00:06Hello, I'm Stephen Beresford, the screenwriter of Elsinore.
00:10This is Billy Piper, who plays Patsy Pollack.
00:13And this is Andrew Scott, who plays Ian Charlson.
00:15And you are watching The Hollywood Reporter.
00:26I'm Seah Rankin, of course, with The Hollywood Reporter.
00:29And I'm here with Elsinore. Thanks for joining us, guys.
00:32Can we have you all introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about your characters in the movie?
00:37And Stephen, we'll start with you with the kind of origin story of the movie.
00:42Well, I'm Stephen Beresford, and I'm the screenwriter of Elsinore.
00:45And what is the origin story?
00:47Somebody suggested that Andrew would be amazing playing Ian Charlson.
00:52That was really the beginning of it.
00:53It was one of those ideas that hits you, you know, so of course, of course you do it.
00:59So, yeah, that was the beginning, really.
01:01It was somebody else's idea, but I very quickly snatched it and made it my own.
01:06Nice going, Billy.
01:09I'm Billy Piper, and I'm playing Patsy Pollack, who is still alive.
01:15A casting director of her time, revered, prolific, cast some incredible films.
01:22And she was also Ian's, one of Ian's best friends.
01:27And I'm Andrew Scott, and I play Ian Charlson.
01:30Tell us a little bit about Ian.
01:32Ian, sorry.
01:33Ian Charlson is a very celebrated actor who was tasked with playing Hamlet in 1989 at the National Theatre when
01:44he was very sick with HIV, AIDS.
01:47And it was his last ever performance.
01:52So, he was a man of great courage and talent and beauty.
01:56And we've made it, like, a minute and a half into this interview without talking about your hug from Oprah
02:00a couple of days ago at Telluride, which is sort of the talk of awards season, I believe.
02:07Oh, wow.
02:07That's going to be.
02:08Yeah, it was incredible.
02:09We were up at Telluride, and I was actually sitting behind her, and I was watching her, and I was
02:14like, oh, my God, there's Oprah, and she's watching the movie.
02:16So, you were watching her watch you on screen?
02:18I did feel that she was engaged in the movie.
02:22And so, afterwards, she came and said some very, very kind things.
02:27So, yeah, it was amazing.
02:30When she hugged you, did you feel like your bad back vanished?
02:33Exactly.
02:34Any kind of ill?
02:34Yeah, exactly.
02:35In the end, they just go away.
02:36Your skin clears up.
02:37They're vanished, exactly.
02:39What is the best, and maybe this is your answer to this, but what is the best reaction you guys
02:46have gotten from something you've done or made?
02:49And maybe it is getting a hug from Oprah.
02:51I mean, that sort of pips us all.
02:53That's huge.
02:54What are we getting a hug from Oprah?
02:56We can't do that, yeah.
02:58I'm never hugged anyway by anybody.
03:00Oh.
03:01Hadn't known if famous.
03:03Look at that live.
03:05You captured it live here at the Hollywood Report.
03:07The Hollywood Report have got a scoop.
03:08How do you feel now?
03:09I feel incredible.
03:10I feel energized.
03:11I feel full of life.
03:13I want to write another movie.
03:14Yeah.
03:15In fact, do you mind if I just hug?
03:16Get up.
03:16With Billy in there?
03:17Yeah, of course it's Billy.
03:18You didn't hug me.
03:26So all you three knew each other before you made this movie.
03:29We did.
03:30But did you learn anything about each other that you didn't know before, or did anything surprise you?
03:37Any new sides of anyone?
03:39No surprises.
03:39Come out.
03:42I'm just trying to think.
03:44Oh, well, I don't know.
03:45Like, Billy is so, she's just one of our greats.
03:50And it was the happiest day when she said yes to this part.
03:55Because, you know, it's such an extraordinarily important role.
04:02Because it's somebody who's sort of theatrical, but somebody who's rooted in groundness.
04:05And they were best friends.
04:06And because I love Billy so much.
04:08And I don't know.
04:11I just feel like I'm so proud of that relationship in the movie.
04:15And, you know, she's such enormous fun.
04:17And she can do it with such ease, you know.
04:19Make it look so easy.
04:21And not a lot of people can do that.
04:22And it's a story of the AIDS crisis that is almost never explored or told.
04:29And it was women almost always who were the friends who were there, who were holding their hands, who were
04:33doing the stuff.
04:35And at the same, this is actually the first time I'd worked with Billy.
04:38So, we didn't know each other before.
04:41But I knew she was perfect.
04:45Patsy, you know, is an incredible character.
04:48Somebody who has, I think, whose love of life matched Ian's.
04:52That's why they loved each other.
04:53So, we needed to have two people where that could happen.
04:58And matching Andrew is no mean feat.
05:02What do you mean by that?
05:04I mean your glowing talent.
05:06As surely all of our viewers know.
05:11But also, you know, it's also fair to say that the reason that we're all here is because of Stephen's
05:16screenplay.
05:17Yeah.
