- So seriously, I do wanna
talk about your immense talent. - Why are your eyes so closed? (both laughing) - Because I realize, like, as I've gotten... (Emma laughing) I'm serious. As I've gotten more
comfortable with myself. - Yeah.
- The truth is, I think better when my eyes are closed. - It's not, you have to work through this. - Oh, man, I think it's really nice. - It's crazy.
- Okay, so Emma. (both laughing) (jazzy music) (camera clicking) (jazzy music) (jazzy music continues) Emma!
- Coopsy Poopies! I'm so happy to see you. - You, too.
- You're looking so fresh. - Am I?
- Yeah. - Oh, thanks. You look great. I like the blazer. - Thank you. I have to give it back
at the end of the day. - And the leather skirt?
- Hmm, also, not mine. - Well, maybe you should ask to keep them. - Okay. Thanks for having me. (laughing) - Thanks. I just moved in so there's only up a couple of things. - It's gorgeous. I like the kind of liminal
space that we're in. - Yeah, it's like we're
in a space shuttle. - [Emma] Yeah. - But we're also in a living room. - Yeah, it's really nice. It's cozy but scary.
(Bradley laughs) All right, let's wait. Hold on. Let's begin with talking
about when we first met. - I think I have to populate
the room so it's not so echoy. Right?
- Uh. - When people come in here and like, won't feel so like, comfortable. - Yeah, I mean it's, but
I like what you've done 'cause you can go and dance quickly. - Oh, that's true.
- Easily. - Yeah. Should we?
- It's beautiful. Not right now.
- Okay. - I have something that I can't cancel. So, okay. - I had an American summer joke. Anyway. - Yep!
- I already picked it twice. - Called it.
- You're a trapper keeper. - Eh. (laughing) 'Cause I've already moved it twice. Okay, so we've known each
other for half my lifetime now. - Yeah.
- Did you know that? - I do know that. - I think I was-
- That's actually not true. 'Cause I'm always forgetting
your age, remember? - I just, well, I guess
it's not, I just turned 35. And we met when I was like 19, 18. - Yeah. On the rocker.
- 18 on "The Rocker." - Yeah.
- Which was a real- - [Bradley] Which was
actually an immense fun. - A very fun movie. But I feel like you were
only on that for like a week. - I was, it was me and Fred
Armisen and Will Arnett. - [Emma] Yeah. - And a gentleman who played the drummer. Vesuvius, I remember that was the band. I know. I'm closing my eyes. Just deal with it, dude.
- All right. Fine, fine, fine. I'll take, I'll take it. - Please don't make a thing about it. - [Emma] Okay, it's fine. I'm good. I'm gonna do it too. (Bradley laughs) (Emma exhales) - Tell me, it doesn't feel good. - It actually doesn't feel- I'll fall asleep if I do
it for too long, yeah. - So I, yeah. So I was like. (both laughing) What's up? It's not weird, is it?
- No. (both laughing) - Okay, okay, okay. All right,
all right, keep it together. Keep it together. They're gonna edit. We're fine. Right, we're fine? - They're gonna run the whole thing. - Okay. Good.
- Geez, Louise. - Well, I was just making sure. - We're good. - I'm just gonna relax. (exhales) - So I do wanna, can I just skip to "Poor Things"? Is that all right? - Oh, okay. Yeah. I would love that. - Just because I was
blown away by the film and I called you and luckily
you answered and I was able to, there's nothing like being able to communicate
with somebody you love, when you've seen them
create art like that. And we had an, I'll never forget the FaceTime
we had after I saw it. - You'll never forget it?
- I'm serious. - Really?
- Oh, dude. Just... - (laughing) All right,
all right, all right. Okay, okay, fine, fine. - Just take it all.
- All right. All right, all right, I'll take. - Just breathe. And just let me talk. - (exhales) I'm closing my eyes. Keep yours open. - So I love you so dearly as a friend, but to see you soar as
an artist in this film, it was really moving. - Yeah, it means so much
to me. You know that. - And just your effortless abandon. You know, I think I said this to you. There's absolutely no one
else who could have done that. Like, ever. I assume you didn't shoot in order. - No. - So how the F did you, were you able to track her evolution? 'Cause you're basically playing a baby to a 35-year-old.
- Yeah. - In the matter of two hours.
- Yeah. - So how did you do that? - Thank you for saying all
of that, first and foremost. - [Bradley] It's true. - It's so incredibly sweet of you. It means, you know, we've
talked about this before, but that means the world to me. Yorgos told me about the general kind of overall structure of the story, right after we made "The Favourite". So we had about four and a half years between talking about "Poor
Things" to making "Poor Things." Explore blood's in me. - Bella, it's dangerous
to go out without me. - I have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence. It is most charming. I am fine. We realized after a while that we needed to create stages for her. I went through the script and
I mapped out about 10 stages and then we were like, that's way too many stages to hop around and so we made it five. And then we went through and talked about her language
and how that evolves, and then the physicality within each stage and what occurs sort of on her journey to kick her into the next stage, so at the beginning in Baxter's house, we basically only did
stage one and stage five. - Hmm hmm. - Because it was-
- Yeah. - You know, we only had that location. And then we sort of did the middle of the movie afterwards. - So did you shoot that
last scene in the beginning? - Yeah.
