Hannah Waddingham - podcast episode cover

Hannah Waddingham

Oct 15, 202447 minSeason 2Ep. 17
--:--
--:--
Download Metacast podcast app
Listen to this episode in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episode description

In the early 2010s, after spending a good deal of her career performing in stage productions such as Spamalot and A Little Night Music, Hannah Waddingham wanted to try something different: acting on screen. Although she’d previously had small film and television roles here and there, her background was in opera and theater. But what seemed like a considerable risk to her at the time paid off in a big way—in the intervening years she has appeared in Game of ThronesSex Education, and Ted Lasso (for which she won an Emmy). On this week’s episode of Table for Two, Waddingham joins host Bruce Bozzi to discuss why she enjoys playing characters with a gruff exterior, her perspective on turning 50, and the moment she learned she landed a part in the forthcoming Mission: Impossible film.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transcript

Speaker 1

Hey, everybody, this is Bruce. Thank you for pulling up a chair today our Table for two.

Speaker 2

We are back in Hollywood at my favorite joint, the Sunset Tower.

Speaker 3

I'm gonna go trouble fries and I hadn't thought that.

Speaker 1

Today we're having lunch with an actress.

Speaker 2

If you might know from the Netflix series Sex Education. You might know recently from the movie The Fall Guy with Emily Blunt and Ryan Goslin.

Speaker 1

You might be expecting to.

Speaker 2

See her in the upcoming mission Impossible. But I bet you know her from Ted Lasser. Everybody loves Hannah. Just so you know, she's hugged everybody. You know what it is spot, Yes, that is right. We were having lunch with Hannah Waddingham, who just completed season three, potentially the final season of had Lasso, but.

Speaker 4

There's word on the street that there might be.

Speaker 1

A season four.

Speaker 5

So pull up a chair, grab a glass of rose, and stay tuned. I'm Bruce Bozzi and this is my podcast Table for two.

Speaker 2

If you've tuned in today, we are at the Sunset Tower. We are having lunch at I think both of our favorite joints. We love this place.

Speaker 1

Thank you. The rose is here, Darling cheers. This is amazing, is the best.

Speaker 2

So you you know, we talked about Melody Kelly and she's your mom and she was an opera singer and your maternal grandparents.

Speaker 1

So it's sounds like the art and music and.

Speaker 3

One hundred percent I mean that the force is so unbelievably strong. On my mother's side, they were both my mum's parents were both opper singers at the Gaiety Theater in the Island Land, tiny little thirty miles long, eleven miles wide, little island between the mainland and Ireland, and they were a big deal bit. And my mom was this kind of maverick of choosing to leave. And she came over when she was eighteen, you know, the only

daughter of only child brother of my grandparents. She came over to London and went to Trinity College of Music.

Speaker 6

And was this kind of just extraordinary.

Speaker 3

Everything that I've read about her past and talked to her about, she was unbelievably quiet, but unbelievably talented.

Speaker 6

And she then joined the roll of.

Speaker 3

Her house Coup of Garden, like literally after one little tour she was in My Fair Lady briefly on tour when she was like twenty and then bizarrely went from musical theater to opera, which is quite unusual. And if you think about it back in the day, you know that was like in the early sixties.

Speaker 6

She was suddenly this fabulous young Angene. And I find it so magical that she was at Covent Garden.

Speaker 3

Kind of mid to late sixties around Joan Sutherland.

Speaker 1

Very special time. Oh yeahredible time.

Speaker 2

How did the realization go from having the pipes to do musical theater to sing opera because it's very different.

Speaker 6

Yeah, very different. And my god, she always remind me of it. In fact, when I made my Broadway debut in spamal Art, my dad gave me.

Speaker 3

My dad gave me a massive squeeze on the second night and went much better than last night.

Speaker 6

And I thought, brilliant, love you, and my mom went, oh lah.

Speaker 3

Because the opera singers always sing slightly off their lext talk brother off their legs, so they don't actually speak down here. She would always talk like that, but she's slightly singing all the time.

Speaker 6

And she was literally like, there you go. You're finally singing properly. Thanks parents.

Speaker 3

This is why I don't have a giant ego because I have been dead to the ground.

Speaker 1

But it might be where you have one of the best senses of humor.

Speaker 2

I think there is Oh my god, that's hysterical slash brute.

Speaker 1

It's it's like the compliment with the zame.

Speaker 6

Yes.

Speaker 3

Yeah, yeah, I've been literally like I had already had a fifteen year leading lady career in the West End and then suddenly my mum comes out with this and I was like, wait, are you just gently trashing everything everything I've previously done.

Speaker 1

That you have done so much here? Yeah, it's crazy.

Speaker 3

It's my life blood. B really it is, yes, and everyone knows that. I mean I've been quite vocal about that. I do love the screen, but theater is inos.

