--:-- Amy Poehler: This episode is brought to you by Nordic Naturals. Did you know that only 20% of Americans get enough omega-3s from their diet? Discover the power of omega-3 with Nordic Naturals, the number one selling omega-3 brand in the U.S. Nordic Naturals has omega-3 and more products to support your whole family, including kids and pets. Use promo code Amy for 15% off at nordic.com. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
--:-- Hello, everyone. Welcome to another episode of *Good Hang*. What a lovely guest we have today, Olivia Colman, an incredible actress, just a dear, tender, beautiful person. And we are going to talk about a lot of great things today. We're going to talk about whether or not it's important to fight in relationships. We're going to talk about playing the queen. We are going to talk about her new movie, *The Roses*, and all the hilarious people that she got to be in it with. We're talking about so many good things today.
--:-- But we always want to start these episodes by bringing in someone who knows our guest, who helps us ease into our guest, who gives us a question to ask our guest. And we got a big star today. We have an actor who was in *Doctor Strange*. He was Sherlock. He is in *The Roses*. He is also famously in a Key and Peele sketch where they name football player names. He is the one, the only. Benedict Cumberbatch from Oxford University. Benedict, hello.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Hey Amy, how are you?
--:-- Amy Poehler: Hi, it's good to see you.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: I can't see you, so okay, you can just hear my voice. I can see you now because I'm wearing these glasses like this. You're a beautiful blonde blur, but like that, you're a very sharp blonde.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Now what's your prescription? Are you new to glasses?
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: 1.6, something like that. I'm new to sort of giving into them.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, same. I just need them for reading, but not yet for driving. It's so boring, isn't it? And I'm not one of those people who can get them lasered. It's very boring.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: It's not boring because I feel like now that I can hide behind glasses, my life has changed. And also people think I'm smarter. Anyway, hi, nice to see you.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Thank you for doing this.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: You're so welcome.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, I know you're in the middle of a giant press thing, and we are talking to Olivia.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Yeah, I'm a little hurt, but there we go.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I know. Sorry, we couldn't get you. But you signed a restraining order against me many years ago, and you don't let me get close to you.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: That's true. After the Golden Globes, it's right.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, so question for you. Before we get to your question, we like to do this thing when we have our guests on, where we talk to people who know them and kind of talk well behind their back. The first thing I just wanted to say is that when I was doing some research on the film, *The Roses*, that you're promoting, and also you and Olivia, you guys haven't worked together as much as I assumed you would have.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: We've never worked together.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Never?
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: No. And we've been friends for a long time and always said, "We should work together." And this is what was sort of born out of that conversation.
--:-- Amy Poehler: What kind of friend is Olivia?
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Incredibly loyal. Ridiculously good fun. She facilitates naughtiness. She's just sort of... is it preternaturally? Is that the phrase? Upbeat. I mean, it's kind of that's the one. If there's a critique of her, it's like, "How the fuck is she doing this authentically? I don't understand how this person can be so good at being just upbeat and just delightful." And she literally—this is veering into work rather than friendship, but it's the same with friendship—she can go into a work environment, any moment that we were in the studio together, and you just see everyone, all the crew, everyone going, everyone just feels brightened by her being around.
--:-- Amy Poehler: It feels that way when you watch her work and then also be herself. And I have—we kind of came upon this theory when I was at SNL, which you were so brilliant on—you have all these people come through and you realize that usually the most talented people are the easiest to work with. The more I get that, I just can't be doing with people who are hard to work. It shouldn't have to be hard.
--:-- Okay, and then the other thing I wanted to ask you, and then we'll get to your question. There's nothing more satisfying than when somebody has a sense of humor about themselves. It's such a sign of intelligence. And you and Olivia in this movie really go at each other, your characters really go at each other. But do you feel like there's also just a way in which Brits are allowed to kind of tease in a heartier and more sharp way than Americans?
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: I don't know. Personally, I think there's often a very barbed, cruel, and slightly pinched aspect to British irony. I think it could get a bit too much, to be honest. As an English characteristic, the sharpness of it isn't something I find that pleasant. It's very funny in this film. I think also Americans—and this is obviously played up in the kind of cultural difference—one of the key differences between our version and the original Michael Douglas and Danny DeVito film is that they're an English couple in an American world, and that much later, the culture clashes and misunderstandings to great effect. But they start roasting each other, and actually, you as a culture, I think have completely one-upped it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: You're right. We have passed you in the mean Olympics. You've gone the dial. You're broken.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: There's a good trade, I think, which evens us out, both in the gross-out humor and also the very sort of well-thought-through, ironic, witty, intellectual humor. And we play up to the difference, but I don't think there is so much of a difference. It's very interchangeable.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I agree. I think it's very hard to pull off both physical comedy and really sharp and sarcastic wit. Both of those things are hard to do well.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Yeah, I think if you do that, you could do anything. I grew up with two parents, both actors. My mom in particular doing end-of-the-pier kind of "Whoops, there go my nickovickers, nickovickers, vicar" kind of farces. To the point where I was like, "Mom, you've got to do something else now. I can't watch, as a surly teenager, I can't watch you come into a room where your politician husband is having his pants pulled down because of something and it looks like his male assistant is giving him a blowjob and you turn to the audience and go and then walk off." So having grown up with that kind of humor, if you can do comedy, you can do anything. I really do believe that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And I'm not just saying that. Every single year at the Oscars, everybody gets blanked and all the serious people get up and accept. I know. It's some hot bullshit. Because comedy is not easy. And I got to tell you, both you and Olivia can do both.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: I will. Thank you. That's very funny.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay. So do you have any question for Olivia today?
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Yeah. Okay. Is she wearing any underwear?
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Is there something she's afraid of? Because I think she's one of the most fearless performers that I know. I don't see her being afraid of anything, but I wonder if there is.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I wonder.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: And would she do it? That's the other thing. What are you most afraid of? Would you be any good at facing that fear?
--:-- Amy Poehler: Deep question. I should be doing this interview.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Deep question.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. I mean, do you want to switch places here?
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: No, because everyone wants to hear you do the interview.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay. Well, I know you are an hour or two of a 12-hour marathon. Congratulations on the film. Thank you so much for doing this. I hope we get to see each other not in full formal wear someday, but at an actual...
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: I do too. That'd be lovely. Much love.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Thank you so much, Benedict. Appreciate it.
--:-- Benedict Cumberbatch: Thanks for your time.
--:-- Amy Poehler: This episode is brought to you by Visible. Visible is the ultimate wireless hack. And now with the new Visible Inner Circle, you can forget about family phone plans with no flexibility. With Inner Circle, you can connect accounts with whoever you want, friends, family, neighbors, you name it. Unlock savings together with the freedom to leave, switch, or change your circle anytime. Join for just $25 a month and with personalized payments, paying together or keeping it separate is up to you. Plus, it's all powered by Verizon with unlimited 5G data, so you get reliable coverage and a connection you can count on. Join now at Visible.com and save on wireless month after month, $25 per month rate on the Visible plan.