- Amazing. - Yeah. All of the last- - Right, right, right.
- End of the movie. - So the first and last scene.
- Yeah. - Was the first (speaks
French) of the film. - Yeah.
- I speak French. Um... - Can I be excused?
- Yeah. Yeah. I don't really need you. (both laughing) - Okay, great. - Hold on.
(Emma speaks French) We're getting back. (laughing) Oh, that was good.
- Thank you. (laugh) - C'est bien. (both laughing) My accent is perfect. (Emma laughs) - (indistinct) Good, good, good. Yeah, good, good, good.
- Good, good, good. All right, all right, all right (murmurs). (Emma laughs) So back to the, anyway, okay, so you're talking to Yorgos about the five stages.
- Yeah. - And then do you go back and then how do you start
to inhabit what those are? 'Cause you're certainly
not just thinking about it. I assume, you start, how did you prepare for each stage? - It was really like the
two of us collaborating through the entire thing
so we had like little- - Are you FaceTiming? Are you spending time together? - Well, we went to Budapest for a month before we started shooting. So we had like a month
long rehearsal process. - With the other actors?
- With the other actors. And then we would have solo
rehearsals with just him and I where we would work
truly on like the walk. - Yeah. Yeah.
- For an entire day. Or we would work on, you know, how she- - And can you just do that right now? - Yeah. So. (both laughing) - That was just like one
of my favorite things. Can you just do it real quick. - Do you do the walk? (laughing) (both playfully chattering) - We'll do it later.
- Anyway. - Yeah, so we worked on that and then a lot of it was kind of just experimenting in the moment because a big thing was, you know, early on I went into it being, I think more literal than I needed to be, you know, watching videos of like a toddler learning to walk or- - Right. - How someone says their first words. And because she's in this fully
formed adult healthy body. - Right. - Her relationship to
not knowing how to walk, you know, it's not even like you could compare it to someone who's
just been like in an accident and is recovering and learning to walk. She's completely fine.
- Right. - And needing, it's just her
brain that hasn't caught up, which was great because there
was nothing to compare it to. So it was just completely like- - Yeah, your imagination.
- Does this work? Does that not work?
- Yeah. - This looks stupid. Like this is, you know, I mean, it all looks a little stupid, but that's the part of the film. - It's all absolutely believable. - Well-
- That's amazing. - Glad you feel that way. But it's a metaphor. It's not based on a true story. (Bradley laughs) No, you know that, right?
- I got it. Did my research, dude. - What? Did you look it up on Wikipedia? - Yeah, on Wiki-peaks. (Emma laughs) - On Wiki-poots?
- Yeah. Man. (Emma laughs)
Google told me. - Google told me this isn't real 'cause immediately after, I Googled. - I was with my daughter the other day. She's like, "So what
happens when you die?" - Oh, no! - I was like, you know,
"I actually don't know," because I always tell her the truth. - Yeah.
- Doesn't Google know? I was like, "Oh my God." - (gasps) She asked if Google knew? - Yeah. I was like, "Maybe." - Did you look it up? To see what it said?
- No, I didn't. - We were walking. - It turns out Google does know. - Yeah, yeah, we were getting
ice cream. (Emma laughs) - You have a phone though, right? That has internet on it.
- Yeah. - You can get Google on your phone. - I don't like to be on my
phone around my daughter. - That's cool. You're a really good dad.
- Thanks. - Anyway. (laughing) - So they're like, what
the fuck's happening? - Sorry, guys. Again, we've known each
other for way too long. - The cameraman just looked at his watch. So. (both laughing) So. So, okay, so here's my question. - Yeah.
- So the second thing is, so say you're preparing each stage. Do you talk about comedy or he just trusts that
you have comedic rhythm? Because it's just so believable and so funny at the same time. - Well, Tony's writing, Tony McNamara, who wrote the script also
wrote "The Favourite". He also wrote "Cruella." So I've worked with him quite a few times and he's very funny. And he's a very specific
type of, you know, the way his dialogue moves. And like, I know it's
Tony's writing right away because he just has that
sort of like feel for it. - But when you say his writing, did he write the sounds that you're making and the rhythm in which you
make them in the beginning? 'Cause you're not even
saying words, really. - No. No, no, no.
- So that's just you. - That-
- You and Yorgos figuring out. - Yeah, like kind of figuring
out what would happen- - The rhythm of it
around the dinner table. You know what I mean? All that stuff. - Yeah, I mean but that-
- That's just instinct? - I guess so partially, but it also was, that rehearsal
process was so helpful because we all got to
know each other so well and all you do in a rehearsal with Yorgos is like mess around. You play theater games.
- Wow. - It's not literal at all. You're not like reading the scenes and working out how they go. - Oh, that's cool.
- It's very playful. Like you're like a human noodle or you're doing log rolls or whatever. - Really?
