Transcript

Olivia Colman | SmartLess

From SmartLess · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 57 min · 12,013 words · 325 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Olivia Colman | SmartLess", an episode of SmartLess published August 25, 2025 (57 min, about 12,013 words). It mentions 67 people, works and ideas, including London, The Roses, Kate McKinnon, Academy Award, Peep Show.

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: London, Academy Award, Calgary, Seattle
  2. – 10:00: Academy Award, Benedict Cumberbatch, Confetti, Golden Globe
  3. – 15:00: University
  4. – 20:00: Peep Show, David Mitchell, Jesse Armstrong
  5. – 25:00: The Roses, War of the Roses, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bruce Robinson
  6. – 30:00: A-level, Nature versus nurture
  7. – 35:00: The Crown, Jay Roach, Kate McKinnon, The Roses
  8. – 40:00: Kate McKinnon, Seattle, The Roses
  9. – 45:00: Kate McKinnon, The Lobster, Andy Samberg, Jay Roach
  10. – 50:00: Academy Award, London, Too Hot to Handle
  11. – 55:00: London, Peacock, The Roses, The Traitors
  12. – 57:30: Michael Grant Terry, SmartLess, The Bear

Notable quotes from "Olivia Colman | SmartLess"

  • How's Seattle, Will? How's Seattle?
    about Seattle · at
  • We going to see you? Are we going to see you on the East Co? Are you going to come to London to see Shawn's play?
    about London · at
  • Nominated for Academy Award and of course The Favorite for which she won an Academy Award. She has a new called The Roses which she co-stars Benedict Cumberbatch comes out Octo. Give it up for a huge welcome Olivia Coleman.
    about The Roses · at
  • And then not long after that you when did Peep Show come into your world?
    about Peep Show · at
  • Yeah, but what is it? What? It's a I want to say it's like War of the Roses. Yes.
    about War of the Roses · at
  • And the way we properly slag each other off and the American incredible American cast by the way, Kate McKinnon, Andy Sandberg, Zoe Chow, great.
    about Kate McKinnon · at
  • English person of all time when you played the queen in The Crown. And I got to ask I know I just want to know the weight. First of all, you were so Sean. No, sorry. It's not the show. It's not the queen that you're thinking of.
    about The Crown · at
  • Smartless is 100% organic and artisally handcrafted by Michael Grant, Terry, Rob Armjarve, and Bennett Barbco.
    about SmartLess · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Kate McKinnon — Person · 4 mentions · first at
  • Benedict Cumberbatch — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    Course The Favorite for which she won an Academy Award. She has a new called The Roses which she co-stars Benedict Cumberbatch comes out Octo. Give it up for a huge welcome Olivia Coleman.
  • Jay Roach — Person · 2 mentions · first at
    Who directed the film? Jay Roach.
  • Patty Considine — Person · 1 mention · first at
    What was that punt what was that punt you're talking about what was the first it was Patty Considine gave me the chance to do a film called Tyrannosaur.
  • David Mitchell — Person · 1 mention · first at
    That was Rob and David who I'd met when I was when I'd left my teacher training college. Rob Webb, David Mitchell.
  • Jesse Armstrong — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Time writing and working hard and then they met Sam and Jesse who wrote Peep Show Sam Bane and Jesse Armstrong and they said we need a woman and they went oh our mate Collie we…
  • Tony McNamara — Person · 1 mention · first at
    So yes you know Tony Mcnamara amazing Tony McMara writer he has loved War of the Roses as we all did and he's slightly changed it a bit and so it's called the Roses but that.
  • Bruce Robinson — Person · 1 mention · first at
    With nail and eye. It's It's the most perfect film. Richard Grant, it Bruce Robinson wrote and directed. Amazing.
  • Andy Samberg — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Script and then we're sort of it's fairly boring of us but then you're in the you know in a room with Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon for example and you go oh [ __ ] I mean I can't do that. I don't think I can do that. M which is also fine.
  • Michael Grant Terry — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Smartless is 100% organic and artisally handcrafted by Michael Grant, Terry, Rob Armjarve, and Bennett Barbco.
  • Alan Cumming — Person · 1 mention
  • Claire Foy — Person · 1 mention
  • Claudia Winkleman — Person · 1 mention
  • Jason Bateman — Person · 1 mention
  • Michelle Pfeiffer — Person · 1 mention
  • Olivia Colman — Person · 1 mention
  • Queen Elizabeth II — Person · 1 mention
  • Richard E. Grant — Person · 1 mention
  • Robert Webb — Person · 1 mention
  • Sam Bain — Person · 1 mention
  • Sean Hayes — Person · 1 mention
  • Sunita Mani — Person · 1 mention
  • Will Arnett — Person · 1 mention
  • William Bradley Pitt — Person · 1 mention
  • Yorgos Lanthimos — Person · 1 mention
  • Zoe Chao — Person · 1 mention

Books & papers

  • The Roses — Book · 6 mentions · first at
  • War of the Roses — Book · 2 mentions · first at
  • The Lobster — Book · 2 mentions · first at
    I think it was because I done The Lobster with Yorgoslan.
  • Confetti — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Two Emmys out of five nominations. You might remember her from her turn in confetti or as the hairdresser in I could never be your woman.
  • I Could Never Be Your Woman — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Two Emmys out of five nominations. You might remember her from her turn in confetti or as the hairdresser in I could never be your woman.
  • One Day — Book · 1 mention · first at
    He's trying to throw us or even as Ian's mother in 2005's one day. I remember her from one of my all-time favorite TV shows Broadurch films like The Father for which she was nominated for Academy Award and of.
  • There Will Be Blood — Book · 1 mention · first at
    Day. I remember her from one of my all-time favorite TV shows Broadurch films like The Father for which she was nominated for Academy Award and of course The Favorite for which…
  • Tyrannosaur — Book · 1 mention · first at
    It was Patty Considine gave me the chance to do a film called Tyrannosaur.
  • The Favourite — Book · 1 mention
  • The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie — Book · 1 mention
  • Twelfth Night — Book · 1 mention
  • Whitnail and I — Book · 1 mention

Companies & orgs

  • Peep Show — Company · 3 mentions · first at
  • The Crown — Company · 2 mentions · first at
  • The Traitors — Company · 1 mention · first at
    All right. What about the What about the traders? Have you seen the traitors? Do you know that show?
  • Peacock — Company · 1 mention · first at
    Mean, it's exactly the same thing. Where do I find that? Will Sean on Peacock is at the Alan Coming, the American version. And then Coming I haven't seen the American one yet.
  • The Bear — Company · 1 mention · first at
    She's in so many different things in so many different types of roles. Forgot to tell she's in The Bear. She's also recurring. Yeah.
  • BBC — Company · 1 mention
  • Bristol Old Vic Theatre School — Company · 1 mention
  • Fox Searchlight Pictures — Company · 1 mention
  • Sundance Film Festival — Company · 1 mention
  • SunnyMarch — Company · 1 mention

