Jennifer Aniston ('The Morning Show'), Jodie Foster ('True Detective: Night Country'), Nicole Kidman ('Expats' & 'Special Ops: Lioness'), Brie Larson ('Lessons in Chemistry'), Anna Sawai ('Shōgun'), Naomi Watts ('Feud: Capote vs. The Swans'), and Sofía Vergara ('Griselda') join Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter. The drama stars weigh in on everything from method acting, mentorship and menopause in THR’s roundtable hosted by Yvonne Orji and moderated by Lacey Rose.
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00:00:00 Jen's career. Let's talk about it. I wasn't a baby baby. No, but you have sustained an
00:00:05 enormous like career
00:00:08 Here my I was nervous I mean these are
00:00:17 I'll start to cry but I get excited. I'm motivated. I'm still here. We're still here. Yeah
00:00:24 Yeah, hello and welcome to off script with the Hollywood Reporter. I'm your host
00:00:29 Betty boo or better known as Yvonne orgy and I am here at the beautiful Georgian Hotel in sunny Santa Monica, California
00:00:36 Guys today's roundtable is packing so much heat. You are gonna need that good SPF
00:00:41 I'm talking about 50 not 30 between their numerous Oscars Emmys and decades in Hollywood
00:00:47 This is undeniably an iconic panel
00:00:50 You are about to hear from seven women who lead today's hottest drama series
00:00:56 I am talking about none other than Jennifer Aniston of the morning show
00:01:00 Jodie Foster of true detective night country
00:01:04 Nicole Kidman of expats and special ops lioness
00:01:08 Brie Larson of lessons in chemistry and a so why of Shoga?
00:01:14 Sophia Vergara of Griselda and Naomi Watts a few Capote versus the swans
00:01:24 They are on the record, but just a little off script with the Hollywood Reporter take it away Lacey
00:01:31 Thanks Yvonne and thank you all for being here
00:01:35 I'm gonna start with a question for everybody with a show of hands who's ever lied to land a job
00:01:42 We all lied that we knew how to ride a horse and we could yeah, no, I know I was okay
00:01:52 Okay, you have to lie about that. I did lie about ice skating
00:01:55 I didn't like to get a job, but I lied to my agent so that they would take me when I moved to LA
00:02:06 I said that I could sing and dance and everything why not and then they sent me to an audition for Chicago in
00:02:12 Broadway
00:02:14 And I said, I'm like, no I can't I can't do it
00:02:17 I mean, I'm like I never thought they were gonna send me for something like that, but I said yes. Yes
00:02:21 Yes, yes, yes, and I went and I got the part
00:02:25 I might have not been fully I'm not full disclosure about I said I couldn't ride a horse just because I didn't want to ride
00:02:37 That was yeah, yeah, I think I like definitely added special skills to resume
00:02:46 multiple languages
00:02:50 Definitely probably lots of weird sports
00:02:52 But I am quite sporty I can learn a sport
00:02:58 I mean I did learn to ride a tricycle for a movie once on a
00:03:02 Appear, but I'd never do it again
00:03:05 No, wait
00:03:11 I
00:03:13 I'm gonna start with you you have reached out to a lot of young actresses
00:03:30 I keep hearing what prompts the outreach and what do you typically say? Oh, it kind of depends right sometimes you'll
00:03:36 really
00:03:38 It's it's such a difficult process and especially now
00:03:41 I don't even know how a young actor can come up with all the social media and all that. So
00:03:45 Yeah, I guess I I fancy myself as some kind of mother figure where I if I see somebody drunken on their face
00:03:52 For example, yeah at an event. I might be like so what's going on?
00:03:56 You really will you'll call and yeah, I feel for them
00:04:00 You know
00:04:00 I I really am grateful for my mom when I was young
00:04:03 Getting me through all of that and somehow I managed to have a series of roles that allowed me
00:04:08 Allowed me to survive I think what are the things you all sort of wish somebody had called and told you
00:04:16 Whether it's sort of right now in your career or at the beginning of your careers
00:04:20 Just allow yourself to be you and not compare yourself to other people the whole time
00:04:27 I remember I lived very much under the radar for about 10 years and
00:04:32 Was auditioning, you know
00:04:34 and
00:04:36 you only get the scenes and so you're trying to imagine who this character is and
00:04:40 Like always they need a funny person. I'll be funny. I'll be too intense. I'll be sexy
00:04:46 I'll be but it's like just bring some of you into the room. That's what they're looking for. And so I was always
00:04:52 Doing that and then finding myself, you know in a room waiting room with 10 12 people who is sitting there learning and I'm going
00:05:00 Oh god, she looks sexy. I should be sexier. I wore the wrong outfit or she looks intelligent
00:05:06 Let me put some glasses on or you know, you're always trying to sort of fabricate this person. That's so removed from you
00:05:13 Yeah
00:05:14 So you can say no was good was important for me for whatever reason
00:05:19 I didn't know that when I was young that I guess yeah, and and maybe I think this new generation
00:05:25 that's what's good about this new generation is
00:05:27 They're very comfortable with saying no
00:05:29 They're very very good at like setting boundaries and going like I don't like that and I want to do this and I didn't know
00:05:35 that was possible when I was and need the support from us or you need the support when you do say no from
00:05:41 The others to go. Yeah, that's fine. That's that's what do we do here? And that's the great thing when you're in a position of
00:05:48 Producing power something where you go. Well, no we need to listen to this
00:05:52 we need to honor it and we need to change the way we're doing something and
00:05:56 I that is an incredible position to be able to operate from yeah, because there's always a solution to this
00:06:03 Yes, just that they would read it. Yes. Yeah here the no
00:06:07 You had this sort of the confidence the gumption to say even I mean you're 13 14 years old to say wait a second
00:06:15 This doesn't feel right. This doesn't feel like me. I guess I'm curious where that comes from. But also how it's received
00:06:21 Oh, not well. Yeah
00:06:23 No, I'm just more comfortable with how uncomfortable it makes people that I'm very clear about what a yes and a no is for me
00:06:29 And I think I've learned that if I can
00:06:32 Understand what a no is and be able to say it before I'm upset about it. It's a much better conversation
00:06:38 Some people are surprised I think by how quick and concise I can be about things
00:06:42 But I think it actually just avoids a lot of drama in the end
00:06:46 Sure, because the thing I like to remind myself is that no matter what like you all can have what you want with me on
00:06:52 Set but I have to go home and live with myself and it's a lot of the time you learn what your nose are from
00:06:57 Saying yes to it or being in the heat of the moment and then you go home and you're like, why do I feel bad?