- Yeah, like really fun things where you kind of embarrassed yourself. - Does Yorgos do it with you? - Sometimes, he does it with you. - That's great. - But then otherwise he kind of like, just laughs through the
whole thing, which is great. - Is his DP with you or just he- - Yeah, Robbie. Robbie comes and watches and sort of, you know,
gets to know everybody. So everybody feels really like silly. - Like a troop.
- And free and like a troop. - And that's what his movies
feel like, quite honestly. - But it's because of that, it's because of that process.
And we have the same like- - Like no other cast in any other film, it feels like, like I'm watching this film and then they're gonna
take it somewhere else. - Yeah and that's exactly
what it feels like by the time you're even
on set for the first day, you're like, we've already
had dinner every night. We've already been like
all over each other. - Wow.
- In rehearsals. And like, you know, have
made fun of each other and you know, been embarrassed. And so there's nothing
that really feels like it's off limits when you're on set because you're with your friends. I've been a whore, you understand. - Hmm. - Cocks for money inside me. You okay with that? - So you show up on set. Are you the kind of actor
where like you're just, you talking making jokes and then you switch it on with action or with this movie,
which is so in your body, was it easier just to sort of be in that place the whole time? - I didn't think that I was staying in it between at all. But then I think once the movie finished and I like went back to
life and I left Budapest and I went back to New York, I was like, whoa, it is
very weird to not be Bella. - Right. - It is sort of embarrassing
because it sounds very actry, but I'm sure you know this with the, we're gonna get into your
movie in just a second, but- - That looked painful. (wheezes) You okay? We don't have to talk about it. Dude, we do not have to talk about it. - Bradley? Bradley?
- I'm right here. - I'm right here.
- Where? - Yeah.
(Emma exasperating) - All right, I'm back.
- Okay. Okay. - Sorry about that.
- It's all right. It's all right.
- I had to take a call. - That's not- You took a call?
- I took a call. - Wow.
- Yeah, I was on the phone. (Bradley laughing)
Sorry about that. - That's okay. - No, like, I miss Bella. I actively miss Bella.
- I do. She's an infectious person. - She was like the most
joyous, curious, you know, incredible inspiring character to be in. And so I didn't really know
how kind of alter altered. - And that's what I love
about the writing too, because everybody feels
that way in the movie. All the other characters feel that way. - About Bella?
- Yeah. Yeah. - Well, because she's such
an incredible character. So far beyond like, whatever
the performance of it is, it's like she is so lovable. - Yeah.
- She's so- - The movie is allowing
you to love her too, because everybody in the movie can't not be around her. - And they also want to completely like. - [Bradley] Yeah. - Some of them wanna like
stifle the life out of her. - Until they realize that
she's more powerful than them. - [Emma] Exactly. - And then they still wanna
be around her, even though- - She makes them insane. - Yes.
- Yeah. It's a really- - Which leads to Mark Ruffalo. - Oh my God.
- Who I've always loved. But I haven't seen him
do something like this where you just realize, oh, like this guy can do anything. - He's so funny.
- Yeah. - He's so funny. - And just went out on a limb. - Completely. And the amazing thing about Mark is that could not be more opposite of that character in real life. And so in between, he's just like this
love bug and he's like- - Wait. so he was not like, in between. - My God, like what am I doing? This is so... I'm being so nasty. And then, you know, it's like action. And he's like. (indistinct) He was incredible.
- That's amazing. - He could not be more opposite
as people, Duncan and Mark. - Right. - So can I ask you a little
bit about "My Aestro?" - (laughing) Wow. I love the way you pronounced that. - What? Pronounced what?
- "My Aestro." - "My Aestro." - Yeah. (laughs)
- Your film, "My Aestro?" - Sure. (laughs) Okay, Bradley, this has been really fun because I got to sit and
watch "A Star Is Born." You were in the back of the theater. And then for an hour
after "A Star is Born," I sobbed. Uncontrollably. And then my mother and I got to come over and watch "Maestro" with you. And you were not sitting right next to us, but you were in the room. And both of us were just
like an absolute wreck by the middle of the film. And so in awe of what we were
seeing, what you were doing, what Carrie was doing, your direction, that conducting scene, which I was like in full
body chills for an entire, how long was that? Six minutes?
- Yeah, six minutes. - Insane. It was like, it felt like an hour and it felt like I was
watching like a true, a true conductor, like a master at work. And you gotta talk to me
about that entire process because I knew when you started, I mean, it was six years in the making. - Yeah.
- And six minutes of conduct- - Hey. - What's your thing with sixes? - I don't know.
- You have a little- - The devil? - Huh. (both laughing) - Cool. It's not funny stuff. You don't mess with that. (patting) - It's only two. - (laughing) Um, I remember
when you were beginning the process of "Maestro" years ago, and you were talking about Lenny and what you were feeling
about this whole project and that idea for the opening show. I remember having dinner at your house and you were showing
like this kind of idea for that whole movie.
- Yeah. - So for us to see that
in the film years later was so unbelievable to watch you, you know, in the bedroom and
then moving into the theater. And it was just so like, personally fulfilling
to watch having seen, you know, pieces of it throughout. But for you, entering into that, what I heard, which I didn't understand, was that there was like a Spielberg, like he was gonna direct that. - He was gonna direct a movie
about Leonard Bernstein. - Got it. - And he talked to me about
potentially acting in it. - Okay.