Speaker 1

I mean it's rat and the accolades.

Speaker 2

I mean, you've been quite acknowledged by your peers and by you know, your of your work.

Speaker 1

What was did you have a favorite? Well? First of all, what was the first show you did in your.

Speaker 3

Western Well, the first one that anyone would know about more would be Androloid Webber's The Beautiful Game, which is about the troubles in Northern Ireland, which I'll come back to, But the.

Speaker 6

First one that people probably don't know.

Speaker 3

Was when I was twenty two, I was in a thing called Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens.

Speaker 1

Saucy Jack and the Space.

Speaker 6

Victim the most amazing rock score.

Speaker 3

It was fabulous, and I played a character called Chesty Prospects.

Speaker 6

It was camp. I mean there was there was fetish where it was great.

Speaker 3

I was a fetish plastic smuggler in it, as you do, and so I started off doing that and then I I kind of graduated up to the leading woman role who was called Jubilee Climax.

Speaker 1

Jubilee.

Speaker 2

I want that that could be the title of someone's Jubilee climax.

Speaker 6

I'm in the middle of a Jubilee climax.

Speaker 1

I mean that that could be your code name. And you're checking into your hotel.

Speaker 6

That's genius, my god.

Speaker 1

And then you'd have to look at the face of the person.

Speaker 3

Checking you and being like yeah, yeah, yes, say it, come on, say it.

Speaker 6

I dare you.

Speaker 2

So it was it kind of I mean weeds, and I'm sure it wasn't like this one after the other, just a lot of work.

Speaker 1

Like you were like, okay, I show opened to show close.

Speaker 3

Yeah, I already had one. I already had one on the way. Yeah, I was extremely blessed. Yeah, extremely best and thankfully everything that I did in theater was a kind of pipe dream of mine realized and nothing that was like I made a deal with myself very early on for a sce, I don't I'm not hugely ambitious.

Speaker 6

I'd never had this huge plan at all.

Speaker 3

A very bohemian and kind of go with the flow and what's meant to come to me still now does. And there are things that I think, oh, I would have loved to have done that, and then my brain goes, but it's not for you. And I work on that basis all the time, and I did back then as well. I never wanted to do anything where I was like fifteenth, eighteenth, twentieth Fontein and Lamais. I thought I would rather create something that might falter, or I'd rather not do it.

Speaker 2

Whish you were clear, that's the best I think like that, Yeah.

Speaker 6

What was your kind of ethos? Things?

Speaker 2

You know, I don't Unfortunately I didn't have clarity.

Speaker 1

I kind of was going through the motions.

Speaker 7

Of everything, and uh, I look back, and you know, I'm at at that stage where I'm in my late fifties were like people say in midlife crisis, but hold on.

Speaker 6

Hold on one one second. What you are thet You're in your late fifties.

Speaker 1

Fifty eight, you are the hottest arch of sixties.

Speaker 6

I'm going to hold his head.

Speaker 3

Guys, if you haven't seen this man in pressure, he is the hottest fifty eight year old you've ever seen walking God's green Land.

Speaker 2

Thank you for joining us for table for two, Karen, I will be going upstairs.

Speaker 1

What what the hell I mean? I don't know? I mean or you're younger than me, I don't Oh, thank you. I'm just gonna say that.

Speaker 6

Carry on. I'm not going to interrupt you, but are you absolutely kidding me?

Speaker 2

I didn't have I didn't know what I wanted to do. I didn't I worked in the restaurant Posis for many, many years. That's a whole familial that was a whole family thing, like grandfather co founded.

Speaker 1

I worked thirty years, ninety four years in disastrous and but a beautiful journey. Yeah, like the families.

Speaker 2

And I think by having that, it just maybe I didn't have the sort of fire that I might have had, even though I kind of never wanted to be in that room.

Speaker 1

I went in that room. Really, I really didn't.

Speaker 6

Did you feel obliged?

Speaker 1

I felt my I mean, my parents like do what you want to do. I just I was good at it. And see that's the thing that Yeah.

Speaker 6

It came easy to you, easy both physically and.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and so I didn't I look back going God like.

Speaker 1

What would what would happen? Because you weren't basically in your family business too, you know you were.

Speaker 6

That's why I find it interesting. It's the it being easy, right, it's.

Speaker 3

In your bones, your bones, It's like, and you don't you almost don't have time to go hold on.

Speaker 6

This is one hundred percent. Oh do you know what? I love it enough to go into it. Yeah, that's very That's what I was asking. It's very interesting.

Speaker 2

Do you feel just theater folk verse film and television film?

Speaker 6

Yeah?

Speaker 1

Like the difference, I mean, like, is your vibe different?