00:07:02 Yeah, and sometimes they're a little sneaky thing. Sometimes it's clear. Sometimes you're like, oh, yeah
00:07:07 I was those little tiny things that actually added up and made me feel not good and I have a whole job to do
00:07:12 you know, so
00:07:13 I've just become very confident with that part of it about like that
00:07:17 I'm in charge of myself, which I know is like such a small thing
00:07:21 But it's tough if you haven't been on a set
00:07:23 It's hard to understand
00:07:24 I think like how quick the pace of everything and that you feel like there's this pressure and you're gonna let people down and instead
00:07:30 You learn that you're letting yourself down not to let everybody else down and that just doesn't work not to say that
00:07:35 I have a perfect track record. Of course, there were times where I was like, please someone love me
00:07:38 That's just like part of it, too. But I will say that
00:07:42 Yeah, I'm I'm good with no. No, I've got handled I think and your team was very supportive of that. Mm-hmm
00:07:49 yeah, they were they were because I was working in Japan for a while and
00:07:54 They were like to say yes is the most mature thing that you can do always say yes
00:07:59 Don't really tell us what you want. We've been doing this for the longest time
00:08:03 so just trust us and so it's only been recent years that I've been starting to get used to saying what I want and it's
00:08:10 So refreshing because my team will be like, what do you want to do? And I'm like
00:08:14 me
00:08:18 Yeah, it's been a slow process but it was difficult in Japan I still have trouble with it
00:08:24 I have no yeah, I do which pieces I still what aspects of
00:08:28 During the job no because it's sometimes blurry for me because sometimes my I
00:08:35 Can bristle and be like no and then when I kind of feel it out and do something I'm like, oh this wasn't so bad
00:08:42 So it's kind of trying to find my own inner
00:08:46 Voice that I'm like, is this me just reacting?
00:08:50 Or is it me?
00:08:53 Really needing to protect myself now because part of what we do you you dive into things that are deeply uncomfortable
00:09:00 So the idea of like and I've had to teach myself to not always go. I can't do that
00:09:07 Oh, yeah, like my initial reaction can actually be that instead of okay ease into it because I sort of need to be coaxed
00:09:15 Sometimes so it's finding that I'm still finding that compass. There's times when you think oh, I can't do it
00:09:21 I can't do it and then you need the support of you actually can
00:09:23 Mm-hmm, you actually can because it'll just be a more of a fear based. Yes. No, yeah
00:09:29 Minute and a legitimate like this is dangerous or this is gonna you're gonna feel terrible about this
00:09:35 Yeah, which I've also had yes, but there's times when I've got gosh, I'm glad I didn't give into that
00:09:40 and yeah, and I feel like as you get older, I mean I I say yes more easily because I
00:09:47 just feel like I want to be open to as many experiences as possible and and
00:09:53 Yes go into the discomfort zone as as much as I can and grow and I mean
00:09:59 I think you said it beautifully the Andy Warhol quote and like just say yes make art and
00:10:07 Get what you can out of it fall into it grow and then and let others decide what it is or not
00:10:13 And but you just keep going
00:10:15 I think what I'm hearing and all this because I'm kind of defining it now for myself is like
00:10:19 It's not like anything that's getting in the way of doing the best work that I possibly can
00:10:25 That's where my yeses and no's come in
00:10:27 But I feel like there's something whether it's a yes or a no that's like oh that's gonna make me so uncomfortable
00:10:32 I can't focus and do what I need to do or like
00:10:36 This is a yes and like the fear stuff is like the best part
00:10:39 I think yeah, like when you're like, oh, I know I'm supposed to do this and I'm so scared
00:10:44 That's different. But when it's like things that are toggling so that you can actually just do work that feels responsible and safe
00:10:52 That's where those yeses and no's come in for me
00:10:54 There's another piece of outreach that that I think I've heard you say you do which is if you read someone's gonna play a superhero
00:11:00 Character you'll reach out. Oh, yeah, you need to know what the superhero tips are
00:11:05 I
00:11:07 Always do
00:11:09 First person to email everybody but yeah, because it's very specific and very strange people like I don't know how to do this
00:11:19 I'm like, yeah, no one does why would you say what do you say?
00:11:22 What are give us give us some wisdom?
00:11:24 I mean the simple things are as I say like be as prepared in your body as you possibly can so that you feel like
00:11:30 You can take it on because it only gets harder as the job goes on
00:11:33 Really understand how to be able to go to the bathroom in your suit
00:11:36 Yeah, I mean it was like the first Captain Marvel, yeah, don't drink don't do anything to make it harder for yourself the next day
00:11:44 I mean the first Captain Marvel
00:11:46 It was like a 45 minute thing to get me in and out of that costume to go the bathroom
00:11:50 And it took like someone helping me. So there wasn't even a little like the secret trap door? No!
00:11:54 That's why I'm like get a plan and understand. Yeah, so little zippers. I understand it when people have to wait for me to go to the bathroom
00:12:02 So I would always have to time it out. I have to be like, okay, we have a long break. That would give me anxiety
00:12:06 Yeah, it's a whole thing. You can't have a sip of water. It's a whole thing.
00:12:10 And it can feel it's a lot of pressure and yeah
00:12:14 I think it's a strange thing
00:12:15 especially when you're a newcomer and you're tasked with being the most powerful blah blah blah of blah blah blah and
00:12:21 You feel scared like it's so hard to be like the cool confident one when you're like, uh, do I know what I'm supposed to?
00:12:28 be doing
00:12:29 And so it's just the initial conversation and then it's also like please just call me or text me if you're like
00:12:35 I don't understand like and a lot of people are like, how do you do it with just like a tape marker a blue wall?
00:12:40 And oh, yeah, you know, there's things like that. But more than anything. It's just I remember feeling so petrified and
00:12:47 I felt very lucky that I came into
00:12:49 Marvel at a time when it was this 10-year anniversary
00:12:52 So I was around everybody on Avengers and I was like, will you help me?
00:12:56 I'm the new superhero and they're like you got it kid and like but people gave me like actual tangible pieces of advice and felt
00:13:02 Like they were an open sounding board and just having that made me feel like I was okay that I was there. Sure. Yeah
00:13:09 For everyone what if we were sort of going to describe the current era of your careers in terms of what's coming at you?
