1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: I mean, I've learned to be very thick skinned about 2 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: what people say. Who don't who mean who don't mean anything? 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: But when they say, like, I don't care what anyone says, 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: I liked you. Oh thank god I'm not on social media. Hello. 5 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: I'm Katherine's Tate and I am Nellie Bertrand from the Office. 6 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: Hello everybody, and thank you so much for joining me 7 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: once again for another episode of Off the Beat. I 8 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 1: am your host, Brian Baumgartner. Today's episode, you Office fans 9 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: get excited. We've got her. We've finally got her. Katherine 10 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 1: Tate as a conversation with me in the studio today 11 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 1: a k A. Nellie Bertram her character so good. Fans 12 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: were so unfair to her. Early on, there was like, 13 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: oh new character, we don't like her. By the end, 14 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: she gave us some of the funniest moments in the 15 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: later seasons of The Office, Am I right? The infamous 16 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: pyramid tablets, the Packer and shrewd love triangle, jousting with Andy, 17 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: adopting Ryan's baby. The list goes on. I love her 18 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 1: so much. But what many of you don't know this Catherine. 19 00:01:36,319 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: She's a legend in the UK across the Pond, as 20 00:01:41,560 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: I call it. She had her own show, the Katherine 21 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,920 Speaker 1: Tate Show. Now there's the Nan movie is out dr 22 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: who She is so incredibly talented and she has created 23 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:55,720 Speaker 1: some of the greatest British humor in the history of 24 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: the BBC. And in fact, if you're ever curious just 25 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: about how influential she is, know this. Know that Adele 26 00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: dressed up as Catherine's Nan character on her twenty nine birthday. 27 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 1: Look at the pictures. It is incredible. But we've waited 28 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 1: long enough. No more talk from me. Let's hear from 29 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: the genius herself, Catherine Tate. Everybody, Bubble and Squeak. I 30 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: love it. Bubble and Squeak, Bubble and Squeaker. Cookie every 31 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: month left over from the nattypo Catherine, Right, I see you. 32 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,839 Speaker 1: How are you doing all right? How are you? I mean, 33 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: you know what I'm hanging in there? How about that 34 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 1: I'm hanging in there? Uh, you're busier than ever. I mean, 35 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: it's unbelievable how busy you are. It would appear so, 36 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: but it's really just COVID that has made it sound 37 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:22,400 Speaker 1: of scene like I'm very much on the production line. 38 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,800 Speaker 1: It's that a couple of projects that I did have 39 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: come out very close together, That's what it was. But 40 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,680 Speaker 1: they were actually they were actually a couple of years 41 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,119 Speaker 1: apart in making, and then cod just came in and 42 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:39,000 Speaker 1: one got the movie. That Nan movie got held up 43 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 1: drastically in post production, and then hard sale to be 44 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: fair hard sale. We gosh, we feel that about nine 45 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,680 Speaker 1: months ago. And that was a very turnaround because it's 46 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: Netflix run a tight ship and we there was a 47 00:03:53,640 --> 00:03:57,119 Speaker 1: big old a schedule and we didn't get shut down 48 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: from COVID. We were very lucky. But yeah, but they 49 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: got released within sort of like about three, three or 50 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 1: four weeks of each other. So it looks like I'm 51 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: list variants. All right, we're going to talk about both 52 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,960 Speaker 1: of those projects and everything else that you're doing. I 53 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: want to start back at the beginning. Yes, I mean, 54 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: it's not just the accent. I did my research. You're 55 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: from England, a small town called England, a small town 56 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: called England, and you I understand you went to convent school. 57 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: Is this correct? I went to a variety of Catholic 58 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:41,400 Speaker 1: based educational establishments and sort of one by one they 59 00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: picked me off and said, on your way. Because the 60 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: thing is the thing is I knew I think I 61 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: need from quite a young age, I wanted to be 62 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: an actor. But what the nuns heard. Instead of me 63 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: saying I wanted to be an actor or an actress, 64 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: what they heard was I want to be a prostitute, 65 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: because it seemed to be synonymous with with with loose 66 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: moraled people. I think, and they didn't really know what 67 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: to do with me. And it was the in the 68 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties. I hopped around quite a lot of different 69 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: high schools in middle school and ended up what did 70 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:24,880 Speaker 1: I end up doing? And I think I ended up 71 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:28,880 Speaker 1: still leaving, still leaving before my final exams. I was 72 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:34,880 Speaker 1: a terrible example. I'm a terrible example too. Two children, Well, 73 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: I also heard, is this right? You went to a 74 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:41,799 Speaker 1: boy's Roman Catholic school? I did? How does that happen? 75 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: How is that allowed happens when all the girls schools 76 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: have heard about you and go don't let her in? 77 00:05:48,120 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: She wants to be a buster child? Did you have? Now? 78 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: Was this family that you went to a convent school? 79 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: Was this I went? I started? I started off in 80 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: an element each school. Yeah, and it's not not a 81 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: convent school, but but an elementary Catholic school that my 82 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: mom had gone to, and my nan my grandmother had 83 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,760 Speaker 1: gone to, and you know, just right down the line. 84 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: And then I then I went to I think I 85 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,960 Speaker 1: went to four different schools and then found a place 86 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: in South London that would accept me. But it was 87 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: a boys school and it was fantastic, you know, I absolutely, 88 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:32,039 Speaker 1: I absolutely didn't get a lot of work done, didn't 89 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: come out many times, but it felt like being it 90 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: was like being a pop star. They'd allowed four girls 91 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:42,080 Speaker 1: into the high school part of it, and yeah, I 92 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: mean it was people. Kids were just like these young boys. 93 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: They'd sort of run up, touch you and then run 94 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: away again. You know, I mean me two kind of way. 95 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: I have to say, just like year old. But you 96 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,240 Speaker 1: were like you were just this novelty. Yeah, and I 97 00:06:57,240 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: absolutely loved my time. They're the only thing I got 98 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:06,040 Speaker 1: from there. I was doing plays and learning French. Yeah 99 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:08,440 Speaker 1: I know French too, probably not as well as you, 100 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: but and it's one of my biggest regrets. I have 101 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: to say that I don't speak Spanish. I wish I 102 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: spoke Spanish, right. I lived in Spain, so I speak Spanish. Yeah. 103 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: I lived in Madrid and and Lucia all right, when 104 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 1: did you decide you wanted to be an actress? Early? Definitely, 105 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: by the time I was a teenager, I knew I 106 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,280 Speaker 1: wanted to be an actor. Yeah, was this from your 107 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 1: family or no? No, there's there's no kind of family 108 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: connection with theater, although my mom does still maintain that. 109 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: The reason I can do so many voices is because 110 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:48,680 Speaker 1: when I was little she used to read me my 111 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 1: bedtime stories and used to all the all the voices. 