WEBVTT - Ep76 - Toni Collette / "Hereditary" 0:00:00.040 --> 0:00:20.120 M h. You're listening to Playback, a Variety I Heart 0:00:20.200 --> 0:00:23.759 Radio podcast. I'm your host, Variety Awards editor Chris Tapley. 0:00:24.280 --> 0:00:27.120 Today I'm talking to Oscar nominated actress Toni Collette, who 0:00:27.160 --> 0:00:29.440 stars in the new film Hereditary. And if you like 0:00:29.560 --> 0:00:33.440 scary movies, this one is for you. It's absolutely terrifying. 0:00:34.080 --> 0:00:36.319 But she is truly amazing in the film, and it's 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:39.000 a reminder that she is one of our greats. So 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:40.760 we talked about that and what it took for her 0:00:40.800 --> 0:00:42.320 to get to some of the places she does in 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:45.680 the film, and a whole lot more so. Sit tight. 0:00:46.240 --> 0:01:06.520 This is playback, same thing, every day, same thing, every 0:01:06.600 --> 0:01:11.640 day for several years. Really, what is it? Um, It's 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:13.880 a couple of boiled eggs and some gluten free to hoast. 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:18.440 It's some avocado. What about you? Changes every day? Change? 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:23.759 You're fascinated by having like a strict breakfast regiment. It's 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:25.440 not street, It's just I love it. It's just what 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:29.000 you like. Sometimes I include salt and butter, which is delicious. 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:35.520 And my husband makes an incredible hot sauce. What is it? 0:01:37.120 --> 0:01:40.520 What does he put his hots aus It's a secret, okay, 0:01:41.680 --> 0:01:46.800 secret recipe. You're good, Dan, I am good, sweet, thank you, 0:01:47.680 --> 0:01:49.880 thank you. I have a great one. And see you. 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:54.040 What did I have today? I had a shake? You 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:59.840 recorded it. No, no, it's not like what did I 0:01:59.880 --> 0:02:05.080 have my check count? Frozen banana. It's some frozen blueberries 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:12.079 in there. Frozen blueberries, little almond, butter, spinach. That sounds good. 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:13.480 All the stuff that I'm just not going to get 0:02:13.480 --> 0:02:17.160 to otherwise throughout the day. Perfect you want to close, 0:02:17.480 --> 0:02:22.239 just crack it a little bit. That's all right. I 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:30.720 must seem so demanding for you. You're fine, honey. But 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:33.840 we are recording and we're gonna jump in. I'm here 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:37.640 today with Tony Collette, star of Hereditary, which scared the 0:02:37.639 --> 0:02:40.880 poop out of me in Sundance, which she says she's 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:42.560 heard a lot lately. First of all, thank you for 0:02:42.560 --> 0:02:45.080 doing the show. So you're hearing that a lot people 0:02:45.120 --> 0:02:50.160 are frightened by your work here intensely intimidated and frightened 0:02:50.240 --> 0:02:53.080 five minutes ago. Yeah, I mean it is pretty confronting. 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:57.040 There's nothing it's quite yeah, it's quite ballsy, fearless. It 0:02:57.080 --> 0:03:01.200 goes to places, um, most films that want to do 0:03:01.320 --> 0:03:04.919 well kind of stare away from and it has. It 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:09.200 has a lot of surprises, but not in a gratuitous, 0:03:09.280 --> 0:03:15.480 kind of sensationalized way. M Absolutely, it's ah as I 0:03:15.520 --> 0:03:17.920 was telling you right before the show. I went to 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:19.720 sundanswer for the second half of the First of all, 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:22.640 I didn't know anything about the movie. I recommend anyone 0:03:22.680 --> 0:03:25.400 that goes to see it you don't read about try 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:26.919 not to read about it. I think that's the same 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:28.880 for every film. I'd rather not know a thing, but 0:03:29.600 --> 0:03:31.400 certainly with this one for sure. Yeah, we're going to 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:32.760 get into that in a minute, but I wanted to 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:34.880 jump back and play a little bit of this is 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:37.960 your life with you a couple of those questions, just 0:03:38.080 --> 0:03:42.640 curious while you're an actress, like we'll start again. To 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.760 be honest, I think it started because I didn't know 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.360 how to express myself very well, and I felt pretty 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:52.440 overwhelmed by my emotions. I was a