00:13:16 Projects that you're approached with I are there some through lines
00:13:21 I feel like the last time I sat with you Jen it was a lot of really dark material that was coming your way
00:13:25 I don't know if it's still if you're still in in that chapter or if we move to a new one
00:13:30 Could they go for they've kind of thought it falls in between because living in living in that dark space
00:13:36 I as a comedian, you know, ultimately when I started it's not easy
00:13:41 It's really hard and that's why you know going home
00:13:44 I would listen to smartless on my way to work and home from work just to laugh and get out of that
00:13:49 I don't I don't go home and live in my character, which I know some people do and that's really
00:13:55 Awesome for there. That's how their their method is. Wonderful. I choose to just get rid of it as fast as I can but
00:14:02 It's I'm I usually say I need I need a comedy right now. I need to I need some levity. Mm-hmm. So that's usually
00:14:09 Like it's it's not
00:14:12 Yeah, yeah, what about you Sophia? Well, it's interesting because I
00:14:17 feel very awkward now here because
00:14:22 You know, this is like my favorite group of actresses and I realized I don't know anything about that
00:14:28 Nobody's not in a bad way. It's like it's just a reality, you know
00:14:35 And if I have to say no or yes on all those things
00:14:38 Maybe because I started so late in my life to want it to be in this career
00:14:43 it's
00:14:46 To me was more like a lucky thing. Let's see if I can fool everyone
00:14:50 You know, I feel like the worst that could happen if I say no or yes to something is that you know
00:14:57 It's gonna be bad and whatever. We're not doing a brain surgery to anyone. We're not ruining their lives
00:15:04 So I take it as a gift the opportunity or I or I invent the opportunity
00:15:10 Thinking what is the worst of it could happen if they don't like me. They don't like me if they like me they like me
00:15:17 And for example as a comedic actress
00:15:21 I cannot even I don't even I'm not comfortable even saying that I did do 11 years of Modern Family
00:15:27 But it was almost playing myself in a way what you were saying at the beginning
00:15:32 It was like how am I gonna do this this I had never went to a night to class in my life
00:15:37 I just went to an audition and this thing so I'm like, oh, that's why I'm always is like a gift. It's like oh, yes
00:15:44 Okay, let's do it
00:15:46 So I created this character from more of like my family might I knew this character
00:15:52 So I was like I'm gonna do it and then when I started to decide to do something different
00:15:56 It's hard because this accent is beautiful and you know, I cannot be a scientist
00:16:03 Obviously, I cannot be an astronaut
00:16:05 Yeah, if I produce the movie and it's gonna be a not great
00:16:11 No, that's what she wants next
00:16:13 Let's make it happen
00:16:15 No, I don't want to
00:16:17 I don't want to be a scientist
00:16:19 No
00:16:21 I've seen scientists
00:16:23 No
00:16:25 But no, but that's why for example when I decided to do Griselda
00:16:30 I was like it was never thinking. Oh, I want to not people not to think that I'm only you know, Gloria or this thing
00:16:37 No, it was that character is like I know that character. I live there. I live in Colombia in that era and
00:16:43 I'm like can I do it? I think I can because I mean my brother was a drug dealer and
00:16:49 Unfortunately, he got killed at that era like I knew that person the same way I knew Gloria
00:16:54 But I've never seen it as a woman. I knew it as a man many many million. I live there in Colombia and
00:17:01 Then I said maybe I cannot do it and I said I'm gonna find out who Jennifer Aniston worked with
00:17:10 I was just gonna say
00:17:12 Oh, because by the way, every time I go to work even in two months when I start the next season of Morning Show
00:17:19 I don't know. I'm like, I don't know what I don't know how to do this. I don't know what I'm doing
00:17:23 Absolutely zero memory of how to be an actor or any roles or anything
00:17:28 It's like starting again
00:17:29 It starts all over every year
00:17:30 But I found a person I said I found a person that I'm like who did she go to sometimes to prepare and I found Nancy Banks
00:17:37 And I said, can you maybe help me with this thing? I've never done this
00:17:43 But I don't care if it's bad or good or something, but I want to do it. Let me do it. Help me do it
00:17:47 So brilliant
00:17:48 So happy that happened
00:17:49 She did incredible
00:17:51 Unbelievable
00:17:52 I try not to think too much of yes or no or yes and because I started old
00:17:56 I'm 52 years old and I started when I was 37. So I already knew how to say no
00:18:01 You know
00:18:02 Nah
00:18:03 What does come to your mind?
00:18:05 That's a good no
00:18:06 What is presented to you? What comes across your inbox?
00:18:12 Comedy, which I love. I don't want to be Gloria again
00:18:16 Maybe because I don't know if I can I don't know yet if I can do more different comedy that is not
00:18:22 I cannot take this accent away no matter what I tried like at the beginning of my career
00:18:28 I'm like I cannot be when I moved to LA like I cannot believe why Penelope Cruz or Santa Hayek don't change their accent
00:18:34 They're going to have so much more opportunities. I want to do it
00:18:38 Of course, it's like I spent so much money time with fucking like, sorry, you can
00:18:43 You're good
00:18:45 People teaching me how to have a waste of my time
00:18:49 I would go to the auditions and all I could think was like where do I put the tongue to do the I'm like
00:18:55 I'm listening. I can't do this. I can't I'm gonna go back here to Miami or I'm just gonna start going with this
00:19:01 But then this of course limits you to this limits you
00:19:05 Yeah, but there you know how to do every accent in the world
00:19:08 Oh with help
00:19:10 Not with help
00:19:11 Even with an operation they cannot help you
00:19:15 There is no I've tried it's like no so
00:19:19 So I I think now I'm more into the what I want to create for me and because we saw that it's a well now
00:19:26 A lot of people are like yeah, what else do you have?
00:19:29 What else do you have?
00:19:30 What a meet up
00:19:31 Yeah
00:19:32 So exciting
00:19:33 So are people changing? Is the tide changing now? Will you be more interested in that kind of work?
00:19:38 Yeah, but you know what?
00:19:40 I I don't know if I want to do something like that exactly because I didn't know what I was going to do
00:19:45 I don't even know what it meant
00:19:47 I don't know how you guys do it because what it is the pleasure of going to a set to laugh all day
00:19:52 The lines, the people, the friend you crack out
00:19:56 I mean but drama is a complete crazy thing
00:20:00 It's like and I had never I had never acted and this sounds ridiculous
00:20:05 But I had never acted in Spanish only in this perfect English
00:20:08 Oh, wow. No kidding. Oh, you need to make a Spanish language
00:20:12 No, I did it. It's how Spanish have English but that way it was so hard because it was like, yeah, I didn't know too
00:20:20 Only this perfect English was what I knew
00:20:23 It was beautiful
00:20:24 Like Nick, do you find some if you play Australian, you have to get coached
00:20:30 I'm not you
00:20:34 Okay, well, yeah, she's much more than me
00:20:37 She's a proper Aussie
00:20:39 I've got some British in there and I can you hear that?
00:20:42 And I didn't move to Australia. Yes, yes, English, Australian and changing my accent in so many different shows, characters or whatever
00:20:54 I forget where my own voice is sometimes because you work so hard to be understood, you know, like in a restaurant
00:21:00 I don't ask for water. I ask for water or butter, you know, because people like what? Oh, wait, where are you come from?