--:-- 24, so... Yeah, well, so you're a little younger than me.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, I look older.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Americans just look better.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Do you think?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, British people seem smarter, so everything evens out.
--:-- Amy Poehler: You'll find out that's not true. And you'll find out that when you get a little closer.
--:-- Okay, so we kind of have some parallels because you met a lot of your friends and co-workers at Footlights.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: You went to this very important place that we Americans used to hear about.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes. I wasn't actually at the university. This is something that gets regularly...
--:-- Amy Poehler: You were not at Cambridge.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I was in the town of Cambridge working as a cleaner.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Very interesting. How did you get into Footlights?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, I was at the teacher training college for about a term, I think, and left. And then no one questioned me because I had a bicycle and I looked the same as everyone else the same age. So I just would turn up to things.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Was there an auditioning process to get into Footlights?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes. And that's where I met my lovely friends who then basically were responsible for me getting work for years afterwards.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But I just feel very... It feels like a big lie if I got out of Cambridge.
--:-- Olivia Colman: This is already very British. The distinction that you didn't go to school there is an important one for you.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, well, I feel like people who were there would go, "No, she didn't." And I think it's so impressive to have worked so hard and be so clever to get there. It would be a bit much if it's my terrible A-levels that suggested that I got in.
--:-- Olivia Colman: So people that were not going there could perform there.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes, I think I just... I didn't lie, but I just certainly didn't tell anyone. So it can be taken back. You could be technically arrested at some point. Maybe.
--:-- So you go and you audition. Do you remember how you had to audition?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I do remember going. I was in a building called the Union Society, and this is when I did have my student card because I was actually at the teacher training thingy. And there was a sign, it was handwritten in biro on the audition arrow.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, fun.
--:-- Olivia Colman: So I went along and I didn't know it was the Footlights.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I know. And please, I didn't know. Yeah. And there were boys looking bored, sitting behind a desk, and said, "Entertain us or sell something to us that looks like this isn't food." I went, "Okay." So there was a disgusting ashtray which must have been there for years, and I picked up a fag butt. That sounds weird in American English, doesn't it?
--:-- Amy Poehler: Right, cigarette butt.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Cigarette end. And I tried to sell it and it wasn't going very well. No one was laughing, so I ate it out of desperation. And they still didn't laugh. They just looked absolutely horrified. But they let me in because they thought, "Well, she's game. She's going to do some funny stuff."
--:-- Amy Poehler: What is it going to take to get those guys to laugh? That is such a great story. And then you got in and you met all these... That time period in my life, I know doing sketch and improv and all that stuff for a small number of people with friends in the hopes that someday you could do more of it. What do you remember of those times?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, because obviously, as you know, you all had to help write and everything. I was terrible at the writing. I just really enjoyed performing and being on stage and making people laugh. It's like the best crack.
--:-- Amy Poehler: It is. I said to me it was the closest feeling to being a vampire. Where you're just like, "Oh, I'm becoming a vampire."
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, I've got goosebumps. I totally understand. You're just like, "Look what I've done." Just this weird, powerful, in control flush of excitement.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And so desperate to get that back your whole life, chasing it again.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: What was the first... Do you remember the feeling of the first big laugh? Where you did something and you watched people laugh at you and you thought, "Oh, I love this feeling."
--:-- Olivia Colman: I don't know if I can remember that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Were you in plays as a kid?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I did my first ever school play when I was 16. And that was *The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie*, so not a comedy. But I just remember people clapping at the end. And I'd always been so rubbish at school. I'd never... I couldn't wait for it to finish. I'd have to look out the window and found it really hard to concentrate. And then suddenly I committed to learning all of these lines. Suddenly, why couldn't I learn other stuff? But I would do that. And then when they clapped, that was the moment where I went, "I love it." It was like electricity coming out of your fingertips. Like, "Okay, get off, get off." No. Loved it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Do you consider yourself an extroverted kid? Are people not surprised that you ended up being an actor?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I don't know. I think as I've gotten older, I've gotten more and more shy in a way. And I think people knowing your face and you not knowing their face... it's not an equal footing.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I really relate to what you're saying about getting a little shyer as you get older. I really relate to that. What do you think that is?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I think it is, as I've said, an unequal thing. So I love... I don't know if you ever go to a country where maybe your shows aren't seen.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, yes. It's called the UK. That's not true.
--:-- Olivia Colman: But if you can walk down the street and no one has done a double take or a nudge or a secret photo, it feels amazing.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. I love that. Being observed is weird because it sounds like you are an observer. You like to observe people. So when you're being observed, it's a strange feeling.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, I find it discomforting. And it means I don't want to go anywhere with my children. I don't want people to see who they are. Because it's their decision to do what they want to do with their lives. And kids don't like sharing their parents with people.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, I do understand that. It's hard to explain to them that that is your work, but it's a universal feeling. Kids want their parents when they want them. And I've been lucky compared to many people in our industry. I haven't had to be away from home that much.
--:-- Olivia Colman: And my youngest, in recent years, I've had to be away a bit more and she hates it. I sort of love it that she hates it because she's still missing you.
--:-- Amy Poehler: How old is your youngest?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, youngest is 10.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, right. So you still have some sweetness.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, yeah. And really, she's really lovely. They're all lovely.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Does any of them want to be an actor?
--:-- Olivia Colman: No, furious. Yeah. Livid with them.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I'm like, "Get up there and earn some money for this family."
--:-- Olivia Colman: They laugh at me because it's a bit *AbFab*. And my big boy wants to be a physicist.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Wow. I mean, just incredible.
--:-- Olivia Colman: He can also play with the car. That's the only way he can rebel.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Why can't he be a rock star?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Totally. He goes, "Mom, no one says, 'Oh, why can't you be a rock star?'"
--:-- Amy Poehler: I do. Why can't you? They're all so sensible.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Physicist is...
--:-- Amy Poehler: Physicist. That's smart. I mean, who employs physicists these days? No one. See? With long hair, forget it. He's never going to get through the door.
--:-- Okay, so you're at Footlights. You're making all these friends. You're deciding... What I love about your career and you is that you are the ultimate proof that when someone can do comedy really well, they can do anything. And I guess you came into the business doing comedy. When was it *Tyrannosaur* that switched it? Was that it?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Can you talk about that film and getting cast in that?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. So comedy, I'd never intended. I just found a place there and I really loved it. And I'd always imagined maybe from that first play at school I thought maybe I could be an actor, but you didn't dare say it out loud. And then it felt like there are two lists of actors: there's funny ones, not funny ones, and you can't cross over. It's absolutely not allowed. And it takes someone to really put their neck on the line to go, "No, I would like them to do that." So it was Paddy Considine. I met him when we were doing *Hot Fuzz*.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I was so excited to meet him and I opened the door and grinned at him, "Hello." And he decided in that moment, "Oh, she'll be right for my film."
