(upbeat music) - Welcome to Close Up with
The Hollywood Reporter. I'm Matthew Belloni, the editorial director of
The Hollywood Reporter. I'd like to welcome our guests here today. Rachel Weisz, Katherine Hahn, Glenn Close, Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman, and Regina King. Alright, let's get started. You've read a lot in the news last year about everything going on in Hollywood with the upheaval, the #MeToo movement. I'm curious how each of
you has experienced change within the industry over the past year. - I got Laverne & Shirley
credit on this movie, which I think was something that, and especially in someone in my posish-- - Explain what that is. - [Nicole] Yeah what is that? - That's when you're side
by side with your costar which is kind of hard to succumb by and I think a rarity. It usually would've been a dude and then-- - The gal. - The gal. So this was something that
was a little bit easier to get I think. I could feel a little bit of the shift. - Was the dude happy about it? - He was totally felt
it, like he was like, there was no question that it was, it was for this movie, it was
Paul Giamatti so there was no, he was like of course, this is exactly what
should happen in this, so yeah I was lucky. - He's a good man. - He's such a gem. - Well that's what's happening. That's what's so exciting is
like with the #MeToo movement, and Time's Up and watching women raise their voices like that. I think what's exciting now
is to see the men coming to stand by our side and
say we want you to be loud. We want to hear your voices. I think it's really remarkable. - Is there something
that you've experienced, some change this year,
that you've noticed? - We got the film made. (panelists laughing) - [Matthew] Which film
are you talking about? - Karyn Kusama directing
Destroyer which probably would have been even harder, so I see that as part of the
movement in terms of change. And hopefully, there'll
be a lot more films with female directors at the forefront. - I've been part of two films
that took 14 years to make. Start one, the first one was
Albert Nobbs, where I you know. And the second one was The Wife, that was written 14 going on 15 years. - Why did it take so long? - Called the wife. (Glenn
and panelists laughing) I don't know. I think it's a diff, it was
a difficult subject for. And it's a real thing that
it was actually hard to find actors who wanted to be in
a movie called The Wife. - Wow. - I mean I-- - [Rachel] Well you've got a great one. - Got a great one. Because he knows-- - [Rachel] You guys have
incredible chemistry. - [Glenn] He knew what
a great story it was. And it's a, two women writers, the novelist and the screen writer. And co-starring a woman, a woman editor, were costume designer. So to me that was amazing
serendipitous timing. But it is a fact that it
took 14 years to make. - Is there a time that you
look back at your career where you wish you had spoken up in a way that people are now? - You know, I never had, oh, I had one very subtle me moment. It was at an audition and
the very, very famous, very big actor I was reading
with put his hand on my thigh. And it had nothing to do with
the character or the scene. And it just froze me up. Because you're trying to do the scene and now all of a sudden you
think, why is he doing that? And, but now I realize, I
think, if I had just said, oh, that feels good, you know what I mean? Who knows what they
were trying to illicit. Or if it was even conscious on his part, but I really understand
the freeze syndrome. - It's just trauma response. - Yeah it is. But I think I've always tried to even from the very beginning, the second thing I did
after Garp was about incest, Something About Amelia. And I just, I've always
tried to tell stories that have something
important to say about women. And I've never and it's just
about whether you have the chance to do it. And I think as Nicole said,
hopefully we'll have more of a chance because they're good stories. They should just be good stories. - [GaGa] Yes, right. - It's interesting, 'cause I was talking to Maggie Gyllenhal because
we both have been acting for so long and were
young when we started. Like I was very much aware
of the pay differences between men and women and just
said yeah okay, that's there, but I'm focusing on this and
I'm focusing on the work. And so now that it's happening, I had that moment of
reality, you're like oh shut, I never had a conversation
with any of my female peers that were experiencing the same thing. - Or even you're tea,
like even your agent-- - Agents, any of, yeah, yeah. - And it was just assumed. - -[Regina] Just a given. - And those conversations
are happening now? - Yes, they are happening. But there is this movement
that we're all a part of. It's an all inclusive
sisterhood now that I think is pretty freaking fantastic
and now it's more of a given. And it's only been over this past year. - We have to make sure it doesn't, that it doesn't go back. I think it will become
part of our culture. - But don't you feel like
that's what's happening? You feel like no matter what age you are, no matter what color you are, and as you pointed out, that men are like, like Paul said yeah, we should be equal in this space. - Yes, but that for me, when I started in the
music business when I was around 19 years old I
mean it was the rule, not the exception that you would walk into a recording studio and be harassed. I mean it was just the way that it was. And so, I do wish that
I had spoken up sooner. I did speak up about it. I was assaulted when I was
young and I told people and there was a boy's club. And nobody wants to lose their power and so they don't protect you
because if they say something, it takes some of their power away, or leaves them, sort of in
the line of fire of being sued or shot down or not doing
business with someone else. And what I hope that these
conversations come together. That it's just not about
equal pay on one side or equal billing over here and then like assault on this side. But that it all comes together
and that this movement is all of those things. - And I think the sharing of
information is so important. I just know working
with younger actresses, I say ask me, ask me
anything and I'll answer. Ask me anything financially,
if you need advice, just ask, ask the questions. And the answers are here. I mean I can only tell you what I advise and you might take it or leave it, but it's nice to have
access to information. - But that's what's kind
of been fantastic about those young actresses
that are 16 and 17 now, they're seeing what's going on. So they are empowered-- - To start with. - To start with, yeah. - I mean I kind of see it's
like two separate things that have become connected so
that there's all these women joining hands saying me too,
and in numbers we get strength. And that's so moving and upsetting that such a thing is happening. But then there's another thing which is where our jobs are, which is
fiction, like telling stories, we're just story tellers. Like I have a real problem with the idea of the strong women characters. I always think like what does that mean? We have muscles or something. No one ever says that to a man. I think it is like women have
central roles that are complex and drive the narrative. And then, young girls growing
up can see stories being told where a woman takes a central role. Where she's not peripheral to the story. She's driving the story. And so you as a kid can go
(gasping), oh that's me. I can identify. So it's like a funny thing
that they're coming together at the same time because women have been speaking up about harassment. I don't know if it's a
coincidence that suddenly there are more, like
you could get your film, and you could get your
film and in The Favorite, apparently took 20 years
to make because there's lesbianism and three
females at the center. I don't know. I can't tell what happened first. - I don't think people were
modest in that. (laughing) - [Kathryn] Me too, really? - No, delicious. - Delicious, yeah. - That delicious, right? - Totally, three women getting it on. (Glenn laughing) - [Rachel] What was wrong
twenty years ago that that wasn't okay? I don't know what's changed in the coffee. Is it to do with sexual? - [Lady Gaga] I don't
think it has changed. - Exactly, but is sexual
harassment connected to how we're getting our stories told? - Women's stories aren't like a niche- - Well it's like we like an endangered, endangered species.