00:21:08 You know, like, oh, forget it. Just water
00:21:11 That's my life
00:21:13 Yeah
00:21:14 I love it
00:21:16 And I've heard you initially feared with Shogun that it would be another sort of depiction of Japanese women being sexualized by white men
00:21:25 I guess I'm curious how many other projects had crossed your desk where that was precisely what was happening
00:21:32 It wasn't just Japanese women being sexualized
00:21:35 It was always that they were defined by the relationship that they had with the male character or they weren't
00:21:43 We didn't really understand their story enough like they were always just like the sub character
00:21:49 And oftentimes when you hear Japanese women, you think, oh, they're obedient, they're sexy or they can do just, you know, action somehow
00:21:58 And for me, it's like that's not who we are
00:22:01 We're so much more complex and even if we do appear obedient, it's because society has made us that way and there's so much that's bottled inside
00:22:11 And I'd never seen in Western media a complex woman with depth who had their own story, who wasn't just with the male character
00:22:24 And so when I read the sides, it was my character going into a bath with the white pilot
00:22:34 And I was like, OK, this is going to be the same thing
00:22:37 And I played it in that way and they didn't call me back
00:22:41 And then I had a conversation with our showrunner and he explained that it wasn't that kind of scene
00:22:46 Like he wanted it to be the connection that they have with their background, their history and their just conversation
00:22:54 And so I taped again and I played it like she wasn't really taking off her kimono and like it was just that
00:23:02 Equals
00:23:03 Yeah, yeah
00:23:04 And they liked me and so once that happened, I was like, OK, this is the type of women that we haven't been able to see
00:23:13 That I'm sure Japanese women when they watch it will see themselves reflected in
00:23:19 So it was really important to me and in the end with that bath scene, we actually had Blackthorn in the bath, in the hot spring
00:23:28 But my character just walking in and sitting down and gazing outwards
00:23:33 And it's even more intimate because you know that there's nothing physical about it
00:23:39 So yeah, I'm just very lucky that we're finally being able to give a portrayal of real Japanese women
00:23:47 I love that
00:23:48 Yeah, I love that
00:23:49 Brilliant
00:23:50 What are the roles or perhaps it's terms, triggering terms and character descriptions that make you all say, I'm not going to do this
00:23:58 Broken but beautiful
00:24:00 Or beautiful but she doesn't know it
00:24:02 That one came so easily to you
00:24:06 I read that so many times
00:24:08 I read that last week probably
00:24:09 Beautiful but doesn't know it
00:24:11 Like how, but you're telling me
00:24:13 But I do know it
00:24:15 I cross everything out anyway
00:24:17 You do
00:24:18 Stage directors
00:24:20 Yeah, I was taught to cross stuff out like early
00:24:23 I was just like, because it's very result
00:24:26 Yeah
00:24:27 It may be a nice guide but you don't want to be confined
00:24:32 Locked in, yeah
00:24:33 And I think you may have a better idea or the director might or you know so
00:24:38 And that's there to fall back on but if you want to really find it, then you kind of have to go
00:24:45 Maybe doesn't walk out of the room right now
00:24:48 I mean sort of similar to what you were talking about
00:24:50 Maybe doesn't take the kimono off
00:24:53 Maybe doesn't do, you know, because then sometimes that can map out some magic
00:24:59 I don't know that this is as true now as it was, you know, for most of my career but I was always just shocked and amazed that so many of the scripts that I read, the entire motivation for the female character was that she had
00:25:14 She'd been traumatized by rape
00:25:16 That it seemed to be the only motivation that male screenwriters could come up with for why women did things
00:25:24 It's like, wow, she's kind of in a bad mood
00:25:27 Yeah
00:25:28 Yeah, there's definitely some rape in her past
00:25:30 Oh my God
00:25:31 You know, rape or molestation seemed to be the one kind of lurid, big emotional backstory that they could understand in women
00:25:43 That they couldn't really find complexity or they couldn't really understand that we have conflict
00:25:48 There's parts of us that are ambivalent and you know, we may show one way, maybe lying
00:25:52 And so I didn't take it personally, I think once I was able to be old enough to be able to say like, let's look at this differently
00:26:02 I think I did have a responsibility to come in and say, you know, you're not always going to get the most perfectly fleshed out female character but maybe there's an opportunity for us to work together and create something that way
00:26:13 Yeah
00:26:14 And which is why also I think now we're all working hard to put women at the helm because that's a really, you know, the viewpoint suddenly becomes very different
00:26:26 And there's a conversation that happens off camera, before camera about the project that then you go, oh right, okay, good
00:26:33 So you're going to help create the path for this
00:26:36 Which was like when Lulu Wong came on to do Expat, she was like, this is what's going to happen because I know this and this is how it's going to happen because I know this
00:26:48 And there's something incredibly freeing when there's a woman going
00:26:54 The trust
00:26:55 These are the characters, this is how I'm going to cut and incredible authority, you know
00:27:02 And then you go, yeah, I'm going to step into line with that because you've got my back
00:27:07 Yeah, you feel protected in that
00:27:09 Anne Hathaway said something recently that I found both surprising and quite disturbing
00:27:15 Back in the 2000s, she said, it was considered normal to ask an actor to make out with other actors to test for chemistry
00:27:21 I was told, we have ten guys coming in today and you're already cast, aren't you excited to make out with them?
00:27:27 She wasn't excited, of course
00:27:30 So perhaps you are surprised
00:27:33 I've never had that ever said to me
00:27:35 I'm curious if there are other variations
00:27:37 To be excited to make out with someone, I think maybe secretly I've been excited
00:27:41 Chemistry? Do you mean like chemistry reads?