- Just acting in it. - Okay. - Because he knew how
much I loved conducting since I was a kid.
- Yeah. - Obsessed with it. - How did you get into
conducting as a kid? - I mean, when I say
conducting, play conducting, like you know-
- No, I know. But why, what was it? - Tom and Jerry, you know,
Bugs Bunny, you know the- - So it was like cartoon conducting. You thought that was so cool?
- Well, that's where I start. I was like, oh, well you can do this. And like the sound comes out. - Yeah.
- You know. And then I asked Santa Clause for a baton when I was like, just
around eight-years-old. And then I would just conduct all the time because there was classical
music playing in my house. We had a record player in the living room. And I'd always just sit in the living room and just start to conduct
whatever the music was. And then I started to have
favorite pieces of music and I would ask my dad to get CDs of that. And then one of them was this Tchaikovsky's Op 35 in D Major. Do you remember that
movie with Dudley Moore and Armand Assante? They played conductors. I
dunno if you've ever seen it but it was that piece of music. So I remember seeing that as a kid. Like, "Oh my gosh, I know
how to do that music." And so I would spend hours and hours. And then in grad school, Ellen Burstyn came and
did a workshop with us and we'd like, create a character and I wrote a monologue about a conductor. So I was like, this conductor- - Oh my God. It was really in you.
- Like a huge part of me. And I knew that somewhere, man. I thought, gosh, I've done so much work on like believing I'm a conductor. - [Emma] Yeah. - That if I ever had
the chance to play one, there's years and years of
like, rehearsal inside of me. - Yeah. Yeah. - And I felt that way about Merrick, too, "The Elephant Man" and certainly things like 'A Rockstar." I was always like, you know, I've done a lot of air
guitars since I was kid. And you know, when you
believe you are something, it really, that's all
we're trying to do anyway. - That's the only thing. - That's the only thing-
- We have to do. - Right. So I always thought that, gosh, if I ever got to play
one, I might like cellularly, I believe it.
- Yeah. - And then he wasn't gonna direct it. And I just finished "The Star Was Born" and I really found what I loved, which is writing and directing movies. I just never dreamt that
big when I was a kid. But that was actually the dream I had. Like when I saw "The Elephant Man." - Well, you've been
always since I met you, I feel like.
- Yeah, yeah. - That's always been part of- - Yeah, yeah, later, yeah-
- Yeah, sort of. But you definitely- - But I never sort of like gave myself the license to do it until I was 40, for "A Star is Born." But also I had the luxury of like, the honor of being able
to work with directors who really allowed me to
be a part of that process. - Yeah. - But then he decided not to do it. He didn't think he was gonna do it. And I just said, "Well, could I? What would you think if I took it on?" And then I showed him "A Star Is Born," and then he said, yeah, then I had to get the rights
to the music from the kids. And then it just all started and I just started doing research. And that's how it started
back in 2017, the end of 2017. - I know exactly who you are. Let's ... Give it a whirl.
(pensive music) - How is your relationship with his kids? - Oh, I mean, the whole movie wouldn't be what it is if
it wasn't for the kids. I mean, they were part of it every step. I included them in everything
except for the shooting, that I keep like closed off. - Yeah, of course. - They were invaluable, you know, and they provided so much
just being around them, you know, because Felicia and Lenny, they spoke melodically and
his voice was just lyrical. The kids have inherited that rhythm. So it was great just to be around it. - Really? That's so interesting. - I feel like our movies, you couldn't have made "Poor Things" if you didn't have a
tremendous amount of prep. - Yeah. Yeah. - You know, and it's the
same thing with "Maestro." I watch your movie and your performance, and I think there's just no way. This wasn't like, you got a call and then- - No, yeah.
- You're gonna do it. - Yeah. Yeah.
- You know, like this had to have taken years. - But that is interesting because it sounds like we worked on, I mean, obviously I didn't
direct "Poor Things". You were also like-
- Yeah. - Writing, directing, producing. You were in every single
facet of that experience. And then the bleed actor of the film. I mean, that's so much to take on. But it is interesting
that we both kind of, these projects began in 2017. - [Bradley] Yeah. - And then we made them years later. - I know, I know. - So, living with it in that way, even if you're not
actively on a daily basis, because you know, typically,
it is what you're saying. Like, oh, six months from now
I'm gonna go do this project and I'll start prepping, you know, soon. - That's right. - And it's gonna be really, you know, specific and for these couple months, and then I'm done with it. This kind of thing for both of us lived in the same frame
of time where it's like, it's sort of more interior. Like you don't even, even when you're not actively prepping, it's weirdly like working
its way inside of you. - That's right, yes. - Because you're thinking
about it so much. - Yes. - Which is a really amazing-
- It's a gift. - It's a huge gift. And it's also, you know, scary because you have so much
time to think about it. Like to think about everything
that could go wrong, or the ways that you could
fuck this up or all of that. Or at least for me, like, there's a lot in you that's
like, I really wanna- - But I have felt that before in projects. And maybe that's 'cause I'm maybe, although I've just recently realized that maybe I'm a bit of a
control freak. (chuckles) I knew that like, if
"Maestro" was gonna mess up, it was all on me because I was doing it. I was not beholden to anybody. - [Emma] Totally. - You know, so there
was a freedom in that. - [Emma] Yeah, that's true as well. - As well as a huge burden.