- Right exactly. So it doesn't feel like this
other like thing that can be, that it's just like a, that it's just-- - We're half the planet.
- Humanity. - We're part of culture. - Well in your film, in Private Life, It's a story of a couple going through the fertility process. - Yes. - And I don't feel in watching that film, I don't feel like that is a woman's story, I feel like it is a story of
a couple going through this. - Well certainly, yes,
and it was very important to Tamara that it'd be
about the couple going through that journey together. It's like a co-mid life crisis. And it's through kind of
the lens of fertility, but I wouldn't even say, like
even when I was reading it, like I couldn't picture the baby. Like I couldn't even smell baby powder. Like Paul at some point said, oh my God this is like waiting for toast. Like they're on this, they're on this baby project journey, but really it was more existential. - Hey my uncle is award
winning theatre genius and my aunt is a real life playwright and author who gets invited to Yado and gets her stories published
in well known periodicals that normal people have
actually ever heard of like The New Yorker for instance. And they're over 40 and
still have to live in a rent stabilized apartment on
Avenue A with like drunks and graffiti in the front, so don't talk to me about
the sacrifices your making to be an artist okay? (silverware clinking) - It's so emotionally
autobiographic I think to Tamara. Like she wouldn't say
it's autobiographical, but she would say it's
emotionally autobiographical. And it took her a (Kathryn
mouthing) ton of time to get this made. - [Rachel] Like since Savages right? - Yeah. - [Rachel] She was the created film, yeah. - Since Savages, and I know
a lot of it was her own experience with having becoming a mom, and but Karyn as well, Bradley too, like these
hyper personal like specific human, human, human stories
that are so hyper personal. Specific human, human,
human stories that don't have to have like the,
the, (mouth blowing). That's what I'm excited about. - I think the long term is to get stories that have a demographic
that can then be viable. To make more stories. Because-- - Thank you for articulating
what I was trying to say. - That is the bottom line. And it's up to us to
tell just great stories that have fascinating characters. - That move people. - And have them get developed and have them get made so that there is, there is an audience for it and that will lead to more possibilities. - That's the empathy machine. - And then promoting it as well. I mean that's what we're doing. You have to carry the thing on
your back half the time, so. It's like (Nicole exhaling) okay. - [Regina] And let's hope
part three of the movie. - Yeah, there's so much noise. And there's so, so much to watch. - So much content. - And so, but also what
is success ultimately? Because there can be
massive financial success for certain movies and there
can still be smaller success for smaller movies and
it's still where it's made a certain amount of money. And it can be judged just in that regard. That warrants being talked
about because it doesn't just have to be, oh my gosh, this
is suddenly broken all records. It can be a small little tiny success. The Wife is a huge success. My mom went and saw it
and said, fantastic, you got to go see this film in Australia. - Oh my mom too. - Oh really, that's nice. - In the cinema, yep. - I have a question for Gaga. When you were filming and even before when you decided to sign
on for A Star is Born, how did you have reservations
about how the performance would be compared to your
own personal career art? - First of all, I wanted to
be an actress before I wanted to be a singer or musician. So this was a big dream of mine. I went to the Lee Strasberg Institute. I studied at Circle in the Square. I studied Stanislavski
technique, Meisner, Adler. I was really obsessed with method acting. And so I felt really excited
and really ready for this part. And when Bradley came
to me with this story. The way that he wanted to tell the story and the way that he
wanted to shoot the story was what was so interesting to me. In particular his vision to
shoot the story from behind the stage, so that when we were singing, you actually were looking from behind and you could see the audience. That the audience really felt like they were onstage with us. And in terms of creating
the character Ally, for me I think for many years
I have created characters for myself because I did
not make it as an actress. So I made characters that I could be. So I could be one. And they, were always in
some way related to the woman that I wanted to sing to. A part of me, so like for my album Joanne, I always had this vision
of a woman with like a baby in one hand and
Pinot Grigio in the other and cut off jeans, hair
hair wild, and in a bun. - [Kathryn] It's my Saturday. Just, just singing her buns off. - My Saturday. - And going like I never
thought that I'd like Lady Gaga, but man do I love this music. And so I had a vision for that woman. But for Ally, this was totally different, because it was a collaborative process and it was, the team that he built, it was just so beautiful. The family, I mean everyone
from catering, to the grips, to our First AD Shelley, who
I love so much, lighting, every single aspect was just,
it was a sanctuary of trust. And so when I saw that trust with Bradley then what I did, was this I said okay, like I'm going to have to become someone that I do not have complete control over. So I died my hair, very early
before we started filming. I started to dress like her
after I did some fittings with Erin who was our costume designer. I started to dress like her. And then I went into the
studio and I was writing music for the soundtrack and helping
to hone in Ally's sound, which was essentially something
that was going to arise out of Jackson's sound because
she fell in love with him. - [Matthew] And Mark Ronson said you wrote the songs as your character. - Yes, yes I did. With him, one song, a
Shallow in particular. But I really wanted Ally