00:27:44 I haven't been told like you're going to have to, you know
00:27:50 Have chemistry
00:27:51 Lay down and
00:27:52 Oh, stimulate
00:27:53 Yes, no
00:27:54 No, no, not Bernadette
00:27:56 Never, and I would never
00:27:58 You have
00:28:00 Wait, that was
00:28:01 Just once, yeah
00:28:03 It was awkward, it was very awkward
00:28:05 A bunch of people that may or may not get the job
00:28:07 Yeah, exactly, I didn't get the job so I clearly did not do a good make out
00:28:12 I thought you meant like someone, I see what you're saying, I thought you meant as the hired actor
00:28:17 No, I was being auditioned
00:28:19 Oh, I see
00:28:20 Oh, you were being auditioned, right
00:28:21 Yeah, with a very well-known actor
00:28:24 And I didn't get it
00:28:27 And it was mortifying because we didn't hear a cut and it just kept going
00:28:34 Oh no
00:28:35 Yeah, that is
00:28:36 And then he was like okay, okay, and we both were like oh, sorry, we didn't hear
00:28:45 And it was just like oh, it was
00:28:47 Oh my God, sorry
00:28:49 Oh no
00:28:51 But I did feel a bit rattled
00:28:54 Yeah, I bet
00:28:55 Oh, absolutely
00:28:57 The whole idea of a chemistry reading is in itself an uncomfortable thing because if you don't have chemistry that is uncomfortable
00:29:04 And presumably you see these people again
00:29:06 Also chemistry is, like you cannot have chemistry and on screen it's made
00:29:13 Yes
00:29:14 Honestly
00:29:15 Always badly
00:29:16 It is, I mean
00:29:17 So true
00:29:18 That's a fallacy. There's a way you can shoot things, I mean that's I think just relying on chemistry, that's lazy
00:29:27 Yeah
00:29:28 You know, there's the writing, there's the interaction and then there's the director stepping in and going this is actually going to work better and I think here and you can literally be directed through
00:29:39 The creative atmosphere
00:29:40 When you look at the films that have great love scenes, they were very directed a lot of the times. When you talk about them, they're like oh no, it was complete, it was choreographed a lot of times and people underestimate the power of acting
00:30:00 Yeah
00:30:01 So
00:30:02 Yeah
00:30:03 Also it feels, because when you're in an audition room, you're already at a disadvantage because how do you even, you probably maybe might have chemistry with this person if you weren't in an environment
00:30:17 Yes, right
00:30:18 Like create your chemistry
00:30:19 Ready go
00:30:20 It's hard enough just to watch, I mean for me I'm a terrible auditioner, always
00:30:26 Same
00:30:28 And I waitressed forever before I could finally get something like a Bob's Big Boy commercial. So it was, but that's always, so then if you're a nervous auditioner to begin with to then say now let's have you make out with a complete stranger, it's very uncomfortable
00:30:45 It's impossible
00:30:46 And it's very unrealistic to expect you're going to get a beautiful chemistry read in that
00:30:51 I think that's probably
00:30:53 Direct me
00:30:54 Yes
00:30:55 I mean I saw people
00:30:56 Put some music on or something
00:30:57 Some people, I don't know if you guys remember, like who has done a lot of auditioning or not, but some people are really good at it. But I was a shocking auditioner, like literally I could feel the energy in the room where people were like hurry this along
00:31:14 Yeah
00:31:15 And I would even go, yeah don't worry I'm out of your way, one second, literally you don't even have to look me in the eye, shake my hand, no, no, no, it's fine, I'll just get out of here
00:31:24 I was horrible and that's why I was basically unhirable for 10 years and it took meeting David Lynch who's a master of filmmaking and he just sat and looked at me and talked and said tell me about yourself
00:31:40 And I fell into it, this conversation, I was like wait, he really, you want to take time with me, you want to know shit about me and how I was raised and you know all of that and he was sitting there smoking and saying tell me more Naomi, tell me, that sounds fascinating
00:31:56 And then I just, I got the job, I didn't even have to audition, he just wanted to talk, it was incredible
00:32:03 Yeah, Sofia you referenced this idea of what it takes to do a drama, I feel like you've talked about this idea of playing Griselda and you'd come home with her rage, mad as hell I think is how you've described it
00:32:17 I'm curious what that looked like for whoever has felt that, yeah how did it manifest itself?
00:32:24 Well for me it was very difficult and different and the first three weeks mainly I didn't know what was happening to me because okay I had those three things that were weird for me that I was acting first in Spanish, I had never used prosthetics ever and it was my first drama, I've only done really modern family
00:32:45 So I thought it was, I didn't know what I was walking into and when I arrived I realized this is different, it's hard when you have to cry and kill and choke and do snort cocaine and drink alcohol and you know I had never even in my life touched a cigarette, never
00:33:05 and I had to learn and to learn at 50 years old to smoke and you're going to be in every single scene smoking, I was like huh? It's like how am I going to make that, how? And so I just do whatever and I let the director you know do, help me, help me with everything and but then the first three weeks I would go home and I didn't know what was wrong with me
00:33:30 What would it feel like, what would it look like?
00:33:32 It was like I couldn't fall asleep because I was screaming, I was like mad, I had never cried on anything, you know, cry on modern family so then I was crying on a set, then you go home and I didn't know what was happening to me so I decided I'm going to take Xanax to go to sleep because then I had to wake up the next day to go again you know super early
00:33:58 So I said it's like it's either I start sleeping or I'm going to die, you know, so I started taking a little bit of Xanax and then understanding and talking to Nancy, I don't know if I'm going to survive this, it's like, not this now
00:34:13 But it's so interesting because what the way she works is you know you're unlocking some stuff that you have been sort of putting very wonderfully down into the depths of your body
00:34:26 For me my whole life I come from Colombia, you know, I've had a lot of crazy stories why I knew I could do Griselda, I had it all, but those were the things that my whole life to keep my sanity
00:34:41 You tucked away
00:34:42 Yeah, and then here it comes, this woman and tells me, okay, Griselda, I'm not going to be able to cry no matter what, I can only cry when I'm laughing, like I don't know how to cry
00:34:55 She said, you're going to do it
00:34:57 And then you don't stop
00:34:59 And then I did it the first time and like I think I'm going to cry in every scene, no
00:35:04 The director is like, do you want me to cry in this one?
00:35:08 She's like, no, why would you be crying, you're opening the refrigerator and telling the guys that they need to leave
00:35:14 So it was a very crazy experience for me because it was everything new, but I did it, it was six months, it changes you a little bit, I don't know how you guys do it all the time, those dramas, it's like comedy is so much nicer
00:35:34 Native American
00:35:35 It's a dream
00:35:38 I've done almost no comedies in my life and I do enjoy them for the first two weeks and then after two weeks I'm like, I can't do this one more minute longer
00:35:51 I think it's that energy, sort of enforced energy that you have to find, I find dramas much easier
00:35:57 I do too, but is it because it's your wheelhouse, you've been doing that, like I feel nervous that I'm going to screw up the joke, like the joke is coming, oh god, oh god, panic, panic
00:36:10 I think it's the introvert thing, I think I'm genuinely an introverted person so I think in order to keep the energy on the set you need to be a more extroverted person, it's just not natural to me at all
00:36:23 After two weeks I'm exhausted
00:36:26 But are you bringing home the dramas?
00:36:28 Bringing home the dramas?
00:36:30 No, first of all none of us know what we're doing, I don't know if any of us will do it but none of us know what we're doing
00:36:39 And that's really the beauty of it I think is to have that freshness of doubting yourself, of walking and going I don't know if I'm going to be able to, that's what performance is, they say action and it may come and it may not
00:36:50 And the real meditation is accepting that and being able to relax, so you know now at 60 I have to say I feel so blessed at 60 because my role now is to come in and be like don't worry about it, relax
00:37:06 Yeah, no one's ever done that
00:37:09 Yeah, because that's the only thing you really do have to learn over time is just how to relax and allow, and young people have a hard time with that
00:37:18 Sure
00:37:19 In their 20s
00:37:20 Yeah
00:37:21 Nicole I remember the last time you did a round table you were talking for Big Little Lies and you were coming home from a day at work and throwing a rock through a door
00:37:30 Are those still, I mean and you haven't, you continue to play
00:37:33 I tried to throw a rock through a glass
00:37:35 You did
00:37:36 You did
00:37:37 That's why because it was locked and I couldn't get in so I threw the rock
00:37:40 Yeah
00:37:41 Yeah
00:37:42 And you have not stopped?
00:37:44 I've never done that in my life. I was so, yeah, obviously pent up. I broke the whole thing, it cost a fortune to replace it. And then I went back the next day and I said to Alexander and Jean-Marc, I threw a rock through the window and they were like, whoa, watch out. I said I was kind of pissed off. I'm actually pissed off.