teenager, my grandmother 0:03:52.480 --> 0:03:56.800 had just died, and I did god'spell at school. So 0:03:57.120 --> 0:03:59.120 a I got to hang out with the guys in 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:02.840 the school next ll be, I got to sing, see, 0:04:02.960 --> 0:04:06.240 I got to emote. It was expected of me, and 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:08.760 it's so it became like an outlet and I think 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:12.080 um for a while, it kind of used it as such, 0:04:12.240 --> 0:04:15.360 and then my relationship with acting has changed and deepened, 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:19.080 and that's interesting, so a very personal reason. Well, this 0:04:19.160 --> 0:04:21.360 is what I'm did you say? I mean, I'm only 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:24.360 I'm trying to figure it out still because it's kind 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:29.560 of I think if you you know, actors with right intention, um, 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:33.880 there's like an inevitability to it. There's like you have 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:37.480 there's a feeling of like a knowledge that this is 0:04:37.520 --> 0:04:41.479 what you need to do. It's strange, UM, but I 0:04:41.520 --> 0:04:43.800 suppose with anyone who feels passionate about what they do, 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:46.720 they have that kind of feeling and it's hard to 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:48.800 explain and it's hard to kind of figure out the 0:04:48.800 --> 0:04:52.120 genesis of it. But I think that that was well, 0:04:52.120 --> 0:04:53.880 that was the first time I was on stage apart 0:04:53.880 --> 0:04:58.120 from you know, dance recitals from the age of three, UM, 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:00.400 and it was it felt really profound, and even at 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:04.120 the age of fourteen, I think I can't remember exactly 0:05:04.160 --> 0:05:07.560 exactly what AGA was. Um, it felt special and profound, 0:05:07.680 --> 0:05:10.360 and it helped me connect to myself and it still 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:14.800 does do that. That's awesome. Well, you know, were there 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:19.120 any like inspirations like um, you know, it's interesting to me. 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:21.279 This is a very personal reason to get involved in 0:05:21.320 --> 0:05:25.160 the in the profession. A lot of times it's like, Oh, 0:05:25.400 --> 0:05:27.120 I saw so and so in a movie or so 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:28.480 and so on stage, and I felt like I had 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:30.440 to do that, But later on did that kind of 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:32.680 I mean, certainly they were. I don't know. I've never 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:34.800 had and I have been asked this before, like who 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:37.360 do you love to who's your idol? And I I don't. 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:39.640 I don't there. You know, there are people whom I 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:43.440 admire and whose work is really outstanding, but there's no 0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:47.880 one person that inspires me or that I try to 0:05:48.480 --> 0:05:51.920 emulate or try to mimic what they've created. I think 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:55.680 we each have our own path in life, and um 0:05:55.720 --> 0:05:57.920 it's not even that. Honestly, I still don't even have 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:00.599 some grand plan and thinks it's what really just putting 0:06:00.600 --> 0:06:02.160 one foot in front of the other. I didn't think 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:04.760 I would have a career. I just really enjoyed acting, 0:06:04.880 --> 0:06:07.840 and actually I still feel the same way. It's just 0:06:07.920 --> 0:06:12.080 something that I love to do and it helps me 0:06:12.120 --> 0:06:15.000 to learn. It makes me see life from many different 0:06:15.000 --> 0:06:19.479 perspectives through the many different characters, and um so in 0:06:19.520 --> 0:06:21.320 a way it kind of. I don't know. It keeps 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:26.039 me learning, and I think that's important to maintain a 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:29.560 curious mindset. Is the escape of it all appealing or 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:33.159 is that sort of a cliche? Well, like I said, well, 0:06:33.200 --> 0:06:35.599 maybe it's a double edged sword, because not even a sword. 