Alex Jennings and Dame Maggie Smith interview on Graham Norton

it's a big deal they don't stand up for people they sound they did the ones that could know we're thrilled we never thought this day would come hello you're both so good in this film you are both terrific it's really fantastic the lady in of the van it opens on the 13th of November which is a Friday you are the lady in the back yeah but miss Shepard was real miss Shepard was very real I'm very scary I think very very frightening but you know she was real and the fact that Alan put up with her for so long it's just beyond anybody's comprehension nobody understands them I don't think 15 his window because and that the film begins with him describing the snow okay and that you play well you played two different versions of Alan Beth I do play two different versions of Alan Bennett the sort of the writer who's observing Alan Bennett as it were having a life or not having a life and wishing he was having a more exciting life so he could write about things other than old ladies and was Alan Bennett there the whole time yeah so that was creepy so they would there were so many of them it was lost credit when we filmed it in the house where it all happened but that's extraordinary you actually get to field on the street we were there and the fan was there do the neighbors think oh my god she's back it's like I think the ones that remembered it weren't frightened a bit worried we wanted him shot a couple of times yes because it's quite a starry street doesn't it's quite I think that's what they said I kind of didn't notice I was just I was in the fan looking a bit fed up which is not surprising because it was a you know all that stuff going on in your street is not amusing when you say you were in the van how much time did you spend in the van and how unpleasant doesn't get in the back it was very what was difficult as you might seem was getting in and out of it yes and how the hell that woman did it I mean you just can't imagine because it's it's the smallest space isn't it I just think we're talking for a very long time she did everything though with over the course of the filming apparently I think you were saying honestly that the van was shared yes there was so we were filming in Alan's house and the van was back in the street and it was disgusting I mean it was full of old bits of old vegetables sanitary ware it was clearly token security when we weren't filming there and security came in one morning we would you to stop shooting I don't know quite early in the morning and discovered four feet kind of poking out the end of the van and to Camden Town revelers had broken into the van spent the night in it they got rid of them cleaned the van out of all this stuff cleaned it put it back before she came on said she didn't tell me they didn't tell they didn't dare they everybody was I was solely tempted to come right miss Shepherd tonight I feel sort of haunted by her cuz she she lived she lived in storing tonry she's quite know where I live I lived in the village neck sort of little place next um they sort of she was in a nunnery because she was wanting I don't know whether she wanted to become a nun but it was certainly one of the ideas of the family they thought it was a good idea to I think doing that and they used to be huge nunnery in Torrington and when I go in there which I do sometimes I go to Waitrose and varices see what it was like when she she was here you know as a young person it's it's it's it's very odd playing a person whose real which is what you found wasn't it hmm so you've got Annabelle on one side but then and you know even the fact that you they wouldn't tell you that people were in the van I mean he's a kind of intimidating with Dame Maggie Smith is on the the set for you not for you no it's not intimidating we've been we've worked was much more intimidating because every single person on that set I've been at the national with Nick right now or they've been in the history boys so I was such an outsider you wouldn't believe I really felt that I ought to audition no but I felt like an outsider you were all very key key well we're and it made me feel very do you know what it's like from the other side because I've read in interviews you talked about how intimidating you found it when you back in the 60s when you worked with Laurence Olivier yeah because it sounds like he was very tough well yes but I mean I think everybody everybody who worked with him what were I mean they were in awe and he hit me very hard one night no I'm not on stage yes he was a bit cross with me at one point he had to say out devil and he he stepped me and I hit the floor and I think was dead prepare the bridge he was a Venetian gentleman apparently said Oh mags I don't remember cuz I literally went out and I remember saying well I did see stars at the Nationals yes but when you did this Mona takes a fellow it does how you gave as good as you got yes oh yeah that's it you mean yes he this is when he was doing a fellow and he was wearing all that makeup or and and I used to stick his eyelashes on for him and he said why went in one night me so darling Maggie you I've been meaning to tell you I think your your vowels are not really very good so you know could you watch it anyway so I went in the next night to do the eyelashes and things and said oh now brown cow he didn't get it but you asked me what it's like being with Maggie is you know it's working with the best because she is the best before you film or before you go on stage you're getting like fantastic nuggets about no lower than Lance Olivier or being taught polari by kind of Betty Davis yeah and she's really naughty as well but the thing is you have had this extraordinary career and you know I mentioned the Oscars in the instruction and things but Harry Potter weird but that didn't change your life in a way well yes a lot of very small people kind of people but also saw where that only know you for that one thing like you've never existed before no I never had except one one kid once said to me he said will you were you really a cat just pull yourself together hi possibility of your life which kind of changed your life but then one of the things where you thought you were famous till you were in Downton since Downton that people seem to know you know who's who stopped me and announcement but it's only since Downton and that's that's television for you yes it's common I was I was in waitress in stories in my favorite little boy was at the checkout with his mother and he kept looking at me and I thought what am I gonna do ever and he went kept looking at me and looking at me and I said okay can I help you and he said it's alright it'll come to me in a minute but the the people coming up to you now like very Americans are very well America you know they're not shy Americans no but I don't go anywhere really where they can't get at me it's usually in museums and art galleries and things so that limits thing I keep away from then and Harrods they don't go new so are you in a ways I'm glad that down turns over oh yeah honestly she was about by the time of her she must have been 110 I know you you're a big downturn that I am I shouted it a lot I do yeah we watch it and we shout stir because I'm not in it I've got the box set heck now we hear and I don't know maybe because you're you you know you run in rich circles exotic circles and probably out of good authority that the the actual Queen watches down to that because we hear that she's a fan you're not supposed to talk about what okay the quit no I I was told that she did but then I have been told by another gentleman who works in those establishments but she likes Midsomer Murders it isn't the first real person you play because you played Prince Charles yes sir judge yes I did and when the reviews said why can't somebody looks like George Bush but you know Prince dross at you well once I know him and he's the patron of a actors charity that I'm involved in give me an OBE yes he hasn't seen the Queen I know for sure yeah I mean the Queen the film he's wife has she she she she did like it yeah she said she asked me she said what was it like playing my husband actually talking about it so clearly you know you are Dame Maggie Smith we know that but I am NOT I'm not that when I'm working those a lot of poster it was just it just says yeah because you don't you don't use it professionally okay that's your who is it sir King Benjamin yeah very quickly we must just mentioned there and your other incredible honor which is a very elite group it's the order of the Companions of honour which is that's a super special it's very grand yes I think well we got a picture is this is that you getting me yes good hatchet no it's a very yes good half good shoe good dress yeah and how does that happen if you know to mean how have you how do you join that very elite group well it sort of happened some people do I take place I see there's a fixed number it's a fixed number so if they just hang around a bit there are there'll be another this it has been wonderful to meet you both please don't wait to another 42 years to put in the books now the books lady in the van is such a funny sweet verb it opens all the 13th November I urge you to see it native gentlemen Alex Jennings and Dame Maggie Smith our musical guest tonight this

Channel: pennyforyourdreams

Views: 524,240

Rating: 4.8863583 out of 5

Keywords: Maggie Smith (Film Actor), Alex Jennings (Award Winner), Graham Norton (TV Personality), Interview

Id: Cvicwsnyx2w

Length: 16min 50sec (1010 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 31 2015