00:00Hi, this is Mariah Gullow from The Hollywood Reporter, and this is Meet Your Nominee.
00:04I have with me Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, nominated for Best Re...
00:09What?
00:10Okay, so question.
00:12Question to you.
00:13This is the best movie idea that's come out of your real life.
00:17I think we can say that knowing that you've been nominated for an Oscar.
00:21I would say that's true, yes.
00:22Probably true, yes.
00:23So do you have a real-life event that might be the worst movie idea?
00:27Oh, most of our days are terrible movie ideas.
00:31I think because most days are boring, so...
00:33Yeah.
00:34And you don't want to watch that as a movie unless it's like an art piece.
00:38Yeah, we just...
00:39One time someone talked to my sister about tomatoes when we were younger,
00:44and she started throwing up because she hates tomatoes,
00:47and then that made my neighbor throw up, which then made me throw up.
00:50So then it was just literally started throwing up because she hates tomatoes,
00:53and then that made my neighbor throw up, which then made me throw up.
00:56So then it was just literally like four or five young pre-teen girls
01:00vomiting on a driveway.
01:02That probably would be a bad movie.
01:04I think that could be a good movie.
01:05The whole time I was like, oh, I guess we have our next project.
01:08Yeah, the vomit story.
01:09Yeah, just like a group throw up.
01:10Dog food and tomatoes.
01:11If you just talk about those around my sister, she will hurl.
01:14And then it did inspire, like in...
01:17An orgy of Puke.
01:18Yeah, like in Stand By Me.
01:19Yeah, similar.
01:20So that's already been done.
01:21We can't even do it.
01:22And it's a small part of a big, great movie.
01:24Whereas that would be the entire movie.
01:26But now we're taking a magnifying glass to that little scene.
01:29What is...
01:30Let's dig in.
01:31And making that...
01:32And then you've got to still be in it.
01:33So also with these pre-teen girls, there's got to be like a man in his studies.
01:37I'll be the guy who shows up later to clean up the vomit.
01:39You'll clean it up?
01:40Yeah.
01:40And then it becomes your story.
01:41I show up in act three.
01:43Okay.
01:43Just with...
01:43So we have other stories.
01:44Paper towels.
01:45Yeah.
01:46A hose.
01:47For your next project, would you want to do something that's like a real palate cleanser
01:52from doing the real life thing?
01:53Because I assume that a lot of people have really dissected your life in the past year.
02:00Yeah.
02:00Yeah.
02:01I think we would do something that's not so obviously autobiographical.
02:04Obviously everything you write...
02:05You put yourself in.
02:06Yeah, you put yourself in.
02:08So it'll be that, but it won't be so obviously and nakedly our life.
02:13Yeah.
02:13I agree.
02:14I 100% agree.
02:15Just take a breather.
02:16Smart.
02:17I want to play someone...
02:18My last name.
02:19Very smart.
02:20Which was smart.
02:21And I think maybe it would have been slightly smart to change both of our first names.
02:24Just so when people are talking about Emily versus Emily...
02:26Yeah, but they didn't want us to do that.
02:28So that would have been...
02:29But changing the last name would have been easy.
02:31Would have been great.
02:32Didn't do it.
02:32Didn't do it.
02:33Just did not think of it.
02:34Until the first day of shooting.
02:36Yeah, and then it was too late because we had badges.
02:40So it was very cute that you congratulated each other on Twitter.
02:43But what was the household moment for the nominations?
02:47It was very early.
02:48It was 5.30 in the morning.
02:50Screaming and hugging each other.
02:52Screaming, laughing, crying.
02:53Yeah.
02:53And then right back to sleep.
02:55It was shocking how quickly we were able to fall asleep.
02:58You exhausted yourself.
02:59You were like, oh, okay.
03:01And then fast asleep for two more hours.
03:03It wasn't just like a half hour.
03:04It was like a full sleep.
03:06And our people were trying to get in touch with us to do press.
03:09And we were like, nope, we're asleep.
03:10We are not able to do the press whatsoever.
03:11I looked at the phone and it had 99 new text chains.
03:15Oh, my God.
03:16So it wasn't just 99 new texts.
03:18Text chains.
03:18You got 99 text chains, but a nomination ain't one.
03:21Okay.
03:22That did not work.
03:23Let's cut that off.
03:24They were all nominations.
03:25Yeah.
03:26Everything was nominations.
03:27Yeah.
03:28Trying to make a J-Z.
03:29Whenever you hear the word 99, you try and do something.
