But anyway, um though he was he was fantastic. But you know, like I've I feel like I've only done a handful of movies and so my references are just so scattered. You know that I don't have my bearings

within that world yet. Um so, and and it was so long ago, it was sort of dreamy. It seems sort of dreamy. Now, Yeah, you should watch it again. I need one of my favorite movies. I think it's phenomenal. I need to. I want to. I've actually I think within the last year, we've had Kevin on the show, we had Donald Southerland. Earlier this year, we had Gary Oldman on the show. We're doing good on JFK. Cast members here play back, And then I want to talk

about Roseanne coming back. You know, it's interesting because this is one of an absolute slew lately of TV reboots, and this isn't really a reboot so much as we're getting the band back together and continuing the story. But we've got things like Magnum p I, Cagney and Lacey. I didn't think they would ever reboot Cagney and Lacey, but they're going to. They brought Will and Grace back, they brought brought Murphy Brown back. What do you think

about all? I didn't even breaking news for you. Yeah, they're bringing Murphy Brown back. Wow. I mean what, I guess it's good with the bad on stuff like that, right, I guess it's just you know, it's nostalgia. Yeah, I guess it's just like a craving fool or you know, take me back to you know, nineteen whatever. Um. But

it's interesting. But I think that the Rosanne one is fascinating because you take the Connor family, who everybody knew, well a lot of people knew or even grew up with, and it was a unique family for in the day, blue collar and people who looked not like other people on camera on on TV shows and now and and so you're automatically curious about as what what what is those family members doing in the year two thousand and eighteen, So it has a legit curiosity factor to it, I think,

And and we did nine of them, and I think that the writers wrote very true to the characters and the stories, and it has little arc, which is nice when you when you know you're just going to do the nine um it dress. It addresses uh, some issues, some you know, um, current events, Yeah, current current events, but also issues that haven't changed since the family was

dealing with them, and then some new ones also. But the Roseanne Show because of the groundwork that Rosanne laid early on, I think about being willing to sacrifice laughs in a particular show to make it to make the episode about an issue. It was always a show that could handle some weight and could go to some dark places, um,

whereas on other sitcoms that might have been too jarring. Um. And so these there are a handful of those moments again in these nine that come up and maybe a lot of it also has to do with the maturity

of the characters. Is fascinating to watch the two daughters, who are in their forties now have an argument in the same kitchen and they really do literally have a thirty year history together because they grew up as sisters on the show, and so you can best actors, you know, to play a family and as as you have to. But it was just there's just that added layer in

this go around. It was fun also to watch, like say, Darlene's character parent her daughter in the same kitchen that she grew up in with Roseanne, watching and watching all the mistakes that Darline is making and commenting on you. So you've done all your all of that we did n Yeah, was it did it feel like old times? Was easy to slide back into it? It was? It

was strangely easy. Yeah, because just what they recreated the set to perfection, which brought back a lot of so many memories of the nine years and and uh it clicked right away around the table where we did the first read through, everybody was happy to be there and so it had a freshness to it, you know. And I think that if it is hopefully received well, that we'll do another batch. Cool. I look forward to that. When where did you shoot the new stuff on the

same lot that it was the same? Okay? I was curious about that too. Well, was that the Golden Globes where John Goodman and Roseanne We're on? Yeah, they presented yeah, yes, correct up at her. I know she managed to wrangle a laugh, a huge laugh out of I think the word yes. Oh yeah. She's the only person I know who can do that. Well, we both got to get out of here. We've got a lunching to get to. You're the one being honored. I'll just be there hanging out.

But again, movies called Lady Bird. If you haven't seen it, you should absolutely see it. It's one of the best movies of the year. And I'll say once again, I hope that my guest today wins the Oscar because it's an amazing performance and you deserve it so much. Thank you for coming on the show. I hate California. I want to go to the East Coast. I want to go where culture and like the world that at least

Connecticut or New Hampshire writers in the world of those schools. Anyway, Mom should just go to City college, you know, with your work ethic. Just go to City College and then to jail and then back to City college, and then maybe you'd learn to pull yourself off and not expect everybody to do everybody. Lady Bird, is that your given name? Yeah? Why is it in quote? I gave it to myself. It's given to me by me. Ladybird always says that she lives on the wrong side of the tracks. But

I always thought that was like a metaphor. But there are actual train tracks. What you do is very ball or very anarchist back. She has a big heart. Your mom she's warm, but she's also kind of scary. You can't be scary and warm. I think you can. Your mom is so You're not interested in any Catholic colleges, No way. I want schools like Yale, but not Yale because I probably couldn't get in. You definitely couldn't get in. Just mom hate me? Retired weeks to down. I'm not

tying which reg in your feet. You are so infuriated off yelling. I'm not yelling. Oh it's her sect love it. You both have such strong personalities. When is a normal time to have sex. You're having sex ready. I just wanted us to be special. Why so much on special sex in your life? We're afraid that we will never escape our past. Whatever we give you, it's never enough. It's never enough is enough. We're afraid of what the

future will bring. We're afraid we won't be loved. We can't do anything unless you're the center of a time. We won't be liked. Well, you know your mom's hips. They are totally fish. She made one bad decision in ninety to bad decision, and we won't succeed. I want you to be the very best version of yourself. This UE could be. What if this is the best version. What I'd really like is to be unmath oldimpiat But math isn't something you'd every strong in that we know of yet. M hm.