to be nothing like me. This was very important to me, because the truth is I
am nothing like Ally. I created Gaga. And for me, I really believed in myself. I was banging down every
door in New York trying to get a gig. Ally has completely given up on herself, so she's a different person. So I guess, what I'm trying to say is, was there reservation? No there wasn't. I was really ready. I was really excited. And I really, really
wanted to take on the task. I was always like in between
scenes like performing with my library of emotions and alchemy. Alcoholic relationships, codependency, what happens in the family dynamic when there's an alcoholic, Addiction and trauma, how
did these things all relate? And just kind of creating this sorcery when I wasn't on camera
then I get to the set, you throw it out the window and you be. - Jack talked about how
music is essentially 12 notes between any octave. (Bobby sniffing) 12 notes and the octave repeats. It's the same story told
over and over, forever. All any artist can offer
the world is how they see those 12 notes, that's it. (Bobby snickers) (upbeat music) - Is there a part, that
this is for the group, is there a part that you've
always wanted to play that you know you can't? - [Nicole] Regina. - (Regina gasps) My gosh,
that would me first. Since we were talking about it and I know we were just
saying strong women, we don't like the idea of
the tropes of a strong woman, but I guess like a Joan
of Arc type character. Someone who in history that
wasn't black that I thought was a pretty amazing woman. There are several of them, so yeah, I'm going to go with
Joan of Arc just in honor of the fabulous Glenn Close. - [Matthew] I mean it's
an interesting question, because there's been some
controversy in the past year over who should be
playing which characters. We saw Scarlet Johansson was
going to play a transgender character then she dropped out of the role when there was some backlash to that. What do you guys think about that? What do you think about who
gets to play what character? - That's a tricky question. I think first of all that
what we are up to is a craft. And I think in your craft, you should be able to within a
certain reasonable parameter, play anyone. I also think though that
there are diverse actors and actresses that have not been served. And I think, so I think
it's up to the industry to nurture those actors Nurture the trans actors, the people who don't get a chance because they're not out there. And then, the best person
for the part should play it. Now given, but then you have, but who's going to, how
can we raise the money? - [Regina] To tell the story. - What name will raise the money? It's all so-- - Complicated. - Complicated, but I do
think it's so exciting to think of the diversity that's coming up and the huge overwhelming
amount of talent that that's going to introduce
to the marketplace. And I think people have to
consciously look for people who are beginning. Who would be right for it and hope that they have the training. - Let's start changing, I mean the industry and the
world is in an enormous change right now which is a fantastic thing for it all to be changing, but I do always, and maybe it's just the actor in me, the director has a vision. Ultimately it's the director's choice. Film is the director's medium. That's, it's their vision ultimately. We come in and we serve the story. We serve, but we serve the director. It's that simple. So, they're going to cast who they think is right for their film. And it is their film. And so, it's like a paint to painting, they're going to paint
what they want to paint. A director's going to make what
he wants or she wants to make. And it's that. That's it, but we do have
to stretch everything so there's opportunity
for so many more people. - But in the spirit of that, wouldn't it be fantastic
if I did play Joan of Arc. (panelists reacting) You know what I mean? - [Nicole] You want to just be asked. - I didn't want to interrupt anyone, but I was thinking that the whole time, like you should do that. - And that can happen, I'd do that. - But I do think there are
some parts that have been played before which I'm like God I wish, I immediately, when you said that, I thought of Gena Rowlands in
A Woman Under the Influence, like I think of some of
these parts that are like, just like these perfect
things that have happened. That like those roles that you see. I mean so many things I've
seen you in and I'm like Oh God, they're so
perfect, I can't believe I'm sitting across form you at this table. All these humans that you just
think oh well, God I wish, that you think of to be inside of that. To feel that. That that's happened before. So I guess that's where the
can't would come into it. You know what I mean of the character? - My answer would be why not? - Well I mean if it's already been played. - [Nicole] Your whole career is that. You did Sunset Boulevard and
you were like (exhales deeply). - I revisited two characters twice. - God I would have
loved to have seen that. - And it's incredible. It's a huge luxury. Well especially if a certain
amount of time has gone by. - [Kathryn] Like it's just
different in the theatre. - You're just a different person. - I would love to be Maxie. - The only thing that would
be a burden is that you're up against Gena Rowlands. But if it's a great character,
it's a great character. And it, and it's-- - But the theatre I think is different. - It can be reinterpreted validly. - That is, there are so many
rules in the theatre that it would be that I can't wait
for my kids to be a little bit older to be able to
get back to the theater. I don't know if you feel
that too about the theatre, because it's hard. - [Nicole] I did it in
London recently and it was, yeah it was hard because,
well you miss bed time. And missing bedtime-- - [Regina] Yeah, you do. You miss bed time. - When you think about it in terms of just oh, well three months. Missing bedtime is missing
part, it's too much. - And your day switches at
like two in the afternoon. You start to be like, your head
starts to go to the theatre. - I can't miss bedtime. That makes me cry. I don't want to do that.