112 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: So so I know all to my mother and I'm 113 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: very grateful. And although I didn't come from a family 114 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: of actors, I definitely came from funny people. You know. 115 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: I think I knew what funny was very early on, 116 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,760 Speaker 1: and I knew I could I could kind of identify 117 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: what was a funny turn of phrase. I came from 118 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: people who can tell a story, and that often goes 119 00:08:21,680 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: hand in hand with making people laugh and writing as well. 120 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 1: I think because you you you you understand or you're 121 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: drawn to narrative and you're drawn to characters and dialogue, 122 00:08:31,920 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: and that's what I love to do. And listening to 123 00:08:34,360 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: the way people speak as well. Find people speak patterns fascinating. 124 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: Right from an early age, would you say that you 125 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: were interested in acting in terms of creating a character 126 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: or were you Were you more interested early on in comedy. 127 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: I think I was interested. Well, I was an incredibly 128 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 1: shy child, really really shy. So I mean talk about 129 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 1: you know, least expected to do anything alone, get up 130 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: and make people laugh. That was that would have been me, 131 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: you know, I mean, I you know, I mean, I 132 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 1: was painfully shy. So potentially I suppose if I was 133 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: thinking about it, maybe I did to find a route 134 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: in with sort of making characters and and doing sort 135 00:09:18,080 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: of voices and becoming other than myself. But I definitely 136 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: identified quite early on that a really good way of 137 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 1: deterring bullies was to be able to make me laugh. 138 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: And and that really emboldened me, really because I've had 139 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: a really unhappy stint at school at one of the 140 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: Catholic school one of the convents had really unhappy stint there, 141 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: and I realized one day that actually, if you can 142 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: make them laugh, they will leave you alone. And and 143 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: that's I think that's kind of where I definitely honed 144 00:09:56,520 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: it as a defense mechanism. Yeah, so, so so hiding in 145 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 1: a way, still being shy, hiding in a way behind 146 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: the characters that you created early on, I guess, although 147 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: I although I I didn't do characters or anything when 148 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: I was a kid, but I I learned a way 149 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: of making people laugh, you know. I learned to I 150 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: suppose to create the character of the of the of 151 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 1: the of the comedian, of the class clown, you know, 152 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: all of the of the funny one, and and it 153 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: protected me, I felt right. So I I came from 154 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: theater myself. I never thought I would, you know, do 155 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: film and television. For me, it was all about theater 156 00:10:38,679 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: and live performance and creating characters on stage. You early 157 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:51,680 Speaker 1: on very prestigious in in Britain. In London. You became 158 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 1: a member of the National Youth Theater. And I heard 159 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 1: you auditioned four times for Drama School. I auditioned for 160 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: four times. Yeah, but no nash to Youth Theater. I yeah, 161 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: I was there with Daniel Craig. He was the shining 162 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,240 Speaker 1: light when I was when I was at Youth Theater 163 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: and I was. I was when he was playing Leonardo, 164 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: the lead in Blood Wedding. I was playing girl one. 165 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: So that's uh yeah, and things things blossomed from there. Well. 166 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 1: You must have had experiences though on on stage other 167 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:40,280 Speaker 1: than Girl One through your How long were you there? Well, 168 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: the thing is I was there for quite a few years. 169 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: But we kept we kept doing, we kept turning out 170 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: this same the same play, because I guess it has 171 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: got a little bit of success. But I know, we 172 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,079 Speaker 1: took it to Spain, we took it to the West End, 173 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: we did it again in the West End, you know, 174 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: and I think at some point, so I wasn't in 175 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: this particular car, but I think it then went we 176 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 1: went to Russia or something, you know. I mean, we 177 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: really flogged to this one and I just had a 178 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: great time. I had a fantastic time. But I had 179 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: also some running concurrently with that, I joined another youth 180 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:15,880 Speaker 1: theater in the East End of London, where I did 181 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: get the chance to do lots of fun parts and 182 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: you know, had a little bit more to student Girl One. Yeah, 183 00:12:22,840 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: and then by the time I got to Central, which 184 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:28,600 Speaker 1: was college essentially, we all got our chance at doing 185 00:12:28,679 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 1: leads and great parts. Yeah. Did you think that theater 186 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: was what you were going to do or did you 187 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:39,160 Speaker 1: always have an idea of something else. No, I absolutely 188 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: loved theater. And my my first job out of college 189 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: actually was at the National Theater. So I having graduation 190 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: from the Youth Theater, I went to the actual National 191 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,319 Speaker 1: Theater and stayed there about a year, I guess. And 192 00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 1: did you know that touring shows, you know, like around 193 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: the theaters doing My first job was Arf Miller was 194 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:02,000 Speaker 1: all my sons? Where did you playing all my sons? 195 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: The girl? The girl in it? You know? They? And yeah, 196 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: yeah it was. It was a long time ago. I 197 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: did Joe Color twice. By the way, sorry, it's about me. 198 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: I did Joe Kelor twice as a much much too 199 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: young man. Yes, I did Joel twice, right right, yes, 200 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: I would say so, uh so, Yeah, I just didn't 201 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: didn't occur to me. Even when we were at school, 202 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 1: you know, drama school. It was theater that we were 203 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 1: trained in. We you had a couple of a tiny 204 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:39,280 Speaker 1: smattering of film and television, I mean as a novelty. Really, 205 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: I mean, this is like or something. It was still 206 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: theater was the thing that the school wanted to churn 207 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: out theater actors, you know, And I absolutely thought that 208 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: would be what what I did, what I wanted to do. 209 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: But by the time I graduated, the idea of repertory 210 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 1: theater just wasn't in the country anymore, did out all 211 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 1: the all the regional theaters. All they did was received 212 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: the big touring production on a weekly basic basically, you know, 213 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: I mean that that was all I want to do 214 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: and just thought, oh my god, I'll just go around 215 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: doing plays all the time. And and it didn't really 216 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: didn't really pan out like that, right, So what did 217 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: you So? What did you do? You graduate? And you're like, well, 218 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,360 Speaker 1: that life that I thought that I had, well, I 219 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,680 Speaker 1: graduated and it all started off okay because I got 220 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: I was I was at the Nashville for a year 221 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: only doing like small parts and I'm studying that. You know, 222 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: what do you care? You know, twenty five? Who cares? 