05:17Just to say that.
05:18Yeah, yeah, you don't do Stephen now.
05:19My second one.
05:21On the way.
05:21No, but it is.
05:22There are like sort of 10 or 12, you know, important characters.
05:29You know, there's a whole section of the theatrical community that need to be represented.
05:35And there's a whole section based at the Royal Free Hospital under Dr. Margaret Johnson, as played brilliantly by Olivia
05:42Colman.
05:42And so, sort of marrying those two extraordinary institutions together with all these characters.
05:50You know, even the smallest parts.
05:52That's what Stephen is so brilliant at.
05:53Even if you've got a really, really two lines or two scenes in the movie, you're going to get something
05:59to play.
05:59I think that's what you look for in an actor.
06:01Oh, that's all you look for.
06:02Yeah.
06:02There are loads of brilliant actors in the film who have small parts.
06:07Yeah.
06:07But, you know, the script is undeniable.
06:11And the part is, even in those moments, is so, you know.
06:14Thank you, darling.
06:15What is the smallest part either of you have played?
06:19Oh, well, I was on the beach in Saving Private Ryan.
06:21Oh, yeah.
06:21Do you not remember me?
06:22Dead body.
06:22No.
06:23You were a dead body.
06:24It's not exactly a movie you rewatch either, me personally.
06:27No, I was, I have Tom Hanks run over me.
06:28I was in EastEnders.
06:33What?
06:33On, Bianca had a fashion show.
06:37Patsy?
06:37Patsy?
06:38Patsy Palmer.
06:39And I was, I was one of the models on the fashion show.
06:43What?
06:44How did you do?
06:45No lines.
06:46I was also in Evita.
06:48What?
06:49Yeah.
06:50The film?
06:50The film with Madonna.
06:52As an extra, I did a lot of extra work as a kid.
06:55Yeah.
06:56Did you do this with Madonna?
06:57Yeah.
06:57And she was, you know, everything to me.
07:00It is.
07:00And, oh my God, it was, it was so fantastic.
07:03Yeah.
07:03But I actually, I get quite a good close-up in that.
07:07Do you?
07:07Yeah.
07:08Yeah, yeah.
07:08Have you ever met Madonna?
07:09Have you ever met Madonna?
07:10I've never met Madonna.
07:11Yeah, I have, yeah.
07:12Obviously, a few times.
07:14Okay, something different.
07:15Steve, anything for us?
07:16What do you mean, smallest thing I've ever done?
07:19Well, I tend to only focus on large things.
07:22Yeah.
07:24So, I was an actor before I was a writer.
07:26Oh, I didn't know that.
07:28So, I did some pretty small roles in that.
07:30Did you do extra work?
07:30You were in Midsommar Murders.
07:32Yes, but that was a massive role.
07:33I was a property developer.
07:36I was a butler, and I opened the door to Bill Nye.
07:39Oh, yeah.
07:39About 18 times one morning.
07:42That was the first time I met Bill.
07:44You're right.
07:44I've since worked with, and he still treats me like a butler.
07:47Doesn't he?
07:47You can't shake those things off.
07:49They stay with you.
07:51That's fair.
07:52Okay, when you do theater, people talk a lot about, like,
07:56what it takes to survive those, like, months and everything that you've got to do physically
08:02to prepare to be on stage every night, et cetera.
08:04What are you most looking forward to when you're done with, like, let's use Vanya as an example.
08:09It's just you up there all the time.
08:11Once you're done with that run, like, what is the first thing you do?
08:15Well, the first sort of Monday after you've finished, or if you've finished on a Sunday
08:22matinee, the first evening off is always just bliss.
08:26It's like, this is what I would have been doing the past three months at 7.15.
08:31Now I'm here.
08:31No.
08:32Same every time.
08:33Same line every time.
08:35It's an extraordinary thing about actors.
08:36It's like, all you think is, like, oh, you want to get a job.
08:38You want to get a job.
08:38And then when you're three months into it, you think, all I want to do is just be free.
08:42I know.
08:43I know.
08:44Just to be unemployed.
08:45I just want my nights.
08:48Well, then on day three of being unemployed, don't you wish you were...
08:51Yeah, exactly.
08:52It's a sort of sick of life.
08:53It's a sort of sick of life.
08:53I just want to go to the market on Saturday.
08:55I just want to go to a beer garden.
08:57I know.
08:57Do 12 hours straight.
09:01When I switched from being an actor to being a writer, I remember, I can genuinely remember
09:05the moment that my first play was on, and I realized at tap five to seven, I could go
09:12for a pizza now if I wanted to.
09:13I can do anything I want.
09:15They have to dress up in weird clothes and go on.
09:17I don't.
09:18Oh, that must have been correct.
09:20I've never had...
09:21That feeling has never come back to me.
09:22It was so incredible.
09:23It was like a thrill.
09:24It was such a thrill.
09:26The ideal run is five weeks, I think.
09:29I thought you were going to say five shows.
09:30I mean, yes.
09:32Yes.