- That makes sense. - We've done incredible
roles in our career, but this kind of thing, to me,
feels completely different. Like, this is actually a period of my life I'll never forget. I'll carry it with me the rest of my life. It has changed who I am as an artist. And when I watch your
performance in that film, there's no version where I don't think that's the same case for you, because it also feels like
there's a lot of firsts. Like, you know, even
though I'm not physically, you know, sort of naked,
I was completely naked, like putting on this prosthetic and like being him and the
way he talked and like, and I would direct the movie that way. So I was like acting from
crew call to the end. - So you stayed in
characters the whole time? Yeah, of course. That would be- - It would be impossible.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. - But I felt like so vulnerable. - [Emma] Yeah. - And just watching your performance. I mean, the idea that, that was a set and there were people shooting it and you were that vulnerable
with your voice and your body, like just being able to act so unorthodox, like there had to be that, you had to give yourself permission, which I had to do as well, of just like jumping
off the cliff every day. - [Emma] Yeah. - And that doesn't always
happen when we do movies. - Yeah. - We're not always asked to
literally jump off a cliff in terms of giving over to, I dunno, people laughing at
us on set, quite honestly. And that's what I used to think. - [Emma] Yeah. - Did you feel that, that there was like that level of abandon that you had to have? - I did. But you know, to your point, you saying that it all winds up with you at the end of the day. That's what Yorgos says all the time. You know, like, he takes responsibility that the final product is on him. I mean, he always kind
of takes it on himself. And so I do have that separation
of being able to really, like, there's a captain of
the ship that I fully trust and have such admiration and respect for. - Which is clear, yeah.
- Immense. Immense, immense respect. I mean, we've made four
projects together now, so it's like I'm able to
sort of give everything over. So in that circumstance, it's
like, people did laugh at me. He would laugh at me, he'd be like (playfully murmuring). That one was crazy. Like, let's (murmuring) or whatever. But that was-
- Hard. - Best because it was
like, there's no eggshells. We can fight, we can laugh, we can, like, all of that is totally free. And we have such, we're
so close that it was like a very safe environment to do that. And when it comes to
any of the legitimate, you know, nudity or any of
those scenes that were that way, we had this tiny, tiny crew that was, you know, our limited crew was Yorgos, was Robbie, Ryan, our cinematographer, who looks at me like I
am a table or a lamp. Like, it was amazing. He was just like, whatever. - Yeah, I'm not even thinking about you actually being physically naked, I just meant like your performance. - Oh, yeah.
- Is like- - But even in that respect, it was like, there were as few people as
possible at any given time. - And by the way, that's
the way we do it too. I mean, there's no video
of village on sets. - Yeah, there's none-
- There are no chairs. - There were none on ours either. - Really?
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- It's all very- And Yorgos sits right next to the camera and has the marker and that's it, yeah. - Oh, that's amazing. It's exactly the same way.
- Yeah. - I don't want anybody else around. - Completely. And it feels very, it feels very freeing because you know that you're just, to the point where it is
kind of strange to see- - Wow, I did not know he did it like that. - Yeah, it is kinda
strange to see the movie after you make it because you're like, it felt like such an intimate experience. - Yeah, there was a camera? - This was a movie? Like what the hell? - Yeah.
- I knew there was a camera. I just didn't know it was on. - Right. (laughing) - You know what I mean?
- Got it. Got it. - But we have no marks. There's no action. There's no, it's just very. - Yeah, I don't say action.
- Yeah. So that's a really nice, like- - Which is amazing too, I'm so glad you told me
that because "Maestro" and "Poor Things" is a
very structured stylistic, they're both stylistic films. Like, you know, we had
like three cameras running and then we made it, edit-
- [Emma] Pretty sweeping. - Those movies were made
while we were shooting it. You know, so it was very thought out. - Yeah.
- I love that. I did not know that. That's really cool. What was it like working with, I hope I pronounce his name correctly. Your husband. He was a comedian. He was so awesome. The young actor. - Ramy Youssef?
- Yes, yes. - Oh, he was amazing. That was his first film. - Oh man, he blew me away. - I mean, he has his own show. - Yeah, I know that,
yeah. He was so wonderful. - He's so, so good.
- His earnest. - I know. He's so lovable. And he was just like, and
he's so much fun as a per, again, like, that rehearsal
process is invaluable because by the time you go in there, I'm like (playfully murmuring), ooh, it feels like my brother, you know? He's just so wonderful and he's fantastic. And it's a hard part.