223 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: You know, that's what you should be doing. And then 224 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: my contract stopped and and I realized, you know what, 225 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: I've got a feeling. I just had this inkling that 226 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: I needed to do stand up because I needed to 227 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 1: separate myself from the pack, as it were. If you're 228 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: if you've just left drama college, there's plenty of young 229 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 1: twenty somethings you know, who have who have just graduated 230 00:15:02,640 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: when you have, you know, I had to do something 231 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 1: that sort of put put me in a different environment, 232 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: and and so I just held my breasting, jumps in 233 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,280 Speaker 1: and started doing stand up And that was the best 234 00:15:16,280 --> 00:15:19,920 Speaker 1: thing I've ever done, because that from there, that was it. 235 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:22,360 Speaker 1: It was the difference between waiting for the phone to 236 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: ring from your agent going oh, there's this this audition 237 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: and picking up the phone and booking your own spots, 238 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: you know. And I had a day job. I was 239 00:15:32,480 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: working in an office ironically, and then and then after 240 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: a few years, I was able to stop the day 241 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: job and do do stand up full time. But it 242 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: was having that power. It's taking back that power and 243 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: feeling you've got some agency over your career where you know, 244 00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: as many actors they don't you know, they don't you 245 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: are you are at the mercy of of the of 246 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 1: the casting calls, aren't you? Yes? How how was that 247 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: experience for you? Terrifying? Was it exhilarating? Obviously it's still 248 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: in front of a live audience, so you have experience 249 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: with that, but now they have to laugh, right, How 250 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: was that experience for you? It was it was all 251 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: of those things. It was terrifying, exhilarating, It was like 252 00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:20,320 Speaker 1: an out of body experience. I mean, if you analyze it. 253 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: The act of doing stand up. It's a preposterous idea, 254 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 1: and you'd never you'd never suggest anyone does it, and 255 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 1: you certainly wouldn't do it for yourself, you know, the 256 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 1: idea of Yes, I definitely had a bit of stagecraft. 257 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 1: So when I when I went out and did my 258 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: first open spot, what would you call them open spots? Yeah, yeah, sure, yeah, 259 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,720 Speaker 1: open mic er whatever, yeah yeah, open mic exactly. It 260 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 1: wasn't the first time I've been in front of an audience, 261 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 1: so I had that going for me. But even little 262 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,880 Speaker 1: simple things like I've never held a microphone in my hand. Why, 263 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: how Why would I worked in theater? You didn't need 264 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: you didn't use the microphone. It was just like what 265 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: you do with this? Oh my god? What's this? And 266 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:05,200 Speaker 1: it was but it dawned on me, I think halfway 267 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:07,399 Speaker 1: through my sort of my little five minute opens but 268 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: was this is ridiculous because not only am I asking people, 269 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:16,920 Speaker 1: not only are you expecting people to be quiet, you're 270 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:20,640 Speaker 1: asking them to listen and then laugh at what you say. 271 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: I mean, it's that the notion is ridiculous. If you, 272 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: if you, if you analyze it, But I loved it. 273 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: I loved it, and I liked being frightened. I liked 274 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: because it did frighten me. But I liked the challenge 275 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: of it. I felt a great sense of achievement and 276 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: just facing all those demons of being able to shut 277 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,680 Speaker 1: people up and and and that for me, I loved that. 278 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: I just love that, you know, I loved thinking people 279 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 1: could smell blood in the water. Because the thing is, 280 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: this was what was this the nine in the nineties. 281 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: This is in the nineties, and it was not uncommon 282 00:17:57,760 --> 00:18:01,159 Speaker 1: for as your name as they introduce used to before 283 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: you've even got to the microphone, people would just shout 284 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: out your ship, yes, so it's really really um it was. 285 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: But I liked the gladiatorial aspect of it. I did. 286 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,880 Speaker 1: I did because most of the time I actually thought, 287 00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 1: it's all right. I know you think I can't take 288 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 1: you on, but I can and I and I can 289 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: make you laugh as well. And obviously the thing about 290 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: there's two different kinds of feelings. I think. One is 291 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 1: when you've written a joke and you try it out 292 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 1: and it gets that laugh and it lands and you go, 293 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,199 Speaker 1: oh great. And the other one is coming up with 294 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: something on you know, on the fly, and there are 295 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: two different kinds of things, but they are both equally beautiful, 296 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:50,880 Speaker 1: you know too, to absorb. And it's just, honestly, it's feeling. 297 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: It's just feeling king of the world, Queen of the 298 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: person of the world when you walk, when you walk 299 00:18:56,760 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: off off a gig, and it's gone well as a 300 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: posed to walking off a gig, and it hasn't. Yeah, 301 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: that's worth And I remember a much more, much more 302 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:12,000 Speaker 1: experienced stand up at the time said to me, you 303 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 1: will learn much more from your bad gigs than you 304 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:18,399 Speaker 1: ever will your good gigs. And it's absolutely true. And 305 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:20,480 Speaker 1: I didn't have a bad gig till I've been doing 306 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: it about for quite a while, so I was the 307 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,720 Speaker 1: hubris I had was dangerous because you walk in, you 308 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 1: think this is here, here, we are, you know what 309 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: I mean, And then suddenly the first time, everything you've 310 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,439 Speaker 1: done before, the alchemy is not there. Suddenly that that 311 00:19:36,600 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: chemistry or whatever it is, and you know you're saying 312 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: the same thing and you're doing the same thing, and 313 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,479 Speaker 1: you are the same person. They're not having it. And 314 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: I remember walking literally walking off stage to the sound 315 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:53,199 Speaker 1: of my own footsteps and just honing my craft on 316 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: that night. I remember, I remember like doing a workshop 317 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:58,080 Speaker 1: with myself and go, when this happens, You've got to 318 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,439 Speaker 1: do this when this happens, you know, and and it 319 00:20:00,600 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: rung in my ears what that guy had said, you 320 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,719 Speaker 1: will learn more from your bad gigs, because you know, 321 00:20:06,119 --> 00:20:08,040 Speaker 1: six weeks in and I'm thinking, I'm never going to 322 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: have a bad gig. You you suckers. Yeah exactly, yeah exactly. 