--:-- Olivia Colman: I know. So always open the door for people. Always be nice. You never know. And it totally changed the trajectory of my career because it went to Sundance and it was this very lauded performance and people saw this version of me and they said, "Oh, we can..."
--:-- Amy Poehler: It's interesting how life is just the smallest changes and moves in your life and you're on another track.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, totally. And so often having to wait for someone else to let that happen for you, which is frustrating. But I'm so grateful to Paddy.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Do you ever think to yourself, "I'm in the mood right now to do something heavier. I'm in the mood right now to do something lighter." Do you think about that when you're picking stuff?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I don't know if I do subconsciously. I always used to rely very much on gut feeling. And I feel a bit like I've lost that ability. I've gone a little bit... I don't know if that happens as we get older, but I sometimes think I can't tell now.
--:-- Amy Poehler: My agent has a great litmus test. If you read it and you're unsure, if your nemesis gets the part, are you going to want to pull your hair out?
--:-- Olivia Colman: That's so funny. I think about that too. If I saw it a year later, like a trailer for it, and I was jealous. If I thought, if I saw something...
--:-- Amy Poehler: That's the best way to go. "Okay, I can let this go or no, I have to fight for it."
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, yeah. But...
--:-- Amy Poehler: Sorry, I didn't answer your question at all, did I? Did I go somewhere else?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, why I ask is because you've been in all of my favorite things. When we look at all of the stuff that you've been in, your career is incredible, Olivia. You have done...
--:-- And okay, but I want to stay with comedy for a second because I feel like there is this thing with people our age where the U.S. and U.K. were so connected in so many ways but had completely different comedic experiences. There were only a few shows, in my opinion, that came over to us. It wasn't until I was in my 20s and 30s that I learned about all this great British comedy that I never got to see. We got the big ones, right, like Monty Python and *AbFab* and stuff like that. But then there was this huge amount of shows that we never saw that you had to kind of search and find out and watch on VHS and trade with your friends.
--:-- Did you have shows here in the States that you didn't know about or didn't watch that you had to kind of catch up on once you started becoming...?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Weirdly, sort of SNL, which is like a little comedy heaven. I didn't know about that for so long.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Because I don't think it was shown on television in the UK.
--:-- Olivia Colman: No. And it was only funny friends who were obsessed with it and went, "What? What is it?" And then started to look at it. Because this is pre-internet. We couldn't Google anything. We didn't have this high-tech stuff that I have. I have a laptop on my head.
--:-- Amy Poehler: That's very cool.
--:-- Olivia Colman: And I can type in anything you want to know. You want to know the recipe to something? But you couldn't clip anything. You couldn't watch anything. So I remember watching like Alan Partridge and all this stuff on VHS, but 10 years after it was on.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Well, it's the same. We got, and we still have, which I love, every weekday morning on Channel 4, they have starts with *Cheers*, then *King of Queens*, then *Everybody Loves Raymond*, then *Friends*. No, sorry, *Frasier*. Same, four shows?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I love it.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, my God. *Cheers*.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, my God. How good is that show?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, it's so good. Ted Danson at his hottest best. And Sam and Diane. I mean, actually, we'll get to your film, *The Roses*, but there's a lot of that kind of back and forth repartee of "I love you, I hate you, I love you." It's so satisfying. So good. And when they kissed for the first time and millions watched.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I know. And also that...
--:-- Olivia Colman: Lovely Woody.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I loved Woody. And Woody, who had the hardest job in the world because he took over for Coach.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, yes, of course.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes, who was an amazing character and beloved. Sadly passed away year one or two. And you thought, "Well, they're just going to kind of... can't cover that." And then they bring in Woody.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, genius. Who just crushes it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And the pilot of *Cheers*, if you've ever read, is just a perfectly written pilot. And me and Mike Schur, the creator of *Parks and Rec*, used to talk about it all the time because you have like seven characters you have to service really fast, basically. And it's such a good pilot. I love that show.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, my God. I've got to watch the pilot. I'm going to find it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: It's so good. And the ending of *Cheers*.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay. *Everybody Loves Raymond*, *Frasier*, and what was the other one?
--:-- Olivia Colman: *King of Queens*.
--:-- Amy Poehler: *King of Queens*. And you're like, "What is this Queens? What do I need to know about Queens?"
--:-- Olivia Colman: Queens, I've got no idea what that is. But he is king of it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: There was a few things that came over to us, but not a lot. Sketch was one. I didn't know about *French and Saunders* until 10 years after. Then everyone, same, like funny people, and I was meeting funny people, and they weren't talking about shows that I had to research. But I just think it's very interesting because we are so alike, but our comedy was very specific and different.
--:-- We had the premiere last night in New York with *The Roses*, and then we got London premiere on Thursday, and lots of... I wonder if audiences will laugh at different things.
--:-- Olivia Colman: And I feel like that's not true anymore.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I agree.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. I don't think that's true.
--:-- Amy Poehler: No, I think we all totally understand each other and we'll find the same shit funny. We were laughing when we were preparing for this interview. We were saying how it is true, we believe that the Brits are smarter. They just sound smarter.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. They do.
--:-- Amy Poehler: That's not true.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I know. And you know what taught us? *Love Island*.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I've said that's the first time I've ever been grateful to *Love Island*.
--:-- Olivia Colman: They taught us that. Because I can see people look disappointed when I open my mouth and I go, "Oh, see, you think I'm clever. I'm really not." But thank God, *Love Island*.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, *Love Island* really leveled the playing field. We were like, "I see. Okay, we're all the same."
--:-- Olivia Colman: We're all the same.
--:-- Amy Poehler: This episode is brought to you by Uber Eats. Facing a beauty emergency? Need a last-minute gift? Don't panic. Sephora is now available for delivery on Uber Eats. You can now get all your beauty essentials delivered in as little as 25 minutes for the same price as in store. Plus, treat yourself to $10 off when you spend $50 or more on your first Sephora order on the Uber Eats app. Order Sephora on Uber Eats today. Offer ends October 30th. One order per customer. Additional terms apply. See app for availability. Delivery fees may apply.