03:31I immediately do a J-Z thing with it.
03:33You never succeed.
03:34No, not one time.
03:34No.
03:36Have there been some really surreal moments since the nomination?
03:40Yeah.
03:41I think the lunch, there's an Oscar luncheon where all the nominees kind of come and do
03:45like a class photo and you're called out, you're called randomly.
03:49It's not in alphabetical order to like come and join the group.
03:52So you don't know.
03:53And the whole time, I kept thinking, oh, they've made a mistake.
03:55We're not going to get called.
03:56Yeah.
03:56This is when you find out that we didn't actually get nominated.
03:58It's a fraud.
03:59It's all a fraud, which speaks maybe to our mindsets.
04:02But once we were there and we were kind of looking around at this group, we were like,
04:06oh, well, this is a real thing.
04:09Yeah.
04:09This is actually, I think that moment was maybe the most surreal one for me.
04:13For me, getting the next couple of days, you get this packet that's like your invite
04:17to the Oscars and all the other stuff.
04:20That was, I was like, oh, my God, look at this.
04:22We're going to frame all of this.
04:23And then also getting the actual certificate at the nominee luncheon that says that,
04:28you're nominated.
04:30That was really cool.
04:31That was pretty cool.
04:31It's kind of like graduating from college.
04:33It felt that way.
04:34Although I didn't care about graduation nearly as much as I cared about this.
04:38I'll say.
04:39Is it more exciting to see these amazing greats like the Christopher Nolans and the Meryl Streep's?
04:45Or are you super excited to see this new vanguard of filmmakers come in?
04:49Both.
04:49Like Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig.
04:50Yeah.
04:51It's been a really great year.
04:53And this would have been lovely any year, but to be in a year with so many movies that we
04:57loved.
04:58There were so many movies that were so good that we adored.
05:01So it's kind of made this whole thing feel even more special.
05:04Like Phantom Thread, we're in any kind of similar category?
05:08But we're not.
05:09Well, not literally.
05:10But in the category of nominees.
05:12Yes.
05:12Yes.
05:13Phantom Thread.
05:13Well, I mean, that's great.
05:14You know, it is.
05:15Like, as you said, it's people like Paul Thomas Anderson and Steven Spielberg, but then also
05:19people like Jordan and Greta.
05:21And so it's a great mix.
05:24Obviously, we feel much more comfortable around people like Jordan and Greta.
05:28Yes.
05:29You know, not because of them, but we're, you know, we've been fans of the other people
05:33for decades.
05:34They feel more untouchable, whereas the newer people feel touchable.
05:36We're like, this is crazy, right?
05:38And they're like, yeah, it's crazy.
05:39You can't say that to Paul Thomas Anderson.
05:41You certainly can't.
05:42Is this crazy?
05:43He's like, no.
05:43This is not crazy.
05:44This is my life.
05:45This is what I do.
05:46That's true.
05:49This has also been a year that because of the political events that have happened, everybody
05:53wants to kind of politicize everybody's story.
05:57Is that a good thing or a bad thing when you're doing debut onto the scene for, like, the Academy
06:01Awards and everybody wants to politicize the story?
06:04I think, I don't know what it's like other years.
06:08We are certainly answering way more interesting and in-depth questions and having conversations
06:13that I think maybe didn't happen always.
06:15And I'm never a fan of, like, the, who are you rooting for?
06:18Like, what are you wearing?
06:19Like, I'd rather have a conversation if we're going to be here.
06:22And, you know, the first feminist class I took was the personal is political.
06:26That is just kind of, that's true.
06:28The personal is political.
06:29And I think that's been very true this year.
06:31I assume that people make a lot of assumptions about how perfect life can be as a married couple.
06:38You guys are fully transparent about, you know, the fact that you actually really adore
06:44each other and are big fans of each other.
06:47But you're also, like, transparent about the ins and outs of our relationship.
06:50Yeah.
06:51Yeah.
06:52I think we're going to go back to having our personal relationship not be so public.
06:58Yeah.
06:58But, you know, I mean, it's unavoidable with the movie.
07:00We really did kind of lay it all out there.
07:02Yeah.
07:03I think I just, I get more inspiration from, you know, when you see celebrity couples that
07:08are like, oh, they love it.
07:09They're so perfect.
07:09They're so perfect.
07:10It's like, that doesn't give me, well, no one's ever going to really be that.
07:14So it kind of sets you up for failure and feeling like you're a failure.
07:18It's work.
07:19Relationships require work.
07:22Yeah.
07:23Yeah.