- [Regina] I understand that. (Nicole laughs) - But if you think of A Star is Born, that's a role that's been
reinterpreted through the ages. - Yes, exactly. - It's been remade three times and then there's the original
version with Janet Gaynor. So yeah, I mean that
story has been retold, but it was important to me not to pull upon those characters. But to understand the
trajectory of the legacy, understand what A Star
is Born is meant to mean. And then really create something modern and new that would
connect with people now. - That's a great story. - It's an important story and I think, I really believe, I say this
a lot, but I don't think, she becomes a star in the film. Sorry, spoiler alert, but
it's called A Star is Born. (panelists laughing) - She becomes a star in the film, but the truth is that I really, and this goes back to what you were saying about strong women in roles, and I don't know if you
would necessarily view Ally as a strong woman in this film. She's quite vulnerable
and she's very insecure. - [Rachel] Complex. - [Regina] Resilient though. - And yet, I do not believe
A Star is Born in this film until the last frame of the movie when she looks into that camera. - The strength. - The star is born, because
the star is bravery, the star is perseverance, the star is the ability
to continue to go on in the face of trauma and persevere. And what I was thinking
when you were saying about strong women is that actually, yeah it isn't about muscles. It's about our ability to endure. And we have been as a gender, through a lot for many
years and it's like, it's sort of like I just
see corsets just flying off all over the place. And women shouting and
saying yes, we're free. And I'm might wear it if I want to and I won't if I don't want to. But I think that there is a sense, that actually there's a
strength in vulnerability. And that what I really
admire about what you all do and because this is new for me, is that the amount of places
that you have to go to, from a deep perspective to
the nectar of your hearts and to go deep, deep down
every time to play a role and bring that deep, deep
place every day to set, I mean that is incredible. I mean when I'm on stage
performing with, doing music, I have the audience and
it's like this adrenal rush and I'm talking to people
and shouting at them. With the Joanne tour
there was a bit of trauma because it was about my
father's sister who died, but you guys really like,
you're doing eight shows a week, playing Joan of Arc's mother. I mean there no way that
you're not going to the depths of who you are into a very
scary place in order to do that. And I just have to commend each
and every one of you for it 'cause I still feel like I'm recovering from playing this role. - And how unusual is it in
a story and fiction to see a woman work through
vulnerability and her resilience and then to be born, as you
say in that final moment. And a man to sacrifice
himself for that purpose it's quite unusual in a
story don't you think? - I think the way that
Bradley chose to tell the end of this film was extremely of the times. And, you know Glenn has
an incredible charity, Bring Change to Mind, and I have the Born This Way Foundation, and they're both focused
around mental health. And this was sort of at
the gravity, of I believe, at the gravity of one of
the themes in this film. And yes, it was an unorthodox
way, but it was truest way. It was the authentic way. And it changed as we were filming. I mean the script was being
rewritten and songs that, and we had a trove of
songs that even on the day, Bradley would be like, no we're going to do this song
not this song, go switch it out. And then I'd be in my trailer, at the piano getting
ready trying to prepare, but yeah absolutely yeah, I 100% see that and I agree with you. - Hmm, Rachel is there a
piece of advice that you were given early in your career
that stayed with you? Either good or bad. - No. (panelists laughing) - [Matthew] Anyone else? Advice? - Not a give you one. - I, somebody told me my first
job, try not to ever compare your career to anyone else's. - Mm, that's good. - That you listened? - [Glenn] It's hard. - [Kathyrn] It's a hard one. - I've never forgotten it and that's in a highly competitive
field they throw you in and there's, you can get,
if you let yourself, sure, I wish I could of played that. But if you eat yourself up like
that, you destroy something that's very important. So I think it's a profound, it was a profound piece of
advice because it's meant to me that I'm very subjective about what I choose and I own it. I own my choices. - Yeah, you do. - [Glenn] Good and bad.
- That's awesome. - It's where the result of all our choices and we don't know. We don't have any template. It's just what feels right. - And what felt right about The Wife? - First of all, I thought
it was fascinating. Just I'd never been asked to
play a character like that. But also, I had a lot of
questions and I knew that I had to answer those questions
in order to play her. And the big one was, why
didn't she leave him? 'Cause I thought initially
that all the women would jump up and say, oh just leave him. But it was so much more complex than that and I had to figure that
out in order to play her without any kind of judgment and all. And it was that journey,
but I went into not knowing if I'd be able to figure it out. I had a lot of questions. - It's so much of the film
is you saying one thing, but your face says another. - [Rachel] So much. - And millions of women are
living that, unfortunately. - Joanie, we got to talk this through. - I can't do it anymore Joe. I can't do it. I can't take it. I can't take the humiliation
of holding your coat and arranging your pills
and picking the crumbs out of your beard and being shoved aside with all the other wives to talk about some god damned shopping trip. While you, while you say to
all the gathering sycophants, that your wife doesn't write. - Regina what made you
say yes to Beale Street? - Oh, James Baldwin and Barry Jenkins. I mean he is one of the
most gracious human beings I've ever met. He is truly a collaborator and I know I'm going to learn something. I'm going to leave the
situation bigger than I was when I came in. And then just Baldwin's words. - And yeah what about the
character specifically that you play? - Sharon Rivers was just in
the book and in the script. She represented so, my
grandmother, my mother, and she created this for me, this home. Her and her husband Joe
that there was no shame within the walls of her home. The shame was not allowed. And I just thought that
was beautiful and powerful and I wanted to be the woman
that lives her life like that. - What's going on? ♪ You were nowhere ♪ ♪ To be found ♪ ♪ Where to be found ♪ ♪ Could it be my imagination ♪ - (clearing throat) This is a sacrament. And no I ain't lost my mind. We are drinking to new life. Tish going to have Fonny's baby. - She created this safe
space for her girls to thrive and use their voices in 1974 when women weren't as