00:38:08 Because I think there's a way in which we operate where the show must go on and you just keep going. That's part of you show up and you do it and you do it and you do it and you do it. And a lot of times, yeah, they're six months, it's 12, 14 hour days and there really isn't the time to go and I need to take care of myself. It's quick, get home, get to bed to get back there.
00:38:33 And you keep playing the darkest of the roles
00:38:36 I don't.
00:38:37 I've seen that.
00:38:38 I asked the expats, I went and did a comedy because I was like I kind of went crazy with my own psychology and I went this is unhealthy and it's something that I think we need to talk about as actors because protecting your body so you can live to be for as long as you're going to be given on this earth, there is an amount of protection that you need to learn.
00:39:03 Because I always thought when I was doing it.
00:39:06 Because it's very tough on the psyche.
00:39:07 Yeah, it's like how does the body doesn't know that you're going through that, you know, at that moment.
00:39:11 It doesn't.
00:39:12 That feeling, that horrible thing, it's like how does it not know? It's like putting the body into a stress the whole time. I mean it's…
00:39:20 But the idea of being able to go and get a massage or some sort of thing that you go okay, have a hot bath and just go it's okay. And so much of probably everyone sitting at this table is like that pat on the back, just someone touching you and going it's okay. And when you're not getting the scene.
00:39:42 You could have got some tune up when you just said that.
00:39:44 Yeah.
00:39:45 It's like the reach out for each other is so important.
00:39:49 And then also that thing of what you were saying which is relax because you can show up no matter what work you've done and be shocking, really bad.
00:40:00 And everyone's going yikes, this is not what we thought.
00:40:04 And the scene isn't working and you have this director looking at you with eyes like what?
00:40:10 But the relaxation and the ability to know it's going to happen, it will happen is one of the greatest things.
00:40:17 No amount of anxiety makes you feel…
00:40:19 Yeah, no. And that is not the way to go. It's okay, we're going to get there no matter how stressful, no matter how tough the role is. I'll shut up now.
00:40:31 No.
00:40:32 I will not say another word.
00:40:33 I love it.
00:40:34 It really is.
00:40:36 Brie, in Lessons in Chemistry you play a character that men inherently distrust and dislike for no reason other than the fact that she is a woman.
00:40:46 Uh-huh.
00:40:47 Is that right?
00:40:48 I guess I couldn't help but see the correlation between how…
00:40:54 Oh, okay.
00:40:55 Is this where you think it's going?
00:40:57 I'm scared, let's keep going.
00:40:59 Couldn't help but see the correlation between what your character experiences and what you as you sort of navigate the sort of superhero Marvel world has experienced.
00:41:09 Well, I don't know if it's specific to Marvel. I think that's just… I only know my experience and my experience is being underestimated at times.
00:41:18 Yeah.
00:41:19 So…
00:41:20 Do you draw from that in a character like this?
00:41:22 Yeah, of course. I think the best I've been able to find with characters I play is that they're all me. It's just like a mixing board.
00:41:30 It's like if you've ever watched like, I don't know, a musician and they're mixing their music and it's like, oh, that's that lover. And I'm just messing with those.
00:41:38 There's things that are living inside of you that I don't know if you would have given a life to without it.
00:41:44 And sometimes they're really beautiful and sometimes they're sad, sometimes they're scary. Sometimes they make you stay up at night.
00:41:50 But all of those things, I feel like my life is so… it's so enriched. Yeah, it's been so enriched by it.
00:41:58 And I think the hardest part for me has not been committing to the characters, it's getting out of them.
00:42:03 Do you have tricks? Like do you have a…
00:42:06 Yeah, I basically haven't done anything as dark as room, sense room, because it took me like a year to get out of it.
00:42:14 And I didn't go to school for acting. I don't have… I don't know how to do this job either.
00:42:19 And so I spent a lot of time, I spent nine months creating that character and living that character.
00:42:25 And then I was back at home and I didn't know how to exist in the world anymore. And it was really scary.
00:42:31 And so it took me a long time to be able to just do basic things that I used to enjoy in my life.
00:42:36 And so after that, it was like five years of purposely picking jobs where I felt like it was safe for me to try out new techniques.
00:42:44 It was safe for me to try and figure out, okay, how can I do things so that I go home and feel just a little bit better and slowly start edging myself.
00:42:51 And feeling like you.
00:42:53 Yeah, yeah, because it doesn't stop. It doesn't stop. And you hope that you have the grace of a line producer who has scheduled it to where there's moments where you can offload.
00:43:04 Like Lessons in Chemistry, I didn't have that so much, especially with the character that won't let anybody see her emotions.
00:43:11 So I eventually just was like, you have to put a pop-up tent on set and that's where I'm going to go cry.
00:43:15 Because sometimes it feels so intense and you have everyone going like, don't cry still, don't cry.
00:43:21 And you're like, I can't. You know, whatever you see on camera, which is like could be a 60 second scene I've been doing for three days, you know, I can't do it anymore.
00:43:29 And so you have to find ways to learn how to offload. You have to find what works for you.
00:43:35 But to me, that's always been the biggest challenge and what keeps me going.
00:43:40 Everyone's got their thing.
00:43:43 But that's always been the thing I'd say for myself that has kept me from doing dramatic roles in that way.
00:43:49 And I feel like I'm just at the point where I feel like I could do it.
00:43:53 Where I feel like I have enough, I trust myself with the technique that I have now that I could do it.
00:43:57 How do you decide what pieces of you, the real you, to share?
00:44:02 I'm going to turn to you because I feel like we're in this moment where I hear as much of you talking about your acting career as I do hearing you talk about your struggles with menopause.
00:44:13 And you do it with grace and humor.
00:44:16 And I think I've heard you say that was something that you were nervous about initially talking about publicly.
00:44:22 How do you decide when so much of you, you want to keep private, you want to keep guarded, that you decide this is going to be the thing I share?
00:44:31 And I think a lot of you have done this in different ways.
00:44:34 Yeah, I mean, you know, I started late also by Hollywood standards, I would say.
00:44:40 I didn't try to start late.
00:44:43 It just wasn't hired for a long time.
00:44:46 But I started getting work in my late, well, Mulholland Drive was 29 and then it sat on a shelf and then it was like 31 when I finally launched.
00:44:57 So and I was told also it's going to be over by 40.
00:45:01 So work, work, work.
00:45:04 And then unfortunately for me, when I was at the precipice of wanting to start a family, I was 36.
00:45:12 I was told I was close to menopause.
00:45:14 And so I went into this frantic panic, a lot of shame and fear.
00:45:19 And mostly, for whatever reason, I'm skipping through a lot, I was able to have children.
00:45:27 But then went straight into menopause, hardcore symptoms in my early 40s after my second child and still felt very ashamed and felt like if I ever dared to mention that word, I would be branded as, you know, redundant, finished, off to pasture, go to the sidelines, you're not sexy, there's no way you can act anymore.
