He has a really dry, still sense of humour and it’s really perfect for this character. He was very vulnerable too which I didn’t know going in and I found myself in scenes with him where he was completely exposed emotionally and very honest.

- Harrison said you seemed very at ease in doing the scenes with him.

No, that’s just my coping mechanism - I seem very calm on the outside, but on the inside, I’m screaming! It’s funny because I always get so nervous, especially when I do awards shows.

- Really?

Yes and people say ‘You seemed so calm on stage’ but the minute I’m done, I’m shaking like a leaf. I’m always asking ‘Did I just make a completely fool of myself?’ and people say ‘You’d never know you were nervous’ but on the inside, it’s a whole other story.

I guess I just conceal it well because I was very nervous to work with Harrison. He’s one of my childhood heroes. 

I wanted to impress him when we did those scenes. I wanted to be a good team partner for him and I wanted to bring my A-game because I respect him so much.

-What was it like working with Diane?

Another amazing person to get the opportunity to work with. She’s so funny and talented and she always looks like a million bucks. She gave me some great personal advice too.

I said to her one day ‘You always look so fabulous in the mornings’ while I would come to work dressed in sweatpants.

She would always be in high heels and dresses and look so fantastic. I said ‘I always want to save my good stuff’ but Diane told me ‘There’s no time like the present to break out all your best things.

There’s no point in saving it. It’s there to be used and you need to treat every day that way.’ I thought that was great because it’s so true.

Before that I’d save all my good stuff, but for when? (laughs) Now, thanks to Diane, I’m breaking out the good stuff!

- New York is almost like another character in this film. What was it like shooting here?

New York is very important in this film. You put a camera on any corner in New York and you’re going to get something amazing, but Roger (Michell) had some very specific ideas of things he wanted to shoot.

You know, the statues, the monuments, the things you pass by every day and don’t take note of. He incorporated those in a really beautiful way. I loved his approach to it all.

- What was it like working with Roger and how was he as a director?

I had met Roger a few times to talk about Morning Glory. I’ve long been an admirer of his films and how diverse they are. He insisted on rehearsals which I think is great. He has a theatre background so he gets the benefit of that.

One of the things I like most about Roger is that he has a great way of weaving in these seemingly very peripheral characters and making them important and making them matter.

I mean, the greatest pool of unemployed actors are in New York City and he brought in such amazing talent, such as John Pankow (who plays Lenny Bergman) and Matt Molloy (Ernie Appleby).

All of the producers in that newsroom where Becky feels bombarded, they were all exceptional. I think that was one of my favourite scenes in the movie. Each and every actor in that scene brought so much to the table.

- What was one of the more unusual aspects of shooting Morning Glory?

Well, that would have to be the pigeon wrangling. There are billions of pigeons all over New ork so you’d think it wouldn’t be difficult to find a pile of them to run through, but let e assure you, I had to coax those pigeons with bread to be in that scene.

It was very relaxing actually (laughs). But running wasn’t the easiest in those heels.

- I can imagine

Yes, we had to have a shoe test in my trailer to see which ones were going to work. Anything with a platform? Not so good. You need a little grip.

- This film deals a lot with drive and ambition. Do you think too much ambition can ever be a bad thing?

I do actually. I think being very ambitious can serve you well up to a point, but Becky is one the verge.

I think she does tip over at a certain point (laughs) and she has to pull back a bit.  Maybe this is a little more internalised for me regarding Becky, but I think she comes to realise that sometimes you don’t have to do it all by yourself.

I think women have a tendency to think we have to do it all, but that can be very hard. I think when you foster relationships, as well as having your career, it means we also can learn to let go a little bit. I believe balance in life is key.

Interview by Donna Walker-Mitchell

Morning Glory is out now

 

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