- Very hard. - It's a hard part. - And for you to go back to him and for us to believe why is really- - Yeah, because he really becomes, because there is something kind of twisted about what he's agreeing
to do and marrying her. But then he also is the most
accepting of where she's been. - But it's also you about like, the trajectory of like a relationship. In the end, you just want a kind person. - Yeah. And someone that allows
you to be yourself. - Yes, exactly. Yes. - Like when she says to Duncan, like, I'm a flawed and experimenting person, who was never married, you know? - That's right. - I think that line alone too, I've carried with me like, we're all flawed and experimenting people. - Yes, yes.
- At our best, I hope. - And he sees you for who you are. - Exactly.
- Accepts you. - Yeah, but you know,
there's so many aspects of who he is as a character and who Bella is that I really,
I really, you know, love. - The one scene I also
wanna talk about that was, your co-star who runs the brothel. - Kathryn Hunter.
- Wow. - [Emma] She's incredible. - That scene when she comes
to you and you're in bed. - She's amazing.
- Wow. That was really, just her physicality. Are those her tattoos? - No, that was all, that was- - That's unbelievable.
- Yeah. - I didn't know who, I
don't know that actor. - Oh my God. You need to go watch- - So I thought that Yorgos
had cast somebody who just- - Oh no, she's a-
- Yeah, I had no idea. - She was nominated
for an Oscar last year. You better do some research. Let's cut that out. Let's cut that out. Just wanna protect you, okay. (Bradley laughs) It's really a (whispering
indistinctly) thing, dude. Dude, you shoulda have talked
to me about that before. - I didn't know.
- Dude, you should have- - I think that the
cameras are still rolling. It doesn't matter that we're whispering. - Oh! Hi, you guys. You're watching "Variety Actors on Actors" with me, Emma Stone and Bradley Cooper. So Bradley, great to see you. (both laughing) Um. Yeah.
- What was it? The other question I have
is, you know, the set design, the production design is insane. I assume most of that was
done on a set sound stage. Is that correct? - It was all, it was
exclusively a sound stage except for there was one
scene where we're in the park. - And how much of that is practical where you as actors can
see what it is as opposed- - Almost all of it.
- Wow. - Lisbon was the only
part where there was, there needed to be set
extensions at the top where the cable cars are going across. And the kind of ocean in the background. But even on the ship, it
was a giant LED screen. So it's meant to feel artificial but it was a giant LED
screen of the ocean. - Wow.
- But these sets, I've never seen anything
like it in my life. It took about 45 minutes
to walk through Lisbon. You would walk down
alleyways, go into a hotel, a full lobby, walk upstairs,
multiple hotel rooms, walk back down, walk out
to a full restaurant. - It was just wonderful.
- Another restaurant. Downstairs to a bar. - So you are the character and
then you walk into the space. - It made it so easy 'cause you know, Bella's
wandering through Lisbon for a good amount of that. And I just was-
- It's interesting. - You know, just looking in awe. - We did something similar
in "Maestro" that like, but we found, I was so adamant that we shoot on these locations. - Yeah. - 'Cause I wanted the same
thing where we would just walk 'cause Carrie did so much work and it was like we owe it to ourselves to actually shoot in the places. - Yeah. - So we could dwell and then you don't know
what's gonna happen. - Yeah.
- Yeah. I'm a big believer in that. - Walking in the Baxter's house and seeing Bella's bedroom
for the first time, like a week before we shot was so emotional.
- Yeah. - For me to be like, this is what you guys
have seen Bella's room as. And it's so detailed and gorgeous and like the walls are literally quilted. And it was the same thing with costumes. Holly Waddington who did our costumes, every part of the process was like, it's just the most detail-oriented
film I've ever worked on. - I remember walking in a lot of it, we shot at their Fairfield House and I remember walking up the stairs and going into his bedroom where he lived after she passed
away and they lived together and just like you know,
the wallpaper, the bed. And it's just.
- Oh my God. Yeah, I mean you were really in- - It was crazy.
- His environment. I was playing a metaphor of a person. You were playing a very real person. - But it was created, a
world, that's the same thing, that you were able to walk
around in and inhabit. When he had the LED screens of the ocean, did he play sound of
the ocean for you guys? - No.
- No? - No, because we had to
record sound for the- - Of course.
- For the movie. Are you okay? - There's a phone.
- Oh. - Yeah. It's okay. (Emma laughing)
We're current, dude. That's not gonna throw us. We're professies. - Okay, Bradley, will you talk to me about
conducting the cathedral scene? - I'd love to, Emma.
- Thank you so much. Bradley Cooper. - You know, this was such
a tricky movie to structure and figure out what I was even gonna do. - [Emma] Yeah. - And I knew that I didn't
wanna make a biopic, but I also wanted-
- A biophic, if you will. - Yeah, on "Maestro".
- My Aestro. But I didn't want to. I can't do it. You do it. - My Aestro. - One of the best voices
in the biz, everybody. - And that's what I keep telling people. No one's listening.
- Oh. - Anyway, continue. (laughing) - But I knew that if I put
his music in the movie, then that would do everything that a biopic would ever do anyway. Like if you wanna learn
about Martin Scorsese, just watch all of his films rather than- - Yeah.
