Carey Mulligan, Tim Key and Tom Basden speak to Melissa Nathoo about The Ballad of Wallis Island, meeting their heroes and Carey's shared love of the Backstreet Boys. Report by Nathoom. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00Everybody!
00:02Are you doing it?
00:04I meant that, I meant that. That's what I meant.
00:06You were nitpicking on the context of our stories.
00:09Listen to it.
00:10Ever since I saw this film, which admittedly was on yesterday,
00:13I have not stopped recommending it to people.
00:16Like, honestly, I haven't laughed so much or felt so much in the cinema in such a long time.
00:22So congratulations, because that's amazing.
00:25It made me go and look for the short, because I wasn't aware of that.
00:29So I've watched that as well.
00:30Oh, wow.
00:31And I'm curious for both you, Tom and Tim, whether...
00:35Maybe you didn't imagine this would be the outcome, like this film,
00:39but is it what you'd hoped for the short when you made it all those years ago?
00:42I think it's far exceeded what I'd hoped.
00:45I think when we made the short, it was one of a few ideas that we had bouncing around
00:51that we thought could make a nice little short film.
00:54And then, you know, when actually we saw the finished short, we were like,
00:58Oh, that's exceeded our expectations for the short.
01:00And then the feature has done the same thing, really.
01:04And people's responses to it has just been so wonderful.
01:07And, you know, not completely surprising.
01:10We were happy with it when we shot it.
01:11But it's still, I think the warmth and the, you know,
01:14how moved people have been by the film has taken us by surprise.
01:17And Carrie, coming into it, were you aware what world you were stepping into
01:22and how magical it was going to be?
01:24I had like pretty high magical expectations.
01:26Did you?
01:27Yeah.
01:28Huh.
01:29I had quite sort of level magical expectations.
01:33Did you?
01:34Mine were pretty high.
01:35Yeah, based on the short and based on knowing their work
01:39and their dynamic together and on the script, I was, yeah, I was really excited.
01:44I mean, I just loved it.
01:45All of it.
01:46Yeah.
01:47The whole way through.
01:48Although, how much was scripted?
01:49I mean, I heard obviously similar bits in the short to what I heard in the film,
01:53but the way things roll off your tongue, Tim, they don't sound like they were scripted.
01:58They just sound like that's just you.
02:00I don't know.
02:01Was it?
02:02That's the skill.
02:03That's the skill.
02:04It's also, you sort of put your finger on something there.
02:06Careful.
02:07It's very tightly scripted, but then a lot of leeway when we're actually shooting it,
02:14come away from the script.
02:15Yeah.
02:16We always like to get it down, get the script all done.
02:18So we've shot what we need to shoot.
02:20And then if there's time, Griff lets us improvise a little bit off the script.
02:25And then after a while, loses a bit of patience and says we have to probably move on.
02:29Well, listen, obviously, Charlie, Charles gets to meet his.
02:32You can say Charlie.
02:33I'll be informal with him.
02:35He gets to meet his heroes essentially.
02:37Yeah.
02:38I'm curious.
02:39I'm not going to ask you if you've ever met your heroes and it hasn't lived up to it
02:41because no one's going to admit to that.
02:43But have any of you met your heroes and you're like, oh, this is everything I hoped it would be?
02:47Yeah, I have.
02:48Have you?
02:49Yeah.
02:50Yeah.
02:51I would say, yeah, I've had it a few times.
02:53I'd say Steve Coogan probably.
02:56Ah, yes.
02:57It's a bit tough to sort of manage it.
02:59It's different because you're working with him.
03:01Okay.
03:02We'll take that one off.
03:03No, but I think in the context of this film, I think it's like about fandom, isn't it?
03:08Yeah.
03:09It is.
03:10Okay.
03:11Well, you were a Steve Coogan fan.
03:12Yeah.
03:13Of course.
03:14But if you're meeting someone as a colleague, I think that is different.
03:16I do know what you mean.
03:17I'm going to propose a different one.
03:18Okay.
03:19Steve Davis.
03:20Okay.
03:21Okay.
03:22Okay.
03:23How did that go?
03:24He was good, was it?
03:25Yeah, he was charm personified.
03:26I liked meeting him.
03:27That's good.
03:28We like to hear about good ones.
03:29Well, mine have worked.
03:30No, I actually haven't worked with them.
03:31Oh, that's good.
03:32One of them I...
03:33Daniel D. Lewis.
03:34Wow.
03:35Okay.
03:36Was he in character at the time?
03:37No.
03:38He was himself.
03:39He was himself.
03:40And we weren't working together and I met him and I was like...
03:42Yeah.
03:43Did...
03:44This is when you were established as an actor, though.
03:46Not really.
03:47He will not let this go through.
03:48No, it's not that.
03:49But why...
03:50Ask him his one.
03:51Drill down on him.
03:52Yeah, who is it?
03:53Tom, come on then.
03:54Ian McEwan.
03:55Here we go.
03:56Listen to him.
03:59Do you know what?
04:00I've had the odd opportunity to meet people and I've chosen not to.
04:05I once...
04:06I once...
04:07This is terrible.
04:08I was once filming...