00:45:48 That's, you know, it'd be career suicide to bring that into the room.
00:45:54 But then I was like, this makes no sense.
00:45:57 We're half the population.
00:45:59 Everybody's going to go into menopause at some point or another.
00:46:03 Why shouldn't we be talking about it?
00:46:05 And when you learn about the symptoms and how long they can go on for, why can't we find the support?
00:46:12 Why can't and it's not just the physiological support you need.
00:46:15 It's the emotional support like families break down, the workplace stuff happens, you know, like people get afraid they're going to get phased out or, you know, you've got your aging family members, you've got a lot of things that are making you vulnerable at that point.
00:46:31 And then have that to collide with, you know, a self that you no longer know anymore and not sure that is going to ever return was just fascinating to me that it wasn't an available discussion.
00:46:46 So I just went, fuck this, like, let's just talk about it.
00:46:50 And in terms of my career, I felt like, well, if it spooks everyone, that's a bummer.
00:46:57 But, you know, hopefully it actually does the opposite and elongates the career because, you know, someone's got to play the old lady.
00:47:06 And I think, you know, the longer the life, the richer the stories and there's lots to examine.
00:47:12 We need to, you know, do whatever we can to expand the female story and every point.
00:47:20 That goes back to your earlier question.
00:47:21 What would you have loved your earlier self for someone to prepare you for?
00:47:25 That would have been a nice bit of information.
00:47:28 Yeah.
00:47:29 Because it's like you go into it sort of blindly, like what some alien is taking over your body.
00:47:34 Yes.
00:47:35 And it doesn't make sense.
00:47:36 And it affects you and your life and in your work.
00:47:40 Sure.
00:47:41 That would have been a good piece of information.
00:47:43 Yeah.
00:47:44 So for your generation.
00:47:47 It's going to happen to you too.
00:47:49 It's coming for you.
00:47:52 And we don't have to play just the cranky old scary ladies anymore.
00:47:56 We can play all the cranky scary ladies.
00:48:00 I'll play them too but, like, we can also do other things, you know, without that sort of ridiculous.
00:48:08 But it is, I mean, you just sort of decide what it is you're going to let people in on.
00:48:12 And in your case it was, there was something for all to gain from that.
00:48:16 But whether it is, you know, challenges with fertility, whether it is, you know, why you got a divorce.
00:48:24 I mean, these are things that I feel like some of you are talking about in a way that perhaps you weren't before.
00:48:31 Because the older you get, the more fuck it you get.
00:48:35 You can.
00:48:36 Yeah, exactly.
00:48:37 You just do.
00:48:38 It's true.
00:48:39 You just do.
00:48:40 It's very true.
00:48:41 The boundaries are important.
00:48:42 It is one of the things that I talk about with younger actors is how to survive intact, you know.
00:48:47 And not just your career intact but emotionally and psychologically.
00:48:51 How to be a strong person and to care about yourself enough to set boundaries so that you're not eaten up.
00:49:00 It's sustainable because it's a lot being asked of you.
00:49:04 Yeah, who are the people in this industry who have sort of helped you, guide you in some of those lonelier moments of this life?
00:49:11 Toni Collette was like my first hero mentor.
00:49:15 I did.
00:49:16 She was -- I was just completely obsessed with her when I was homeschooling myself, like dreaming of being an actress.
00:49:25 And then my first, like, I'd say true job, I was 18 and it was to play her daughter and it felt like destiny.
00:49:34 And so scary.
00:49:35 Like the mix of all the good things.
00:49:37 Like, oh, I'm going to be so challenged and I'm so scared.
00:49:39 And luckily I had auditioned for like 10 years at that point.
00:49:43 I was like a professional auditioner but, like, didn't really have a chance.
00:49:47 So I was prepared.
00:49:48 I was as prepared as I could be.
00:49:49 And I got to have three years with her.
00:49:51 And so that became, like, massively important.
00:49:54 And then over the years, like, going out of my way to make friends with other women in the industry because it started going like, hey, there's always usually just, like, one woman on a job.
00:50:04 I was always the only one.
00:50:06 And you go like, oh, yeah, I don't even know.
00:50:09 Like, there's things that make me uncomfortable or things that I'd like to change or things I'd like to laugh about.
00:50:13 And connecting with other women in the industry has been, like, a game changer for me because you get to swap stories and understand and connect.
00:50:22 And it's just the greatest.
00:50:24 It's the best.
00:50:25 It's so true.
00:50:26 Relying on your female co-stars and being able to reach out and just say -- and not having to do it the work but just, like, life.
00:50:33 I mean, we did that movie in Hawaii.
00:50:36 You helped me out on a lot of really hard things I was going through, you know, and just to have that community.
00:50:41 It's very helpful.
00:50:42 Do you feel like you've found that yet?
00:50:44 Are there people who are guiding you along?
00:50:48 Or have we just found them?
00:50:50 Are these six women about to be them?
00:50:52 I think I've found them.
00:50:54 I've not had enough experience to be, like, my journey and, like, this person has helped me so much.
00:51:01 It's, like, little bits of advice from a lot of my co-stars and a lot of people behind the scene.
00:51:09 But I actually have a question because now you do meet so many female people on set.
00:51:17 But growing up in the industry, like, how was that for you?
00:51:22 I never saw another female face except for the lady who played my mom and possibly the makeup and hair.
00:51:28 But in the old days, those were also men.
00:51:30 But then how do you navigate?
00:51:33 Well, you know, I had these wonderful brothers and fathers.
00:51:36 And I always stop and I'm always grateful for them because they taught me the lessons of film sets.
00:51:43 You know, they were like, you know, you write thank you notes or this is how we do the focus.
00:51:48 That somehow I felt like those brothers and fathers and they were a family.
00:51:52 And then little by little as women came on to movie sets, it was just this fantastic thing.
00:51:57 There would be one other female person on set and then there would be two and then maybe three.
00:52:02 And I think that that kept growing, except there were never female directors.
00:52:07 See, I met Jane Campion.
00:52:10 Yeah, you're lucky.
00:52:11 So I was like, wow.
00:52:13 And she was the star of her film school.
00:52:17 So we'd all go and go, oh, my God, did you see?
00:52:20 You'd go and see their student films because they would show their films at the end of the year or halfway through the year.
00:52:27 And she was the one.
00:52:30 You'd see her.
00:52:31 Amazing.
00:52:32 Yeah, there'd be like girls on story and then going and auditioning for her.
00:52:37 And she was rigorous.
00:52:38 I mean, so it was a powerful woman, too.
00:52:41 It wasn't a wallflower woman.
00:52:43 It was a she was she was right there and everyone was would do what she said.
00:52:49 So it was a great role model.
00:52:51 And there is this sort of misconception that somehow female actresses are like they're at each other.
00:52:57 They don't like each other or whatever.
00:52:59 I mean, I've even this year of going to the various events and things, it always just feels so nice because the women really feel like they want each other to succeed.