0:06:35.680 --> 0:06:41.600 Maybe it's a case of both connecting with myself more 0:06:41.640 --> 0:06:45.440 deeply because I'm using myself to to bring some kind 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:48.279 of truth to someone else's story. But also also it 0:06:48.440 --> 0:06:53.880 is probably perhaps um at times, moving away from myself 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.520 and deepening someone else's story. But I'm pretty sure it's both, 0:06:57.560 --> 0:06:59.560 And I'm not sure if the balance or the ratio, 0:07:00.200 --> 0:07:02.440 and it probably differs from job to job and character 0:07:02.480 --> 0:07:05.520 to character. Yeah, well let's start talking about this one. 0:07:06.000 --> 0:07:07.919 You know, as I said, very scary. How did it 0:07:07.960 --> 0:07:10.320 read on the page? Did it read haunting and scary 0:07:10.360 --> 0:07:14.160 on the page? It just felt heavy? I mean I 0:07:14.200 --> 0:07:19.480 had explicitly said to my representation, I do not want 0:07:19.480 --> 0:07:21.960 to do anything heavy. I just wanted to make funny 0:07:22.000 --> 0:07:24.160 movies and I wanted to be like for a while, 0:07:24.200 --> 0:07:26.320 because I've done a few jobs that was started, it 0:07:26.360 --> 0:07:28.240 felt like it was starting to kind of accumulate, and 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:37.640 I just wanted to shake it off, Taylor. Sorry, she 0:07:37.720 --> 0:07:40.400 was impressive. Actually, I've never seen her. I had seen 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:44.200 her play before, ironically at at some festival in Sydney 0:07:44.240 --> 0:07:46.400 many years ago, when she was very different to how 0:07:46.400 --> 0:07:48.800 she is now. Yeah, it's a funny thing she's doing. 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.880 She's kind of straddling this kind of new emerging self 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:54.080 of hers but still really appealing to the ten year 0:07:54.080 --> 0:07:56.040 olds in the audience. That's going to be a tricky 0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:57.600 line to war. Yeah, but she did it. She's so 0:07:57.720 --> 0:08:02.600 positive and she smiles and is pretty impressive. Anyway. Um, 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:07.440 we were talking about how it read on the page, 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:09.120 and you didn't want to do anything heavy. So I 0:08:09.160 --> 0:08:11.960 was doing a somewhat light film. I was shooting in Paris, 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:13.560 I was in a different times on. I got this 0:08:13.640 --> 0:08:16.240 call and I was and my agent said, I know 0:08:16.320 --> 0:08:18.400 he didn't want to read anything. I'm not interested in 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:20.000 anything like this, but I really think you should take 0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:23.560 a look at it. So, you know, I listened and 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:27.280 I read it and I couldn't stop reading it. And 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:35.440 and it's it's a deep, profound, somewhat emotionally heavy, revelatory, 0:08:35.600 --> 0:08:42.400 highly original screenplay slash now film. Um. And then after 0:08:42.520 --> 0:08:44.640 we you know, I called my agent back, and I 0:08:44.679 --> 0:08:48.160 was like, because I knew I had to do it. 0:08:48.280 --> 0:08:52.000 There's just something in me that it was undeniable material. 0:08:52.080 --> 0:08:55.280 I had to do it. It spoke to me somehow 0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:59.319 on in a deep way. Um. And then did you 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:01.280 come to Ori the director, saying I want to do this? 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:03.800 He didn't know. I said I really liked it and 0:09:03.840 --> 0:09:06.000 I wanted to meet him, and so we met in 0:09:06.160 --> 0:09:08.719 back when I was back in l A. And I 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:12.960 don't know if you've met him, but spoke on the phone. Okay, Um, 0:09:13.040 --> 0:09:15.959 he is incredibly articulate. I'm sure you would have heard that, 0:09:16.320 --> 0:09:19.680 but he's everything about this man, and his process is 0:09:19.760 --> 0:09:24.560 so thoughtful and so considered and very meticulously specific. So 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:27.000 I felt immediately that he knew what he was doing. 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:29.640 And I'm pretty sure maybe even years before we even 0:09:29.640 --> 0:09:31.480 stepped on set, he knew what he was going to do, 0:09:31.559 --> 0:09:36.240 shot for shot, cutting points, every single nuance. So I 0:09:36.280 --> 0:09:38.400 get really excited when I find somebody like that to 0:09:38.400 --> 0:09:40.320 work with, who's very much at the helm of their 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:44.160 own story, has an absolute vision and it's still willing 0:09:44.200 --> 0:09:48.720 to collaborate and is just as married to the material 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:50.480 as you are. Because as an actor, you know, you're 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:52.840 putting it out there, and there's a certain amount of vulnerability, 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:56.160 and you want to know that you're someone meeting you. 0:09:56.160 --> 0:09:58.480 You know, there's a sense of support, and he was 0:09:58.520 --> 0:10:01.920 all of those things and um, and he's also one 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:04.160 of the kindest people I've ever worked with. He really is. 