04:09It was one of the first ever filming jobs I had.
04:12And the part I was playing, I won't explain why.
04:14I had to wear fishnet stockings and a miniskirt and a boob tube.
04:17I won't explain why.
04:18It was the part I was playing.
04:19What was that?
04:20And Woody Allen was doing a location scout just down the road.
04:23And a few of us went to sort of say hi to Woody Allen.
04:27And it was so weird.
04:29But did that live up to what was it meant to be?
04:31I don't know what I had in mind.
04:33I don't know how it could have gone well.
04:35You're in that industry.
04:36But I know, but I was like 25.
04:38It wasn't the first jobs I'd ever had.
04:39And it was a case of us going, hi Woody.
04:42And him going, what's going on?
04:44Who are these people?
04:45It doesn't often go well.
04:47That's what I would say.
04:48No, it doesn't go well.
04:49Yeah.
04:50Our stories were great.
04:51Ours went really well.
04:52Was my story not great?
04:53Not bad.
04:54Okay.
04:55The story was great.
04:56It just maybe wasn't the interaction.
04:57It didn't have the ending.
04:58Yeah.
04:59They've been so mean in all of the other stories.
05:01I've been what?
05:02You've been mean in the other stories.
05:03You were nitpicking on the context of our stories.
05:06I was nitpicking on the context.
05:08That is fair.
05:09Sorry.
05:10And listen, I'm sure you probably had this question plenty, but I'm still going to ask it anyway.
05:13If there was one artist who you could have that solo moment with on the beach performing just to you, who are you picking?
05:20I like The Beautiful South.
05:21I must say.
05:22I think that's one of the first albums I ever bought.
05:24It would be nice to have The Beautiful South.
05:25That would.
05:26I think that would be great.
05:27Maka.
05:28Bring me Sir Paul.
05:29That's what I'm saying.
05:30He would be amazing.
05:31I've been thinking about it a lot.
05:32The old stuff please Paul.
05:33We have been asked a few times.
05:34But I often say, and I think, would that person, because you also have to think, would that person like it?
05:39Or would they be like, no.
05:40Well, I mean, he found it weird.
05:43Weird.
05:44I think my one would like it.
05:45Yes.
05:46Guarantee.
05:47Do you think Maka would love it?
05:48Maka would have a great time.
05:49He would have a great time.
05:50Love it.
05:51He would have a great time.
05:52He would love it.
05:53Yeah.
05:54Have you got one thing?
05:55I've said Brandy Carlile in the past.
05:56She's my favourite female voice in the world.
05:58You can give the same answer.
05:59I would say Brandy.
06:00I would say Brandy.
06:01I would say Brandy.
06:02Yeah.
06:03Mine will always be The Backstreet Boys.
06:04Oh.
06:05I meant that.
06:06I meant that.
06:07That's what I meant.
06:08Is that what you want?
06:09Yes.
06:10I would say that.
06:11Hang on a minute.
06:12But do you want them doing all the dance moves?
06:13I want the whole thing.
06:14I would build them a little platform.
06:15Okay.
06:16And I would say 100% The Backstreet Boys.
06:18I revoked my previous album.
06:19Are you saying that I wouldn't build The Beautiful South a platform?
06:22Would you?
06:23Of course.
06:24But they don't need to dance on it.
06:25The Backstreet Boys need to do all the 90s moves.
06:28No.
06:29But they'll need to stand somewhere.
06:30I'm not even sinking into the ocean.
06:31See, this is my hotel carrying out the same action.
06:33I just think there's a vibe on the beach.
06:35I don't know how it feels.
06:36I've never seen anything like it.
06:37The Backstreet Boys performed at that SNL 50 thing.
06:39Yes.
06:40And that was...
06:41I mean, the entire...
06:42I wasn't there, sadly.
06:43But the whole room...
06:44No, because Marcus was there.
06:45Okay.
06:46And I didn't go to see Marcus.
06:48But then I was like, I should have gone.
06:50The Backstreet Boys.
06:51And I had friends who were there and they went.
06:54It was amazing.
06:55Oh my goodness.
06:56Yeah, every time I've interviewed them, I get them to sing for me.
06:58Just so that it's just me.
06:59So I'm essentially...
07:00How many times have you interviewed them?
07:01Maybe like three, four times.
07:02Wow.
07:03Yeah.
07:04I mean, I'm a big fan.
07:05Are you going to get these two to sing for me?
07:06That was my first ever gig.
07:07I would love these two to sing for me.
07:08Everybody.
07:09Are you doing it?
07:11Are you doing it?
07:12Are you serious?
07:13No.
07:15I mean...
07:16Okay.
07:17All right.
07:18Butchering.
07:19What did you think you were doing?
07:20You couldn't have ended my interview in a better way.
07:22Okay.
07:23Just a huge shout out to the Backstreet Boys.
07:25Perfect.
07:26Do we come on to the film?
07:27I don't think so.
07:29It doesn't matter.
07:30I told you I loved it.
07:32That's all that matters.
07:33I will continue to tell everyone that I loved it.
07:36It genuinely is magical.
07:37Thank you so much.
07:38Lovely to see you.