00:53:08 I've never had one moment where I ever felt that there was a woman who didn't want me to succeed.
00:53:12 And we all interface with each other.
00:53:14 So, Nicole, I took over from a movie that you had to leave.
00:53:17 Yeah.
00:53:18 Thank you.
00:53:19 I was in a really bad way.
00:53:21 And I was like, we we I'm having a breakdown.
00:53:24 We are all and Jodi took over.
00:53:27 Thank the Lord.
00:53:29 But we all care about each other in a way.
00:53:32 And so that I almost feel like it's some guys guy had this idea that women just want to break each other down.
00:53:41 And that just hasn't been my experience.
00:53:45 I love the energy that you set because if you go in and go, it's okay.
00:53:50 If you're told you're safe, it's okay.
00:53:55 And whatever emotions you're feeling and you can feel jealous, you can feel these things.
00:53:59 That's normal.
00:54:01 We'll work through it together.
00:54:02 I grew up with sisters and a very strong feminine energy in the house.
00:54:07 So it was always like, yeah, there's a gamut of emotions here, but you're allowed to feel them and we're going to work through them together.
00:54:15 But reach out because we're here to help.
00:54:17 That's a gift.
00:54:18 That is truly a gift to be able to have that.
00:54:21 I mean, definitely Nick has been a guiding force and this is a - sorry to age us - but a 40-year friendship.
00:54:29 Yeah.
00:54:30 Yeah.
00:54:31 Amazing.
00:54:32 You know, ups and downs.
00:54:33 Did not start in acting.
00:54:34 No.
00:54:36 Down at the pub.
00:54:37 [Laughter]
00:54:41 Keep going, keep going.
00:54:43 Everything.
00:54:45 And if the mentors aren't there available on the set or, you know, watching our mentors - and if I can gush a little bit, Jodie.
00:54:54 Yes.
00:54:55 I mean, watching you.
00:54:57 I mean, there were lots before you and we're only a few years apart, but just your career was obviously so underway for such a long time and you changed my life.
00:55:08 Your performances, like, I still remember, like, accuse that - I mean, I'm going to - how did you do that?
00:55:19 That's what's incredible is that you're who you are as a human being today and having started as a child.
00:55:23 Yes.
00:55:24 The generation before us kept telling us that things were just going to get worse for us and you hit 40 and it's over.
00:55:29 And I have to say I have never been as happy as an actor as when I turned 60.
00:55:34 That there's just some kind of contentedness about it not being all about me and walking onto a set and saying, "How may I serve you?
00:55:42 How can my experience or my - whatever my wisdom is, you know, how can I serve you?"
00:55:46 And bringing that to the table, not only is it more fun and more freeing, but it's also easy.
00:55:55 It's super easy because you're not filled with anxiety about the things that maybe younger people are filled with anxiety about and you have a lot to learn from them.
00:56:03 Did I read that you were done with doing leads or like you just -
00:56:09 No, I just got bored with it.
00:56:11 I think I got bored with -
00:56:12 You went to college.
00:56:13 Did you stop for a while and went to school?
00:56:14 I never stopped when I went to school. I did six movies while I was in college.
00:56:18 Oh my God.
00:56:19 I'm not sure they were very good.
00:56:20 She was probably -
00:56:23 But yeah, I think that I learned so much also from new voices, you know, from seeing your character, for example, in Shogun.
00:56:32 But seeing new characters with different voices that have now finally been given the freedom to air themselves.
00:56:37 And I want to hear them and I want to support them and whatever wisdom I have about helping those voices, then I feel like it's just so much more fun than being the one person who's, you know, number one on the call sheet from beginning to end that has to carry the burden of the narrative, but also meaning that there are rules about how much you can give.
00:56:58 And you can change their narrative too and not -
00:57:02 And, Jent, Corrie, let's talk about it.
00:57:04 I wasn't a baby baby.
00:57:05 No, but you have sustained an enormous career success.
00:57:10 I don't know how.
00:57:11 It's a talent. It's called talent.
00:57:14 So every time I get to sit, like I'm sitting here, I was nervous. I mean, these are - I'll start to cry. But I get - I'm motivated. I'm still here. We're still here.
00:57:26 Yeah.
00:57:27 That's why Sofia too, you know, don't be terrorized by the English language. Who said the English language is the most important language?
00:57:35 I can barely speak the English language.
00:57:37 And there's so many stories to be told that haven't been told.
00:57:40 It's a little bit more work though. You do have to go more after it and not be scared. You know, you have to have a certain personality for that not to affect you though. Because it can be, you know, ridiculous.
00:57:56 Well, you have to make it your superpower.
00:57:58 Yeah, I made it my superpower. I was like, I sound like an idiot. I don't care. I'm going to play an idiot. It's fine.
00:58:04 This is going to sound silly, but I promise you it is actually going to be revealing about who you are.
00:58:11 What is the most used emoji on your phone? I can go first. Mine is an eye roll.
00:58:19 Heart.
00:58:20 What color heart?
00:58:21 Red.
00:58:22 Yeah, the red one.
00:58:23 Yeah, and not the little one, the big one that's from the playing card.
00:58:28 I'm the same.
00:58:29 Yeah, I like it. It's more drastic.
00:58:31 It's not shiny.
00:58:32 Yeah.
00:58:33 I don't even know what that is.
00:58:35 What about the rest of you? What do you do?
00:58:37 I have...
00:58:38 You do the kiss one. See, this is where it's going.
00:58:42 Kiss with a heart?
00:58:43 I do. I love the bozo.
00:58:44 What's the bozo?
00:58:45 The bozo is just like this crazy clown, but I don't really know what it means, but I put it on things anyway. I don't really know what it means.
00:58:53 I like the one where the eyes are just like...
00:58:54 The crazy eye.
00:58:55 Yeah, the eye roll, yeah.
00:58:56 Not the eye roll back. It's just so like, I don't know what the fuck is happening right now.
00:59:01 Or, I forgot, the other one, the eek one.
00:59:04 Oh, yeah.
00:59:05 How did you choose just one?
00:59:08 The bad one.
00:59:09 See, this is revealing.
00:59:12 What is that one?
00:59:13 It's the cross face.
00:59:16 It tells everything you want to say.
00:59:18 Like the sideways guy?
00:59:20 Yeah.
00:59:21 Should we cheers and thank you all for being here? I wish it could go on.
00:59:26 I think it goes so quickly.
00:59:28 I know.
00:59:29 You have to look at everybody's eyes. You're seven years of bad sex.
00:59:35 Oh, my God.
00:59:36 Crazy people.
00:59:38 I don't know about you, but I just love seeing women give each other their flowers.
00:59:43 I mean, you get a rose, you get a rose, everybody gets a rose.
00:59:46 I'm with you, Jen. This has been a motivating and inspiring conversation.
00:59:51 Until next time, I am Yvonne Orji, and this is Off Script with The Hollywood Reporter.
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