00:00I have that same longing to know and understand what it is.
00:05Fulfillment for me and I've been, like Tess, a professional since I...
00:10I was 11 as an actor, but the rediscovery...
00:15The reigniting of what I want to explore or what I have...
00:20I haven't said or what confuses me about being a human in this life or what...
00:25What makes me a better parent or partner or friend?
00:28You know, those are the questions I continue to ask.
00:30So to explore that in a film made me really hopeful as an actor and...
00:35as an audience to it.
00:37I mean, it was fun for sure.
00:40But I think, I mean, it was...
00:42I think it's exactly what the movie is, which is...
00:44First of all, it was...
00:45It just, it was a joy.
00:46You know what I mean?
00:47And an honor.
00:48And I really, I want to say that.
00:49Just being able to...
00:50work with Bradley and for him to consider me for this role...
00:52and working with this incredible, you know, cast of people.
00:56That was a joy, you know, in itself.
00:58But I think as we built these characters...
01:00and we built their backstory, you know,
01:02it was really just having the conversation of who they were, right?
01:05You know, and how they got to where they...
01:07where they are now.
01:08And how impacted they are by...
01:10this, you know, not just the friend group, but now this divorce.
01:13Their best friends are getting divorced.
01:15And it's like, whose side do we choose?
01:17And also, oh, wait a minute.
01:19Now, now this is...
01:20this sort of shed light on our own marriage.
01:22And then really talking about how that's impacted...
01:25them.
01:26It was amazing to put the character together.
01:27And like she said, Bradley, I think was so...
01:30well, just he's a brilliant filmmaker and a brilliant writer,
01:33but he was also so generous.
01:35I think with his actors as far as, you know,
01:37what...
01:38what we were bringing to these characters because...
01:40you know, we've talked about this, but I feel like Christine in this movie
01:43really met me at a similar...
01:45place in my life.
01:46I'm also...
01:47I'm not married.
01:48I don't have kids.
01:49And, you know, as the...
01:50film touches on this idea that it's almost like you're either meant to feel ashamed
01:54that you haven't done that.
01:55or ashamed that those things are not the sole things that fulfill you in life,
01:59particularly as well.
02:00you know, and so I was really able to process a lot in my life through this film
02:04and Bradley let us bring...
02:05so much of ourselves to this character, to the marriage, you know, and...
02:09and...
02:10the...
02:11the...
02:12the good parts and the parts that they...
02:13they struggled with more.
02:14So it was just a really...
02:15authentic experience, I think.
02:16I think the best way to sum it up was the fact that this weekend we had...
02:20the screening in Liverpool and we had...
02:22some friends and family there.
02:24I like people...
02:25people who were on the journey with us.
02:27I mean, everyone from like our bridesmaids, my best...
02:30best man...
02:31to my dad being there...
02:33to our best friends...
02:34and also...
02:35people who were at the journey.
02:36So Mick Ferry, who was the comedian who introduced me on that first night.
02:40David Perkins, who owns the...
02:42the Frog and Bucket, which is a comedy club that I was...
02:45all these people were in the same room watching this story unfolding this...
02:50in this film and I...
02:51and it was...
02:52it was a strange thing because we've been on this journey...
02:55for eight years.
02:56It's eight years since I met Will.
02:57And you never know what the end result is.
03:00going to be and...
03:01and also within the process of filmmaking...
03:04the...
03:05the...
03:06so many people are involved and obviously you bring Bradley in...
03:09you bring Laura in...
03:10but then someone's going to edit it...
03:12someone's going to grade it...
03:13the whole thing is a team event.
03:15and for all of that to happen...
03:17and come out with something that...
03:19my...
03:20my wife summed it up Melanie...
03:21she said to me...
03:22if somebody had asked me...
03:24ten years...
03:25years ago...
03:26they were going to make a film...
03:27of that period of your life...
03:29she said that's...
03:30the film...
03:31I would have wanted.
03:32Well obviously...
03:33in John's life...
03:34comedy has played a huge role...
03:35in terms of...
03:36yeah...
03:37it does have a therapeutic effect...
03:38you know...
03:39comedy is a great way...
03:40and...
03:40we all use it sometimes...
03:41we use it to break the ice...
03:42we use it to start a conversation...
03:44sometimes it...
03:45helps us...
03:46navigate our way...
03:47into...
03:48heavier emotional things...
03:49sometimes it lets...
03:50really air out...
03:51when you have a...
03:52a big heavy conversation...
03:54we all use comedy...
03:55for different ways...
03:56and...
03:57and...
03:58so...
03:59there is...
04:00it is a kind of...
04:00a perfect vessel...
04:01especially in our story...
04:03to...
04:04for...
04:05for this...
04:05guy...
04:06for Alex...
04:07this character...
04:08Alex...
04:09who is inspired by John...
04:10to sort of...
04:11find his truth...
04:10and...
04:11from my point of view...
04:12it was...
04:13it was something...
04:14I never intended...
04:15to do...
04:15and what was happening...
04:16is that...
04:17you could talk about...
04:18the darker things...
04:19that are going on...
04:20in your head...
04:20but you put a kicker on it...
04:21you make it...
04:22a little bit funny...
04:23and somebody laughs...
04:24and it gives you...
04:25a little...
04:25all from Russian...
04:26and it's...
04:27it's...
04:28see...
04:29with comedy...
04:30it's communal...
04:30so you're sharing...
04:31something with people...
04:32and people...
04:33laugh back at you...
04:34and then...
04:35all of a sudden...
04:36you're...
04:37you're together...
04:38and in that one moment...
04:39you're together...
04:40and...
04:40laugh...
04:41that you can't laugh...
04:42and be...
04:43sad at the same time...
04:44for...
04:45even for the...
04:46for the moment...
04:47that you laugh...
04:48you're releasing...
04:49some tension...
04:50as Will says...
04:51some deep...
04:50depression gets reduced...
04:51and so...
04:52from...
04:53if it's a journey...
04:54for therapy...
04:55and anyone's...
04:56watching this...
04:57who's depressed...
04:58I'd say...
04:59go to a comedy club...
05:00just go...
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