323 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: And then and then when when you do the we 324 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: have it. Well, we did have a thing here and 325 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: it was called the Network, and you go around and 326 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:34,359 Speaker 1: do college campuses and they were brutal and that was 327 00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: that that was a learning ground, you know what I mean. 328 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 1: But the deal was unless you stayed on for your 329 00:20:40,960 --> 00:20:45,440 Speaker 1: full five minutes set, you wouldn't get paid. And that 330 00:20:45,440 --> 00:20:47,720 Speaker 1: that taught you many things because you just had to 331 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: find a way of just staying there before they physically 332 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: because you know, the students would want to physically remove you. 333 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:57,080 Speaker 1: And you're like, no, I'm not not getting plaid unless 334 00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: you did that a peri king. Yes, do you And 335 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: this is an ignorant question. Do you think that the 336 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: stand up form? Would you say it's similar or the 337 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,679 Speaker 1: same as the United States or do you think in 338 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: Britain there is more theatricality And I don't know. I 339 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 1: think about Eddie Izard or others that I feel like 340 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:26,639 Speaker 1: that I've seen British comedians who I feel like there's 341 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:30,680 Speaker 1: more of a show as opposed to just telling jokes, 342 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:35,480 Speaker 1: or do you feel like the form is similar. I 343 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 1: would have to say, now, I have to preface this 344 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:40,479 Speaker 1: with the fact that it's been a while since I've 345 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:42,640 Speaker 1: been in a comedy club, It's been a while since 346 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: i've seen life stand up. I kind of feel there's more, 347 00:21:46,040 --> 00:21:52,040 Speaker 1: there's more similarities, partly because I think even though British 348 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: comedians have a very very distinctive style, I think there's 349 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:59,840 Speaker 1: always We're always looking to what's happening in America and 350 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: most people's influences more Americans stand ups, you know, most 351 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,399 Speaker 1: people's influences or not necessarily influences, but but points of 352 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 1: reference and memories. And I can remember when I was 353 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: a student going to see Bill Hicks, and um, I've 354 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: just never seen anyone on stage be so irreverent, you know, 355 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:30,880 Speaker 1: and just so I was open mouthed with with just 356 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,320 Speaker 1: how thrilling it was. And and I just think there's 357 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 1: a I don't know, there's there's Well, at the time, 358 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:42,720 Speaker 1: I think there was possibly less self deprecation in the 359 00:22:42,760 --> 00:22:46,200 Speaker 1: American stand ups. I think I think it's all evened 360 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:49,040 Speaker 1: out now and we all find our common ground of 361 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 1: of of of speaking about our own failures. Really, I 362 00:22:52,800 --> 00:23:16,200 Speaker 1: think that's funny as failure. Really, when did you start 363 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:21,120 Speaker 1: developing your own character? So when did you decide that 364 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: that was a direction you wanted to go so that 365 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,440 Speaker 1: that that wasn't through your stand up? Was that separate? Yeah, 366 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 1: it wasn't. I wasn't. I didn't. I just didn't have 367 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 1: the stomach to go out with props. I just think 368 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: that's you've got to be pretty fearless, you know. It's 369 00:23:37,480 --> 00:23:39,880 Speaker 1: sort of like it's another level up when you say, 370 00:23:40,080 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: not only going to be quiet, you're gonna listen, you're 371 00:23:42,080 --> 00:23:44,280 Speaker 1: gonna laugh, You're gonna wait, will I get these hats 372 00:23:44,280 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: out of my bag? You know what I mean? And 373 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,439 Speaker 1: I was like, for me, it's because I didn't really 374 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: love seeing character comedy too much, you know. And I 375 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 1: also didn't want that barrier between me and the audience. 376 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 1: I didn't want to have to filter a heckle through 377 00:24:05,359 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: the mouth of someone else. Or anything like that, and 378 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,640 Speaker 1: so I didn't I don't think I really had any 379 00:24:10,680 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: interest in doing characters. It was only that one of 380 00:24:15,600 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 1: the real bankers in my set was was the germ 381 00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: of what became, bizarrely what is now a film. It's 382 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: called the Nan Movie. And I used to I, I 383 00:24:24,960 --> 00:24:26,960 Speaker 1: kind of like put it in context as if it 384 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: was a conversation I'd had with my Nan, which my 385 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:34,720 Speaker 1: Nan wasn't like that, you know. It was good shortcuts 386 00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 1: and I just did this voice. All it was, I 387 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,880 Speaker 1: would do this voice, this Nan voice, and it became 388 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: a kind of calling card really, you know, because it 389 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 1: was at the end of my setting. Uh And and 390 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 1: it got me noticed because it was I guess you 391 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:54,240 Speaker 1: know at the time, Um, it was it was strange 392 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 1: to see this this what essentially was a younger was 393 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: a young girl with with a with a very old 394 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: voice coming out of her and it and it took 395 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,080 Speaker 1: people by surprise and that and it was only it 396 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: was funny enough. It was having said I wasn't mad 397 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:13,639 Speaker 1: on character comedians. There is a character comedian and I 398 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:15,159 Speaker 1: don't know if you know him. I don't know if 399 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: he's in America, but he's called it's called Al Murray 400 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,199 Speaker 1: and he does a character called the pub Landlord and 401 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: he's incredibly popular here and he's absolutely brilliant. But he 402 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: came up to me one day and he said, you 403 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 1: need to do that as a character, and I said, oh, 404 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,919 Speaker 1: I don't know about that. But anyway, through doing stand up, 405 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: I met a comedian called Lee Mack. He asked me 406 00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:39,680 Speaker 1: if i'd go to the Edinburgh Festival and do a 407 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:43,760 Speaker 1: sketch show with him. But he he wrote it all 408 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:45,400 Speaker 1: and I was just I was just kind of like 409 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: the girl in the sketch show, you know what I mean. 410 00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 1: We did that a couple of years, we got nominated 411 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:53,960 Speaker 1: for Perier and the next year it was suggested that 412 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: I go up with my own solo show and that 413 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:58,920 Speaker 1: was that was the first time when I thought, oh 414 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 1: my god, I better come up with some characters. And 415 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,960 Speaker 1: I developed that. I kind of like fleshed out that 416 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:09,560 Speaker 1: non character. Went up to Edinburgh, did it, did it? 417 00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:12,800 Speaker 1: Did a show with five I think it's five characters. 418 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:18,960 Speaker 1: Absolutely petrified. I was completely unprepared. The first night, I 419 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:23,640 Speaker 1: improvised most of it. Didn't realize there was a national 420 00:26:23,720 --> 00:26:28,520 Speaker 1: newspaper in They gave me a massively great review. I 421 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: sold out that run and it kind of just went 422 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: like that. But I remember coming off stage realizing it 423 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: had gone well and having to run to an internet 424 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:43,840 Speaker 1: cafe in order to get to try and remember everything 425 00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,800 Speaker 1: i'd i'd said and write it down, and that became 426 00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 1: my script. Yeah, it was. When I think back, I 427 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: was a good lord. It's and I don't know where. 428 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:56,920 Speaker 1: I imagine it's some sort of gene that I'm missing 429 00:26:57,000 --> 00:27:03,200 Speaker 1: in terms of preparation or fear or organization or something. 430 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,800 Speaker 1: I've I've always sort of flown on the seat of 431 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: my pants quite quite a lot. And then from then 432 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: on the BBC saw me in that show and you know, 433 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:20,080 Speaker 1: it kind of went a little too smoothly, but I 434 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:23,120 Speaker 1: can't complain. Yes, well, for those of you who don't know, 435 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,919 Speaker 1: the Katherine t Show ran off and on on the 436 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: BBC for a long time. What were your what were 437 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,879 Speaker 1: your inspiration? So you you had this show that you 438 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: did in Edinburgh. I guess you know. For me, we 439 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,680 Speaker 1: I've watched these like French and Saunders and we had 440 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: a show called Three of a Kind and a brilliant 441 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:47,920 Speaker 1: woman called Victoria would was a massive um. I would 442 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: never I could never say. I mean, she was an 443 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:52,800 Speaker 1: inspiration to me because she was so funny, But I 444 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 1: mean I could never compare myself to Victoria would but 445 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,200 Speaker 1: she she was incredible. But to be honest, I didn't. 446 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:02,960 Speaker 1: I didn't, you know. It wasn't like I was thinking, oh, 447 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:04,919 Speaker 1: I've got to make these characters up. It was just 448 