Speaker 2

You like, you know, it's such a different Meetum, you know you're you're with theater people experience this live, you know, Cloie, you love theaterre Yeah, do.

Speaker 1

You know what?

Speaker 3

I was listening to M's one Emily Blues and I said something, Oh, she and I fell in love with each other nasively.

Speaker 6

We're both you know, kind of London.

Speaker 3

Sorry girls, she she said something very interesting that I hadn't actually thought about. You are in such a concentrated spotlight when you do like we did Full Guy together, or like Ted last you, or you're in such a concentrated spotlight.

Speaker 6

There are I feel like.

Speaker 3

I've taken into my life, maybe one or two people from each job. And that's not intentional, but you kind of all fall in love with each other, but it becomes apparent quite quickly the ones that you'll check in with always down the line.

Speaker 6

You know. It's a funny old thing because theater, there's.

Speaker 3

The obvious daily muscularity of you all have to pull together when the curtain goes off at seven point thirty. Everyone follow spot front of house, everyone, the orchestra, you all have to be there and everything. The thing I love about it, everything in everyone's life has to be put to.

Speaker 6

One side in the wings, in the box, and you pick it up afterwards.

Speaker 3

You might be able to see it in someone's eyes and you give them a squeeze on stage and you're like, it's fine, it's fine, I'll come and see you.

Speaker 6

With the interval and you'll have a squeeze, you had a shitty day. You know, there's that, But in general, you will leave everything to one side.

Speaker 3

Whereas when you're on a film set particularly, it is a far more singular lifestyle and you have this kind of full on immersive.

Speaker 1

Experience and we need one.

Speaker 6

And then you leave.

Speaker 3

Yeah. Yeah, And even though you are kind of in and out of each other's trailers, it's not the same as being backstage where you basically bed in. You know, you're like residents along with the mice, and there's far less higher army.

Speaker 6

Yeah that everyone knows. You've got to handle it like this otherwise you won't flush.

Speaker 3

But I love all of them. I love all of that, and I do miss it. But the thing I love about the film set is I was actually saying this more than ever on set with David leach m and Ryan. At one point I said, I love that we're all feeding off each other's wat ifs, because you're given far more of a carte blanche to explore each other, and you know, just add little bits in here in each of your what ifs, and then you act it on camera.

So it's a lot of singular people joining together in an explosive moment, whereas theater you are all like, you know your ropes, you know which one you're pulling, and you all pull together for a protracted period of time, you know. So just it's like getting on different animals and reminding yourself how that baby works.

Speaker 4

Thanks so much for joining us on Table for two.

Speaker 2

Our guest, Hannah Waddingham has had an incredibly wide way acting.

Speaker 8

Career, both in film and television and on stage, and she has played so many incredible characters, from the Wicked Witch of the West to Rebecca Welton and Ted Lasso.

Speaker 4

I'm curious how does she choose her roles.

Speaker 3

I like characters who I have to find something to love.

Speaker 6

I used to get quite.

Speaker 3

Offended that people would say that Rebecca Wilton is like the darl Vader of the thing.

Speaker 6

I was like, well, she's been massively wronged. What's your problem. Yeah, Yeah, it's interesting.

Speaker 3

And I mean maybe it's the gentle mind of a serial killer, that whole thing of like, oh no, but you've got to find the love for them and the love for that character, like that's on you.

Speaker 1

Yeah, okay, because you're a person in wild Yeah.

Speaker 6

I just signed off on something this morning which will be exciting.

Speaker 3

It a movie that I'm doing, And I basically sat down with the director and said, I really love the idea of working with you and the people that you're trying to assemble, but I I basically want to play this in the script because.

Speaker 6

It was too obvious. It was too you know, kind of curvy.

Speaker 3

Blondie busty, and so I've said I'm in if we can turn it on its head.

Speaker 2

Okay, So you bring up something that was on my mind, which is the objectification in like in being objectified.

Speaker 1

Yeah, I mean you're.

Speaker 2

Very beautiful, your everything that sort of classically gets objectified and hardy. Yeah, and recently you called journalist out for sort of and I think justifiably. So when I was watching E whatever the hell I was watching, and I was like, good for you, Hannah, I'm like, like.

Speaker 1

Hey, would you would you ask a guy like you know, you know, yeah?

Speaker 6

And it was disappointing because I've known him for twenty years.

Speaker 1

That's really disappointing. Really.

Speaker 6

That's why I was so disappointed because we've always had such a mutually.

Speaker 3

Beneficial relationship, always respectful, and I think I supp you know, to his credit. He emailed me afterwards and we got into it a bit, and I said, what on earth were you thinking? Not only had I been photographed, I was just about to host the whole of the Olivias.

Speaker 6

And I just had to perform. What on earth are you doing? You're better than that?