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:08.160 That's always helpful. Yes, it is. I agree that you 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:10.600 make a point there. It's interesting to me sometimes how 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:13.600 actors respond to filmmakers. You know, they're filmmakers who go 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:15.480 in and they'll just kind of spray everything, they'll shoot 0:10:15.480 --> 0:10:17.720 it all and they'll try to find things later. And 0:10:18.040 --> 0:10:21.040 we're very experimental, and then their directors are obviously going 0:10:21.040 --> 0:10:23.760 with a very definitive division each shod so you kind 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:30.120 of prefer the latter, I guess. Um. I really am 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:33.480 not specific about that per se. It's just more a 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:38.080 matter of them being completely completely immersed and dedicated and 0:10:38.120 --> 0:10:41.040 being in it as deeply as I am, so that 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:46.320 it doesn't feel so alone alone. Yeah, really, that's it. Yeah, 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:48.920 I think that's the difference between a because then he 0:10:48.960 --> 0:10:50.840 knows when he can see when I'm on it, and 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:53.920 he'll he will step back. He doesn't kind of get 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:57.040 you know, when it's there's one scene towards the end 0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:59.160 of the film which was shot towards the end of 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:05.800 the the shoot itself, and you know, every single utterance 0:11:05.880 --> 0:11:08.560 was specific, but in this one particular scene it kind 0:11:08.559 --> 0:11:11.440 of just needed to take on its own energy. I 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:13.240 think I did it once and I just knew it 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:16.040 wasn't right, and there was gonna it was gonna be 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:18.200 this one very long shot and then there was going 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:22.040 to be a bit more slightly more traditional coverage, which 0:11:22.080 --> 0:11:23.680 is there is not much of in this film, which 0:11:23.679 --> 0:11:29.480 is quite admirable. Um, And so I just thought, I 0:11:29.520 --> 0:11:31.520 don't know, it was kind of a case of throughout 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:35.319 the whole film, I just had to do it. I 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:37.800 kind of resisted it until I really had to do it, 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:39.840 and then in that moment, I was just like, funk it, 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:42.640 I've got to do it. And so I just let 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:47.480 everything go, let it happen. And he responded to what 0:11:47.520 --> 0:11:51.720 I did so um incredibly, he just decided to He 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:53.200 was like, we don't need anything else, so he just 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:55.000 moved on and left the scene alone. And it's a 0:11:55.040 --> 0:11:59.559 really big scene. It's all in one shot now, So 0:11:59.800 --> 0:12:02.079 that was that was that was exciting, and also I 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:04.320 think when you really really get it and it's really 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:09.079 really real and in the gut, Um, you can't do 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:12.160 it twice. It's a moment in time and I was 0:12:13.040 --> 0:12:17.160 I just loved that he left. Which scene was that, Um, 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:20.199 there's a scene at the end where I'm begging my 0:12:20.280 --> 0:12:24.440 husband by the beautiful guy real learned to do something 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:29.920 unimaginable and pretty much I'm kind of, you know, explaining 0:12:29.920 --> 0:12:32.600 how much I love him and how I need to 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:36.120 sacrifice a lot of things and trying to get him 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:38.480 to help me. I want to make sure you're talking 0:12:38.480 --> 0:12:40.920 about the table scene, because the table scene, which is 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:43.800 obviously very explosive and was well used during Mother's Day 0:12:43.880 --> 0:12:50.280 during the marketing, that was, Oh my god, it was perfect. 