vocal then as they are now. And here you have this woman
that operates from a place of love not a place of fear. Yeah, there's a scene in
the film between myself and Aunjanue, well it's
two families together and Aunjanue Ellis and my character, we're both very very confident women, but when you really take it all apart, her character's operating
from a place of fear. Her strength is coming
from a place of fear. It seems strong, but she's scared. And she has dictated things
so that she didn't have to, or doesn't have to address that fear. That little girl that's scared
where Sharon is the opposite. And just seeing that together, I thought that that was
fantastic to see black women layered different in one
space and really be seen. Because the pain that
Aunjanue's character has, she's still loves her child. But don't know how to show love. And there's Sharon, the
opposite, who's all about love. And showing it outward with it. The Rivers family is that
family that everyone's like I want to be a part of their family. - Nicole speaking of love for a child, in Boy Erased you play the
mother of a child you sent to a gay conversion therapy. What about the messaging of
that movie appealed to you? - I immediately connected to Martha. In the film she's called Nancy. But actually both the roles that I play, I did sort of very close together. And even though their
diametrically opposed in terms of the way they look and behave as women-- - Your talking about the story as well-- - They're still on a similar path. Because they're both looking
to heal what they've done to their child which I find
like they just get to me. - I put your uncle Vincent down there. You've never met him because
he moved to Louisiana when you were little, so
we just never see him. We always figured that he (clears throat). He was very feminine like you might say. - Martha because she's a real person, she put her child into conversion therapy because she thought that it
was the right thing to do. She actually thought that
it was the most loving thing to do, because she didn't
know anything else. And she loves her son. They actually now have the
most extraordinary relationship and she's apologized
and healed what she did. Which I think is beautiful. That's a great message in
terms of what can happen. I mean their story is real
and it's, they have the most intimate relationship as
a mother and son that I've seen I terms of a family that
have gone through so much. But their like this. So the idea that you can do
something and then heal it is very powerful. To me, that's what I
responded to the emotionally. - What about this question -- - But can I just say one piece
of advice 'cause as actors, I think it's I was taught really early on never to cut a take. - Do you ever cut a take? - Stop, just stop. - Yeah, to cut a take. Never cut a take. - Why? - Because you never know
what's going to happen. Because if you're trying to
control it, or control the take, the magic happens a lot
of the times without. So I was taught that at like,
I started working at 14. - [Regina] It's really good advice. - And it's ingrained in me. And I always try to pass
it on to other actors 'cause it's-- (Rachel mumbles) - Yeah, right. - It took me so long starting in theatre. It took me so long to realize
you didn't have to be perfect on the whole take. (panelists laughing) If they could take a little bit and not and it's so hard to let-- - [Kathyrn] Surrender. - Only the director gets to cut the take. - [Rachel] That's the right advice. - I mean unless your life is in danger. - Or your steam partners. - And you're about (laughing). But it's kind of great
'cause it takes all of that so then it can go off
into God knows where, but something fantastic
may come out of it. Anyway, sorry. - I talk too good off prior
take, it's back to the work. - No that's perfectly fine. - No, that's really good advice. We can remember 10 minutes ago, right. With the first, I had a
small part in the film. The director said to me
don't touch your hair. 'Cause I obviously go
like that or something and it's a day shot. I didn't know that's less profound advice. - [Matthew] That's good advice. - [Kathyrn] I always touch my hair. - [Rachel] Do you always touch your hair? - Oh my God, so often. Yeah, maybe I'll stop. - Well you got great hair. - I'm always like this. - [Regina] I want to touch your hair. - At auditions in New York
my sweet agent would be like run a brush through your hair
like as I would be on foot. (Kathryn laughing) - The advice I was given not
related specifically to acting is Tony Bennett who's very close friends with Duke Ellington. And he used to like sneak
him in the back of hotels during segregation so that
they could play together. Duke Ellington said to him, rule number one is never give up. And rule number two is always
listen to rule number one. - Yeah I love it. - [Gaga] It's kind of the same thing. - I got some wonderful
direction once that again I've never forgotten was
if you're lost just drown in each other's eyes. - [Nicole] Awesome. - I like that, I'm going to take that. - Yep, and it's so, it's so
wonderful because the most powerful thing we have as human beings that our two eyes looking
into two other eyes. - Right, if you just listen
too, like that's most of it, is I always forget to. It's like listening, not that
I run around with Alan Watts close you guys, 'cause I don't, but this was a piece of advice, because my career's been a tad chaotic in terms of just the
projects that I've been in. - It's magnificent. - Oh, it's been a little
bit all over the map, but I certainly spent a
lot of time in my twenties not really being satisfied by
the work that I was getting. Anyway, I'm swinging this
around to this Alan Watts quote that I just recently came
upon that I was like, oh God that was you're under no obligation to be the person you
were five minutes ago. Which I think is such a
great way to be as a human. Just the fact that we just, you don't have to like freeze in anything. I just also saw the
Quincy documentary which in that the lead is like ooh. - [Regina] Oh fantastic. - So beautiful just to
see that elastic brain. - Actually you just made
me think of some advice. - Oh good yay, I've got an album! - I was feeling so shallow
here, it's like touch your hair. And she's like she's real
superficial this lady. (panelists laughing) - So you don't have to be the
person you were five minutes ago, that when you play a character, this was advice given to me, that when someone says to
you well your character wouldn't do that, it's just
like, that's just not true. Whatever, whatever it is
that happens in the take, and when it goes wrong and you
want to say cut and you don't, that's what, that is your character. There isn't a character
that you have to reach for. It's just whatever happens,
that's the character. And so yeah, when I started
out, I was thinking, well my character would
do this, but not this. And that leads you down a fruitless part. Thank you for helping
me remember some advice that I've taken.