Speaker 3

And he just said, forgive me. I was over familiar for seconds, so I took it. But I did say to him, make no mistake, you cannot and must not ever man or woman, speak to anybody like that ever again. And it wasn't kind of actually what he said. It was his mannerism. He kind of went, I.

Speaker 1

Couldn't see that.

Speaker 3

No nobody saw that. That is an exclusive, my friend. But that made me go from nought to absolutely mental. And I'm actually quite absolutely let you.

Speaker 2

Get away with them?

Speaker 3

No, no, no, no no, And I'm nipping it in the bug because my daughter will be watching this.

Speaker 6

And I can't. I can't have it. I can't have it.

Speaker 3

It's just And then what actually surprised me more than anything, because I get it that he's trying to get his shot and he forgot himself for a moment.

Speaker 6

What I don't understand is the amount of unbelievably acidic comments I got online.

Speaker 3

From women, from women saying, oh you love the spotlight, you love it if you had a split in your skirt. No, no, no, it was a custom made, beautiful Marquesa gown where I'd very carefully said, let's have it mid thy and no further up. Beautiful, diaphanous, stunning gown made me by beautiful seamstresses. And to have people women women, Yeah, bad show man, and I'm such a girl's girl.

Speaker 6

That's what upset me. Yeah, I can deal with the photographer me and I fine.

Speaker 2

But that it's interesting that kind of goes in line with when people say, and I might be stretching in a little bit, when something.

Speaker 1

Happens to somebody, you get whistle that you get it. Oh well you deserved it because it was what you were worried.

Speaker 2

Yeah, or you get and that's no, no, no, no, no, yeah, whiffs of the accused, right exactly? If I have whiffs of the accused, do you have you come across that a lot.

Speaker 1

In your career?

Speaker 6

No, barre not No.

Speaker 3

I think I am constantly told that most men are scared of me. Why, I mean, I might, I mean it's such a silly egg you are.

Speaker 1

I don't get it. Are you in a relationship work now?

Speaker 6

I'm not.

Speaker 1

You need to sort that out.

Speaker 3

There's something that is a complete mystery to me. I am almost perpetually single and very broed of it.

Speaker 6

It just turn fifty and I'm not down with.

Speaker 5

Any Yes, look at you, well, look at you.

Speaker 6

He's being nice.

Speaker 1

Excuse me. It was fifty. Turning fifty in any way hard or no. I love it. I don't mind it.

Speaker 6

I love it.

Speaker 3

I think I've been so blessed by the arrival of my daughter into my life, and I know so many dear friends who haven't been able to have that.

Speaker 6

And I've also lost, either through illness or through not being able to.

Speaker 3

Cope with their world anymore, a lot of people that haven't made it to fifty.

Speaker 6

Wow. Right, So I went away on a trip and took my nearest and dearest with me, and on my.

Speaker 3

Fiftieth birthday, I said that to all of them, you know, the little group we had, that I'm so blessed.

Speaker 6

To have all of them.

Speaker 3

And I did get quite sad about the people I know who haven't made it to fifty. And you know, especially in this industry that can be so brutal. They've all been in this industry. I did raise a glass to them, and I didn't want to be morose on that day. But you do kind of reflect a lot, don't you, around your fiftiethly So I had an amazing day with my little girl, who turned ten five days previously, and you know, it's just me and her.

Speaker 6

We are a total little team. And I was totally cool it.

Speaker 3

I love that I'm exactly ten years sorry that I'm exactly forty years older than her, and we'll always have those stepping stones.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 3

I was sitting there at the dressing table and when I was thirty eight and literally thought, oh my.

Speaker 6

God, I've forgotten to have a child.

Speaker 3

Just suddenly, Yes, it's like my Obrey's when hello. And it felt like, you know, like in Moontielhood. It felt like I grabbed the last egg from underneath the door that was coming down, like his hat.

Speaker 6

I really didn't.

Speaker 1

I was like, Oh, that's that's the girl.

Speaker 6

I really really did.

Speaker 1

You played? Yeah, I mean you gorgeous.

Speaker 6

Well my mom kept saying yeah, and prosthetic nose and chin.

Speaker 3

My mom had always said, why do you why do you always covered up what you look like, why can't you just be you?

Speaker 6

And I'm like, because I don't need to be me. I'm me in life, I don't need to be me.

Speaker 3

In my work. And she's like, but why why do you Why don't you let people in my twenties and thirties, why don't you let people see how lovely you are? And I was like, because it's not fun. I love the fact that I was unrecognizable in a lot of my theater career, you know, like Into the Woods as well when they made when they sent me to get my prosthetic face done, I was like, I wanted to look like my skin is feeling off, like I've got like melted like a candle.

Speaker 6

And with the Wizard of Oz, I.

Speaker 3

Wanted to look exactly like because I was interested in Miss Gulch more than the than the Witch.