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:53.800 But I did talk to him on the phone of 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:57.240 a while back and he had mentioned there was during 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:58.520 that scene. He was like, I knew I had it 0:12:58.559 --> 0:13:00.800 pretty early, but I just wanted to boil myself with 0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:06.760 more tony little ship. It was funny around that that 0:13:06.800 --> 0:13:10.640 particular dinner table scene. Um, there was an air of 0:13:10.679 --> 0:13:13.280 it being like something people had to kind of tread 0:13:13.320 --> 0:13:15.480 on eggshells around, But I didn't feel that way. It was. 0:13:15.720 --> 0:13:18.200 It all felt like that to me. So when that 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:20.720 scene came up, I could kind of feel everyone treading 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:24.079 lightly and being you know, and I was like, guys, 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:27.320 come on, that's just it's just another scene. And I yeah, 0:13:27.320 --> 0:13:31.319 I just I guess, um, well, they're watching. If you 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:33.920 if you start to imagine that somethings are more important 0:13:34.000 --> 0:13:36.040 or bigger or whatever than others, it's too much pressure. 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:38.880 It's all just got to be equal. That makes sense. 0:13:39.800 --> 0:13:41.840 I mean, they're sitting there watching you go to these 0:13:41.960 --> 0:13:44.240 really intense places throughout the movie, so they you know, 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:47.320 scene pops for them. And he did mention that everyone 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:49.560 was kind of waiting on that scene to play out. 0:13:50.120 --> 0:13:51.680 Like I said, you go to a very dark place. 0:13:51.720 --> 0:13:53.520 It's very wicked. Just I don't even I don't know 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:55.720 how to adequately ask you this, But how do you 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.320 get to that place where you're literally scaring me on 0:13:59.360 --> 0:14:01.760 screen with your form. It's not not with what happens 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:04.200 toward me in the movie, but just like just where 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:07.120 you're at emotionally, it's so intense and I just I 0:14:07.240 --> 0:14:08.719 marvel at it. I don't know how to explain what 0:14:08.760 --> 0:14:10.480 I'm saying, But how do you get to that police 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:15.360 for this movie? Um? You know, usually when you start 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:18.280 a movie, the first few days at least there are 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:22.200 lighter scenes with few less dialogue, if any dialogue at all. 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:27.040 And I turned up and had to go straight into 0:14:27.120 --> 0:14:29.800 some of the most intensely emotional stuff I've ever had 0:14:29.840 --> 0:14:33.640 to do, with loads of dialogue and at crazy house 0:14:33.720 --> 0:14:36.520 of the day and night. And I think it was 0:14:36.560 --> 0:14:38.720 just a matter of accepting that this is what it was. 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:41.920 I just had to I just had to show up, 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:43.920 and I had to do it. I had no choice. 0:14:44.000 --> 0:14:45.680 I kind of, you know, I knew I really read it. 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:49.200 I'd spoken to Ari. We've had you know, conversations at length, 0:14:49.240 --> 0:14:52.440 a couple of times, we had a small rehearsal period 0:14:52.440 --> 0:14:59.000 with the kids, and um, I you know this. I 0:14:59.040 --> 0:15:01.440 think it always helps when script is brilliant, and it 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:05.520 really really was. Um And you know, it's an actor's 0:15:05.600 --> 0:15:09.000 job to make something feel truthful, and as you see, 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:11.120 it is how I read it. So I just, you know, 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.840 went for it. I think all actors want a chance there. 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:17.720 You know, you're only ever as good as the opportunity 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:20.080 you're given. And I feel like Ari just wrote something 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:23.360 so so incredible I would have been addict not but 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:26.920 it in you know, like, um, what an opportunity. It 0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:30.880 was really an amazing, amazing gift. I can't believe he 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:37.040 sorry chose me, like all the curse words possible. Um yeah, 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:41.760 I feel incredibly lucky and just dark and heavy and 0:15:42.080 --> 0:15:46.680 intensely exhausting than it was. It was somehow very very satisfying. 