- Watching interviews. - So early on I knew I
wanted to do all of his music and I wanted a classical
pillar for his classical music and then for his musical theater. And he loved Mahler, Gustav Mahler. - Yeah.
- And to me, when I was researching it, for some reason I never
heard Mahler's music, which I don't know how I
missed that, but I missed it. And that to me is the most
powerful piece of music I've ever heard in my life.
- Yeah. - And he conducted it. It was one of the first
things I had researched six years ago. There's a YouTube video of him conducting in Ely Cathedral, this huge gothic
cathedral in the seventies with the London Symphony Orchestra. It encapsulates everything
you ever wanna know about him as a conductor. His ability to harness that music, to be in the center of
the sun and not burn, but instead just shine
the light back onto us. I thought, well, if I could figure out how to conduct just like
those six minutes at the end, that could be that piece of, that pillar for the movie.
- Yeah. (dramatic classical music) The benefit was that I knew six years ago. And then I just started researching and I was able to get the
footage of just him conducting. So I literally had him
conducting that piece. - Oh my God. - And then Gustavo Dudamel was kind enough to be working with me for the last six years. He conducted that piece with the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl. And I was with him from
the first rehearsal all the way to the last rehearsal. - Oh my God. - And then three and a half years later, I traveled with him to Berlin and spent two weeks with him
with the Berlin Philharmonic. - That is so cool.
- Which, you know, arguably the best orchestra in the world, in one of the best halls in the world. That hall, if you ever get a chance, you can hear every single instrument. It was built in the sixties and it still is like one of
the best halls in the world. - Wow.
- And he did that, that same piece with them. And then Yannick Seguin, who was the guy that really was like the other part of Lenny,
musically in the movie, was there with me through
all of the shooting. And he made videos and he actually, I had an earpiece when I did that. And he was in another room making sure that I knew the tempo.
- Yeah. - For the time changes.
- Yeah. - Even though I couldn't hear
it 'cause it was so loud. - Oh my God. - And I made this movie fearlessly. And like as we spoke about, you know, there's really nothing
on the cutting room floor within the scenes. They are just what they are.
- Yeah. - Which was wonderful for the
actors and also challenging. But that scene, I had
like five different setups and I realized, 'cause
it was all out of fear that I wasn't gonna be
able to pull it off. I didn't consciously
know that at the time, but the rest of the movie is
like two cameras, not even, you know, and then we're done. We had very short days.
- Yeah. - But that one, and that one
day, I think it was a Thursday, I just kept messing it up 'cause we were doing it live, that was live with the- With 75 orchestra members, 130 and then all the background. And these are all unicorns. Like they're the best at what they do. The concert master showed
me like a still of him at four-years-old with two wooden spoons. - Oh my God.
- Like that's when I, so imagine like-
- Yeah. - You know, I played glass-
- It's like sports psychology. - [Bradley] It's like- - It's like you're in the like finals. - Yes. Yeah. - You know, and you're like, okay, I've like played well this whole time. And now you're only- - And also like standing on that podium. - [Emma] Yeah. Oh my God. - And conducting is the hardest thing. People are always like, what's conducting? You're sort of just like, it's like, "No, no."
- It looks exhaust- You're like pouring you're sweat and like- - You're keeping your tempo a
little bit ahead to make sure. And you're also reminding everybody these things that you'd
worked on in rehearsal. Luckily, they're the greatest
orchestra in the world. - Yeah.
- But still, I had to conduct them because the shot is seeing everybody. So I messed up the whole first day. I kept messing up. And the minute I was
behind tempo, it's over. Like, you can't, I'm lost. And imagine that, like,
I'm doing this in front of, first of all, I'm Lenny, I'm directing it. And I'm like, and I just thought, and they don't really give you anything, you know, these positions.
- Yeah. - And I was just like,
oh, it was a nightmare. It it was total.
- Oh my God. - And I went to bed and
I texted the sound mixer, which he gets a text at like
2:00 AM from the director saying like, "Do we
have it? Question mark." That's how I vulnerable I was. I'm texting the sound mixer. - But it makes total sense. But, oh, oh- - And then he wrote me back,
he's like, "I think so." And I text Jason Ruder,
the musical, the other guy. And I'm like, "Do we have it?" You know, it was like an insecure, like "We got it, right, we
got it, we got it, right?" - Yeah, of course. Well, of course. But it makes total sense. - We didn't have it though. We didn't have it. - You had to do it again?
- No. So I woke up in the
morning, the next morning. We were supposed to shoot that outdoor scene with the cathedral. - [Emma] Yeah. - There was a scene of her driving up that I didn't keep in the movie. So we had a techno crane for that. And again, honestly, like, I feel like Lenny kept showing
me what to do all the time. I really did. So I would always get
ready before crew call. So I was like, at work six hours or five hours before
crew call, become Lenny, and then I'd be able to
walk in the set a little bit maybe before even anybody came. - Yeah.
- The crew. - Because we were all staying right in that little small town, Ely, we shot in the cathedral
that he played in. I walked into that
church and it was empty. We're not supposed to
shoot there that day. And I just, and I looked up and I just, I had like a conversation with him and I was like, "I gotta
give it one more shot." And they all came in. Maddie came in, Mango, Scott (indistinct). I said, guys, before we go
outside, I know we have time. That's not gonna take long. Let's bring the techno crane in. And it was so crazy,
like this huge, you know, 40 foot techno crane.