Speaker 6

Yeah, because she is the real person. She's the germ that Dorothy's terrified of, and the anything after that. I mean, I know it's the majority of the she know the majority of the film, but anything after that is Dorothy's nightmare. It's not the real person. So I wanted to look like Margaret Hamilton as the person.

Speaker 3

So when I came cycling on my bike, and I gotten to make me a bike so that I could have my back poker straight cycling from stage right to stage.

Speaker 6

Left, going a little children across the front of the stage. I wanted to look the dead spit of Margaret Hamilton. So my prosthetics were completely.

Speaker 3

You're right.

Speaker 1

I never thought about it, since the Wizard of Oz is really her dream. What is the inner life?

Speaker 3

Now?

Speaker 6

It has to come from the jam what has been her wounds and looe in her.

Speaker 3

So that goes back to the thing I say about I love a character because of how they've been wronged.

Speaker 6

She just doesn't want Dorothy to come in her garden with that pesky dog, with that pesky dog, that dirty dog out of my garden, young lady. You know that's what it comes from.

Speaker 3

So they even said to me, or we could have your your understudy play miss Guild so that you can be greening, and I was like, absolutely not, because it has to come from Dorothy's terror of this woman who is unyielding and unswerving.

Speaker 6

And then that's like a scene of one minute in thirty six seconds.

Speaker 3

I think it was.

Speaker 2

So that whole transition then to become the transition is fast, yeah, fast and furious, and especially on a two show day when you have to get all the green off.

Speaker 6

Right to go and play that germ of a woman for one minute thirty six back then.

Speaker 1

But you can see, you can feel, and I can hear the importance of.

Speaker 2

That to be in that it's all moment because without experiencing that in the show, the other piece, you're missing that.

Speaker 6

Yes, I get it exactly.

Speaker 3

And I think they thought I was insane that I that I wanted to play both parts, and they were like, but no one's ever going to know, because there's prosthetics.

Speaker 6

And I was like, i'll know, I'll know.

Speaker 3

I don't care if I'm the last person to leave, which I was every night, the last person to leave.

Speaker 6

Running for my train. And I try and tell my daughter this now she goes, oh, Mommy, I want to be like you.

Speaker 3

I want to do I want to do this, and then I want to go into screenwork and that, and I always say, my girl, you see Mammy going on in a strampsy Mercedes. But for twenty five years I was on stage wondering if I'd make my last train, and how was I going to afford.

Speaker 6

To get back in a car if I if I'm miss that's my last strength.

Speaker 4

Yeah, welcome back to Table for two.

Speaker 8

Although Hannah is now part of an acclaimed television show and is quickly becoming a fixture on the silver screen, it all comes back to her earlier career in theater.

Speaker 4

I'd love to know what she holds DearS from her time on stage, just.

Speaker 2

To sort of name, I mean, the Olivia Woard, the International Film Festival, the Sad Critics Choice, Hollywood Critics Sturres.

Speaker 1

You know people have watched you.

Speaker 2

I mean, I mean I'm talking it's like fifteen there's a million nominations or wins.

Speaker 1

Yeah, and I not that that is what it's about. But it's important, I think sometimes to know that you're being acknowledged for your war. Yes, from your peers and from.

Speaker 6

Yeah, it really is. And you you can't get caught up with that.

Speaker 3

But when you know what's gone into getting you there's It's why I stood up and an accidentally the words that fell out of my mouth in my Amy acceptance speech when I just said, please give theater people a chance, because we won't let you down.

Speaker 6

It's true even now I could get a motion about.

Speaker 3

It because being overlooked for so long, people going, oh, but you you do this singing thing. People have no idea that people in theater don't get into it for fame or money. They love playing characters. They love you know, like I always say to myself, fleshing out the bag, like every single corner, can you can you? Can you flesh out that character anymore?

Speaker 1

Can you?

Speaker 3

Is there is there a bit of where where the bag is deflating, you flesh that out with some part of something for that character.

Speaker 6

Theater people do that, and I just it.

Speaker 3

Just fell out of my face to say it in that moment that you get more theater people must be seen on screen because they're just so.

Speaker 6

In love with character. And like you're saying, it's relationships and theater people love relationships. They love just nudging anything you can eke.

Speaker 3

Out of it.

Speaker 2

So I mean it sounds like I mean, and I'm just going to talk about it, but you have like you're very physical in your work, and that seems like it's something that you enjoy, like, you know, using your body.

Speaker 6

It's no separation.

Speaker 1

Prop and it shows you know.

Speaker 2

And we also talked about which I love the sort of playing the boss like villain's but it's a surprise when did you go?

Speaker 1

Okay, the transitions start to happen from the theater world into the You know, I was a big fan of sex education and lasso you You've done a number of Why did that?