--:-- This episode is brought to you by Ollie. Back to school season is no joke. You have to get a lot of things. You have to get your carpool going, your homework, your morning routines, get all your pencils sharpened. It's a lot. And when life gets chaotic, Oli helps you and your family prioritize wellness with easy and simple solutions, like their Goodbye Stress that provides mood support for parents and their multis that have options for the whole family. Shop these products and more at oli.com or retailers nationwide. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
--:-- This episode is brought to you by Visible. Some searches lead to answers. Others lead to niche conspiracy theories about pigeons. Thankfully, Visible is the wireless that keeps up so you can follow the weird wherever it goes. Get one-line wireless with unlimited data, talk, and text for $25 a month, taxes and fees included. Plus, Visible runs on Verizon's 5G network so you get great coverage and a reliable connection without the premium cost. Ready for wireless that lets you live in the know, make the switch at visible.com. One line wireless starting at $25 a month. Terms apply. See visible.com for planned features and network management details.
--:-- But a show that I've since now seen that I didn't know at the time was *Bruiser*, which was like your first scene.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, I've seen clips of *Bruiser*.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay. But *Bruiser* was like your first sketch show.
--:-- Olivia Colman: First ever job. My first job.
--:-- Amy Poehler: First ever job. And that was... how old were you? What year was that?
--:-- Olivia Colman: It was my last year of drama school. I have a weird thing where I can't do dates.
--:-- Olivia Colman: So I know I did my A-levels in 1992 because I had to say it so often. But beyond that, I'm not entirely sure what happened.
--:-- Amy Poehler: So in the 90s.
--:-- Olivia Colman: In the 90s.
--:-- Amy Poehler: *Bruiser* comes out. And it's you and David and...
--:-- Olivia Colman: David Mitchell, Rob Webb, Martin Freeman. Yes, that's right. Charlotte Hudson.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And that's just like sketches and you all look like babies and you're all doing fun, dumb sketch.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I haven't seen it. I bet lots of it's terrible.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Well, sketches, I mean, 80% bad. The batting averages, you just have to hope for a couple of winners.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, Mitch and Webb have just done a new sketch show and sketch shows just haven't happened for a long time.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I know. I think about that a lot. For me, the best last sketch show other than SNL that I've seen is *Key and Peele*. Did you watch *Key and Peele*?
--:-- Olivia Colman: My boys were talking about that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I think that the Brits don't know about *Key and Peele* as much, but that was a big show over here. And they were just deeply funny and good.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, I'm going to find that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay. So then, okay, but then there's all this stuff you do between, *Broadchurch*, basically. There's all this stuff because that *Broadchurch* for us is really, I think, when we really start to get to know you. I remember you from your little moment in *The Office*, the UK office, because I was obsessed with the UK office, and the picture moment with David and with Ricky. But we get to really know you and David at the same time.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, yeah. Lovely DT.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Lovely. Tell me about your relationship. You guys are buddies.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, I love David Tennant.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I know. Oh, he seems so... I'd love to meet him.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, he's so nice. You'd love him.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Tell me why he's so great.
--:-- Olivia Colman: There's nothing arsehole-y about him at all. And we simply just would sit and talk about... We'd do farts in the police car. And he'd go, "Oh, Jesus Christ, call him." And he was just like a buddy. And we'd tell stories. And he wanted to be at home with his wife and family and I wanted to be at home.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Isn't that the best when you work with people who want to be at home?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: "Let's get this done. Get it done early enough. Lady, get home."
--:-- Olivia Colman: And also he was so... always knew his lines, was always on it, always just beautiful at his fingertips. And then, when the AD comes to knock on the door, we had a two-way... it's not as rude as it sounds, the van with... And also our loos were back to back. And I had to go, "David, are you in there?"
--:-- Olivia Colman: Go, stop listening to me! I'm doing the same with you. But when the AD would come and knock on doors and say, "It's time," we would try and race each other. He would always—he didn't want to delay anyone. He was never late. My favourite. Love. And just gorgeous. Everybody loved him, but just real.
--:-- Amy Poehler: It proves my point, Olivia. I've said it before. I find that for the most part, with the exception of a few eccentric, original performers, the most talented people are often the most professional. Like they're the easiest to work with. And I've been so lucky to work with two of my gods, Meryl Streep and Anthony Hopkins. They never would have kept anyone waiting.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And then you learn from that. You go, "See. No." And they set such a tone.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes. They know it. They are polite to everyone. They know everyone's name. They know their job. They know their lines, they're always on time. I mean, I have a—in any profession, I do have a theory that people who are acting out of fear, or afraid that this is their last good idea... a lot of people act out for a lot of reasons.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, but I do understand that. I do too. And as I get older, people just work differently. But the professional part—when you meet your hero and they also are that way, it's just the best.
--:-- Olivia Colman: It's so important. Yeah. And just a friend recently did a show, and I don't want to sort of—there are some of the younger people who, if they have a little bit of a cold, they won't do the show. And I don't understand.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Right.
--:-- Olivia Colman: When we were told—this is very Gen X of us. I'm aware that I'm doing that same thing. And people think it's their fault, but someone has told them wrong.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Well, okay, let's get into this because—
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, no. I'm going to be cancelled.
--:-- Amy Poehler: No, I agree. And I'm trying to work on it because here's the two things. I think that we were sold a productivity myth. Right? Like hustle, hustle, hustle. And it's really ingrained in us. There's no way I would have ever called in sick. I mean, I remember doing a scene with Alec Baldwin for a movie and I had like a 104 temperature and I had to cry.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I hate that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And I was on another planet and he was like, "Wherever you are, stay there. Perfect." And I was like, "I am in a fever dream. I have 104." And I remember just being completely—but never in a million years would I have not—
--:-- Amy Poehler: In retrospect, potentially that was a day to not be at work. Potentially not a good choice. So I kind of understand that this idea of maybe take care of yourself, Gen Xers, a little bit more than you did, and not pressure everybody to hustle. But perhaps we've overcorrected.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I think there's a happy medium, isn't there?
--:-- Amy Poehler: Agree.
--:-- Olivia Colman: But a little bit of a tickle in the background and you go, "I don't think I can." That's not okay.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I've had pneumonia twice, never missed a day of work while filming.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay. But also potentially stupid. You've had pneumonia while filming?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Amazing. You're my kind of gal.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Thank you.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I never missed one day of work on *Parks and Rec*. I did 120 shows. Fuck yeah. And that's weird. And people think that's a weird statistic because they're like, "Okay, maybe not something to brag about." And I'm like, "Is it not?" I think it is.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I agree.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But perhaps I was setting an example that—you know, both are true.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Both are true. But I know what you mean. I love a pro. I love a nice pro. Because a working environment should be—it's just hard enough to do life. It's hard enough to do life without somebody being difficult. And we're lucky to have the work beyond. Don't be overly cocky with that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes, agree. And *Broadchurch*, it makes sense to me that you and David loved each other because you can really feel it in the show. You feel like true partners in that show. And even though in the show you're getting to be partners, there was such a feeling of mutual respect. It was so good. And what was it like to have that blow up? It was a huge hit.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes, that was very odd. Because no one knew who had done it. That was what they wanted. Although, when I went for my first audition, my sort of meet with the producers, I said, "Who did it?" And they told me. And I went, "Oh." And cried. And they went, "That's great. That's what I got." And then on the way home, 20 minutes after I'd left, they phoned and went, "Can you pretend that we didn't tell you? We've realised we don't want anyone to know." I went, "Oh, okay." So I had to lie. And David was so cross one day. His agent accidentally let slip right near the end of months of filming, and he flew onto my van and went, "You fucking didn't tell me!" And I knew what he meant. I couldn't look at him.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, because he didn't know either?