Products & tech

Concepts & topics

  • Academy Award — Concept · 3 mentions · first at
    We have today. And she's she hails from London. She lives in London. she's an Academy Award winner. Three nominations, three-time Golden Globe winner, seven nominations, taken…
  • Golden Globe — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    From London. She lives in London. she's an Academy Award winner. Three nominations, three-time Golden Globe winner, seven nominations, taken home two Emmys out of five…
  • University — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    Went to the teacher training college where I met my husband who was at the university and we were 20. We were doing a play then and I walked into the rehearsal room and saw him and got thunderbolts and.
  • Nature versus nurture — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    We've talked about it on the show before in this nature versus nurture. How what's your experience been like with that? You've got a great sample with there with three. How you never get two of the same. So now you've got three.
  • A-level — Concept · 1 mention · first at
    And second one is literally did his last A level today.
  • Drama — Concept · 1 mention
  • Emmy Awards — Concept · 1 mention
  • mafia — Concept · 1 mention

Places & events

  • London — Place · 8 mentions · first at
  • Seattle — Place · 2 mentions · first at
  • Calgary — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Tonight with him, which is going to be fun. I got my buddy Cut is coming in from Calgary cuz he's such a fan. So I said, Why don't you come and join? You can hang out.
  • Shrewsbury — Place · 1 mention · first at
    Think I would being a son of, but every time I Shrewsbury.
  • Devon — Place · 1 mention
  • Dorset — Place · 1 mention
  • Kenora, Ontario — Place · 1 mention

Full transcript with timestamps

Good morning. Good morning, Jason. Or afternoon or wherever our listeners are. Wherever we find you. Sure.

Does anybody have big plans today at all for anything? Uh, I mean, I'm doing a pretty smoking podcast uh in the next couple minutes. It's called Smartless.

Cue the music. Smartless. Smart L. How's Seattle, Will? How's Seattle? You're up there in Seattle. Um the visiting family or

I'm doing a little thing tonight with uh with our friend uh Ed Veter tonight. We're just doing like a little

Is it Ed now? Yep. and he's just growing up a little bit and Eddie and I are doing a little thing tonight and he's going to perform. He claims that uh that I might help him sing a song on stage. That's not going to happen.

Because he's heard your impression of him. No, he hasn't yet and I plan on doing it. But he said he was like, "Hey, do you want to I'm going to you know what song do you want to hear?" I was like, "Well, what song do you not want to play?" And he was like, "Well, anything I don't know." And I was like, "Well, I don't know what you don't know." And he goes, "Well, you get up here and you you'll sing. Everybody likes to sing, right?" I'm like, "No, Eddie. Nobody wants to hear me sing. have to do unless it's

I couldn't you know what it's I couldn't love him more. He's up on that level of those dudes that I just absolutely adore. I include him. I include uh our friend William Pit in William Bradley Pit in that whom I just adore.

I just have like massive man crush the middle middle name down and everything. Do you know a sign?

Uh I think it's exit meaning get out of my face. They don't want me around, but that's okay.

Wait, do you remember when he was on and then afterwards he sent us all ukuleles or something? Remember that?

Yeah, he did. I know. So nice. He's such a class act. He's such a great dude. And um anyway, so yeah, that's why I'm up here. I'm doing this thing tonight with him, which is which is going to be fun. I got my uh my buddy Cut is coming in from Calgary cuz he's such a fan. So I said, "Why don't you come and join? You can hang out."

My my buddy Dave McCutchen, he's one of my oldest friends and his name is Cut. Oh, hey Cutch.

Yeah. How's it going? Well, is he a Dirty Flames fan? Well, no. He's from Calgary, but originally from Canora, Ontario. Eh,

oh, so that makes him a Dirty Leaf fan. Yeah, actually, we got room for the Leafs. We got

We got room for the Leafs. It's a really catchy nickname. You know what, Sean? Wait until the guest gets it here. Save some of that.

Anyway, so I'm up here. Uh JB, when are we going to see you? Are we going to see you on the East Co? Are you going to come to London to see Shawn's play? That's the big question.

Of course I am. Yeah. Isn't that nice? Oh, I didn't know that. Are they coming to stay with you?

Are we staying We're staying with you for like three or four days, aren't we, Shnie?

Yeah. Yeah. It's going to be it's going to be super fun. Uh so, uh yeah, you know, go ahead, Willie.

No, you go. No, just I was uh Jason reminded me of staying with me in the house. I was talking to a friend that said we was talking about like grocery shopping and what and he's like I go, "Where can I get some good milk?" And he's like, "Cow." And I was like, "Yeah, cow's milk. Do we talk about this?" And I was like, it just sounded gross when he said it because I forgot that, you know, that's where like that milk comes out of a teet. Like is I know now he meant like almond milk, oat milk. I was like, cuz I didn't think there's any other milk.

Anyway, let's just back. Let's go to the very very beginning of of the great story. Where when's the Hey, Will, I'll just ask you, Will. When's the last time you approached somebody and asked them where you could get some good milk? Right. That was the question. Yeah.

Not not milk, just general. But this is somebody you know, not a stranger right?

This is correct. Okay. Because because what is the context of like you guys mid-con conversation or is it that was your opener?

No, we were I was talking about cuz I'm I'm like where do we go grocery shopping? Where where's the new latest thing they have in London? Because I don't know what they if they have like American stuff like what's the equivalent

and you hear good milk's hard to find. Well, I didn't know. Yes. I I want really good non-fat milk.

Jesus. Anyway, let's get to the guest. You really No, we're not getting there. We're going to stay here for a minute until we knock it out of you.

Sean, you asked somebody where in London you could get a real challenge to find some good nonfat cow milk.

Honestly, and I love you and I know a lot of people, but honestly, what the [ __ ] are you talking about?

I drink it every day cuz I don't I don't really drink soda anymore. Well, I tell you what, it's a good segue cuz our guest might be able to help you uh locate some good milk in in England.

Oh, really? when it comes to finding good tits. Yeah, she she Well, no. Yeah, take that back. You're going to want to take it back also cuz she's a really classy guest. You're really going to want to take it back.

You put me up to that. Uh she's a it's a phenomenal guest that we have today. And and she's she hails from London. She lives in London. Uh

she's an Academy Award winner. Three nominations, three-time Golden Globe winner, seven nominations, taken home two Emmys out of five nominations. You might remember her from her turn uh in confetti or as the hairdresser in I could never be your woman.

He's trying to throw us or even as Ian's mother in 2005's one day. I remember her from one of my all-time favorite TV shows Broadurch films like The Father for which she was nominated for Academy Award and of course The Favorite for which she won an Academy Award. She has a new called The Roses which she co-stars Benedict Cumberbatch comes out Octo. Give it up for a huge welcome Olivia Coleman. This is a real pleasure.

Real trial pleasure. Hello. Good morning. Hello Coleman. Oh, it's so nice to be here.

Look how bright and cheery you are. I know. This is very funny here. Really classing up Will's list. Will's list was really starting to sink a little bit, but you really booied it.

I needed to turn it around. And thanks for the tit comment. Jason, sure. No, I I um I I retract that with all apologies, but but do you know where to find good non-fat milk there in

I know some excellent tits in London. Yes. Really? Yeah. Don't you worry. Good. Good. Are you in London right now?

No, I've uh I'm out in the countryside in the States. Great. Lovely. Great. But you do live in England full-time.