- Oh, you're so welcome. - Cheers.
- Exactly. (upbeat music) - In The Favourite your
character is very devious and has a lot of nuance to it. I'm wondering what you brought to that that wasn't on the page? - I think everything was on the page. The writing was just so
rich and complicated. And for all characters, not just my character that
all three female roles. But yeah, on the page, I saw
in the foreground strength and power and bossiness. and
sadism, and aggressiveness and then all around that I saw
vulnerability, and neediness, and need for love. A reliance on her best friend and a lover. Just everything was on
the page really for me. And it just sparks with your imagination. And then when you say
the lines, the lines plus your imagination take you somewhere, so I don't ever think of it as a, It's not like conscious choice made in advance of the moment
between action and cut. - How was my speech? - You were brilliant. - [Queen] Did I lisp? - You didn't lisp. - I know that was also
troubling about it though, the thought that I suddenly did. - [Sarah] Nope. - Sarah you must say hello to little ones. - No, it is macabre. - [Queen] Please. - No, I love you. But that I will not do. - [Queen] If you love me. - Love has limits. - It should not. - I'm sitting here listening
to you talk going like I do the opposite of that. - Oh okay. - Because with Ally, like I
do certain things when I sing and I'm on stage. I have like a certain way
about me when I perform as I just touched my hair. (panelists laughing) - I've been touching the whole time. - But I was a really conscious and actually asked Bradley to, and he would have
directed me on it anyway, but I wanted to be pointed
out when I was doing something that would look decidedly like me. The way that my fans see me. Because I wanted her to be so different. So I focused a lot on the
way that I sang and the way that I moved my with my jaw. I also focused a lot on the
way that I held the microphone. And the way that I
communicated with the audience because I just wanted to be
so different and because I have fans that notice
certain things about me that are so me, when I'm
performing that I kind of had to erase those things. And the things that are
inside, my private life, that they don't know about me, those were the things
that I was really using. And that's what I was pulling on. As I was like, all the stuff
that I don't let you see, all the reasons that I've put this armor on for so many years. All the things I've been running
from, I'm going to use that. But I'm going to erase as much
as possible of everything else. - That's really brave. - Thank you. - Do you feel like you have a very strong performing persona? Like do you feel like your armor when your on stage is bulletproof? - For me like when my friends
started to call me GaGa and I was performing
on the Lower East Side, it was like a superhero. - [Kathyrn] Yeah costume. - Like I just, I felt
like I could do anything. And what's changed about it
though over the years for me is that I grew up in a
culture of people that were constantly transforming. Like we were all like
really into glam culture, like David Bowie, and so we
would all change our looks, all change our art, we were always shifting at the same time, and then when I moved out to Hollywood, I was not in the midst of that. I was in the midst of
me changing all the time and nobody really changing
very much around me. And it was very difficult. I was really conscious of that
when I played this character. It was really important to me that I gave something I don't always
give as a musician. - Nicole you've spent
some time via your husband on the country music
circuit, what's the detail that they get right in A Star is Born? - Oh it's so much. I mean, I think Bradley
studied the whole word. - [GaGa] Oh yeah, he did. - And certainly recorded down
there and did a lot of, so. - He wrote his own music as well. He was in the studio all the time. - Was he playing the guitar himself? - My husband or? - [Glenn] No, no, no Bradley. - My husband plays the guitar more. (panelists laughing) - What did you on Destroyer
to research that role? - I actually just kind of entered through. I mean I entered so deeply
into her that I didn't, I don't always do this with a character, but this one I had to, 'cause I didn't want to feel like I was ever shifting into a performance, so I just stayed in character the whole time which was real-- - Exhausting, yeah. - [Nicole] It was difficult
because you know you don't get to explain why your
behaving in a particular way or I didn't so I just
kind of stayed in it. But I had to really learn how to use guns 'cause I had no idea how to
fire guns or really use guns. So I put a lot of time. I live in Tennessee. I have a gun range that's
just down from my house and I would go down there
and I could shoot anything that is in that film. And I could reload, and I can-- - Like when you say that,
like with living the role 'cause like I feel like that happened. How do you decipher what's
happening in your personal life. How does it inform each other? - Did you stay in the
character when you went home? - I didn't, you didn't
have to call me Erin, but I would go, it just all orbits around, it's kind of enters the
psyche, and I was just, my husband was like I can not
wait for this thing to end. This is awful. - I felt that a lot. It was a innate Pain. - That's when my daughter
came up to me saying I want you, I want all of you. - Mm, don't. - And she was three. - [Kathyrn] I want you, I want all of you. - But I mean you have children of artists, children of actors. - You know they feel your distraction. If your working all-- - They feel the change in your psyche. - Cell phones can contribute
to that as well I think. - They do, they do feel. And they require, we all have our paths. My children have musician
father and an actress mother. That balance I find the hardest thing. I find it so hard. - [GaGa] It's hard, I was wondering. - It's Impossible, it's just impossible. - It's really difficult and
hopefully you build the intimacy with your child so that's
there's an enormous, I mean you have a fantastic
relationship with your daughter. There's a, you know you've
been through so much together and they have an understanding
of the artistic part, whether they go down it, but-- - I think the hardest thing for a child, living through my, seeing my daughter, is that they sense when
people want their parents. Whether it's kind of the lust of celebrity and I think that can be
very frightening to a child. Because it's like she's my mother. And when Annie was really
little and we'd go in an airport or something, and she's
see somebody with that face coming towards you, and she'd
just go (nasal blowing), like stay away, she's mine. So I think they get torn between that. - I have a son and he's
protective like that but he's more like vocal about it. He's like hey. - Oh yeah, my kids are
sad they hate that film. - Yeah, yeah, no, yeah, yeah,
no, no, no he's feeling, he would more when people in
our space, he will help them leave our space. (panelists laughing) Or when he sees it coming
and I may be doing something and not paying attention, he'll go, go the left, go to the
left, go to the left. He's very, because it's been his life. - It sounds like you have your
children keep you in check, it sounds. That's incredible.