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:08,840 Speaker 1: purely the deadline of going they're going to be filming this. 449 00:28:09,720 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: I think, oh, I better do a Scottish one. I 450 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,440 Speaker 1: better do an Irish one, you know. And even when 451 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:22,159 Speaker 1: we were forming it, I was completely convinced it's I 452 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,520 Speaker 1: was like, it's not gonna it's not like that actually 453 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 1: going to show it? Is it? You know? And and 454 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:33,959 Speaker 1: they did. They went and showed it. They showed it, 455 00:28:35,640 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: showed it on the telly and you you have a 456 00:28:39,280 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: particular distinction. I read this the Oxford Dictionary Word of 457 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: the Year for two thousand six. Yes, they came from 458 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: your show, well one of my characters. This is the 459 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:57,480 Speaker 1: other thing, you know, I kind of seem to have catchphrases, 460 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,240 Speaker 1: which I had no idea year anyone was going to 461 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: pick up on what I was saying. And the thing is, 462 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 1: it's not like you can actually sit down and write 463 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:09,959 Speaker 1: a catchphrase. You can't. It's the public. It's your fans 464 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:14,479 Speaker 1: who make a catchphrase by repeating it. And I just 465 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,880 Speaker 1: could couldn't believe it that anyway. One of the character 466 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 1: I died was a belligerent teenager who's stop phrase to 467 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 1: anything was am I bothered? I bothered? Look at my face? 468 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: My face aunt bothered bothered, which is of course just 469 00:29:28,120 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: a bastardization of the word bothered, And then you know, 470 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: I'm not bothered. But it was very much with VS 471 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: and it took off like wildfire, to the point where 472 00:29:41,360 --> 00:29:43,720 Speaker 1: it's still a thing people use and still a thing 473 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:48,880 Speaker 1: people say, and it's incredible. But yes, but but but 474 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 1: it infiltrated the language so much that the Oxford Dictionary 475 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 1: made it an official word. And yes, it was word 476 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: of the Year one year. But now it is actually 477 00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:02,080 Speaker 1: an entry into the into the yeah, into the Lexican. 478 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:10,240 Speaker 1: So that is that's cool. Yeah, that's cool. Now we're 479 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: getting to to Nan. So, one of everyone's favorite characters 480 00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:17,400 Speaker 1: from the Catherine Tade Show, which was based on not 481 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:21,600 Speaker 1: based on your nan, right, was not based on not 482 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 1: based on your name, but probably a collection of old ladies. 483 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: I had the privilege of growing up with there was 484 00:30:29,720 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: some there was germs of of you know, that idea. 485 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,560 Speaker 1: I don't know. I just had this voice in my 486 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 1: head and it really went from there. Right. Actually, So wait, 487 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: I have a question about that. You the characters you create, 488 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: do you feel like most of them come from your 489 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 1: own past experiences? You say, a combination of people. I 490 00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: mean saying that very loosely, very very very loosely, I guess. 491 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:00,000 Speaker 1: But it's but they don't end up being the people 492 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: that I then portray, you know, I mean that. You know, 493 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:09,280 Speaker 1: it's like you can steal from people's characters and you 494 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: can hide you can hide someone's personality, well you can 495 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: steal it, but you can hide their identity rather as 496 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: long as you change their physical appearance, because people seem 497 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: to only identify themselves physically. And it's so interesting. I mean, 498 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:30,760 Speaker 1: it's so interesting because I have one of my characters. 499 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: It's just a married, married couple. They're married couple. They're 500 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: called Paul and Sam. And she starts off every conversation 501 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:41,560 Speaker 1: with you aren't believe what happens to me to day? Right, 502 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:43,680 Speaker 1: you just don't believe it, right, And she just puts 503 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,719 Speaker 1: on to tell quite an art story. Now I know 504 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: that person. I absolutely know that person, but because that 505 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: person doesn't have long, dark hair, they seem to have 506 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 1: no idea that's them. Because when the show first went out, 507 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: they came up to me and said, I've just seen 508 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:06,280 Speaker 1: your show. You won't belave it. It's on television and 509 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 1: this and the shows like that character that is hilarious, 510 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:18,080 Speaker 1: and it's like, it's so extraordinary. There's there's another character 511 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:20,800 Speaker 1: that I do, which is I mean is actually it 512 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,080 Speaker 1: is based on my mom and it's it's we just 513 00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: called a screaming woman, and it's someone who screams every opportunity. 514 00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:29,280 Speaker 1: Is what my mom did that that the phone would 515 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:31,480 Speaker 1: ring and my mom would go, you know, scream and 516 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: it's like, well, you know that's what the sun does, 517 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 1: like the doorbell would ring, you know, she s. Anyway, 518 00:32:41,880 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 1: I remember watching that with my mom when my show 519 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,320 Speaker 1: went out, and this this it was it was a 520 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:51,760 Speaker 1: sketch of a woman standing in front of a microwave 521 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:55,000 Speaker 1: and looking at the countdown go from nine seconds to zero, 522 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: and on zero it beats and the woman screams and 523 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,600 Speaker 1: my mom laughed and I said, Mom, you're not that 524 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:06,520 Speaker 1: space that's you. You know that. And my mom said, 525 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: don't be ridiculous. My hair doesn't look like that bad 526 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:17,960 Speaker 1: curly hair on this on this character, and how funny 527 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: someone who screams at things. So obviously you you have 528 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: different hair, you have prosthetics, you have different things that 529 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:32,320 Speaker 1: change your appearance. My question is, are there are there 530 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 1: things that you do physically to get into certain characters? Brian, 531 00:33:37,160 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 1: If only I was so highbrow that I did that. 532 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,719 Speaker 1: I literally I get into characters because I've got a 533 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:49,760 Speaker 1: tax bill to pay. No, I would say, I mean, 534 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:53,200 Speaker 1: I'm not. I'm definitely not very message. If it feels right, 535 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: I do it. But I don't. I don't have any 536 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: backstories to my I'm not talking about that. Hold on, 537 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you an example. Okay, 538 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: so this is not highbrow, that's not backs. This isn't 539 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:09,000 Speaker 1: that so Kevin Malone, right, the character that I played 540 00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: on the Office. So for me, I had this idea 541 00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,640 Speaker 1: that he didn't realize his size in space. He just 542 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 1: was unaware that he was as big as he was. 543 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: And so one of the things that I thought about 544 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:27,960 Speaker 1: was his hips did not rotate, right. There was no rotating, 545 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: so if he had to look to the right, his 546 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: entire body had to move to the right. Like there 547 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,440 Speaker 1: was this status thing. So that's what I'm talking about, Like, 548 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:37,879 Speaker 1: is was there anything like that? And if the answer 549 00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 1: is no, then then that's fine. But I don't I 550 00:34:41,040 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 1: don't think there there were, partly because most of the 551 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: characters that I do ask are in are in short form, 552 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:51,279 Speaker 1: they're in sketches, so you kind of don't know that 553 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: you don't have that relationship with them to build up 554 00:34:56,160 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 1: that that kind of stuff. So it has to have 555 