07:24Yeah.
07:24So I'd rather be some kind of an example of that, of that, like, it does take work and
07:30it's rewarding, but it's good.
07:31But there was a time we were at, I think, at ArcLight, and maybe we were, like, arguing
07:34about parking.
07:35And Camille was like, yeah, we can't argue in public.
07:37We can't argue in public.
07:38And I was like, that's a good point.
07:41People were, like, kind of looking at us, and I was like, yeah.
07:43Honey, we're trying to get nominated.
07:45Can we talk about?
07:47Whatever floor we parked on and who's going to hold on to the thing.
07:51Yeah.
07:51Well, you're definitely a good example of authenticity, which is hard to find in this
07:56town.
07:57Yeah, maybe.
07:58But, you know, I think I find what a lot of people do is, and I think this is good, I
08:02think people create a persona and that's what they project in public and then in private
08:06they're themselves.
08:06And I think you kind of have to do that.
08:10And I think we need to be better at it.
08:12Yeah.
08:12For a little bit of self-protection.
08:13We're too much ourselves all the time.
08:15Just for a little bit of self-protection, because then you start being like, well, you start
08:18kind of being like, when do I get to be Hoop myself?
08:21It's a very interesting thing to navigate for anybody, I think, especially now with social
08:24media and stuff.
08:25You're expected to be whatever brand you are all the time.
08:28Right.
08:28And we're on a, I'm on a very small scale.
08:30You're on a smaller scale than some of the, like, crazy famous people.
08:33But it's interesting to, how do you navigate that?
08:36And I get, I get to be in a bad mood and be kind of grumpy sometimes and figuring out
08:41how that fits into your brand is weird.
08:44Not your brand.
08:45How does this fit into my brand?
08:46Yeah.
08:47Okay, I have a couple of questions before I let you go.
08:49If you could complete these sentences.
08:51Uh-oh.
08:52If Jimmy Kimmel were to crack a joke about me, he would say, this is on the Oscar.
08:57First of all, I just want him to crack a joke.
08:59That would be so exciting.
09:00That would be so exciting.
09:02It's just so overwhelming to think about it.
09:03Yeah, I don't know, some joke about Big Bang Theory, maybe?
09:07That happens to me still, by the way.
09:08Yeah.
09:09All the time.
09:10Yesterday, someone was like, can I get a selfie?
09:11And we got a selfie, and he was walking, and he was like, thanks, Aziz.
09:14This happened yesterday.
09:15Happens all the time.
09:17When is it going to stop?
09:18When is it going to stop?
09:19Why for an Oscar?
09:21When will it stop?
09:23It doesn't stop.
09:24It might not stop.
09:24This is going to be the rest of my life.
09:27And the rest of their lives, too.
09:28Yeah, that's true.
09:29We're in a club together.
09:30That's right.
09:31Yeah.
09:32Here's another one.
09:33The night wouldn't be complete unless blank happens.
09:36On Oscar night?
09:37Oh, my God.
09:39We're big Oscar fans.
09:43I'd like an audience reaction shot.
09:45Of us?
09:46Yeah.
09:47Oh, the night wouldn't be complete unless we end up on the broadcast in a reaction shot.
09:51Yeah.
09:51Okay, so I'll be like, Jimmy Kimmel just told a really, really politically risky joke.
09:58Oh.
09:58That was awful.
10:03But that's going to get me on the broadcast.
10:06Yeah, okay.
10:07You've established it.
10:08Like, all right, keep one camera on her.
10:10Very gif-able.
10:11Ooh.
10:12I'll do a lot of that action.
10:13Shoulders will be a...
10:14What would you do?
10:15Politically risky joke.
10:18All right.
10:18You looking around, see if everybody heard the same thing?
10:24That's good.
10:24Oh, a point is good, I think, too.
10:26Like, you see this guy?
10:26That's going to get us on there for sure.
10:28Wow.
10:31Big rugging clap.
10:33Yeah.
10:33It's a good one.
10:34Yeah.
10:34Excellent.
10:36The nominee I'd like to dance with at the after parties is...
10:41Kumail Nanjiani.
10:42Oh, nice one.
10:43And I said, I don't dance.
10:45Perfect.
10:46So you're going to have to find someone else.
10:49Well, thank you so much, guys.
10:50We will look for you at Oscar night.
10:53We're very excited.
10:55Yeah.
10:55The Big Sick.
10:57See it everywhere.
10:58See it everywhere.
10:59See it everywhere.
11:04See it everywhere.
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