Speaker 6

I I kind of yeah, it wasn't a curve, to be honest, not for me anyway.

Speaker 5

I was.

Speaker 3

I the last theater show I did, I was Lily Vanessa and because we got at the Old VIC which I loved, I love, I love it.

Speaker 6

But I knew that I had wanted a I had wanted to spread my wings and just dip my toe a lot earlier than I was being allowed to. Like I say, I had that constant thing for I suppose I did like ten years straight in theater and then I started the toe dipping. But the dips weren't being accepted because they.

Speaker 3

Were like, well, you're a theater girl, and I was like, no, no, no, I'm just I'm just an actor and a singer.

Speaker 6

Why are you doing that?

Speaker 3

And the worst thing was, at the time my agents were doing and I had a meeting with them and they went, well, but what do you want to promote you as this or that, and I was like, what if we're having this conversation with one hundred percent done, don't limit me or you like that.

Speaker 6

So I started doing bits and pieces of television, and then.

Speaker 3

It got to the point where I was just like, I'm sick and tired of always feeding into someone else's narrative.

Speaker 6

I'm sick and tired of being grateful as a theater girl getting one scene in this and one scene in that. I know they're going to get you to do this, and they're going to know.

Speaker 3

So I said, I went completely cold turkey, and I said to my team at the time, thank you, darling.

Speaker 6

She's so pretty that pleas of brose. Look at it sitting there all bless you, sir, thank you lovely quick Ding quick Ding critic. Of course, I can't drink if we haven't clams.

Speaker 3

So I said to my dream I'm not doing these one scenes anymore. And they at the time that set of agents. And I'm saying this on purpose so that anyone listening who's an actor and feels limited by their agents, we forget that we also have a massive voice in that.

Speaker 6

And they do work for you.

Speaker 3

And when you find great ones like I have now. It is a complete and utter marriage. But coming up through the ranks too much, and I know friends that felt the same. You feel beholden to the opinion of your agents and just grateful for whatever you get. At some point that has to fucking stop, you know, and you have to know your worth. And there's nothing wrong. This is something I've learned from coming to America. There is a big difference between arrogance and knowing your worth.

And in Britain, I think often people aren't encouraged to know their own worth, you know. And so I said to them, I'm not doing those anymore. And they went, well, you probably won't get any screamwork them because you're not as known. I was like, I'm not as known because I'm not doing enough on screen. It's like chicken in the egg. So I went cold turkey.

Speaker 1

And then I.

Speaker 3

Darren Litton, who is the writer of benadorma It Too Big ITV comedy series, basically said to I TV, I want her for this part. They said, oh, she's not known on TV, and he was like, we'll make her known.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 6

And I was doing theater at the time, and so I really.

Speaker 3

Thank him for that because it was a bit of a calling card for me and it and it helped me kind of hone that different muscle on screen. And then after that, I fell pregnant with my daughter. And the next thing, the next audition after that was a little known sow called Game of Thrones.

Speaker 1

And come on now, and it's so interesting. So like someone's first, I need your is to keep you in the box. Yeah, no, no, no, no, she's not known on TV.

Speaker 3

So now, yeah, she's too big, she's she's too big, she's too facial expressions, favorite expressions are hYP too big.

Speaker 6

And I've talked about it quite a lot.

Speaker 3

At drama school in a screenwork lesson to the teacher who shall remain nameless, otherwise I feel like the hounds will set upon her. Said, you see, Hannah will never work in on screen because one side of her face looks like she's had a stroke.

Speaker 6

What So for years I didn't even audition for anything.

Speaker 2

That's horrible and me and not it's just horrible and nasal effect from yeah, well that could start a young person or anybody.

Speaker 1

Yeah.

Speaker 6

I didn't order for anything on screen for several years. Wow, she says, drinking a large gold pat.

Speaker 1

It's just devastating, Like that's devastating.

Speaker 6

And also sucute.

Speaker 1

Guess who's having the last last? We're all work more than did you realize? Oh, I'm in the m I'm in the room.

Speaker 6

Because I love the fact that the character is almost mute, and even.

Speaker 3

When you do speak, it's almost non stella. And I fed off that and in my head I just went you wept because this is a tiny, tiny part, but I've got this and I loved it.

Speaker 6

I love that part. I love the fact that.

Speaker 9

I'm scrubbed, no finery, no juicy, lovely golden beauty lamps, stripped bear, and I honestly.

Speaker 6

I wish I could have made that longer because.

Speaker 3

It's so different from who I am, how rhythms and vibrations so different from me. And I loved it and I'm crave playing something like that again. Completely stripped back, pause, every pore of you on show.

Speaker 1

That's amazing.

Speaker 6

So I have no vanity on screen at all, It's amazing if it requires it. Obviously, we all want.

