TOTAL FILM INTERVIEW
Olivia Colman on The Father, The Favourite and passing The Crown to Imelda Staunton.
From sitcom standout to Oscar-winning heavyweight, Olivia Colman has made her journey to national treasure status look easy. But, ahead of the release of searing, awards-attracting dementia drama The Father, she tells Total Film she’s never had a gameplan.
“YOU OFTEN HAVE MORE FUN ON A REALLY GRITTY DRAMA, AND SOMETIMES COMEDIES CAN BE TERRIBLY SERIOUS.”
It’s November 2020, and Olivia Colman is promoting her new movie from the comfort of her living room. Total Film is joining her via (what else?) Zoom, and she’s enjoying one of rare upsides of pandemic life. “I much prefer it to having to get up and go out,” she smiles. “That’s not what I’m meant to say, is it?”
Colman – Collie to her nearest and dearest – has never done things by the book. In person, she comes across just as you’d hope: unaffected, unpretentious, ‘normal’. She’s also far more selfdeprecating than you’d expect an Oscar and four-time Bafta winner to be, both about her craft and her interview skills. “I’m not the most eloquent person,” she laughs. “Which you’ll find out!”
As you’ll have no doubt witnessed in countless sitcoms and powerhouse dramas, it seems like there’s not much Colman can’t do when it comes to acting. She’s on fine form again in her upcoming drama, The Father. With director Florian Zeller adapting his own play (co-writing with Christopher Hampton), Colman stars opposite – and more than holds her own against – Anthony Hopkins at the top of his game.
The film (and play) is a compelling, disorientating portrait of dementia from the inside out, feeling at times like a family drama, and at others like a mystery thriller. “I remember reading it and loving it because I’d never seen anything from that point of view before,” says Colman. It’s already attracting awards attention, having been nominated for six BIFAs and shortlisted by several critics’ bodies (Colman has already picked up the Golden Eye award from the Zurich Film Festival).
Even with all that silverware, she remains remarkably down to earth. Perhaps its because success wasn’t exactly overnight. After falling in love with acting on stage, her career got off to a slow start, but friends Robert Webb and David Mitchell found work for her, most notably in Peep Show, which provided her with a steady job as she was slowly getting a foothold in the industry. “Thank God Sam [Bain] and Jesse [Armstrong] kept writing it, and people kept watching,” she says, appearing relieved. “It kept us all going for quite a long time.”
Film and TV roles were regular, but it was being cast in Paddy Considine’s short, Dog Altogether, which led in turn to Tyrannosaur, that really demonstrated Colman’s dramatic potential. Since then, she’s enviably switched between broad comedic turns (Rev., Fleabag) and prestige drama (Broadchurch, The Crown) and things that hover somewhere in between, like Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster and The Favourite. The latter, of course, earned her the Oscar, and she wells up recounting an awards anecdote about her castmates Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.
There’s something relatable, too, about her unwillingless to over-analyse what she does. “You try not to think about it,” she laughs. It’s time to get into it with a star who genuinely classifies as British acting royalty (not that she’d ever admit to it…)
What was it like working with director Florian Zeller, who was adapting his own play for The Father?
It was amazing. You sort of completely forgot he had done the play, and written it, and everything. He was just a genuinely great director. And I want to use the word… Well, “genius” gets bandied around a lot. But I think he really might deserve the word “genius”. He was brilliant. And considering it was his first film – he was better than most directors on their 10th film. You felt like he was so calm and so gentle, and everybody wanted to follow him. He gave perfect notes, and he seems to really like working with actors. He trusts actors, and lets them do their thing, which we all really like. [laughs] Because you tend to turn up on a set, and there’s a mark, and they’ve already decided you’ve got to do the line… But he was like, “I trust you. Do what you want to do, and we’ll get it.” It was just a joy. We loved it. And working with Tony Hopkins – bloody marvellous.
The Father avoids a lot of the pitfalls that adaptations of plays can fall into, even though it’s mostly set within one location. Was that something you were actively aware of and considering?
For that, I think you’d have to ask Florian. But he worked with Christopher Hampton as well, who is obviously a great screenwriter. And Florian wanted it to be a film, to be cinematic, rather than theatrical. We didn’t rehearse. What’s beautiful about film is that it can be absolutely instantaneous and fresh. And so he used that, and he let us react naturally to each other. So performancewise, I couldn’t feel any theatre traits, you know? The set is a sort-of third character, in a way. Although I can imagine that set on a stage, there’s something so powerful you can do in film that you just can’t do in the theatre. It changes. You walk through a door, and it’s a different place. You can’t take the audience with you so much in a theatre. So I sort of forgot that it had been a play. So if that was his intention, he did it really well.