I do. Yes. Lucky. Yeah. You love it. I love it. My mother's British, so I've always sort of had an affinity for it, but I've never spent uh the amount of time you'd think I would being uh a son of, but uh every time I

uh Shrewsbury. Oh, nice. Very nice. Lovely. JB, do you ever consider getting your UK passport?

I haven't. Should I? Are things Well, what have you heard about America? Is something

No. All good things. All good things. Look out the window. Don't look out the window. Look out the window.

Yeah, I don't I don't get much here in the hostage uh cell. Um yes, we all we're all big fans. We all love uh England. Uh we spend time there. Sean's on his way there in a couple days tomorrow.

For a while to come and see you. You should play piano. Watch out. Get ready to be impressed.

So Olivia Coleman, you know, it's funny. I I was I went through your your your your awards that you've won in nominations. You've got like you've been nominated for like I think it was like 156 international acting awards and you've won like 65. Did you know did you not know this?

I didn't know that. Congratulations. You won. Thanks. But but what what's what's staggering is is the breadth of your work which is and by that I mean not just the actual amount but but the actual you know that you you've gone you've done comedy, you've done drama and everything in between. And it's really remarkable how how you were able to sort of go back and forth between the two.

Yeah. So my first question to you is do you at your heart consider yourself to be a comedic actor? Do you consider yourself to be a dramatic actor or none of the above?

A little bit of all of it. Certainly. Um yeah I don't know. I I mean it's funny talking to all of you guys about it cuz you all you know you all know but um I my first work was in comedy and I loved it and um sometimes you just need someone to take a punt to give you a chance to do the other thing

right right comedy has my heart um that's where I you know got work um but I always wanted to do something dramatic and I was so pleased with that

what was that punt what was that punt you're talking about what was the first it was uh Patty Considine um gave me the chance to do a film called Tyrannosaur.

Sure. Great. It started as a short film and then he then he uh decided he wanted to know what happened to these characters and made it a longer film.

That was what what was that? There was a I want to say 20 years ago. Longer. Yeah. I think we filmed it in 2011.

Okay. 2011. And it was a huge And it was like a big Sundance hit, wasn't it? It was a huge I mean it was like it made a lot of waves. It was a, you know, you

well, it sort of at the time, yeah, Sundance loved it. Um, which makes me love Sundance very much. Uh, and then, um, and then it it sort of built as the years went by. So now film lovers have have seen it, but at the time it was it was quite a slow burn, I think,

but you didn't you you didn't just get incredible 20 years ago. I I I I you know like I imagine that there's been a real uh you you you're just you're such a special magical actor. I mean that that is why you can do comedy and drama so well is because it doesn't it doesn't ever seem like you're asking for a laugh. You're never doing a comedy. You're playing a character that is eccentric or uh whatever. Um such that it makes us all sort of giggle. And then the same for drama. So when

this is nice. I'm loving this. Well, you're you won't like this question. I'm very shallow. This is great.

You know, you you know, like when did you realize that you were special? And I know that that takes admitting that you think that you don't suck, but you're allowed to admit that you don't suck. And And did it when did it start? Was it was it was it acting school? Did somebody tell you you're great? Or did you see yourself do something and go, "Oh, that that works.

I can do this." Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I mean, do do you all remember the moment when you went, "Okay, I don't

I guess I don't." Wait, Sean, you had a moment where you thought you didn't stop?

Many of them. I'm like, "Oh my god." No, my first one was my my first one was really just really quick and then maybe it'll

Great to have you on the show, Sean. Thank you so much. No, I remember like you know the pilot of this show I did Will and Grace for many many years and

we love this show. It's so complicated. It's actually not the opposite of complicated.

She's gay. She's gay. They're gay. So it Wait, it was the pilot, Shnie. It was the pilot that I didn't really I'd never done a TV show. So I It was like a pilot and I walked in

not knowing how cameras were anything, right? And I walked in and I got a laugh and just like some benign

right line like, "Hey, Will, can I borrow your blank?" I don't know what it was. And people laughed. I'm like in my head I'm like, "Why are they why are they laughing? I just said something." And then at the end of the pilot that night, this um first assistant director came up to me and she was like, you know, she was like, "You're you're great. You're amazing." I'm like, "Really?" Like, I didn't understand any of it.

It does take hearing it from the outside, doesn't it? I mean, Olivia, was there a moment there where somebody I mean, sometimes it's a parent, you know, that goes, "Hey, you know, you you've you've done good or a teacher or was it do you remember? Was there a moment like that?" Yeah, maybe my f I did my first ever school play when I was 16. Yeah. And that's the first time I'd done any acting.

And yeah, I've got to say I really enjoyed afterwards people clapping. That was brilliant

at that age, too. That's such a tricky age when you're you're you're you're sort of you're just coming

so [ __ ] at everything. So rubbish. You finally thought, "Oh." And my mom and dad who just couldn't really speak afterwards went, "Oh, fuck." Yeah. Yeah.

I go, "Oh, I think that's that's a good thing." Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting.

I know it's very it's very English to not to not want to uh uh you know, you know, sort of pat yourself on the back and and and I I I get it. But there are those moments that you have there undeniable where you go like, "Yeah, okay. I was kind of uh JB, I remember when we were doing Arrested Development 20 years ago, long over 20 years ago. And uh remember that there was a guy, one of the first editors and I remember you and I were walking and he came down the stairs. You and I were on the on the old Culver lot and he said, "Do you remember that guy?" And he came over and he goes, "Guys, I've been cutting the show and had it air." We'd only made like three episodes and he was like,

"Guys, this show is really funny." We're like "Really?" I know. You never know.

We had no idea cuz we were in a vacuum. And he's like football. Yeah. I remember doing a 12th night, the Shakespeare played 12th Night in high school. Olivia,

we're going to beat you in one second. Yeah. No, I just cuz I want to know about your high school experience. the play that you said you had a response to and I didn't know what I didn't understand what I was saying it Shakes literally Shakespeare and um and I got a laugh on some I'm like why are they laughing and I was 16 years old same thing but um but what was yours

oh the prime of Miss Jean Broaddy I obviously didn't have a clue what it meant at the time

and looking back now it was all sort of about fascism and and so at that at that age that's the age where you start to think about uh college right and and picking a career career and so it was kind of timely that that that you kind of got this pat on the back and and did you then at that moment choose this is the this is the direction I'm going to go

well uh I sort of I never really admitted it to anyone out loud but in my head I thought I wonder if I'm allowed to be an actor

um because I didn't come from that you know so I didn't know allowed yeah and um and so I didn't tell I went off to teach a training college and which I left after a term and then worked as a cleaner for a long time and still sort of secretly thinking I really want to try the acting thing.

Yeah. What did you teach in that? But you but you went to Bristol. Sorry. You went to Old Vic Theater School though. Yeah.

Bristol Vic afterwards. Yes. So yes. I went to the teacher training college where I met my husband who was at the university and we were 20. We were doing a play then and I walked into the rehearsal room and saw him and got thunderbolts and

um and then we did a play together and uh he was doing law but uh was sort of didn't really like it and then I said run away with me and we'll go and be

artists and join the circus and uh and so he did. It was nice. He finished his degree because he's you know proper

clever. And then what was that first what was that first job or moment where you go, "Okay, this this is this is something I I I think I'm going to be able to make a living at this."