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,680 Speaker 1: a shorthand. And that's why I say, like, if it 556 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:04,120 Speaker 1: felt right, I did it, and I would I would 557 00:35:04,239 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 1: I would move differently. But I just think it was 558 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,160 Speaker 1: just putting on the stuff and the voice coming out, 559 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 1: and just knowing I had to do it, I wouldn't 560 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:16,799 Speaker 1: be able to particulate it. Yeah, okay, because it was 561 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 1: just more of a thing that happened, but probably because 562 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 1: it had to happen much more fast, right, Yeah, but 563 00:35:23,640 --> 00:35:28,319 Speaker 1: that's really interesting. That's so interesting about Kevin. Yeah, But 564 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:32,120 Speaker 1: to be to be honest, that was something that I mean, 565 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:36,600 Speaker 1: I think, like you, that was something with the voice, 566 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 1: with the physicality that I did. It wasn't until afterward 567 00:35:39,640 --> 00:35:42,200 Speaker 1: that I went back and was like, oh, that's what 568 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:44,600 Speaker 1: I'm doing. I don't know if that makes sense. So 569 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:47,960 Speaker 1: I think I think kind of similarly was sort of 570 00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:52,400 Speaker 1: approach similarly, Oh that's just how he moves. So Nan 571 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,600 Speaker 1: takes off. You have you have the show now, Nan? 572 00:35:56,800 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 1: Was that a challenge for you taking to spending so 573 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:03,440 Speaker 1: much time in that character's body. I think it was 574 00:36:03,480 --> 00:36:07,239 Speaker 1: the only I realized it was the only character out 575 00:36:07,239 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 1: of all of the characters from the Step show that 576 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 1: really had the as they say, you know, the legs 577 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:18,319 Speaker 1: too to sustain a longer form of narrative. And so 578 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: we did quite a few specials with that character and 579 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:24,200 Speaker 1: and people loved that. You know, people do love that 580 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 1: character here. It's she She's just kind of got into 581 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: the society somehow. And it's probably because everyone knows someone 582 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:35,879 Speaker 1: like that here, whether it's a neighbor, whether it's their 583 00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:39,760 Speaker 1: own mother, whether it's their grandmother. But I'm always told, oh, 584 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: my god, my mother in law's just like that, my 585 00:36:41,719 --> 00:36:44,160 Speaker 1: aunt's like that, my neighbor, you know, my own mom, 586 00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:47,239 Speaker 1: you know my name, you know, and and it's it's 587 00:36:47,280 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: really yeah, it's really lovely to see the way she 588 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:57,360 Speaker 1: just got embraced and I felt, I mean, also there's 589 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 1: you know, not not to be coy of out there's 590 00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: there's there's a great deal. Um, there's a great deal 591 00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:06,800 Speaker 1: of the success, which is just about old people swearing 592 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 1: the privilege, privilege of ages. It's funny to see old 593 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 1: people swear. Right, Well, you're just at the movie. The 594 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:24,000 Speaker 1: Nan movie come out. As far as I can tell, 595 00:37:24,040 --> 00:37:26,439 Speaker 1: it is not available yet in the United States. I'm 596 00:37:26,480 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: sure very soon. Yes, I saw you showed up at 597 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:34,719 Speaker 1: the premiere as a name that Nan showed up. You know, 598 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:37,279 Speaker 1: publicity is always a difficult thing. I think, you know, 599 00:37:37,880 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: it's much more fun to be it's certainly much more 600 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: fun to be able to do it as as Nan. 601 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: And that's um yeah, I mean that was the biggest 602 00:37:45,080 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 1: challenge to take what was essentially a sketch character and 603 00:37:48,840 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: and and do a film. But it became an origin 604 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:54,440 Speaker 1: story and we go back in time and it and 605 00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:56,759 Speaker 1: it kind of explains why she is such a kind 606 00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:00,880 Speaker 1: of contact us old bastard. And we shot the past 607 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:04,040 Speaker 1: on film and it's not what you expect. I mean, 608 00:38:04,560 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: it's certainly not what anyone I think would have ever 609 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:09,880 Speaker 1: thought was going to come from a skep character. So 610 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:11,879 Speaker 1: so it's great. What are what are some of your 611 00:38:11,880 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 1: favorite British comedies all time? Um? Well, the Catherine Tae 612 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: Show obviously, But I mean, come on the Office. I 613 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: have to say the British Office, I always thought and 614 00:38:26,160 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 1: maintain is a piece of modern art. I really do 615 00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:36,560 Speaker 1: as I say. French and Saunders Cada. Gosh, I'm not, 616 00:38:36,840 --> 00:38:40,479 Speaker 1: I'm not. I'm wondering what are the British compedists. What 617 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: are they? Well, I don't know, I don't. I don't 618 00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 1: know the doctor who qualifies um as a comedy? But 619 00:38:49,680 --> 00:38:54,799 Speaker 1: how was that experience for you appearing on such an 620 00:38:54,960 --> 00:39:00,920 Speaker 1: iconic show? It was at the time. Well, I I 621 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: didn't realize until recently how extraordinary my stint on that 622 00:39:05,840 --> 00:39:11,160 Speaker 1: show has been for me, because I I just I mean, look, 623 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:15,160 Speaker 1: it isn't the kind of subject matter I choose to 624 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:18,319 Speaker 1: watch or engage in because I don't. I just don't 625 00:39:18,400 --> 00:39:21,719 Speaker 1: have a big enough imagination to grasp what I mean. 626 00:39:21,760 --> 00:39:24,600 Speaker 1: Most of the time I was in a show that 627 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: I didn't know what I was doing. You know, I 628 00:39:26,640 --> 00:39:29,520 Speaker 1: didn't understand it. I think you just want to be 629 00:39:29,600 --> 00:39:33,040 Speaker 1: quite intelligent to gott to stand side by, and I 630 00:39:33,040 --> 00:39:36,640 Speaker 1: guess I'm just not. I had a most fantastic time 631 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,040 Speaker 1: making it. I made it, you know. We had just 632 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:43,680 Speaker 1: the most brilliant year in Cardiff in Wales, me and 633 00:39:43,760 --> 00:39:46,319 Speaker 1: David Tennant and we loved it and I loved it 634 00:39:46,320 --> 00:39:48,359 Speaker 1: and that was it. And I just thought, and that 635 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:52,160 Speaker 1: was it. I had no idea the fan base of 636 00:39:52,239 --> 00:39:55,640 Speaker 1: Doctor Who. I really didn't and also because I don't 637 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 1: watch it and I didn't watch it when it went 638 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,120 Speaker 1: out or anything like that. I didn't And I'm so 639 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:03,360 Speaker 1: I'm not on social media. I have no idea really 640 00:40:03,400 --> 00:40:07,920 Speaker 1: how things are are going. And it was only David 641 00:40:08,320 --> 00:40:12,400 Speaker 1: saying to me, why why don't you do comic CON's 642 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:16,760 Speaker 1: And I said, for what? I mean, who who would 643 00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:20,319 Speaker 1: possibly would remember me on it? You know? And he 644 00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:24,040 Speaker 1: said you should come and do it. And I was 645 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:29,040 Speaker 1: blown away because most of all, yes, most of them 646 00:40:29,080 --> 00:40:32,120 Speaker 1: are in America. So I had no idea. Not only 647 00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:35,160 Speaker 1: did I have no idea anyone knew the character was 648 00:40:35,280 --> 00:40:39,799 Speaker 1: anyway after it finished, that it had traveled across the continent. 649 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 1: I had no idea. I was amazed, amazing, it really is. 650 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:48,399 Speaker 1: I do consider it. Of all the things I've done, 651 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:52,120 Speaker 1: I do consider doctor Who one of the greatest privileges 652 00:40:52,239 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: to have done, because it really matters to so many people. 653 00:40:56,000 --> 00:40:59,200 Speaker 1: As to be fair, does the Office. And I'm sure 654 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:01,680 Speaker 1: you know that more not more than I do. But 655 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:06,480 Speaker 1: you know, things that aren't in people's it's almost like 656 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:09,879 Speaker 1: there in the fabric of people's lives. And that's that's 657 00:41:09,880 --> 00:41:14,120 Speaker 1: not nothing. No, it's not nothing. No, it really matters 658 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:17,240 Speaker 1: to people. I've been fortunate enough to have been told 659 00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:19,920 Speaker 1: many times the comfort that the Office brings to people, 660 00:41:20,440 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 1: the feeling that it gives them, it is. It is 661 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:26,520 Speaker 1: a privilege. I think you're I think you're exactly right. 