--:-- Olivia Colman: He didn't know. No one knew.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, wow. But you knew. What a burden to carry that.
--:-- Olivia Colman: You had faces, you know, all the 10x8 faces in the makeup van, and everyone was putting a sticker on who they thought it was. And I was also going, "Is it? That might be me. Am I trying to—" Terrible at lying.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Wow, so you were reading the scripts in real time, basically.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, that's very fun. And what a great way to be able to—and kind of what a bummer that you knew, because you would have been like everyone else, but you had that secret.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. Oh, that's fun. It was fun.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, that's good.
--:-- Olivia Colman: But David, yeah, said, "You can't believe he didn't tell me." And you're like, "I'm a pro, babe. I'm a pro." And also, I lied so much I'd almost forgotten that I knew.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Do you think you would be good convincing? Are you a good liar? Like, do you think you'd be—
--:-- Olivia Colman: Without a script, I'm appalling.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah. I don't know. I think I'm okay. I think sometimes—could I convince a jury?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, wow. That's an excellent—
--:-- Amy Poehler: I feel like I could convince a jury that you didn't do it.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I feel like as long as my kids weren't in the jury, I think I'd be fine.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Your kids would know. They'd go, "You totally did it."
--:-- Amy Poehler: Do you have a tell when you lie? I'm sure I do too. I'd like someone to tell me what it is so I can work on it. But I think I over-explain. I think I say too many things.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, you know when you watch *Traitors*?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, I love it when they ask someone something, they go, "What?" They have to always say "What?" because they're stalling.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, and they do it subconsciously. It's amazing. Have you ever watched any of those body language things where they show, you know, if you look up to the right?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, what's that? One's recalling information, one's lying.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. I can't remember which one it is. Or if you touch your face or your neck.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, God, I'm doing all that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I know. If you touch your neck, it's because you're about to say a lie, all these kind of small things. I love when people stall and you go—
--:-- Olivia Colman: It's so good, isn't it? I love it. I'm so sorry. What? Didn't hear you. But I also get sweaty when you have to play those games.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Have you ever played that game Mafia?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I don't like that game.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I love it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: You love it?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I love it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, because?
--:-- Olivia Colman: We play it almost every night on holiday. And we've discovered as well, any parents that get killed, it's always their kids that have done it. Definitely. Always. Or spouse. And one family that we go on holiday with every year, their kids are terrifying at it. Really good.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, my God, so good.
--:-- Olivia Colman: And the youngest one got so cross with everyone accusing her that we went, "Of course, she's not." She was over-explaining. She was doing what you say.
--:-- Olivia Colman: "I'm not, literally, I had to move because—" really angry. And she's only 13. She was absolutely killing everyone. She was the murderer. At night when everyone had their eyes closed.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Amazing. I get very stressed. I get very giggly when I get accused and very stressed. And also, I feel like I act the same when I'm the murderer or not, but I must not. But I don't think I would pass a lie detector test. Let me just say that. I don't think I would. My heart would beat.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But I think I could win over a jury.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I think I would say, "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, why would I want to kill my spouse?" Or whatever. And I'd be able to cry.
--:-- Olivia Colman: You're a good crier.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Thank you. And you love to cry.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I do.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Are you an easy crier?
--:-- Olivia Colman: One of my great skills.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Well, in everyday life, I don't cry so much. Do you have tricks for crying?
--:-- Olivia Colman: No. If it's sad, I'll cry. If the script is sad, it's a broad church. That first day, it was filmed chronologically, which was just a gift.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Amazing.
--:-- Olivia Colman: But they were saying, "No, she's a police officer. She's probably a little harder than that." Absolutely. There's no way. I'm sorry. I can't. This is a dead child. And so, oh, making me sad. If it's a good script, it's impossible not to.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But in your life, you're not the biggest crier? Really?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, in *The Crown* as well, there was this—because the Queen famously was able to be there for other people and not cry. And I couldn't do it. So there's a scene where Helena Bonham Carter is telling me about Aberfan, which was a terrible, terrible thing that happened. Terrible. And I couldn't hear her.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, it was beautifully done.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I couldn't hear her talking about it without crying. And they kept going, "Okay, no. No crying. Cut, no." I can't. So the sound department gave me an earpiece and I listened to the shipping forecast. So in my ear, I was hearing "south at Syrah, north at Syrah, where the furt are middling." And I was just listening to that and zoning out while Helena said, "I can't believe our first scene together." And you're not actually listening to me.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Wow. And that's a good tip though. That's a great tip. Listen to something else. Don't listen to your acting partner.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I mean, I always say half of acting is just keeping your face still, which is almost impossible for me to do.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, me too.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Botox helps enormously.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But the way in which everyone just projects everything on your still face. You and Helena in *The Crown* are so wonderful. And I know you're really good friends too.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I know. Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And did you meet on that show?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, we did. I think we'd met once at a do and I'd sort of curtsied to her. And she's just lovely. I mean, I know people have asked about meeting the queen and playing the queen. But separate from the actual queen, the character of that woman is so interesting.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I know. Fascinating. Forget the version of a real person—just the legacy of that, the idea of one life spanning that much.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. It's so amazing. I totally agree. It's an extraordinary—most people, there's someone else in the world who has a similar experience. No one.
--:-- Amy Poehler: No one. That's one person standing on their own.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I know. Sitting every week to various prime ministers, listening to them. Having the—hearing everything. And just having to keep it together. It's such a practice in restraint, just a life of restraint. And also to your point, being around while everyone else comes and goes.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Being the constant while—I loved the way that that show took on the width and breadth of that life. *The Crown*. That person is the crown. And the way you take it from Claire, that you take over that moment when you show up in seasons three or four?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Three or four, yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: When you show up and we think, "Oh my, Olivia is now the queen." It's exhilarating. Terrifying, following on from Claire. Was it?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, because I loved it. It was so highly advertised that I didn't want to like it.