Well, we went to drama school. He got in first and then I got in the year after and we did drama school together and then I got a job just before my last term um which was a sketch show

and I don't think it was particularly great. I wasn't very particularly good in it but the fact that I'd got a job I was so excited. Yeah.

And then I felt like I know I' earned some money and I could actually put actor on my passport.

Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. It was exciting. And then not not long after that you you when did Peep Show come into into your world?

Peep Show. Yeah. Not long after show is great. Yeah. Oh, thanks. Yeah. So good.

Oh, I love it when people love Peep Show. I love that show. It's so good. That was Rob and David who I'd met when I was when I'd left my teacher training college. Um Rob Webb, David Mitchell.

Yeah. They had know spent the interim time writing and working hard and then they met Sam and Jesse who wrote uh Peep Show um Sam Bane and Jesse Armstrong and

uh and they said we need a a woman and they went oh our mate Collie uh we could try her and um and it was great and I went I was called into the um BBC for an audition. I was so excited and I couldn't work out why and um excited, not nervous.

And they'd also Yeah. So nervous nervous. And they also got me in for the sketch show, which was

Did you Did you Did that I It must have helped sort of uh shape your your sort of your comedic uh uh point of view a little bit working on that show with those guys.

Yeah. And I mean, I couldn't write for [ __ ] If O Gun was to my head, I couldn't write anything funny. But they can. And

so they sort of make it easy. you say their words and you know you you appear to be funny which is nice.

I would I would I would imagine working in in that environment with those guys you know and and and you with your talent and and and working for the the I know it's not to embarrass you. We we're just these are these are just facts Olivia so you have to accept them. Okay. So, we have to um but but taking that and I think working in in that way with those guys who are so funny and you're so funny and and and as you guys developed that show and worked on Peep Show over the years, I wonder if that sort of that spontaneity and that that ability to work in comedy helped you later on as you sort of gravitated towards more dramatic roles.

Yeah, maybe. I think and you know you I don't know how you feel about it. Um, you have to sort of be have an enormous dollop of humility, I think, to be able to for people to laugh at you.

Yeah. And with you. I think you got to really pull your pants down. Yeah. Okay. And some people aren't No, wait.

I think some people aren't comfortable with it. And I think that helps with you've got to show vulnerability in the drama side and maybe

because it's quite brave to to show yourself to be an idiot in front of people and for them to laugh and

Yeah. to be broken. Yeah, it is. And to be broken, but also because as you know so much there, you know, timing plays a big part of it in comedy, right? And so so when you and and you really have to in comedy for the most you really have to listen. I mean, if if ever there was a a discipline, you know, an area in in in our world that you have to listen is comedy because you have it's so important to be able to land stuff. And so that if you bring that into uh dramatic work, you you know, you are really listening and you really understand rhythm. There is a sort of a almost a musicality to it, you know.

Yeah, totally. You're explaining it really well. Yeah. Done. Uh yeah, first time first time first time I've done it right. I'm always surprised that people are still shocked when people in comedy can do drama. It's like I know.

Oh my god. What? It's like, well, what do you where does it come from? It doesn't work the other way, though, does it?

No, it doesn't. Yeah. Well, often it doesn't. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, obviously plenty can. Um, but it is it is odd how it's easier to make the move from comedy to drama than than the other. I think that it does have something to do with that with that rhythm and that listening and all that stuff and being present like you're forced.

Oh, look. Oh, look. Somebody's just delivered. So, my husband's just brought me a massive ginonic.

There we go. That's so nice. It's that time of the evening here. It is massive. I just

Hi. Sorry. That's Ed. That's Ed the bartender. Ed. Thanks, Ed. Thanks, Ed. We'll be right back. And now back to the show.

Didn't I just see a trailer for There's a You've got a You've got a hilarious comedy coming out. Uh,

excellent segue. Yeah, but what is it? What? It's a uh I want to say it's like War of the Roses. Yes.

Yes. Yes. Is that what it was? Was it my introduction, Jason? You see, you weren't present and listening.

I was Maybe I was busy clapping too busy. I guessed it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Wait, wait. Is it Is it War of the Roses?

Yes. So well um that was a jumping off point. Yes. Um so yes you know Tony Mcnamara amazing Tony McMara writer he um has uh loved War of the Roses as we all did and he's slightly changed it a bit

and so it's called the Roses but that was definitely a big influence. Um Gotcha. Gotcha. Wow. And who's who's the fella?

Benedict Cumberbatch. Oh yes. Very good. That part I remember. Yeah I remember. something hearing about Cumberbatch in your

you know and you know you probably heard this all the time Americans I think a lot of us were so and are still enamored with British comedy right and the even the most even the most crass vulgar like sketch shows or comedy shows that come out of there's still like a sophistication to the crass you know what I mean there's still like a slickness to it he's he's getting to he always gets to he wants to know your views on Benny Hill go ahead No, no, no. But there is there is like like So who growing up made you go like was there anybody you'd watched on the telly or the movies that you were like, "Oh, that's really interesting."

Well, I think it works the other way, too. I mean, we I'm obsessed with American comedy and uh on Channel 4 here every morning, we have um Cheers and Frasier and King of Queens and Everybody Loves Raymond, all those lovely comedies. I remember um

any others or uh not for Will and Grace and only the good ones. Only the good ones

but literally and friends and Arrested Development and you know and we are all we can sort of quote most of you know all my friends excuse me adore American comedy and I find American comedy very sophisticated.

That's so funny. It's so funny. It's so funny. We all sort of look longingly. I've I've always my favorite film of all time is Whitnell and I and I've said it a million times and I just

Oh my god. Yes. That's And to me it is the gold standard of because it's it's not just a comedy. It's quite dramatic. Everything about it is so perfect and I just find it so hard to believe that somebody can make something like that here.

Hard to believe that I have still not seen it. I'm putting it writing it right now. Say it again. It's such a treat. I'm so jealous that you haven't seen it.

It's I know. Say the title again. With nail and eye. With nail and eye. It's It's the most perfect film. Richard Grant, it Bruce Robinson wrote and directed. Amazing.

Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Like with with like with a nail like with Oh god, this is so embarrassing. One word. It's the guy's name. Last name. Okay. Well, that's why I asked.

It's his name. Um it's it's a fair question, Sean. I've got you. I've got you. Um uh I don't know. There's something but but there is like Brit British humor tends to be to sort of lean back just a little bit and let you kind of discover it. Whereas I think um we in America along with everything, we kind of want to show it to you a little bit quicker than you than you might see it. You know, we're a little bit more earnest, a little louder, a little more obvious. I I find um is is the difference. And and uh I kind of I kind of like having to lean in to find it a little bit more. I love that the the dryness and the no winking of of British humor uh so much.

I think that's that's lovely of you. I I do sort of feel that way about watching all of you perform, you know.