662 00:41:44,840 --> 00:41:48,080 Speaker 1: You brought up that the u k. The Original Office 663 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:52,239 Speaker 1: is one of you know, your favorite British comedies. Were 664 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:56,840 Speaker 1: you aware of the American version before you came across 665 00:41:56,880 --> 00:42:00,279 Speaker 1: the pond? Yes, I was. I was. I have to say, 666 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:04,560 Speaker 1: when I first heard that a remake was going to happen, 667 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 1: I was furious, apoplectic. I was just you know, I 668 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 1: was full to the brim with scorn and derision at 669 00:42:17,560 --> 00:42:23,480 Speaker 1: the idea that anyone would would touch this show until 670 00:42:23,560 --> 00:42:26,239 Speaker 1: I saw it. I've heard this before. Yeah, I mean, 671 00:42:26,320 --> 00:42:29,960 Speaker 1: it was just well, I think it's because we we 672 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:33,359 Speaker 1: we we prejudged what it was going to be, and 673 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:38,359 Speaker 1: I think what for what what essentially was a very 674 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,520 Speaker 1: very Unamerican show that was where the two things just 675 00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:45,480 Speaker 1: didn't You just couldn't see how these would make bedfellows. 676 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:50,800 Speaker 1: This this British show in the hands of American comedy, 677 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:55,840 Speaker 1: American comedy that is brilliant and we love it, but 678 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:58,200 Speaker 1: it doesn't do that. It doesn't do that, And what 679 00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:00,680 Speaker 1: are you going to do? Are you going to make? Well? 680 00:43:00,719 --> 00:43:04,719 Speaker 1: How wrong we were and how wrong I was, and 681 00:43:04,960 --> 00:43:09,240 Speaker 1: I was hooked and I didn't and I didn't think 682 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,640 Speaker 1: I could have loved anything more than I loved the 683 00:43:12,680 --> 00:43:17,560 Speaker 1: British version. And then I saw Steve Krall yeah and 684 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:22,440 Speaker 1: everyone else and it was amazing. And so it was 685 00:43:22,880 --> 00:43:26,319 Speaker 1: very very close to my heart before I before I 686 00:43:26,360 --> 00:43:28,959 Speaker 1: got a phone call to say they were thinking about 687 00:43:29,040 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: putting me in it. You know that to me, that 688 00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:33,960 Speaker 1: was like that was nuts, that was like, that was 689 00:43:34,000 --> 00:43:37,360 Speaker 1: like a fan moment. You know, that's like all I 690 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,919 Speaker 1: do is watch this show. I watched this show, right, 691 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:45,520 Speaker 1: and the idea of being in it was too surreal 692 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:49,360 Speaker 1: for me, Right, I talked to Ricky Gerveiz about this. 693 00:43:49,400 --> 00:43:51,759 Speaker 1: I don't know that he fully agrees with me, but 694 00:43:52,640 --> 00:43:57,200 Speaker 1: with you know, with time and distance between the two 695 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:00,520 Speaker 1: shows and both of them being done now, and and 696 00:44:00,560 --> 00:44:03,040 Speaker 1: part of it is I understand the model in the 697 00:44:03,120 --> 00:44:06,320 Speaker 1: UK is very different, but at least I guess defined 698 00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:11,399 Speaker 1: in terms of American sensibility, the British version brilliant. I mean, 699 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:15,200 Speaker 1: I was a huge fan of it, but I think 700 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:17,600 Speaker 1: by the time it is over, I think in terms 701 00:44:17,640 --> 00:44:21,000 Speaker 1: of America it really is like a mini series. The 702 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:26,720 Speaker 1: show starts and Ricky Gervais character David Brent, the clock 703 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:31,560 Speaker 1: is ticking from the beginning, like there's there's no way 704 00:44:31,560 --> 00:44:34,600 Speaker 1: that Ricky, that David Brent lasts in that job for 705 00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:39,520 Speaker 1: nine years. It's not. It's not possible. So I think 706 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:43,160 Speaker 1: to me that that now is sort of where I 707 00:44:43,160 --> 00:44:44,799 Speaker 1: I sit with it, And just in terms of them 708 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:48,439 Speaker 1: being almost two totally different entities as opposed to trying 709 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:51,160 Speaker 1: to compare them, I think that's absolutely right. And I 710 00:44:51,200 --> 00:44:53,560 Speaker 1: think also if you talk about the model, and I 711 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:56,399 Speaker 1: think that's right, but I think I think he went 712 00:44:56,440 --> 00:44:58,960 Speaker 1: into that show. In fact, as I understand it, I'm 713 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:00,960 Speaker 1: pretty sure he went in to that show, knowing there 714 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:03,080 Speaker 1: was going to be a cut off point, and knowing 715 00:45:03,080 --> 00:45:05,120 Speaker 1: it was going to be short lived, and knowing it 716 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:09,440 Speaker 1: was going to come in, burn brightly and go and remain. 717 00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:13,000 Speaker 1: But it wasn't. You know, I don't think he had 718 00:45:13,040 --> 00:45:16,680 Speaker 1: any interest in doing doing the American model of it 719 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:20,960 Speaker 1: on on on his turf, you know the fact, and 720 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:23,360 Speaker 1: that was the thing that was so like, how is 721 00:45:23,440 --> 00:45:25,560 Speaker 1: this going to carry on? You know? But of four 722 00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:30,760 Speaker 1: it was like the battle was passed and a different 723 00:45:30,840 --> 00:45:34,440 Speaker 1: race began. I think you know it was because I 724 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:37,040 Speaker 1: think you're absolutely right. They are. They are two very 725 00:45:37,120 --> 00:45:41,439 Speaker 1: very different things, both equally brilliant, and and and and 726 00:45:41,440 --> 00:45:45,879 Speaker 1: and sort of strangely not comparable, even though the same thing, 727 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: you know, came from them, right you you came in 728 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:57,520 Speaker 1: in episodes in season seven Search Committee episode at that point, 729 00:45:58,239 --> 00:46:01,759 Speaker 1: were you aware that you were coming back when you 730 00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:05,040 Speaker 1: came and did the guest stop? No, when I came, 731 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:07,600 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure this is what happened. I think I 732 00:46:07,680 --> 00:46:11,080 Speaker 1: came in and and sort of filmed the interview. That's 733 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:14,480 Speaker 1: what she did, didn't in the interview, And I was 734 00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:19,480 Speaker 1: I remember I was, I'd taken a forty eight hours 735 00:46:19,840 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 1: off from rehearsals. I was doing much ado about nothing 736 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:28,680 Speaker 1: in the West End, funny enough with David Tennant and 737 00:46:28,680 --> 00:46:32,400 Speaker 1: and I said, I've got to go and sort of 738 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:35,200 Speaker 1: essentially do a bit of a screen test on camera 739 00:46:35,320 --> 00:46:38,680 Speaker 1: really on this show. And they let me go, and 740 00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: I was it was a forty hour turnaround, and I 741 00:46:42,480 --> 00:46:46,360 Speaker 1: went in, did the shot this couple of scenes, went 742 00:46:46,840 --> 00:46:50,279 Speaker 1: out to dinner with my agents that night, about to 743 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:54,440 Speaker 1: get on the plane the next morning. And when he arrived, 744 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:58,120 Speaker 1: he said, they have rang to book you for ten 745 00:46:58,200 --> 00:47:01,200 Speaker 1: more episodes. Ok, that was going to be in the 746 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:04,279 Speaker 1: next season, the next season, Yeah, And I think it 747 00:47:04,400 --> 00:47:08,400 Speaker 1: was ten episodes, And I think that's what happened. So 748 00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:11,480 Speaker 1: I knew I was going back to do ten episodes 749 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:14,600 Speaker 1: because that would have been a brand about April time. 750 00:47:14,840 --> 00:47:17,239 Speaker 1: And then I was coming back in the four to 751 00:47:17,400 --> 00:47:21,520 Speaker 1: do ten episodes, is what I heard. And then while 752 00:47:21,560 --> 00:47:25,160 Speaker 1: I was doing the ten episodes, they extended the contract 753 00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:27,439 Speaker 1: for the whole of the next season. But I think 754 00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:29,839 Speaker 1: there was a very different because I had met with 755 00:47:29,920 --> 00:47:34,840 Speaker 1: Greg a few years before I eventually turned up, and 756 00:47:35,440 --> 00:47:38,719 Speaker 1: he had expressed an interest in putting the in. I 757 00:47:38,760 --> 00:47:41,560 Speaker 1: think it was a very different idea. Then I think 758 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:43,800 Speaker 1: things changed, but I remember him saying, he said, I 759 00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:45,480 Speaker 1: would love to put you in the show. He said, 760 00:47:45,640 --> 00:47:47,799 Speaker 1: I can't do it yet because I've got to get 761 00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:49,640 Speaker 1: this new show up and running. And that was part 762 00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:53,320 Speaker 1: of some wreck and that and that started, and that 763 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:54,839 Speaker 1: took off, and I thought, oh, I'll never hear from 764 00:47:54,880 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 1: them again. And then he did Frank and said, we 765 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:02,759 Speaker 1: like to do this part. Yes. How was that experience 766 00:48:03,520 --> 00:48:06,759 Speaker 1: for you coming and joining all of us? It was 767 00:48:07,800 --> 00:48:11,560 Speaker 1: one of the happiest jobs I've ever had. I absolutely 768 00:48:11,719 --> 00:48:16,160 Speaker 1: loved it, and I loved all of you and I 769 00:48:16,719 --> 00:48:20,480 Speaker 1: and again, a bit like the doctor who showed you. 770 00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:26,879 Speaker 1: You jump in to this incredibly successful show, phenomena, franchise, 771 00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:32,240 Speaker 1: you know, or whatever. You coast on the coattails of 772 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:39,480 Speaker 1: everybody you know. You turn up and it was an 773 00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:43,719 Speaker 1: absolute dream job. It was. It was. It was the 774 00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:48,040 Speaker 1: best way I could have ever experienced working in not 775 00:48:48,120 --> 00:48:52,200 Speaker 1: only in America, but in Los Angeles. Where As someone 776 00:48:52,239 --> 00:48:55,080 Speaker 1: once said to me, don't go until you're invited. It 777 00:48:55,080 --> 00:49:01,520 Speaker 1: will be a lonely old and you to go with 778 00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:04,239 Speaker 1: no real risk to me, do you know? I mean? 779 00:49:04,280 --> 00:49:09,440 Speaker 1: I was going on this highly established, brilliant, loved show. 780 00:49:10,160 --> 00:49:14,279 Speaker 1: I mean, albeit I have to say doing you know, 781 00:49:14,360 --> 00:49:18,399 Speaker 1: playing an incredibly divisive and not very likable character, but 782 00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:21,160 Speaker 1: that was fun as well, you know what I mean. 783 00:49:21,440 --> 00:49:25,040 Speaker 1: I would I have and still do I have people that, 784 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:27,920 Speaker 1: you know, I have a huge kind of like section 785 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,640 Speaker 1: of people who only know me as Nellie from the office, 786 00:49:30,840 --> 00:49:33,880 Speaker 1: who only know me as as are you from the office, 787 00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:38,160 Speaker 1: you know, which is fantastic. But I've often I often 788 00:49:38,239 --> 00:49:48,040 Speaker 1: get oh my god, you're Nellie. I hated you. Oh 789 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:53,520 Speaker 1: my dad, you're the worst. It's so funny, you know, 790 00:49:53,560 --> 00:49:55,680 Speaker 1: when you're like a comic card, and it's so funny 791 00:49:55,719 --> 00:49:57,719 Speaker 1: the way people. I mean, I've learned to be very 792 00:49:57,800 --> 00:50:01,160 Speaker 1: thick skinned about what people say, who don't who mean, 793 00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:05,839 Speaker 1: who don't mean anything? But when they say, like, I 794 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:18,479 Speaker 1: don't care what anyone says, I liked you. O, thank 795 00:50:18,560 --> 00:50:25,640 Speaker 1: god I'm not on social media. That is so funny. 