Speaker 3

To look nice, and as you get older, you're like you're going up to the DP and you're like, give it lives.

Speaker 6

But if it's a part that requires it. I was like, no, no, no, do more.

Speaker 3

Put the light above my head so that you see every single bag I've got, because she's been you know, flagellating in the cell.

Speaker 6

And secretly fancies the high Sparrow.

Speaker 1

That's wild and then of course on last so you're glamor she is.

Speaker 3

But I used to love the bits like I had quite a if you won't my me saying my hair and makeup on is from the ante Lasso. There's a bit when I'm lying in bed with Tahim's character Sam Abusanye, and I was like, no, it's they're waking up together.

Speaker 6

I don't want any makeup on in real life. Well no, no, no, you need to.

Speaker 3

It needs to be like the no makeup makeup And I was like, no, I don't know. I don't want anything. And it kind of went up to the powers that be. They were like, hand I the one to wear any magar because I want her to be approachable and I want her to be somebody that I know that everyone was rooting for.

Speaker 6

Rebecca Wilton and I take up very seriously, and I thought, I just want everyone to see her. It's like I said, like pause, and all walks in all.

Speaker 3

And that's why I like every character, because your vulnerability is so close to your greater strength.

Speaker 2

And I'll tell you, when you do see that, people wake up in bed and the lammed out. You as an audience, you will switch out to switch off. You're like, you't wave stuff like that.

Speaker 3

It's something so much more sexy hot about the fact that she's clearly like, wait, I had a great night, right.

Speaker 6

You know it's not it's and I love that I'm like that And that does come from theater as well, do you.

Speaker 1

So, what were your thoughts going into well, the last season, because maybe there'll be a season four. It's sort of being rumor that there's a season for all. I don't know. You keep drinking Rose Tony, we need the bottle.

Speaker 6

I don't know. All I do know is that Rebecca Welton has gone nowhere out of my heart.

Speaker 1

Well, let me tell you that was so that last moment with you and the last show was very emotional.

Speaker 2

Yeah, and then when you look down and you see the little girl and you look up, it's all about love.

Speaker 1

All of a sudden you realize, oh, this show is about love, It's about connection. It's about the guys discovering each.

Speaker 6

Other, about seeing each other. Everyone's see see each other's phone. It's really when you look up at the hot touch, I mean hello, thank you?

Speaker 1

Yes, I know. I mean I'm like, oh, so distracted, this is going to happen.

Speaker 6

How you can tell him read hot? That's so hard, I mean sprung, so.

Speaker 1

I've read.

Speaker 6

I love that. You just made yourself.

Speaker 1

A little girl handing up. I know, I know him is like great, do you.

Speaker 2

So this is potentially contingent on the American actors like that, the British actors, the contracts.

Speaker 1

Like there's a possibility that could be a four.

Speaker 6

Think it's a possibility. I've been reading in the press as much as anyone.

Speaker 1

I mean, John, I mean, life is short, Ted last.

Speaker 6

People who knows. All I know is that writer's read were a writer's room of champions, magnificent.

Speaker 1

Writers could.

Speaker 6

And it spoils you for all other work because.

Speaker 3

Now, and I'm really glad about it. Actually now, unless unless I receive a script that pushes and pulls me as.

Speaker 6

Much as Ted did.

Speaker 3

I mean, you could be in one scene and almost with one sentence full of people's heart strings and then had them laughing, like smack them around the face with a gag.

Speaker 6

And I've never known anything like it.

Speaker 3

And the beauty of that writer's room was it was full, jam packed full of the male feminists interesting and you can see it in the writing all over the place and the people that they pulled together.

Speaker 6

If you think about it, myself.

Speaker 3

And Juno as the main female players in it, we never once felt dominated by all our men folk. It was the most beautiful.

Speaker 6

Five years of my work in life.

Speaker 2

Really see that with the chure, their voice, their strange Yeah, five.

Speaker 6

Years total and utter never ended.

Speaker 4

Bliss.

Speaker 3

Do you know what I why I always have the dream I have in this in this hotel. They know I'm like a homing pigeon for my same suite because it's where Oh my god, my brain's just farted. That's the rose Iggy.

Speaker 6

How can I forget his name? He tried several times to leap out of the window when he was stone out of his mind and the ambulments had to be called.

Speaker 1

And it's a total sexy rack.

Speaker 6

Yeah, he tried to dive into the floor.

Speaker 1

He wanted to dive into this try.

Speaker 6

It was trying to that. It was like like you know, because it was a little bit in a mind altered state. He was just trying out and they had to call that, Yeah, what is.

Speaker 1

A movie that influenced you? Or actress?

Speaker 6

Or Carol Burnett?