Yeah. Yeah. There's there's Yeah. I I I I wonder, you know, I listed off your your credits and I'm such a fan of so many of these things. First of all, you know, Broad Church I again, that's what an example of a show that is like the gold standard to me. I mean, if every show could I I I every once in a while I look, you know, I go onto one of my streaming services that I subscribe to and go like, is there Is there is there a way Yeah. Brit Box. Is there a way that there's a new series of Broad Church and I've just missed it and now it's going to be on and no there's not because I love but you've you've done so many things and I and I I think once in an interview you said you you don't really that you're say that you're bad at choosing jobs. You just kind of do the next job that comes along. That can't possibly be true.

Well, I feel guilty saying no. Yeah. And I think uh in the early years, you know, not working very often was uh actually brilliant because it's made me very grateful for um

work. Yeah. Um and same same. Yeah. Um and I I think it's better that way round than doing really well straight away, I think.

But you've you've had you but you've had to sharpen your your your scissors a bit, right? because I imagine

you get a ton of offers and submissions and scripts to read and and incoming calls because of all the obvious reasons. So, you can't possibly say yes to everything and so your your picker does need to become somewhat refined. Yeah. And is there something that you really look for that that starts to have you lean one particular way? Is it is it character? Is it script? Is it director? Co-star? Location?

Uh location? I don't know. Right near home. Um I'm getting slightly better at saying no

because I uh I want to be at home a lot. Yeah. Yeah. Up until co I had never been away from Ed for longer than two weeks.

Yeah. Um which in our world is quite unusual. Yeah. Yeah. Um I didn't really take jobs away from home and I made sure I got back.

Yeah. because I get quite homesick. And And you've got And you've got a family. You've got three You've also managed to somehow have three kids in there as well. That's cool.

And they're really nice. I like Yeah, I bet. I bet. I bet. That's the best, right? It is sort I was talking with a friend about this last night. You know, you can be a great parent, but it's still you're just still crossing your fingers that you get good ones because it's not really in your control. You can move your kid just a little bit, right? We've talked about it on the show before in this nature versus nurture. How what's your experience been like with that? You've got a great sample with there with three. How you never get two of the same. So now you've got three there. Uh are they wildly different?

They must be. Um well there two are boys, one's a girl. That's a good start. So it's a bit of difference there. Um but but also not really, you know. Uh

no. And I feel when people talk about difference between genders, I I sort of I don't really see it between them. They all arrived nice. They were they were just so nice when they turned up.

Nice. And um and they're all equally emotional and funny. How old are they? Uh so nearly 20, nearly 18, and nearly 10. So there was a bit of a gap.

Yeah. Yeah. We were home and dry and went back in. Had another. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Good. Good for you. Yeah. So, is that is Sorry, Willie. Is is the is the eldest uh out of the house yet? Is the second eldest about to go? Because I'm dealing with that in our house and it's just like empty nesting. It's heartbreaking. I Yeah. So, our big one is in his second year of uni.

Okay. And second one is literally did his last A level today. Mhm. So, uh he's at the beach now with his friends.

How'd it go? He said it was good. Yeah. which is words that never came out of my mouth after an exam. Um, and yeah, the the the eldest one when he was about to go to uni, so we knew for a year obviously he was going to go to uni and I pre grieved and every time he walked past me, I'd burst into tears and and I just imagined him going back to being a baby in my arms and he was so sweet. He would just give me a cuddle. He just knew I needed it.

And then my husband was going, "It'll be great. He'll, you know, it's exciting. this is what you want for them. And then on the day

that we were driving him to uni, our uh youngest came out of the the gate and watched us drive down the road and just stood there waving

and Ed burst into tears. And I went, "Are you [ __ ] kidding? We've got 5 hours in the car. I can't stop pulling together."

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, speaking of being a good mom, you and Heartstoppper, like

like I wish my mom at the time she turned around was great when I came out. But but that scene that they used in the promo of you listening to your son come out

and um and your response and your reaction. That scene was so powerful. I'm like

it's just incredible and and I wish everybody's experience was like Sean, give me a little bit of context. What what what's the context? Oh, so Heartstoppper was about a lot of things, but it was um um Olivia played the mom of a kid who came out of the closet and uh and his journey with in high school and all of that stuff.

It's Yeah, it's beautiful. Coming of age. Yeah. Yeah. And I think just so beautifully written. It's like the blueprint for,

you know, hopefully parents will reply in that way. And a huge hit. Massive hit.

Yeah, huge hit. People have really loved it. That's been a lovely response actually whenever anyone often men over the age of 40 have you know get really teared up and go thank you so much for that. Yeah. Yeah. I wish I wish it was that

that nice when we were all coming out in the 80s. But anyway, how are you able how are you able to keep your your your two week thing going um with with with as much work that you do away from you have.

Yeah. Does is Ed able to come with you? Does he is he able to does he do something that he can do remotely?

We do try to do that. Um yes. So he uh is a writer and we have a production company and he he sort of runs that. I am useless in that.

And you guys produced you you you produced the roses, you and Ed, right? Ed did.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Ed and Sunny March. That's Benedict's company. Yeah. Um and Fox Search Light and Yeah.

Can't wait to see But not me. I'm called an EP on it, but I did absolutely [ __ ] all.

You get a fee. Um what about uh did where did you shoot that? In England or out here?

In England? No, in England. We were our characters live in America, but we did Forgive Me UK for getting Devon and Dora in a muddle. I mean, that's sacrilege, but we filmed in one of those

and it was very beautiful. I've done that. You really I'm going to have to come over and live in America with you.

What? I missed that. What did you say? Uh, I just got two counties in a muddle and they'll get really upset by that.

Oh. Oh. Oh, gotcha. Gotcha. Oh, wait. So then you both play, you're both British actors. You played Americans.

No, we played English because they thought I think Tony liked the idea of our Englishness in America and

Oh, that's got you. Got you. Okay. And the way we we properly slag each other off and the American incredible American cast by the way, Kate McKinnon, Andy Sandberg, Zoe Chow,

great. Yeah. Amazing. Senita Mani. Just brilliant. Who directed the film? Jay Roach.

Oh, wow. J Roach. Yeah. I love him. Yeah. Lovely. Oh my god. Poor thing. He was like hearding C.

This is kind of like an allstar. This is an allstar movie. Allstar director. Allstar cast.

Is August 29th? Yeah. Of course. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We all realize it's a business at the end of the day. Listen, you may have gone to

Come to the premiere. Come to New York. We're definitely going to come to the Yeah. in the flesh.

How do you like that part of it? Doing the doing the chat and giggle tour and doing the talk shows and things like and stuff like this like is does it come naturally? It's never really to me. I I What do you like it? Do you enjoy it? No.

No. I There's no point lying. I don't. Yeah. Right. Did Michelle Fifer name drop say she does the film for free? It's the press they they pay her for. Is that I kind of feel the same.

Yeah. I know. I love Michelle Fefeifer. You know, I was going to say you mixed up two uh English counties for which you may never be forgiven. However,

you you you've got so much credit uh you you've built up so much credit because you played arguably the most iconic uh English person of all time when you played the queen

uh in in The Crown. And I I I got to ask I know I just want to know the weight. First of all, you were so Sean. No, sorry. It's not the show. It's not the queen that you're thinking of.