796 00:50:25,680 --> 00:50:29,040 Speaker 1: But I think that by the end, Now, did you 797 00:50:29,120 --> 00:50:31,239 Speaker 1: did you talk to the writers at all about the 798 00:50:31,400 --> 00:50:33,400 Speaker 1: about the character or the journy of the character. I 799 00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:37,160 Speaker 1: mean that you you having a baby? Yes, I do, 800 00:50:37,360 --> 00:50:39,760 Speaker 1: I do, remember, I don't, I don't know. I didn't 801 00:50:39,800 --> 00:50:42,440 Speaker 1: that wasn't my idea or anything. But I do remember 802 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:47,440 Speaker 1: at one point going in and saying, I can't send this. 803 00:50:48,560 --> 00:50:54,799 Speaker 1: I can't say surely, surely we can't remember she was 804 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:59,560 Speaker 1: just being so obtuse about stuff, and they're like, it's funny, 805 00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:07,239 Speaker 1: it's gosh, um But I just I loved it. It's 806 00:51:07,480 --> 00:51:10,280 Speaker 1: it's one of those things that you know, obviously because 807 00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:14,759 Speaker 1: we're shooting much more than ever gets seen. I just thought, 808 00:51:15,040 --> 00:51:20,120 Speaker 1: unfortunately some of the stuff that I shot with Paul Toby, um, 809 00:51:20,160 --> 00:51:22,759 Speaker 1: it didn't make it. But I just thought they were 810 00:51:22,800 --> 00:51:27,880 Speaker 1: a very funny couple, very funny. Yeah. And oh and 811 00:51:27,960 --> 00:51:34,360 Speaker 1: I just have such such great memories of of experiencing 812 00:51:34,400 --> 00:51:38,120 Speaker 1: American TV the way I did. I obviously it ruined me, 813 00:51:38,280 --> 00:51:40,640 Speaker 1: you know, it ruined me because I came back here 814 00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:47,320 Speaker 1: to do to do shows that the the entire budget 815 00:51:47,400 --> 00:51:51,520 Speaker 1: of the show was less than our craft service budget, 816 00:51:51,760 --> 00:51:54,520 Speaker 1: you know it was. It was a different experience. And 817 00:51:54,560 --> 00:51:56,800 Speaker 1: obviously by the time I got there, because I remember, 818 00:51:56,840 --> 00:51:59,200 Speaker 1: I remember who it was told me. It might have 819 00:51:59,200 --> 00:52:02,719 Speaker 1: been Kate at Lee who said that there was a 820 00:52:02,760 --> 00:52:05,880 Speaker 1: stock difference, you know that when from when you started 821 00:52:05,880 --> 00:52:10,759 Speaker 1: out to where oh yeah, now you were there for 822 00:52:10,800 --> 00:52:16,880 Speaker 1: the good days, seven different types of cereal day, you know, 823 00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:21,640 Speaker 1: in kitchen, and honestly, people say to me, what's the 824 00:52:21,680 --> 00:52:24,680 Speaker 1: best part about working on the Offstina was the food. 825 00:52:29,480 --> 00:52:31,920 Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember this or not, but 826 00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:35,200 Speaker 1: there was in the in the season finale, there was 827 00:52:35,400 --> 00:52:39,439 Speaker 1: there was the baby right that you ended up. Yeah, 828 00:52:39,520 --> 00:52:42,480 Speaker 1: but now this is my recollection. If I'm wrong, you 829 00:52:42,600 --> 00:52:45,880 Speaker 1: tell me. My recollection was that the baby would only 830 00:52:45,920 --> 00:52:50,279 Speaker 1: smile at me. And so when you were shooting, I 831 00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:52,040 Speaker 1: wasn't even in the seat. I could have been in 832 00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:56,279 Speaker 1: my trailer eating cereal, but I was standing right by 833 00:52:56,320 --> 00:52:59,759 Speaker 1: the camera for the or like behind you, so that 834 00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:01,960 Speaker 1: it that you and smile. I don't remember, but I 835 00:53:03,719 --> 00:53:07,239 Speaker 1: absolutely right you'd be standing there and the baby would 836 00:53:07,239 --> 00:53:10,600 Speaker 1: turn its head and smile. I've only just remember that. 837 00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:16,920 Speaker 1: That's absolutely correct. Thank you for doing that. Well, I 838 00:53:16,960 --> 00:53:19,239 Speaker 1: have I have a face on the baby with love 839 00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:27,680 Speaker 1: um hard Sell out now on Netflix. Just ow how 840 00:53:27,760 --> 00:53:31,280 Speaker 1: was that process of doing that? I am so excited 841 00:53:31,320 --> 00:53:34,000 Speaker 1: to watch hard Sell with the c because it's set 842 00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:38,080 Speaker 1: in prison. It's a prison cell. No no, no, no, 843 00:53:38,880 --> 00:53:43,960 Speaker 1: hard kill No. Well it's again, I'm I guess I'm 844 00:53:43,960 --> 00:53:46,520 Speaker 1: back to my roots because I'm playing six different characters. 845 00:53:47,960 --> 00:53:51,760 Speaker 1: It was brilliant, I was. I've never worked for Netflix before, 846 00:53:52,560 --> 00:53:58,239 Speaker 1: and I was really heartened in terms of how much 847 00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:05,960 Speaker 1: creative well, how I owned everything creatively, but I, um, 848 00:54:06,680 --> 00:54:08,759 Speaker 1: they let me go there and it is the show 849 00:54:08,800 --> 00:54:11,560 Speaker 1: that goes there. And I think in comedy that's quite 850 00:54:11,680 --> 00:54:16,640 Speaker 1: important that I wasn't censored or anything, and if anything, 851 00:54:16,800 --> 00:54:21,319 Speaker 1: you know, occasionally a question would come up and I'd 852 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:23,880 Speaker 1: answer it and then they'd go, Okay, fair enough, you know, 853 00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:25,839 Speaker 1: because at the end of the day, I was very 854 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:30,600 Speaker 1: lucky to be working with a team whose answer was yeah, 855 00:54:30,680 --> 00:54:34,200 Speaker 1: fair enough. It's just funnier that way, and that's really important. 856 00:54:34,840 --> 00:54:42,439 Speaker 1: That's great. And the style I understand is mockumentary documentary style. Yeah, 857 00:54:42,480 --> 00:54:45,720 Speaker 1: of course, yeah, because I realized, because I was directing 858 00:54:45,719 --> 00:54:48,600 Speaker 1: it as well, I needed a device that would get 859 00:54:48,600 --> 00:54:52,560 Speaker 1: me out of jail. No pardon sended, but you know, 860 00:54:52,920 --> 00:54:55,719 Speaker 1: get me out of trouble. And that's a good thing, 861 00:54:55,920 --> 00:54:58,480 Speaker 1: you know what I mean, because you can explain something 862 00:54:58,520 --> 00:55:00,920 Speaker 1: to down the line, down the ends, down the barrel 863 00:55:01,560 --> 00:55:04,040 Speaker 1: when you need a little bit of glue. Actually, not 864 00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:06,160 Speaker 1: not that I in the end you ended up doing 865 00:55:06,160 --> 00:55:10,319 Speaker 1: it because everything was pretty tightly scriptured. But it's so 866 00:55:10,520 --> 00:55:13,680 Speaker 1: lovely to be able to have It's a perfect device 867 00:55:14,440 --> 00:55:18,560 Speaker 1: to be able to improvise the camera obviously, and we 868 00:55:18,640 --> 00:55:21,480 Speaker 1: and we did. I did certainly use that and I 869 00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:23,600 Speaker 1: had I had a great experience. Actually, I mean it 870 00:55:23,680 --> 00:55:27,880 Speaker 1: was a fairly arduous shoot, just because there was only 871 00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:34,080 Speaker 1: one character that wasn't in prosthetics. But but it was. 872 00:55:34,160 --> 00:55:39,680 Speaker 1: It was great. It was great, and amazingly people of well, 873 00:55:39,719 --> 00:55:48,439 Speaker 1: I'm doing myself down too bad. Amazingly people like it. Well, 874 00:55:48,680 --> 00:55:53,120 Speaker 1: I can't wait. Hard Sell on Netflix. Also the Nan movie. 875 00:55:53,400 --> 00:55:59,719 Speaker 1: The Busiest Woman in television, directing, writing, acting, not just 876 00:55:59,800 --> 00:56:04,439 Speaker 1: Why Part but seven. I can't tell you how how 877 00:56:04,520 --> 00:56:08,480 Speaker 1: much I appreciate Catherine, you coming and uh and talking 878 00:56:08,520 --> 00:56:12,640 Speaker 1: to me. I remember our days so fondly, and I 879 00:56:12,719 --> 00:56:16,360 Speaker 1: can't wait well for more of the pandemic to disappear 880 00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:18,920 Speaker 1: and we can see each other. Well, thank you so 881 00:56:19,040 --> 00:56:36,080 Speaker 1: much for asking me. I'm delighted, Catherine. Thank you so much. 882 00:56:36,440 --> 00:56:38,359 Speaker 1: It was so great to catch up with you. It's 883 00:56:38,400 --> 00:56:42,880 Speaker 1: been so long. Not only was that fun, it was educational. 884 00:56:42,960 --> 00:56:46,239 Speaker 1: I learned so much about you today. You are an 885 00:56:46,280 --> 00:56:50,520 Speaker 1: absolute delight to all of you listeners. Thank you for 886 00:56:50,640 --> 00:56:53,680 Speaker 1: joining us, and make sure to check out Catherine's new 887 00:56:54,080 --> 00:56:58,360 Speaker 1: mockumentary Hard Sell with a C C E L L, 888 00:56:58,480 --> 00:57:03,400 Speaker 1: which is now out on Netflix. And I'll see you 889 00:57:03,480 --> 00:57:07,240 Speaker 1: next week for another well for another week and another 890 00:57:07,320 --> 00:57:10,200 Speaker 1: guest on Off the Beat. Make sure to follow along 891 00:57:10,320 --> 00:57:14,560 Speaker 1: at Off the Beat on Instagram. We're verified now baby, 892 00:57:14,680 --> 00:57:18,240 Speaker 1: so we check us out for all updates about the 893 00:57:18,280 --> 00:57:29,560 Speaker 1: podcast and i I will talk to you soon. Off 894 00:57:29,600 --> 00:57:33,400 Speaker 1: the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, 895 00:57:33,560 --> 00:57:38,440 Speaker 1: alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are Diego Tapia, 896 00:57:38,680 --> 00:57:42,880 Speaker 1: Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris. Our talent producer 897 00:57:43,120 --> 00:57:47,160 Speaker 1: is Ryan Papa Zachary. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak 898 00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:51,440 Speaker 1: performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode 899 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:53,360 Speaker 1: was mixed by Seth O'landskip