--:-- Olivia Colman: In that sort of show. Totally. Yeah, everyone likes it. "Oh, okay. No, thanks." And then I accidentally watched it with one eye open and went, "Oh, no, I love it." Love Claire. So good. Couldn't stop watching her. And so then got a call. My agent said, "They would like to meet you for—" I think she said "for the Queen" and I thought that was the play. And she said, "No, no, I didn't mean that. I meant *The Crown*." And I went, "Oh my god, yeah, fuck yeah, absolutely, yes please." And she said, "I think you're not meant to say that yet. You're meant to just—"
--:-- Amy Poehler: Put your sunglasses on.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Trying to be cool. But I was such a huge fan of it. And also it came at the point where I just spent all my tax money.
--:-- Amy Poehler: So you're like, "Let's go."
--:-- Olivia Colman: Really handy. Let's go.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And did you talk to Claire? Did you two talk about handing off the torch?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. So someone said, "It might be a good idea if you want to, we can give you Claire's number." And so I did speak to Claire and said, "Really, honestly, truthfully, it's a long commitment, long job." And she went, "I've absolutely fucking loved it. It's a happy job and everyone's nice."
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. Okay, that's great. I mean, there is a whisper network among actresses, especially when you're lucky enough to have the choice to take a job, where you call other people to say, "Should I? Is this okay?" I love that code as well.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Me too. And amongst, we do go, "I—" or there's the word "tricky."
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. "It can be tricky."
--:-- Olivia Colman: "I got on quite well with them, but I know that some other people did." So sort of politely letting you know, maybe this isn't a simple decision.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Another code is, "Well, the hours can be kind of long," which is a code for the director's a little unorganized.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. And the scripts aren't ready.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah. "And the scripts can come in a little late. And I cried a few times." But as far as the job, yeah. Helena and you—I just want to stay there for one second because I love watching you work with everyone, but I especially love watching you work with other super talented women. And you've worked with a lot of really great women.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I've been really lucky.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And you just—when you meet each other on screen—I love women.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Me too.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I mean, it's honestly hard to work with men. I'm so sorry. I'm sure it was easy with Benedict, but like—I mean, we have to, but fuck.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I know. It's hard. Bless them, they're just not as good. They're just not as good.
--:-- Amy Poehler: It's so true. But I do too. I love working with women. And I can tell you do too.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Who are some women that you've worked with that you just went—Helena I'm sure is one—but who that you just worked with and you said, "Oh, I'm gonna have the best time"?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I mean, Jodie Whittaker on *Broadchurch*, Helena on *The Crown*, and Marion who played the Queen Mother on *The Crown*—just loved her. I loved her. I always take a good girlfriend with me from almost every job.
--:-- Amy Poehler: What do you mean? Like who?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, Helly. Jodie is now godmother to my youngest. We had our youngest at the same time while on *Broadchurch*. And Phoebe, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. And Amy Morgan, who you probably won't have heard of, but I think she's extraordinary. And we did a play. And so there's always one. And on *The Roses*, there's Zoe, Sunita, Alison, Jenny, Kate McKinnon.
--:-- Amy Poehler: We have Kate coming in. And Kate is such an—
--:-- Olivia Colman: Is she coming in?
--:-- Amy Poehler: She's coming to do this podcast.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Tell me it's day while I'm here.
--:-- Amy Poehler: It is. Are you lying?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I'm not lying, but you're not going to be here. We're not going to make you wait for Kate because we have a little bit of a—you've got to get on that plane. But you want to leave a note for her?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, she's coming in today. Okay. And she's so—isn't she such a wild, interesting, eccentric bird? She came—so we had a girls trip to where I live in the countryside in England while we were filming. And Kate came along. She's the most fun grown up you've ever met. My daughter couldn't believe her luck.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes, she is fun. She's fun.
--:-- Olivia Colman: And she played—I think she was a pea hen or something for about three hours. So, fucking hell. It's amazing. My little girl's going—
--:-- Amy Poehler: Phoebe, *Fleabag*, huge, another huge show.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. And, well, I mean—
--:-- Amy Poehler: She's an amazing woman.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. And she's brilliant at what she does and she works hard and she's really driven and kind to everybody. And, yeah, just another fucking fantastic woman.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And that first episode of the second season of *Fleabag*, which was with Andrew Scott and sitting around that dining table—that restaurant table. Felt like the most brilliant play. And just that whole episode, one dinner scene. I just love the way she writes.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. And she gives everybody so many good—she's generous.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I mean, you have also so many good jokes in that show.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. Great jokes.
--:-- Amy Poehler: That character is hilarious and deeply disturbing.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. And I got it wrong initially. I was playing her sort of quite evil. And I was going, "Phoebe, it's not what you meant, is it?" She went, "Well, she's the most charming person in any room. She'll be vile to you and you sort of—thank you." Sort of being grateful for the—
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. It's so vile. I mean, it's like—she's like the ultimate narcissist.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, yeah. And when you're that way, you're usually quite charming.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, yeah. You're not usually—there's a way in which you draw people in and then you slowly kill them. And then before we get to *The Roses*, I just feel like there was this beautiful couple of years where America said—I just realised I said how much I love women. And I've just done a film with Benedict.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, but Benedict feels like he's sensitive enough that he counts.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh my God, he does. Yes, he really does. I feel awful. I loved working with Benedict.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Well, we're going to talk about working with Benedict.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, good.
--:-- Olivia Colman: He's going to be fine.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, good. Great. Benedict can handle it.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, yeah. And Andy. I love Andy. Andy's fine. And Jamie. Of course, you love all the people. They know.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I do love the people. They know. Sorry to interrupt you.
--:-- Olivia Colman: No, no, not at all.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But I'm not worried about Benedict.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Okay, okay, good. He's so tall.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah. We don't have to worry about him.
--:-- Olivia Colman: No, he'll be fine.
--:-- Amy Poehler: He will be fine. But no, we will talk about that. But there was this amazing couple of years where we got to see a lot of work being congratulated when you won that award, when you won the Academy Award, right? And you've won a lot of awards. And what I loved about that moment was what I felt in that moment—and tell me if I'm wrong—is that you probably feel about awards the same way I feel about awards, which is like lovely, but also who cares?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I don't know. That's an awkward thing. Yeah. I okay—maybe I should say it less bluntly. I feel like, "Oh my god, it is the most lovely if your peers have said yes, seal of approval, there's nothing better." But I think also give yourself a few days to feel pretty thrilled with yourself, then forget it ever happened, go back to work.
--:-- Amy Poehler: That's right.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. It was amazing and it might never happen again, and weren't you lucky, and now head down.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I find that Brits in general accept awards really well because they do just that. They kind of stay in the moment and say thank you and they're very polite. But also you can tell they're like, "I can't internalize this or I'm in trouble."