Speaker 3

Annie, And I've been quite vocal about it because last last Emmy's I met her and literally my legs went and it was amazing because as she kind of scooped me up on the floor, she told me she was a fan of my work, and I just thought, what the hell? So the triumvirate of Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters and Tim Curry doing Easy Street, that magnificent number, which I heard later from Tim they ended up choreographing and directing themselves really, which.

Speaker 6

Adds to it for me knowing that from him. Two have you know, worked with Tim Curri and spam a lot to have had that with Carol. And then I tried to get.

Speaker 3

And Adebt to sing with me on my Chroyston special and she couldn't make it, but she sent me the most beautiful email saying we need to we need to circle back to each other, those three people who'd had such a massive effect on me, that whole thing of like doing everything like you said about being muscular and using your body. I never see any divide, even in the Fall Guy.

Speaker 6

If they had said this is not gonna be.

Speaker 3

A musical number, I can find a way to get through to that and back and even ted, you know, because there is so much music in life all the time anyway.

Speaker 6

And rhythm and all of it. So I've never really understood.

Speaker 3

The whole thing of oh it's just a play, or oh it's a film without music, or oh it's a musical, or I don't I feel like.

Speaker 6

It should all bleed in and you should just have the tools ready.

Speaker 1

Mission and Bossable, it's coming our way, sir. What's so?

Speaker 6

I went out in Australia, in the middle of street in Corway.

Speaker 3

I got a phone call from my agent saying, are you okay with literally coming home to London and packing the case and getting on a flight to be a mission?

Speaker 6

And I went, what's mission? Thinking it was a movie or a TV series called Mission? And he went, knows Mission impossible? And I of course went and he said, no, we'd like to set up a call with you and Christmas Quarry.

Speaker 3

Now, you know, people hear me talk wax lyrical about the kind thoughtful soul that is Tom Cruise.

Speaker 6

Let me talk about Christmas Quarry.

Speaker 3

That man wrote the usual suspects of people, the greatest twists great. So he and I got on a zoom and I think Chris realized very quickly that I'm a total geek, Like you're a hot weirdo, I'm an absolute geek.

Speaker 6

I'm a geek. And then some so I turn up.

Speaker 3

I meet him and Tom on the runway in Bari getting onto an osprey.

Speaker 6

To be taken.

Speaker 3

We could only have like all of us, including Miss t all of us had to have like the bare minimum stuff because of us and a skeleton crew.

Speaker 6

Were going onto the George W.

Speaker 3

Bush Fighter camera being allowed on for five days with four and a half thousand serving naval men and women on the ship working us getting in their way, and day and night, I was up on the deck with my high vis jacket and my defenders on my hard hat, filming all of the FA teens taking off and landing day and night, to the point where I think I probably I feel like I had like four hours sleep for five days just and Chris was just like, we had no idea, You're such a geek.

Speaker 6

I was so heavily into it.

Speaker 3

I don't think I'm allowed to say what I play, but anyone that knows me will think it's hilarious.

Speaker 6

When I played, because she's really high.

Speaker 3

Powered and importance, and if I was actually playing that part in real life, they'd be absolutely chaos.

Speaker 1

The Christmas the movie.

Speaker 6

No, I think we will do. I think we're doing the press junket. I'm going to try and be kind of the press junket in May.

Speaker 1

I think so. Yeah, I think that the road the next chapter, it was a big chapter. I find it's a big chapter for you, I hope. So it's a big chapter. You've earned it, You've worked at your.

Speaker 6

Yeah, I really have. I really have worked for it.

Speaker 3

And it's really lovely that I'm just about to spend the next five months with Lady miss Oh out in Prague shooting our new series together.

Speaker 6

And it's lovely to be in awe of her, but.

Speaker 3

To feel like I've earned standing shoulder to shoulder, it's not some nice feelings.

Speaker 1

Of your.

Speaker 4

Enjoy everybody.

Speaker 1

Thank you for joining.

Speaker 6

One second. One second, yes, thank you.

Speaker 1

For pulling up a chair.

Speaker 5

I love our launches, and never forget the romance of a Meal. If you enjoy the show, please tell a friend and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Table for two with Bruce Bosi is produced by iHeartRadio seven three seven Part and Airmail. Our executive producers are Bruce Bosi Nathan King. Our supervising producer is Dylan Fagan. Our editors are Vincent to Johnny and Cas B Bias. Table

for two is researched and written by Maax Sullivan. Our sound engineers are Meil B. Klein, Jess Krainich, Evan Taylor, and Jesse fun Our music supervisor is Randall Poster. Our talent booking is done by Jane Sarkin. Table for two Social media manager is Gracie Wiener. Special thanks to Amy Sugarman, Uni Scherer, Kevin Yuvane, Bobby Bauer, Alison Kanter Graber. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

Transcript source: Provided by creator in RSS feed: download file
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android
Open in Metacast