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:52.920 The family dynamic is you know, do you drawn personal 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:54.920 stuff for something like that? I mean, just you know 0:15:55.160 --> 0:16:01.480 that always feels wrong, It always feels too. I mean, 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:04.680 I think all actors somehow do use all of their 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.560 experiences because you are using yourself and you are using 0:16:07.600 --> 0:16:12.680 your emotional Um. I was going to say toolbox. It 0:16:12.760 --> 0:16:15.680 sounds so wanky and accurately I hate talking about acting, 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:20.160 but oh yeah, just because it is. Actually it's kind 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:22.600 of a mystery, and I love that it takes on 0:16:22.640 --> 0:16:25.000 a life of its own and I'm not entirely in control. 0:16:25.160 --> 0:16:28.440 I kind of prefer it that way. It feels freer, 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:33.960 It feels like there's more of an opportunity for something 0:16:34.000 --> 0:16:38.120 real to happen, um, and for spontaneity to occur, And 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.920 the less in control I am, the more satisfying it is. 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:45.120 I think. Actually it's kind of a metaphor for life. 0:16:45.160 --> 0:16:48.000 You know, it's why people meditate. You get to that 0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:51.320 place where you're kind of free in it. That's what 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:53.480 I love. And there was a lot of that on this. 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:55.760 Now that I know you don't like talking about acting, 0:16:56.360 --> 0:16:58.400 let's talk some more. Well, I just want to now, 0:16:58.440 --> 0:17:00.080 I want to go down a different path, Like, what 0:17:00.120 --> 0:17:05.160 do you hate being asked as an actress? I just 0:17:05.400 --> 0:17:07.720 I mean, I come from a very working class background, 0:17:07.760 --> 0:17:10.159 so it just feels indulgent and I feel like a 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:13.720 dickhead when really asked to talk about acting. I remember 0:17:13.760 --> 0:17:16.240 I was asked to be on the jury at the 0:17:16.280 --> 0:17:20.000 can Film Festival and it was the first time I 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:22.240 felt like I was given permission to be able to 0:17:22.240 --> 0:17:26.479 talk about the art of filmmaking and acting in depth. 0:17:26.520 --> 0:17:29.919 And it was really lovely. It was a really, really 0:17:29.920 --> 0:17:32.879 great experience for me, because until that point it just 0:17:32.920 --> 0:17:36.240 felt it did It felt indulgent, and I feel kind 0:17:36.280 --> 0:17:38.680 of self conscious doing it. And also because I don't 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:40.879 entirely understand what I'm doing, and I don't want to 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:42.680 because I don't want it to be too self conscious, 0:17:42.720 --> 0:17:46.920 you know. Um, So yeah, anything specific about what I'm 0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:53.879 doing to make me uncomfortable so hit me feel. Well, 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:58.480 let's talk about Aris more. You know, new director. I 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:01.320 think this is a debut, right if true speA she 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:06.680 made some great shorts. I don't know if you've I mean, yeah, 0:18:06.720 --> 0:18:10.639 he's an original voice and he is truly talented, and 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:13.199 I'm so excited to see what he does in the 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:15.000 future because I think he's going to be around for 0:18:15.040 --> 0:18:17.639 a long time. And it's not just this genre of 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:21.720 film that he's capable of. He's got so many ideas. 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:26.040 He's prolific and he has he's an incredible writer, and 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:32.719 he just has such an understanding of the dynamics between characters. Well, 0:18:32.760 --> 0:18:35.160 you've worked with veteran directors, you've worked with younger directors. 0:18:35.160 --> 0:18:39.400 What qualities does he seem to have that are necessary 0:18:39.520 --> 0:18:47.160 you think for like a career of longevity. He's he's 0:18:47.240 --> 0:18:49.760 able to understand what it is to be human. Ultimately, 0:18:49.800 --> 0:18:54.560 I think storytelling is about seeing ourselves and feeling connected 0:18:54.600 --> 0:18:58.160 to ourselves and understanding ourselves and feeling safe in that knowledge. 0:18:58.680 --> 0:19:02.360 And I think he's so so smart and so aware, 0:19:02.640 --> 0:19:05.720 and he's able to capture it on on page and 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:11.080 then on film, and his perspective is original. It feels 0:19:11.119 --> 0:19:13.679 authentic and it's him and he's not. I mean this. 0:19:13.800 --> 0:19:15.639 I think people are excited about this film because it 0:19:15.800 --> 0:19:18.080 is unlike anything else that's around at the moment, and 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:22.080 you know, horror film. It's not even really entirely a 0:19:22.119 --> 0:19:26.040 horror film. It's it's a family drama. It's a very 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:31.200 sad study about people dealing or not dealing with loss 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:33.639 and how it affects these family dynamics and how they 0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:36.840 all handle it completely differently. And then as an extension 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:39.680 of that, it does become it does become horrific. And 0:19:39.720 --> 0:19:41.360 I think it's so clever because he's going to get 0:19:41.359 --> 0:19:44.320 people in to see the movie who just love horror films. 