- Absolutely. - What's the best feedback
you've gotten from a kid either yours or another? - Well, what, I don't
know, I mean I did a thing, Aquaman, and I did it for them actually. 'Cause you do something like
this story, they're like we don't know if we're
going to be seeing this. (Glenn laughing) But you do Aquaman and
it's like, oh my gosh. - How old are they now? - The best feedback that I got was I, I ate a gelatin goldfish in
the scene and they thought, they think it's my best work, so. (Glenn laughing) - [Regina] Yeah, yeah, he's
playing my husband in the show that I'm working on now, yeah, yeah, yeah. - Yeah, so I got brownie points for that. - [GaGa] Is there a
way that you drop that? - They're seven and ten. - I was interested like when
you go home, like, after? - [Kathryn] I do. - [Rachel] I just can't, no I can't do, I don't know how to-- - Keep the character going with them. - I just can't do, for me it's
actually even shorter there, it's like between action
and cut, I dive in, and then I hear cut. I never said it myself. (Nicole laughing) But I totally, I have done
that, but it's really, you're so right, it's so important not to, and when I hear cut, it's gone. I just let it go. - I have that too sometimes, it's just, it changes every, yeah. - But does it make you
feel, it made it at least I felt so much less
precious since having kids. It felt less self. - Evolved. - Yeah, it's just puts
it in such a perspective. It's like before it
used to have to be like the whole day would be
about like gearing up, or like getting it in, and now I just, it felt like now it's a faster, deeper dive if that makes sense. - [Glenn] It does. - To get you, 'cause just you have to. Like you just don't
have the time to like-- - Do you wear your watch
on your right hand? - I don't know why, I don't know why, meanwhile I do this all the time, don't think I've ever worn a watch. (panelists laughing) - (imitates phone ringing), hello. Just like fake box. - My son used to when I did a play, the last two plays I've
done, he's in the other room and I'm learning the lines,
and I'm saying them out loud, he'll just shout from the other room, true, false, false. (panelists gasping and reacting) Cause he knows better than
I guess anyone when moms being a bit fakey. - Oh my God, that's amazing. - [Rachel] (laughing) Yeah. - My kids have never seen, they've been able to see
maybe one thing I've done. - No this is rehearsing back home, this is not in the theatre. - No that's incredible. - Can you imagine. (panelists laughing) - Do you get to do it back to him? - Well he's always-- - Oh my God that's incredible
and that's no joke. - Am I the only one here with no children? - Yeah, you are I think. - I am the only one. - Soon it come. - But it's a great thing
to be able to tell women, because I think it is a really hard thing. Is you can definitely have a
child and have your career. You can do it. You're going to give up things. There's going to be compromise. - You give up a lot. - It's going to, but gosh
you can jump in and do it and it's fine. 'Cause so many young actresses say to me, how do you? I'm like if you want your
baby, have your baby, have it. If you don't want it, don't have it, but you can if you want to. - It sounds special to
that there's some sort of, that having children in your lives, that when you have that
psychological change as you are taking on a role, that they sort of snap you
out of it a bit in a way. - Other things can do that to, but yeah. - But I think all women
in careers that require, the high powered careers,
whether it's an attorney, a doctor, an actor, a
triple, quadruple threat, (panelists laughing) you will, the way that works for you is different than how it works for Glenn, it's different than how it
works for Kathyrn, and so, but you would make it work. - Yeah, you make it work. - You make it work. - You know what I think is
important and I thought a lot about it in the context
of The Wife in my mom, because my mom was a very interesting, very smart, actually she never
graduated from high school. She fell in love with
my dad when she was 18. And she at the end of
her life, said to me, I feel like I've accomplished nothing. - It's in that generation a lot. - What I think, I think about that a lot, because I think we have
our children, and all that, and the nurturing, natural
thing that we do as women. And then we have the need
for personal fulfillment. We need to feed our souls and our hearts. And I think that's what our work does. So you can do both. And I think both of 'em
are tremendously, or not, but I think to feed your soul. And this is why I think
we're so blessed to do what we do, because
basically we tell stories. And as we're telling these
stories, we're feeding, and we refueling ourselves. And I think you have to
do that for yourself. - It's actually made me want to have kids. (panelists laughing) - I mean it sounds lovely. - Who is a character that
you've played that you would like to have dinner with? - ]Glenn] The Marquise
de Merteuil. (laughing) - [Kathyrn] Oh God, I completely forgot about dinner with Merteuil. (panelists laughing) - She scared me. - Oh you were so extraordinary in that. - [Glenn] Cruella would be fun. - [Regina] Ooh, yeah she would be. - [Nicole] She's scary. - She has secrets too. - Oh, Virginia Woolf. (panelists reacting) I'm bringing her to dinner. - I would go there. - I'm sure I'd should
talk about The Favourite, but I would go back to 1708 England, have some tea with the Queen Anne. - [Matthew] Would you wear those outfits? Did you experience the same thing? No yeah, the Emma Stone said
her organs shifted like-- - People are so fascinated in her organs. Let's talk about her liver. - Alright I couldn't believe it though. Was it really that bad? - It's so funny, Everyone's talking
about organs moving out. - Oh the corsets. - Yeah, yeah.