Oh, it's the sequel to Heartstoppper. No, it's not. It's not that. It's not. Oh my god, you're here. Um, it's it's it's

What are you wearing? Oh, very dare you. Um, no, it's it's uh you must have been when How did Well, a couple questions. How did that come into your world? How did you how did that offer come around? And when you got it and the weight of playing the queen, I want to know what

as an English person what you felt when you got the offer like wait all of that.

Well, I've been watching Cla Foy. They'd advertised it so so much here, you know, big posters everywhere and and everyone loved it, which made me go, I'm not going to watch it. I don't want to be pushed into

Right. Yeah. I like to discover things. Yes. Yeah. But then, of course, I watched it and absolutely loved it. I was obsessed with

Cla Foy. And then my agent called me once when I was driving and said um that they'd like to see you for she called she said the crown. No, she said the queen. That's it. And I went oh the play. Oh. Uh and she said no no the telly. What's it called? I went oh the crown. Are you kidding?

And I went absolutely yes. She went oh you should think about it. Went no it's yes. And I said absolutely yes. And I hadn't really thought about the weight of what it would be.

Oh, so you just you're like, I'm all in. I was so excited. Also, to be fair, I had a huge tax bill as well that that year. So, really came at a good time

after they saw the cut or I thought you were going to say I thought you were going to say to be fair, I just had a huge gin and tonic, which I'm like

I mean that's often the case when I say of course. Of course. So, so well, right. So, it was a smaller ginonic. So when you um um so you get this so your agent calls and says and you say yes straight away. Okay, great. Okay, fantastic. Now there's the leadup whatever it is the months leading up to doing it and you've got to get your head around playing the queen. So you go in and you meet

I did start to regret my decision a bit because I thought oh actually it's this is massive and

yeah and everyone knows what she looks like. Everyone knows what she sounds like and

yeah and I did start to go oh [ __ ] I shouldn't have done this. Also I can't walk posh. You can't walk posh. No.

Is there a walk? Is there a posh walk? Yeah, I walk like a farmer. And uh and the director did shout out. He's not pleased that I keep reminding him of this, but he did say more queen, less farmer. As I was walking,

take your flats off and the heels on. Oh, that's funny. Wait a second. Wait a so much. Uh, so you get there and then it's day one. We've asked this before, which is like that that that moment when you when you're going to do your first take on and you're rolling for the first time and like,

oh god. Yeah. Yeah. And you've got to and like, okay, I'm now about to I know that first time you open your mouth and you can sense everyone going, "Oh,

and everybody's watching, right? Video village, whatever it is." Oh, really? Let's see her let's see her version of the queen. You know what I mean? M

and I can watch back that first scene I did and I I can tell that I wasn't um Yeah.

Well, talk about it. Talk about it. Talk about it. Yeah. Well, it was the I think they did try to do things chronologically. So, it was my the stamp reveal, you know, of the when they they update our our stamps. Yes.

Uh with the as the monarch ages. And so, they went from Clare Foy's face, beautiful young Clare Foy to me. And um I I guess I really felt incredibly nervous. I think you I had qu a skirt below my knees, but my knees were absolutely going up and down. You know that thing?

Yeah. And I I sounded quite It was really quite tight in the back of the theater. Um

I wonder if that worked though. I wonder if that worked. Like maybe I don't know. I don't ever look either. I don't want to know. And people people might have been writing in going, "What the [ __ ] Why is she doing it?" But

all right. So then so then two questions. So it does sound like yes is the answer to the first one which is do you watch you know play back on set or once the job is done?

Uh not on set. No you can't. So once because I think it takes too much time. I just want to get get the day done.

Yeah. Yeah. Well but exactly. But maybe once they once they've moved on, you know, they're setting up the next shot. I I've always found that it's helpful for me to look at like just the first couple of days to see if I'm wildly off track or not, right? To see how it's kind of coming across. Um, but you don't. So, you wait, you wait until it's all done. And then

I didn't really want to on that first day. I think I would have unraveled. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Sort of think, "Oh, I just got to keep going. It's going to get better. I'll relax as we go."

Right. And then once it's done, JB, so JB, you're watching you're watching first couple days you're watching dailies or you're watching

to see uh either both. Um Yeah. Uh just to see if I'm kind of in the same movie. Like dailies. I'll look at I'll see scenes that I wasn't on the set for to see if I'm in the same tone, the same project as they are.

Oh, that's a good idea. But then uh but then once it's out, so do you not look at reviews?

Uh well, my husband will show me if it's a good one. And if anyone's been mean, I don't want to see it.

Gotcha. Cuz then that's all you think about. You never remember the good bits. You remember the

bad bits that people say. I know it. I know it. I know. But I always struggle with like, well, but we're making this for the public and it'd be helpful to see if what I think is working works for the masses, right? Because you are looking for a consensus.

But don't you ask someone else a trusted friend to look for you. Yeah. But also, you are making it for public consumption, but I'm not making it for them. I'm making I always think like I'm making it for me.

Yeah. You have to want to watch it, don't you? It's tricky. Yeah, it is tricky.

Yeah. We'll be right back. All right, back to the show. So, you were talking about this great cast he worked with on on on The Roses

and Kate McKinnon and Well done. You're very good at bringing it back around. Well, I'm not just I'm not just doing it for um well, you know, I'm one of the worst interviewers on the planet. You can leave that.

Sean was nominated once when we first started. Sean was nominated for best interviewer and Jason and I were snubbed.

I was took it. This is why you're all in separate rooms. You can't be together.

This is why we went to Seattle. Uh, right. But I was going to say with with those great people in the Did you Was there a lot of uh There must have been a lot of fun. Mr. Cuz Kate McKinnon, Andy in particular, so funny and so such great improvisers.

And Benedict is wonderful, right? I don't know Benedict at all. Oh my god. Yeah.

Yeah. Just a tiny bit. I just only met him a couple times, but he seems to have an incredibly good sense of humor.

Really does. And just so enthusiastic. Yeah. And like a great big intelligent human Labrador.

I saw I saw him once repacking his uh suitcase in the in the lobby of the Greenwich Hotel. That's the only time I've I didn't say hi cuz he looked like he was really He's really trying to jam something in. This is a true story. He's really trying to j you know in that little part right there between the restaurant and the thing. Yeah.

Wasn't he mumbling? So like no, the dogs will smell it here. I got to be I should have just swallowed it. I should have just swallowed it.

Um but it must have been it must have been a lot of laughs like a lot of improvising. And

there were some scenes where we were all together, like a dinner table scene, and it was so hard to get through the day,

and I really felt for poor Jay Roach. Just No. Yeah. And the crew waiting for you guys to finish giggling.

I know. To stop finding ourselves so funny. I know. The um uh Well, did the I've worked with some really incredible actors that are great at improvising and coming up with alternate uh jokes and stuff.

Thanks, man. And it it it um it makes it made me go back to my dressing room in between setups and try to catch up and and look at my scene and try to come up with other lines so that I I was being as sort of uh creative as as as they are. Did did you find did you find that kind of not pressure is not like a bad thing?

I uh I think because I've never written comedy and we were talking about this Benedict and I we're very much Tony McNamar has written it and our job is to do the script and then we're sort of it's fairly boring of us but then you're in the you know in a room with Andy Samberg and Kate McKinnon for example and you go oh [ __ ] I mean I can't do that. I don't think I can do that. M um

which is also fine. Yeah. And I think know your know your strengths, know your limits and and I'm so thrilled to have to have seen them do what they do. You know, SNL alumni and

Yeah. So fast. Did I say the right way around? Yeah, that's right. That's right. SNL. Yeah. Yeah.