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:47.200 But also it's like when I first read it, I said, 0:19:47.400 --> 0:19:51.320 it feels like the Ice Storm or something like, you know, 0:19:51.359 --> 0:19:56.360 it has a poetic quality to it. Um So it's yeah, 0:19:56.359 --> 0:19:59.600 it's a balance of capturing something very true but also 0:19:59.680 --> 0:20:03.360 giving it a heightened film quality without taking away from 0:20:03.400 --> 0:20:08.560 that natural honesty that it possesses. It's really kind of complicated, 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:11.880 and he's done it magnificently. I can't wait to see 0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:13.440 what he does next. Me too, well, I know what 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:18.000 he's doing and it is amazing. Do you like scary 0:20:18.040 --> 0:20:23.120 movies in general? Are you not a horror really? Because 0:20:23.560 --> 0:20:25.879 my mind is fertile enough and I want to sleep 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:29.520 at night. So you watch this one, Well, it's different 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:31.159 when you've worked on it. It's you know, you have 0:20:31.200 --> 0:20:34.760 a different um relationship to it because you you know 0:20:34.840 --> 0:20:37.520 you're in it, and there are different memories attached to it. 0:20:37.560 --> 0:20:40.560 But I have watched it on a small on my 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:42.919 computer screen in my hotel room in Manchester when I 0:20:42.920 --> 0:20:45.280 was working, and so I'm excited to watch it with 0:20:45.280 --> 0:20:47.080 an audience. And that's another great thing about it. I 0:20:47.080 --> 0:20:51.640 think this particular film does lend itself to a cinematic 0:20:51.880 --> 0:20:54.960 kind of communal experience. It's all fun and perhaps there's 0:20:54.960 --> 0:20:59.119 a bit of a kind of safety in numbers situation 0:20:59.200 --> 0:21:01.280 going on. And I looked around. A lot of us 0:21:01.320 --> 0:21:06.160 were just doing kind of dismember holding their hands looking 0:21:06.160 --> 0:21:07.719 through your fingers, which I never do, and it's such 0:21:07.720 --> 0:21:09.520 a cartoonish thing to do, but I was doing this. 0:21:09.600 --> 0:21:12.919 I was like, yeah, I don't want to say so anyway, 0:21:12.920 --> 0:21:15.440 good job you sparent have to look. I want to 0:21:15.480 --> 0:21:17.040 spread out and talk about some other things. I'm actually 0:21:17.040 --> 0:21:19.840 talking to Brett Haley after this. We went to film 0:21:19.840 --> 0:21:25.160 school together, saying I will let's talk about Hearts Beat 0:21:25.160 --> 0:21:27.680 Loud working on that film, his movie. You talk about 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:31.520 a complete reverse by the completely different movie, but such 0:21:31.520 --> 0:21:34.840 a lovely movie, and his kind of personal stamp has 0:21:34.920 --> 0:21:38.000 been one of just humanism and just you know, I 0:21:38.040 --> 0:21:40.280 really like what he's been doing. Yeah, he's gorgeous and 0:21:40.320 --> 0:21:42.919 I really like his films. And it was such a 0:21:43.000 --> 0:21:46.280 total pleasure to work on on Hot Speak Loud. Yes, 0:21:46.320 --> 0:21:50.800 it was a completely different experience, equally as satisfying, um 0:21:52.000 --> 0:21:56.360 similar in that everyone was on the same page, dedicated 0:21:56.640 --> 0:21:59.560 and wanted to make it great, and everyone was kind 0:21:59.560 --> 0:22:03.359 of hand hitt for what they could bring, and it 0:22:04.119 --> 0:22:06.520 felt special. It was summer, it was New York. It 0:22:06.640 --> 0:22:10.639 was fun. It's a beautiful story. It's also about lost 0:22:10.680 --> 0:22:15.800 to a certain extent, but it's about growth and it's revelatory. 0:22:15.880 --> 0:22:18.560 But there's hope in this one, whereas in Hereditary it's 0:22:18.640 --> 0:22:22.560 really seriously hopeless, which I think is terrific thing about it. Um. 0:22:22.600 --> 0:22:26.679 But I love working with Brett and Nick and Kiss 0:22:26.880 --> 0:22:30.560 and the entire crew, and also the film's kind of 0:22:30.560 --> 0:22:33.680 a love letter to UM, to Red Hook, to Brooklyn, 0:22:33.720 --> 0:22:36.000 and it was really fun staying there and working there 0:22:36.040 --> 0:22:39.440 and being there, and it had a really wonderful vibe 0:22:39.920 --> 0:22:42.119 regarding that and regarding just you know, it was summer, 0:22:42.160 --> 0:22:44.159 it was New York. It was lovely. Like I like 0:22:44.240 --> 0:22:48.320 to talk to actors about how environments there everything, especially 0:22:48.359 --> 0:22:52.600 with these two movies. Did they shoot hereditary around Park City? Okay, 0:22:52.600 --> 0:22:54.560