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: It is a little bit more American to be like, "I made it to the top of the mountain, and I'm here, and I'm never getting off. And I knew it, and I got it, and I went for it." But they're completely different feelings. But your speech—do you have a sense of why that speech was so well received? It just felt like everyone was very with you in that moment. It felt really organic. What are your memories of getting up and giving that speech? What did it feel like?
--:-- Olivia Colman: So much—I don't really remember. But just beforehand, in the build-up to it, in the months, the build-up, people kept saying "Oscars." I'd go, "Stop it." And I got furious. It was all too scary, terrifying. Don't be ridiculous. And then on the evening, like 20 minutes before we were meant to go, my husband went, "Don't be cross. But just in case, I've just put some notes on a piece of paper." And he went out and went, "Just fucking wanker." Okay, that's quite a good thing. So he just said, "Just remember, if it happens, to say this or say that, say thank you." And so it was—I would have been so useless. It was absolutely real and shocking. But if it wasn't for him taking five minutes, just in case, to think about it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I know. Writer, producer, director. He took care of you in that moment. General Hottie.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah. General Hottie.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And also the moment you guys had was so sweet, too. I mean, you have a wonderful, long-lasting marriage with Ed. And you met—where did you meet?
--:-- Olivia Colman: In the town of Cambridge. He was at Cambridge.
--:-- Amy Poehler: [noticing emotion] Olivia's crying a little bit.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Who not?
--:-- Amy Poehler: You love Ed. He's your best friend. You call him your best friend. I love love.
--:-- Olivia Colman: He's my best friend and I fancy him. He's quite nice. I love love.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, how did you meet? You have his name.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I do have his name. It's a bit like he's pissed on me. It was my choice. He just stamped it on you.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah. Okay. How did you meet?
--:-- Olivia Colman: We met in a play rehearsal. And I'd gone to two of the rehearsals and there wasn't anyone particularly fanciable there. And then I walked in and I saw his left-hand profile. And at the time, he was smoking a ziggy. His feet were crossed. And he's got this lovely bump in his nose. And I saw his side profile and went, "Oh, God, I'm going to marry him."
--:-- Olivia Colman: I had proper thunderbolts. That's him. That's him.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh. I know. Poor thing. He didn't know. And what does he say about it the first time he met you?
--:-- Olivia Colman: He genuinely can't remember.
--:-- Amy Poehler: That's so great. I mean, what is the secret to a long-lasting relationship? Any tips? Any advice?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I don't know. Because you're making a movie about the opposite of that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes, that's true.
--:-- Olivia Colman: It's our 25th wedding anniversary next year.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Wow. We've been together 31 years.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Wow.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I don't think it's—we're not big fighters, which apparently isn't very healthy.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Okay, can we talk about this for a second? I agree. I see a lot of research that says you really should argue and fight. It feels like—what if you're not? I mean, I'm not afraid of conflict, but I don't necessarily want to search it out.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, I don't want to. And people that argue—we have learned over the years, but really late on actually, sometimes if that was annoying, then just wait until it's—it doesn't work for everyone. I know that. But I think it's better to wait until the much calmer moment to go, "Can we talk about that moment? And I did find that a little weird. And is that okay that I'm saying this? And yes, no, I was a bit cross that day. But okay. Good. Okay. I'm so pleased. Thank you."
--:-- Amy Poehler: That by far is the most British conversation I've ever heard. Actually, Maggie Gyllenhaal stood when we did *The Lost Daughter*. Beautiful movie. Ed, different Ed, was the costume designer. And me, he's English and I'm English. And he was talking about a hat. And he said, "I left the hat out. I didn't know if he wanted it." I went, "Oh, I see. I didn't know if—did you want me to wear it now?" And he went, "Oh, but if you like it." "No, I do like it. I just wondered because it's—" And this went on for 20 minutes. And Maggie, at the time it was COVID, she took her mask down and went, "Oh my God. Nothing has been said. 20 minutes."
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And I'd never realised it before that moment when she just—
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: So that's how we argue. And okay, so it leads me really naturally into the film that's out right now with the great Benedict Cumberbatch. And what a pro.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, my God. What a pro.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And, you know, I ask people before these podcasts to give me a question to ask my guests. And we speak well behind their back, like I said. And he was, of course, absolutely adores you. And you guys have never worked together before, which is really interesting. And like you, I think he's shown that he's able to toggle between a bunch of different styles and genres. Also, it makes me think sometimes that maybe it's a bit more license to do that in the UK than the US. I don't know. To go between drama and comedy.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Maybe. I'm thinking about it now because Emma Thompson and Kathy Burke. And we do have a line of—well, I'm just thinking of the women—but we do have a long line of people who've been allowed to do both.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Well, I remember people talking about Hugh Laurie in-house. And it was like, you know Hugh Laurie started in sketch comedy.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Sketch comedy. Yeah, yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But he was asking me, he asked a very sweet actor question, which is basically that he is in awe of you and what you can do. And he was like, "Is there anything you're afraid of?"
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, acting-wise?
--:-- Amy Poehler: I couldn't really tell what the question was. But let's say sure. Let's say acting-wise.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Anything where I have to show any skin? No, I don't like it. No, thank you. I don't know. No, thanks. Or pretending to have sex with someone. I don't like it. I don't like it. I feel like I'm being on Facebook. And it just feels a bit—even when they go, "You can wear your jeans and a cushion between you." I don't want to do that. That's not what—I don't really know. And by the way, bless the people that are good at it. The people that are good at it are like—I'll watch it all day long. And they're comfy. But an on-screen orgasm? No, absolutely not.
--:-- Amy Poehler: That's what you have to do that day. That's tough.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Thank God for intimacy coordinators. Absolutely. Ita O'Brien, she told me—and I was meant to orgasm, I went, "Oh, God, how do you do that?" She said, "Imagine the sun is hitting your face." That was great. And you just go like this.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah. You go, "Oh, my God." You just put your sunglasses on and you go. You should have done it like that. Yeah, okay. All right, well, you got your answer, Benedict. You got your answer. But what was it like working with him on the film?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I loved working with him. And he sort of feels like one of life's innocents in a way, because we had such fun. But when it started to get a little bit more cruel to each other, he did go, "Can we pause for a minute? Are we okay?"
--:-- Olivia Colman: "Yes, Ben, it's pretend. It's all okay." And he's so in it and it's just lovely. But I felt like I wanted to hold his hand a lot and go, "It's all good. We're still friends."
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. And it's lovely to work opposite him because he's absolutely feeling it. It's all instant. I bet—I mean, even just seeing the way in which the two of you spar is really exciting because it's two very good actors going really hard. And plus there's just a ton of dumb physical stuff, which is so fun. Do you like doing that?