09:34Including press night.
09:35Five weeks.
09:36Five weeks, I think, is fantastic.
09:41But no one does them.
09:42I mean, the Royal Court probably does five weeks.
09:44They do shorter runs.
09:45It's very hard to get a job there.
09:46They should bring rep back.
09:48Oh, yeah, for sure.
09:49Right?
09:49I don't know why...
09:50It feels like maybe you guys...
09:51Now you have a project.
09:52Well, if we keep hugging Steve, you won't have a surprise.
09:54Maybe I will.
09:55A little task.
09:55Maybe Oprah would like to start a rep company.
09:58Sounds like you've got the line on that.
10:00Yeah.
10:00What is a luxury that you can't live without,
10:04especially when you are traveling on set
10:06or traveling for work or on location?
10:10What do you bring with you that you need?
10:13Oh.
10:14But does it have to be luxe?
10:16Or can it just be...
10:17You know, a lot of people have been saying, you know, teabags.
10:20There's been a lot of bricks through today.
10:22That's a domestic.
10:23Don't give that answer, guys.
10:24Yeah.
10:24Be a bit more imaginative than that.
10:27Well, there's nothing better than a minibar.
10:29A minibar?
10:30What, you're taking Hooch on set.
10:33Oh, no, not on set.
10:34I don't remember when you were traveling.
10:35It can be at the end of the day.
10:37It doesn't have to be on set.
10:37We all thought the greatest performance we've ever seen
10:40came from the fact that you were a genius.
10:42But no, you were hammered.
10:43What do you...
10:43No, I don't know.
10:45Actually, when I was thinking of the minibar, I wasn't thinking of the booze.
10:47Okay.
10:48That sounds about you.
10:48That's very revealing.
10:49That's on you.
10:50Oh, you love sugar.
10:52Yeah, it's still a thrill, a minibar, right?
10:54Oh, yeah.
10:56I love a minibar.
10:56I'm just trying to think what mine...
10:57I mean, mine are really, really boring.
10:59Like, I don't know, my phone.
11:02To just keep that luxury in that great luxury.
11:07I've got a really, really, really expensive hand sanitizer.
11:12I would never go on set without that.
11:14And auditions, too.
11:16What?
11:16Because you're shaking hands a lot.
11:17You're like the queen.
11:18Yeah, yeah.
11:19And are you spraying in front of people?
11:21No, I'm very treadably discreet.
11:23I find some way to, you know, distract them.
11:26Yeah.
11:26Yeah.
11:27I go, look, is that a fox?
11:28Is there a movie or TV show that you've worked on that you wish you didn't
11:33because you didn't get to enjoy it the way the rest of us have?
11:37Like, where being in it kind of ruins the fandom for you.
11:41Oh, that's interesting.
11:42Yeah.
11:43Some people did...
11:44A few people have stopped me at the first part of my question to answer
11:47things they just wish they weren't in.
11:49But the ultimate question is...
11:52Don't say else in all.
11:55It's hard because I've really enjoyed most of the things I've been in.
12:01Maybe Secret Diary of a Cool Girl.
12:03What is that?
12:04That was so great.
12:05But then I wouldn't have had to, you know...
12:07Yeah.
12:10Endlessly.
12:11I could have just watched it and enjoyed it like everyone else.
12:14Yeah.
12:14It's sort of just, you know, every day.
12:16Yeah.
12:17Every day.
12:18That must have been...
12:19Oh, it was so...
12:19Did you put all the scenes, the big scenes, together?
12:24No.
12:25All the time.
12:26All the time.
12:27Relentless.
12:28Relentless.
12:29Yeah.
12:30Yeah.
12:30So, so I...
12:32But people find that show really fun.
12:34So I would have liked to have shared that experience.
12:36That makes sense.
12:38Yeah.
12:38Sometimes when...
12:38I remember playing...
12:39When I played Ripley, I found that hard because it was...
12:42Very dark territory to be in.
12:44And it was...
12:45I was in it all the time.
12:46I was just always...
12:48You were always on that show.
12:50Always acting.
12:51Where are you, Ripley?
12:52Still.
12:53I was.
12:54I was.
12:55Oh, yeah.
12:56Still in Italy.
12:58Oh, that sounds terrible.
12:59Still in Italy.
13:00That sounds terrible.
13:01It was during COVID, you know.
13:02It was during COVID.
13:03Oh, yeah.
13:03So nobody could come and visit.
13:04Yeah.
13:05Because we had that five-day thing either side.
13:08So people would have to isolate for five days either side.
13:10So nobody came to visit.
13:11And all the restaurants, all the beautiful Italian restaurants were closed.
13:14Yeah.
13:15So it was actually a little bit more agonizing, you know.
13:18And also it was just like just so much acting.
13:20So that was...
13:21And it was a dark character to play.
13:22And it was a wonderful, you know, opportunity obviously.
13:25But I do...
13:26Having watched it, I think of the experience probably more than actually watching the way,
13:30you know, other people might.
13:32And it was.
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