- Yeah. - Bringing in the bowels of the cathedral. And I asked everybody to wait. And I set up the shot of a one take, one shot that becomes her reveal. Felicia's reveal on-
- Yeah. - On the right shoulder.
- Yeah. - And it took like, you know, an hour and a half to set up. I had like the audio from the day before and we're going and I had like a bow to make sure the camera could go. And then I was being her and we had set it up for
six and a half minutes. And then I brought everybody back in and I actually said like a prayer to Lenny in front of everybody. Like, "Thank you for this opportunity. We're just gonna do it again." And that's what's in the movie. It was one take.
- Whoa! - And I did it. And when it ended, the timpanist, the guy, you know, from
the back came running up and he was like, "You know,
what you did yesterday, it was total shit. You know, today, you conducted us." (both laughing) And I was like, "No, no,
I know, I know, I know." "No, no, you don't understand. You can't use yesterday at all." I was like, "No, no, no, we're not. We're not, we got it,
we got it, we got it." And he's like-
- That's unbelievable. - It was crazy, yeah.
- Wow. - And it was really like-
- You knew? - And my feeling, my memory
of that, of that take, 'cause the other one,
I was just in my head was that I was actually floating above the orchestra and that I was able to like
point to each musician. - Do you think that's what could, where- - Well, he talked about like, you know, it was interesting, I don't know, but it
was the most, you know, singing at the Oscars, like
playing at Glastonbury, which I thought would
be the things that I be, those didn't even compare
to what that experience was. It was-
- So you're saying, those were crappy experiences? - No, but it was like really. - So, you're saying-
- And I'm not. And everybody, and I feel
like everybody felt it. It wasn't just me. - No. It's totally transcending. - Something actually
happened in that take. - That's what it feels like
when you're watching the film. It feels like.
- It was really, it was crazy. - It really is. - I don't know what the heck happened- - It was beautiful. - But the only thing I
could say is that, you know, all the prep, you know, that's the kind of thing that
can only happen if you work. And that's what I see in your movie. It's like, there's no
way she just winged it. Do you know what I mean?
Like, you're sick talented. But like, that had to be a
tremendous amount of work. - It was, but it was like
the most joyous work ever. - Yeah, by the way, I never
felt like it was hard. You know, people say, "Was it so hard?" I was like, it's not,
hard is not the word. - Hard is not the word, I don't think ever, when it comes to- - No, when you're enjoying it.
- Yeah. Completely. It's beautiful. We're so
lucky to get to do this. This is like, it's a joy.
- Yeah. - The only thing, real quick, did you ever think you
would ever play Franken, you know, a female Franken? - No!
- Right? - No! - So when Yorgos first
pitched this to you, what was your initial reaction? - I was completely in love. I was like, I plea- 'Cause he wasn't even pitching it to me. We were just having dinner and I was like, "So what are you gonna do next?" He was like, "Oh, there's,
you know, this one project, there's this book that you know, it's written Alasdair Gray and working out with Tony, you know," who again wrote "The Favourite". "What's that one about?" And then he gives me, "This woman Bella, and she, you know." I mean the short form
explanation of that story is pretty wack and down, you know? - Right. - Woman who jumps off a
bridge, now is pregnant. He's gonna take the baby's brain out and puts it in her head
and reanimates her. And then you know,
she's going through life and meets all these men. And
they're kind of like, you know, they try to possess her and she drives 'em crazy or whatever. I was like, "I would love
to do that if you're free. That sounds incredible. Yes." And he was like, "It wasn't a pitch." You know?
- You asked what he was doing. - It's one of the things
I'm kind of working on. But it was, from the very, it was like a, like something was screaming out at me. It sounded like the most incredible thing. And it's based on a
book so that, you know, obviously there's so much there already. But she's my favorite
character of all time. I don't know how I'll ever, if I'll ever get to-
- Yeah. - Get to play another character that makes me feel the
way that she made me feel. And that's okay.
- Yeah. - That's like an incredible thing. - And by the way, I would say that like, you're gonna bring her
to everything you do 'cause she's a part of you. I really do think that. Does that sound too hokey? I do believe it though. - You do?
- Yeah. Because there's a fearlessness that I saw, that's not gonna go away, that she gave you.
- I hope not. I hope not. - Its not. - It was a very, very, yeah, it was a very
life-changing experience, just as an actor.
- As an actor. - Yeah. - What she demanded of you and what Lenny demanded of me, I thought there's no way
it's not gonna translate. It's impossible. - It's gonna stick with you, the lessons that you learned throughout. - Oh, yeah.
- Yeah. Yeah. - Cool. Thanks, dude. I thought we were done. (laughing) - Cool? (Bradley laughs) - It's a good out. (audience clapping)
(Emma laughs) - I love you, Pooche.
- Ah, that was awesome. (jazzy music) (jazzy music continues) (jazzy music fades)