--:-- Amy Poehler: No, me neither. I don't want to.
--:-- Olivia Colman: I'm not really physical. I don't want to do any running.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah, I don't want to.
--:-- Olivia Colman: But he is really good at that, which is great. So I just had the gun and he just ran around. And you're like, "I think my character would sit."
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yeah. And then Jay Roach. Oh, my God. Isn't he a delight?
--:-- Olivia Colman: The director, I love him.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I love him. Same. And I felt bad for him every day because it was like trying to nail jelly to the wall, trying to get us all to stop giggling or stop doing bits and just joking.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Also, how often does he hit his head? Oh, because he's so tall. He wears a hat as well. He doesn't see the booms and the lights, and the crew ended up hanging sticky tape down from everything. So he still did it 15 times a day. It's got to be some kind of psychological thing that he's doing. He can't get cross with us. He doesn't say that thing.
--:-- Amy Poehler: And then okay, we talked about Kate, you worked with Andy. Okay, the movie is out. And then my last question is—I ask everybody and it's kind of the reason why I started doing this podcast, genuinely, was to try to make sense of this wicked world and find some solace in what everybody was doing to keep themselves laughing. What do you watch, read, do? What's making you laugh right now today? Big or small? A person, a video, a show, old or new that you go to?
--:-- Olivia Colman: The thing that makes me laugh more than anything—belly laugh, it doesn't happen often enough—is watching my husband fall over or hit his head.
--:-- Amy Poehler: On purpose or by accident?
--:-- Olivia Colman: By accident.
--:-- Amy Poehler: You just love an accident.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Literally makes me go weak. I collapse. It's so good.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Did you ever watch *America's Funniest Home Videos*? Have you ever seen that show?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, that's the sort of—stand by.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Just one second before you go. We're gonna get you on a clip recently where people just lie down with their—have you seen this? So I turn around and Ed's lying down. You just see his head there. And people go, "Ah!" And they film—oh, that's gorgeous. Do you like being pranked?
--:-- Olivia Colman: I've got to do that, haven't I? Film Ed.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Yes. Okay, don't tell him. Don't tell him. Do you like being pranked?
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, because that's—
--:-- Olivia Colman: No, if someone makes me jump, I will punch them in the face.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Me too. I don't like being surprised. I am fight, not flight. But you like when people get a tiny bit hurt?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah.
--:-- Amy Poehler: But they're fine, right? They have to jump up. As long as they're fine.
--:-- Olivia Colman: As long as they're okay. I don't if it looks like—"Oh god, that looks like—sorry, sorry, sorry, fun."
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, let's watch just two minutes of this and we're gonna let you go. This is the best day ever. I mean, I know what you mean. Okay, these kind of things—do I need my glasses? We're watching *America's Funniest Home Videos*. What's that person doing? That person's stuck in the ceiling.
--:-- Olivia Colman: So that person doing something and they're—and she's stuck in the ceiling.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh. Okay, that might have been too hard a fall. Have you seen the two women trying to get into the window?
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, yeah. Oh, God. I want to hear that.
--:-- Olivia Colman: That is—
--:-- Amy Poehler: Let's watch the two women trying to get in the window. Yes. That is so fun. And the other one is no help at all outside, clearly trying not to piss herself.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yeah, when people start, when they're stuck and they start laughing, that does it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Two women trying to get into a window. Okay, here we go. Okay, let's watch. Here we go. Here we go. Okay, they're trying to get in the window, and one of them is giving the other one a foot up. She's wearing a... She's both barefoot? Here. Her shirt comes off. That's right, her shirt comes off. So she's upside down with these boobs, which are now facing that way. And her mate. And her clothes come off and they're dying laughing. I mean, this is the kind of thing that Benny Hill told me would happen. And it did happen. It actually happened.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, my God. I love that.
--:-- Amy Poehler: I do, too. There's no better feeling. And that makes me want to watch that again.
--:-- Olivia Colman: And hearing them weak, you know when you can't speak.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Oh, yes. I love it.
--:-- Olivia Colman: And knowing that one person is peeing right in the face. And if the upside down woman was also peeing, think of it.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Well, Olivia, I love you. I love you. I love that you came. Thank you so much for coming. And what I know is a long press day. And if you want to leave a note for Kate, let me know.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, yes, please. Has Kate seen that? I'm going to show you. She would enjoy that. Yeah, she's like that. She probably is like... I reenacted it. I was going to say she probably did.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Thank you so much.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Oh, thank you. I love having you here.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Thank you for having me.
--:-- Olivia Colman: Of course. I want you to come and stay.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, can I come to your house, please?
--:-- Olivia Colman: Yes.
--:-- Amy Poehler: Thank you. Okay, great.
--:-- [Transition to ad read]
--:-- Amy Poehler: Okay, today's Polar Plunge is presented by Visible. It's one-line wireless running on Verizon's 5G network. For great coverage and a reliable connection, make the switch at visible.com.
--:-- Okay, for this Polar Plunge, I'm going to say that everybody should check out a film that we briefly mentioned in this interview, *The Lost Daughter*. It is with Olivia Colman, directed beautifully by Maggie Gyllenhaal, and with the great Dakota Johnson, who came in here with her puppy just a little while ago to our show. Olivia and Dakota are so great together. It's such a meditation on motherhood. Jesse Buckley's so good in it. And it's just, you know, it's just one of those movies where you're like, "Damn, those ladies are good at acting." That's what you say. You say, "Wow, those broads are good at acting." But check it out if you haven't seen it. It's a beautiful, beautiful film.
--:-- But today's Polar Plunge was presented by Visible, the ultimate wireless hack. It's one-line wireless with unlimited data, hotspot talk, and text starting at $25 a month. Terms apply. See Visible.com for planned features and network management details.
--:-- Okay, that's the end of our show. Bye.
--:-- Announcer: You've been listening to *Good Hang*. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Berman, and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by The Ringer and Paper Kite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane, Kaya McMullin, and Alea Zanaris. For Paper Kite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Berman. Original music by Amy Miles.
--:-- Announcer: All I ever wanted was a really good name. And feed their brains for learning. Find Welch's Fruit Snacks in stores nationwide. Go back to school with Welch's Fruit Snacks.
--:-- Announcer: This episode is brought to you by Happy Egg. Happiness is important, right? Everyone has different things that make them happy. It's your work in life to find out what that is. Everyone deserves some happiness. And it's just the same for the humble chicken, because a happy hen makes a happy egg. That's why Happy Egg partners with family farms across the Midwest to raise hens outdoors with plenty of room to play, scratch, and spread their wings. And the eggs they lay are delicious. You can see and taste the proof yourself in the rich orange yolk. Crack open happy today. Find Happy Egg near you at happyegg.com slash amy.