- Shifting around. - They're really uncomfortable. You mentioned earlier
about women being liberated and throwing away their
corsets and it's interesting. - Even though I've worn them
on almost every red carpet-- - You look great. You look beautiful in
them, but in this film, they are all wearing corsets,
but they have incredibly, they're women who hold
very powerful positions. I'm trying to avoid saying strong women. - Don't avoid saying it, yeah. - But they were in very
tight corsets, yeah. - They were made also back
then with whale bones. - Which is really like spikey whale bone and it's really uncomfortable. - Well that's a lot of them
didn't really get dressed until after tea time right. I mean where you'd be in
your boudoir with your, you'd put your corset on, in the second half of the day, right? You don't spend twelve hours
in one of those corsets. - Only the aristocrats
would of been in them. I don't think the rest of the
country was wearing corsets. It's just for the very rich folks. - [Matthew] And Regina. - Well I just think, thought
of a character that I would have diner with, Margie Hendrix. She was a singer in Ray. - [Matthew] Oh yeah. - [Rachel] Tell us about her. - She, they had a child together. She was one of his many lovers. They had a very passionate relationship and she died of an overdose,
but it was not a overdose, she just got bad drugs. And I just would ask
her so many questions. Again, why you'd stay
and when you did say, F-it, I'm out, what was that, was it the straw that broke
the camel's back moment? Was it something you were
always on your way to do? I would ask her so many,
and her voice, oh my God, I would ask her who
inspired her as an artist. So it would be Margie Hendrix. I'm so glad I had a little bit of time to think about that, yeah. I was like girl you've
been working too long to not have somebody you could (laughing) - And maybe I would say the Rabbi. I played a Rabbi In Transparent. I think I would, could
use a Rabbi these days. Just sit down and have tea with. - Just because I've only been in one movie doesn't mean I wouldn't want to meet Ally. (panelists laughing and reacting) - I was in, I was in Machete Kills. - I was going to say it's either Ally or American Horror Story character. Well I was in Machete Kills for a cameo. I worked with Robert Rodriguez twice and Sin City 2, I played a waitress. And I would not want to sit
down with The Countess at all because who I became during
that time is like just a horrible human being. I just-- - (laughing) That's crazy. - She was quite a piece of work. - I mean really and really
truly she is a horrible hum, a horrible vampire. - Oh bring her along. (panelists laughing) - We've got room. - But I swear to you that the human being that I became during that time, like I just want to apologize
to everyone in my life for like because she was just
the most shameless character. I mean the woman, the woman would feed after
having sex and killing people, and then she would, then the way she would keep herself young is by funneling the blood through children that she would kidnap. - She's not invited. - [Kathryn] Oh no, we don't want her. - So I have no interest in
sitting there with The Countess, but I would love to sit down with Ally. I really would, I would really
love 'cause like in this, and I know it's so fresh, but like I just, I just
wish I could give her like this really big hug. - Your so vulnerable talking
about her, that's so sweet. - I really do because like, like alcoholic relationships like, and what that does to a woman, or a man in that position, it's just so extremely powerful and the mixture of that
was success, I think. It pushes it over the edge. But I just though it was
important to point out with the film is that
the film is really not just about stardom, in the fame sense. It's about stardom in terms of bravery. And I really wish I
could sit down with her and like hug her and be like it's okay because what happens is, is you fall in love with the
broken child in someone else. You want, the person
that has the addiction, you want to fix them. You want to love them no matter what and no matter how shameless
they are, it's your job. It becomes part of you, so I would, I'd really love to sit
down with her and just hug, I would really love to
just give her a hug. - Alright well on that
note, our time is up. - No, wait a minute, I have to
see all your god damn movies. I'm looking around at you
like I haven't seen it. I'm so excited. I'm so excited. Just know that's why
it's like blank stares when you're talking about your characters. I'm dying to see these movies. - I didn't mean to cut
out your last question. - That's quite alright, we have plenty. - And coming soon Regina as Joan of Arc. (panelists reacting) - Someone will watch this and do it. - So thrilled to see all of your work. - Alright, we want to thank
our guests, Rachel Weisz, Kathryn Hahn, Glenn Close,
Lady Gaga, Nicole Kidman, and Regina King. Thank you. - [Panelist] Thank you. - [Matthew] Alright this one was good. (clapping) (upbeat music)
I always really wanna watch these but put them off till I see all the movies. Then I forget to do it. Gah.
1) Kidman looks like a goddess in that. Absolutely glowing.
2) Why isn't Kathryn Hahn's name not on the title? She was incredible in Private Life.
It's funny how they are going on and on about strong female characters and all that bullshit but fail to mention Weisz's role in "The Whistleblower". Brutal movie, equally brutal character but at the same time does not give up feminine qualities. Fantastic movie.
I really liked Glenn Close's answer for the question related to the ScarJo casting backlash.
It's complicated because you want to nurture new talent who can play those roles better but you still want to turn some kind of profit by hiring a known name.
Gaga was trying so hard to be taken seriously by these actresses.
Awesome! Kidman is one of my favorite actresses of all time.
They're all wearing red -- is that part of a statement, anyone know?
What a career transition for gaga
I watched half of A Star is Born (I fell asleep) and I really don’t see what was great about Gaga’s performance. Maybe the second half was Oscar worthy.