Anthony Hopkins is such a towering presence on screen, but on social media
he has a really bonkers sense of humour. How did you find him?
I don’t have social media, and I tend not to look, because I’m not very thickskinned. But during the process of doing all the press, people have been bringing it up. And I don’t know what he does on it. Because he has these little mad moments, like little dances, and he likes everyone to be happy. He’s joyful and lovely. He would say between scenes, “Isn’t life beautiful? Aren’t we lucky? We’re so lucky to be doing this.” It’s so nice that he still just loves being at work, and loves people, and is so companionable. I want to be that. I don’t want to be some cranky old cow. [laughs] He’s so helpful to everybody, and wants everyone to do their best. He’s lovely.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHY IT’S WORKED OUT, AND I’M REALLY PLEASED IT HAS
Are you similar in the sense that you completely slip out of it between takes, even when it’s intense subject matter like this?
Yes. Neither of us are remotely Method. I know we’ve both used this word in interviews, but it was easy. It seems like the wrong word. But it really was. If it’s well written – and it was well written – and you’re with someone like Tony, who’s so adept at tapping into any emotion he needs, it literally feels real. You just do it, and then it’s finished. And we know we’re acting, we’re pretending. But you do know when it feels real.
You must get a lot of scripts – how do you decide which ones you actually like enough to do?
I should have a better method. I’m not terribly good at saying no. I do lean on my agents quite a lot for that, and my husband. I share all the scripts that I get with him, and I have done for 26 years. So he also says, “You have sort of covered that ground before.” And I go, “Yeah, that’s important. I don’t really want to do that one.” Because he knows that I’ll go, “I want to do something different!” It’s a sort of gut feeling, when you read it and go, “Ooh. I want to play that.” Or, “I don’t want to sit and watch someone else play it.” That’s a good litmus test as well.
In what way are you bad at saying no?
The work that has gone into something. And sometimes it’s taken someone years to get to the point where they can put it out to people. I really feel that… you know, “Oh, God, they’ve worked really hard, and it’s really great, but I sort of did that last year, and I think maybe someone else should be doing it.” Without sounding… I think that sounds bad. I don’t want to play the same part over and over again. That’s the whole point of being an actor, I think. I want to play different people, and have a go at something else. Although I really like the script, I feel like I’ve done it before, and that’s really hard to say no to. I’m not very good at that.
Has it always been the inhabiting of different characters that appealed to you about acting? When did you first fancy having a go at it?
I did my first school play at 16. My book on acting would be so thin. [laughs] But I just
suddenly felt… I loved it. I was good at something, and I’d been so shit at everything at school. Finally… I liked playing other people, or feeling what they feel, or tapping into emotions and things. It felt great. Or, you know, that you could make other people feel something. I really liked it. I didn’t know if I could be an actor, because nobody in my family was an actor, and I didn’t know how it all worked. So I sort of pretended that I didn’t want to be an actor for quite a long time. And then I realised I was shit at everything else, so I might actually give this a go [laughs].
When did you realise that it might be a viable career?
I think maybe in my early twenties. Sort of 18 to 22, maybe, I started thinking, “I actually do want to do it.” I was still like a headless chicken. “I haven’t got a clue where to go, and what to do.” I didn’t know anyone to ask. I just did lots of plays, endlessly, and loved it. And I’m not entirely sure how it all sort of happened, because it happens differently for everybody. I met my husband – we were 20 when we met – and he wanted to be an actor as well. He went to drama school, and I followed him to drama school, and we were both there at the same time. I think drama school was the moment when I went, “I definitely want this professionally. This is going to be my life.” And it was great, because it gives you a work ethic, and it really lets you know that lots of people want to do this job, and most people aren’t employed in it. So if you can do anything else, do something else. [laughs] And that was good to hear, I think. And also, I had years of not working, which I’m really grateful for now, because it makes me appreciate the work I do get. I don’t take any of it for granted.
Do you class those years as before or after Peep Show?
Sort of before and a little bit during. [laughs] I got married in 2001, and I was 27 then, so quite a long time of not really working much. And then Rob [Webb] and David [Mitchell] got me Peep Show. And then we’d do a season, and then I wouldn’t get much work, and then we’d do a season, and I wouldn’t get much work. It sort of went like that until work started to pick up. So I’m eternally grateful to them, because if it wasn’t for them, I might never have got going, I suppose. They were responsible for my CV for the first 10 years.
Was comedy something you gravitated to, or was it something you fell into?