Um can we can we can we change lanes for a second and just talk about The Favorite for a minute? It was such a brilliant film.

Oh, that Yeah. Yeah. How did that how did that come into your world? Uh, I think it was because I done uh The Lobster with Yorgoslan.

I love what a filmmaker he is. My goodness. Oh my god, he's amazing. If you if he asks you, say yes.

Oh, please. I'd pull cable on his set. So you Jason emails him every day. Every day Jason emails him.

Yeah. I think I might not have the right address. I'm still alive. No. So, so right. So, you did The Lobster. So, then the favorite comes along. God, that film is remarkable.

Oh my god. And I read the script and I, you know, when you get proper, sometimes you go, I think I like it, but this one you go, oh my god, I could potentially try and run someone over if they were up for the same job. You know, I want it so much.

Right. Because that it's so clear on the page what an what a what a colorful character that is. You must like I would imagine your only challenge was like what version of color should I do on this character? cuz it was just it's just so spicy, right? Or was it clear to you for right from the beginning?

Yeah, sort. Yeah, it was so, you know, clear on the page. I thought also some actor friends of mine, they read a script and they they read it as one thing and then they read it again in another way and they read it again, they see all this and I've never had that.

And I sort of, you know, when they talk about their their way of doing things, I I panic think, oh god, I think I'm a very simple person. And I just can't really

um Yeah, I know what you mean. And so that that reading the favorite I said, "Oh god, I can picture exactly I I I really want to do it." And then I was doing Broad Church.

I think the third season and I I couldn't fit it in and I sort of they know that lump in your throat when you go I I'm not available and

and he said, "Okay, well we'll wait." It was amazing. Wow. Wow. So, so he waited for for me, which was

I mean, what a vote of confidence. Oh, God. Love him forever for that. Did you When was the first time you gave him like a little taste of the character? Was that it was that scary? Like, were you sitting around a table? Were you guys working together?

Cuz he did he he's from theater background and he does we did I think three weeks of rehearsal.

Oh, great. What a luxury. I know. Amazing. It makes for a better product. Yeah. Also, he does it with sort of theater games. So you might do, he loves to do the whole script from start to finish, but without maybe saying it, you might go blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah in the sort of gist of what you're saying and you all just go blah blah blah blah to each other.

Um, and get through the whole story. Wow. Or you do it all holding hands and you're tying yourselves in a massive knot. So you end up with your face near someone's bum and you know, someone's foot in your armpit and so you end up really

with no inhibitions, pissing yourselves, laughing together. Right. So, you you start your first day on set, you know the film Inside Out, you know each other, you're totally at ease with each other.

It it I've never done anything like it. It was amazing. It was It's the best. It's It's like astonishing that not every director does that. It's like, don't you want the whole cast to feel like they know each other and like there's history there. Otherwise, it's like, "Hi, nice to meet you. Ready to go?" Well, I don't know. Uh we haven't had even dinner together.

Yeah. Yeah. It's like I don't understand why it's not always like that. Yeah. Oh, I'd love to know more about that. Yeah, that whole rehearsal process. That's amazing.

It was really nice. And I got this is gonna come in London. Go ahead. Thank you. Oh, yeah. Oh, we'll all come. We'll all come to your rehearsals.

Good idea. That's a good idea. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And do the games and do the stuff so so that Jason's face ends up near Ran's bum.

There we go. Or a second time. Uhhuh. Um, wait, Olivia, what were you going to say? I cut you off. I'm sorry.

I have no idea. Sorry. I my my attention Spanish. Sorry. Uh would So then you went, you know, again at risk of embarrassing you further, but you win you win the Academy Award for the favorite and

great speech by the way. Thank you. Great. I did. I loved the speech. It was so memorable.

And then the next So then the next day, so you win the Academy Award. Great. Sean's right. Great speech. And then you and then it's the next morning and you wake up and then it's like but just get a cup of coffee like every other day like how

you know or a couple of ibuprofen and a few coffees a late night. Yeah. Um Yeah. Kind of bonkers.

Yeah. And then you've got to you've got to fly home with it, right? So Yeah. Yeah. And and I put it in my hand luggage cuz I I didn't want it to go into the hold of the plane.

Yeah. Yeah. Of course. And then as Stuart and Stuarts is asking, can can we see it? Have you got it? Yeah, I've got it in my bag. And and

how about that? Going through going through the, you know, the reaper. Yeah. Did they see it?

Yeah, I suppose. So they must have done just going by the screen. There's an Oscar going through the screen.

Yeah. Imagine that shape comes up pretty clear on the on the right. Yeah. Yeah. And you don't want to you don't want to you don't want to check it in the luggage and put it in the hold because if they lose it then it's good night Oscar, you know.

Oh jeez. Oh my goodness. Will that's Sean's play. That's Sean's play. Good night Oscar.

Oh my god. It's a terrible tieback. So So you take it out and are you showing it around the cabin there with the stewartes and whatnot or is it just kind of just unzip and just take a look in the bag?

Just a a little look in the bag because I I find I don't have anything out on show at home. I find it a little

um bit off. God, you're so English. You're so English, Olivia. It's delightful. It's absolutely

closet somewhere. Yeah, it was um in a cupboard uh in our sitting room. Yeah. Um just cuz I But but we've discovered the the cupboard's a bit damp. So, we live in a very old house. Our house is um front of it, 1600. So, I know.

But it's beautiful. But it's so pretty, but it is a bit damp. Yeah. And um and our lovely Darren, who's our um uh carpenter, handyman, painter, he opened the cupboard, went, "Are you [ __ ] kidding?"

Uh you know, our stamp and hair. And uh and so he made me take it out and I've now got it on a bookshelf behind a book. So that's okay.

I know it's there and I and I can say hello to him. No, that's nice. It's really nice. That's very good. Well,

Darren rescued him. You get another one, you bake bookends, you know, then you're going to have to look at it.

So, so before we let you go, I mean, you you got a very busy life. You you're working all the time. You're just I mean, you could almost and you're a mom and and you have and and you're doing all and you you're out in the countryside. What do you do? Is your We always ask people is there one sort of guilty pleasure like thing that you do

like little like sort of TV that you watch that you enjoy? What's the dumbest thing you do?

What's the dumb Do you do anything dumb as a sort of hobby that's kind of secret nobody knows about?

Mhm. I think I tell everybody everything so nothing's really very secret. Um I really love [ __ ] reality telly.

Yeah. Right. My god. Have you seen Too Hot to Handle? No. [ __ ] brilliant. What is that? Is that up there with like Love Island and Below Deck and stuff like that?

I've never really Below Deck. I love Below Deck. Um, Love Island I've never seen, but um, Too Hot to Handle is Please watch it. So, it's all these really oversexed, incredibly hot, beautiful people who are on this island. They're told they're for a show, a dating show,

and then it's great. And then, uh, the presenter comes on and says, "Actually, you're all here for Too Hot to Handle." And you can see them going, "Oh god." Because it means that they're not allowed to touch each other. And they start with a money pot of like a hundred grand. And they forget that there's a million cameras in this house. And anyone So, uh, masturbation is like five grand, a snob is two grand. It's hilarious. Uh, or it's so funny.

I want to watch that. It's so good. And then the next morning, this sort of um it's like a

what are those? I don't have one. Those gadgets in the house that you can talk to.

Oh yeah, like Alexa. Alexa. So this Alexa type thing goes um can well let's all meet on the sofa and they all go well haven't I haven't you who's lost us some money and then she says the the money pot is now down to 90 grand.

Someone was being shot and they're all looking at each other. You got to figure out who did it. So someone and then they clear they go to like a hand moving under the duvet and or uh it's so funny.

That's I've got to see it. 10 grand but but it's only five grand. Yeah. No, Gary Gary jerked off twice.

Oh, that's so good. Wait, is that on sometimes I think totally worth it. I'll I'll take it.

Yeah. Is it a British show or is it on uh like Netflix or something like that? Uh I have a feeling it's

American. I've seen it with Americans and Google English. I think it Yeah. All right. What about the What about the traders? Have you seen the traitors? Do you know that show?

I love traitors. Love it. Yeah, I love we go on holiday every year with um uh four families and we play mafia every night.

Yeah. During the pandemic Yes. Now listen to this. During the pandemic, we were playing Mafia on Zoom with like 20 people, right? And after like 10 times, I'm like, I feel like this is a TV show, but I didn't do anything about it. And then cut to one of the biggest shows in the history of the world, The Traders. I mean, it's exactly the same thing. Where do I find that? Will Sean

on uh uh um Peacock is uh at the Alan Coming, the American version. And then Coming I haven't seen the American one yet.

Oh yeah, and I've seen the UK version as well which And then uh what's her name? Claudia uh does

Woman who my friend Chris's wife, she does the UK version. Oh my god, she's she's incredible.

She's You know her? I do. Yeah, she's my friend Chris TK's uh wife. I would love to meet her.

Yeah. Um uh uh but JB, remember we played Mafia every night at New Year's this last this past year?

Yeah. I'm with the kids and with every We had all our kids. We had every kids all play.

Do you find if you get murdered, you know it's your kids that have done it? It's every time.

It happened a lot. It happened a lot. Always murder their parents. I ended up I tell you what, I ended up having to run it most of the times. I only got to play like twice of like the 20 times we did it.

I had which was a bummer. And if I get if I get if I pick the killer card and I'm the murderer, I start laughing immediately. Like I I'm the worst.

Well, you do a killer. You guys do cards that you pick somebody or somebody is Yeah. Yeah.

No, we assign we assign. Everybody close their eyes and we go around and and whoever is running it assigns.

Okay. Oh, we do cards. Yeah, we do. Same as Sean. Um and we have the same guy called Guy who is the best uh guy at running it

and he loves it and he likes to run it. He's got a gentle Welsh accent and it really works. He

be so fun. Olivia, when I if we see each other in London, we should play. Oh my god. We We will I'll get Guy along.

He can he can run. Do it while me and Amanda are there. Shnie. Yeah. Yeah. We should. That'd be so fun.

Let me know. Well, Olivia Coleman, I'm so thrilled to meet you. I've had such a nice time.

What an absolute thrill. What a huge massive fan with all our of yours. Massive fans.

Well, me too. I was incredibly nervous for the first half of this. My heart was going like mad.

Ed came in with the with the with the with the lubrication. Bless Ed. You could tell that I needed a little a little calm.

You were fantastic. You were terrific to do. Nice to meet you. Thank you for doing this.

Thank you for having me. Have a great summer. I'll see you in London and we'll play Matthew in London and a lot of success with the Roses August 29th once again. Very happy for you and your success.

Yeah. Oh, thank you so much. I'm I'm a huge fan of all of you and I'm really grateful you had me on. Thank you.

Back. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. What a nice, you know, it was like a like a like a strawberry Wimbledon breakfast, you know.

Sure. What's a strawberry wind Wimbledon? I don't know. With the creams. It just feels so refreshing and European.

Yeah. You know, first thing in the morning. Yeah. It was really nice. You know, people who are that joyful work a lot. I like that.

You think that's the key? Well, I think it's part of it. Don't you think? Sure. Exactly. People choose.

Nobody wants to hire [ __ ] No, exactly. This is what I keep telling you, Sean. Straighten out.

Get get in line. I mean, it's Yeah, she does work a lot. She's in so many different things in so many different types of roles. Forgot to tell she's in The Bear. She's also recurring. Yeah.

Yeah. No way. Yeah. What's she doing in that show? I don't know, man. She's poking the bear. I guess she pokes the bear.

Sounds like a dream. What about the um What about the where she lives? just in the middle of the countryside in England. I mean, doesn't that sound?

And you can just sort of hear like just just kind of children laughing and the wind just sort of, you know, gentle

Yeah. breeze through the trees and the birds and stuff. Clattering against the side of the glass.

A large genonic. Yeah. Yeah. With a with a something grilling on the thing outside and friends over. Maybe some mafia late in the night.

Yeah. Is he trying to get closer to a buy, you know? I don't know. When did Robin What did Rob just send? What does that word mean?

But he's trying to he's he's pitching a buy here and it's something arm is trying to pitch a bolic.

No, it's like buolic but out there. What does that even mean? Bcolic. Bcolic is sort of country. Yeah. You know, it's a pretty good one.

I actually think it's nice. But it's be and not by. Yeah. I'll tell you what would be good if you could somehow work in the word combined into something like that. You can you could really lean on the bis section,

right? If you took the two but then you were saying and you put two, right? So Oh, I know. She's uh she's an actress that can do comedy and drama. So, uh yeah,

what if she found the perfect role where you Oh, what? Oh. Oh, she took the two things and she was able to

Oh, come by. Wow, you guys. Yes. Come by, colleague. Smart less. Smart less. Smartless is 100% organic and artisally handcrafted by Michael Grant, Terry, Rob Armjarve, and Bennett Barbco. Smart less.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "Olivia Colman | SmartLess"?

In order: 0:00 London, Academy Award, Calgary, Seattle; 5:00 Academy Award, Benedict Cumberbatch, Confetti, Golden Globe; 10:00 University; 15:00 Peep Show, David Mitchell, Jesse Armstrong; 20:00 The Roses, War of the Roses, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bruce Robinson; 25:00 A-level, Nature versus nurture; 30:00 The Crown, Jay Roach, Kate McKinnon, The Roses; 35:00 Kate McKinnon, Seattle, The Roses; 40:00 Kate McKinnon, The Lobster, Andy Samberg, Jay Roach; 45:00 Academy Award, London, Too Hot to Handle; 50:00 London, Peacock, The Roses, The Traitors; 55:00 Michael Grant Terry, SmartLess, The Bear.

What is mentioned in this SmartLess episode?

67 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including London, The Roses, Kate McKinnon, Academy Award, Peep Show, SmartLess. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Olivia Colman | SmartLess"?

The episode runs 57 min; the transcript is about 12,013 words in 325 timestamped sections.

More from SmartLess

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated November 18, 2025.