I fell into it. I absolutely loved doing it, and… you know, for a long time, they’d go, “Oh, she can do that, so we’ll ask her back.” There’s a drama list and a comedy list. And you rarely get to cross over. So for a long time, I wasn’t seen for anything that wasn’t comedy. It takes someone to take a bit of a gamble, really. And although I’d done theatre and plays and various different parts for telly, no one was looking at me for drama until, well, Paddy. Paddy Considine, I met him doing Hot Fuzz, and for some reason, he decided I’d be right for his film. And I’m eternally grateful. That changed things for me, Tyrannosaur.
You did the short film Dog Altogether with him first. Was that always intended to lead to Tyrannosaur?
I don’t think so. I think he wanted to make a short film… it’s so long ago now. It’s hard to remember how it all happened. Once people saw the short, and they were asking him what happened to those characters, I think that’s when he went, “Oh, I don’t know. We’ll see.” And so he started to write it. And it became [the feature] Tyrannosaur.
Was that a very draining experience?
Weirdly, playing something that’s really emotionally difficult is quite cathartic. When you come out of the scene, everyone goes, “Phew, wow. Well done. Are you alright? Have a cuddle and a cup of tea.” It was only a four-week shoot for that film – it’s similar to The Father. Weirdly, the harder the stuff, if you feel supported, it’s really enjoyable. It’s so hard to explain. [laughs] You often have more fun on a really gritty drama, and sometimes comedies can be terribly serious. They just go, “That didn’t work. That didn’t land. Oh, God, let’s try it again.”
Is it harder to know if you’re getting it right when you’re doing a comedy?
Yes. Sometimes, if you’re finding yourself funny, then you go, “Oh, that’s not it.” [laughs] I really don’t know, and I kind of don’t want to think about it too much. Because so far, it’s worked out, and if I start to try and work out, I might really fuck it up. [laughs]
I DIDN’T KNOW IF I COULD BE AN ACTOR, BECAUSE NOBODY IN MY FAMILY WAS ONE
Has there ever been a game plan to your career?
Yeah, no game plan at all. I want to work, and I like working. I’ve got more fortunate as the scripts come, and so you can… I don’t know. I feel lucky that it’s worked out the way it has. I know I’ve said this before, but there are plenty of actors that I studied with, who aren’t working, and I can’t understand why. It’s just the luck of the draw. I have no idea why it’s worked out, and I’m really pleased it has, and I really hope it keeps going. I don’t have any other skills, so I’d be fucked if I stop getting acting work. [laughs]
How did The Lobster come your way?
Yorgos [Lanthimos, director] came for a cup of tea at my house, because I’d been sent the script, and he wanted to meet everybody. We met, and we got on well. I said how much I loved the script, and he said he wanted to cast against what people would assume. He wanted to meet everyone to see how they all sort of fitted together. Had he seen Tyrannosaur? I can’t remember. But that worked out, luckily, so we got on well, and I played the hotel manager. I think The Favourite had been, you know, around for years, and then Yorgos took it on. He’d had it for a few years. And luckily I did The Lobster, because then he thought of me for The Favourite. God, yeah, see, it’s all just luck, isn’t it? Great – hooray for Yorgos!
How did you find the whole awards circuit side of The Favourite?
That was sort of terrifying. [laughs] I remember watching The Favourite for the first time with both of my agents, and just going, “Oh, wow, it’s really special.” I thought Yorgos had done the most beautiful job, and it was unlike anything I had seen before. So I was just really proud to be part of it. And then people said, “I think it’s going to start doing the awards stuff.” I went, “Oh, God, OK.” I’d won things before, which was lovely, but I’d never had to do that sort of campaign, which was extraordinary. I had a really good team around me, so I actually did not an awful lot of campaigning compared to many people. Because I just said I find it too scary. I felt quite anxious. They were really good at just doing the basics. The minimum, really. And also, what I didn’t realise for the Oscars was that you are meant to say what category you want to go up for. I went, “No, that’s rude. I’m not doing that.” And also because I felt that we were all three equal people. Emma [Stone], me and Rachel [Weisz] were three equals. I said if they can’t change it so that we can
all be equals, then I don’t want to do it, because it’s not right. So I refused to say it. [laughs] I said we can either all go up for lead, or all go up for supporting. But I’m not putting myself… you know? But then what I didn’t realise – someone let slip – so I’m not… [pause] Well, someone said that Emma and Rachel had both decided – which makes me feel quite emotional – that they said they would go supporting to make me go lead, because they said they’d both had it, so it was my turn. Isn’t that amazing? That’s two incredible friends, isn’t it? I said I was not doing it unless we could all be equal. So they ignored me, and did something selfless and charitable.
That’s lovely. How nerve-wracking was it giving an Oscar speech?
I can’t remember any of it. I wish I could remember it! When we got married, my dad said, “Every now and then, stop and have a good look at everything, because it goes so quickly, you won’t remember it.” I did that at our wedding, and I do remember chunks of our wedding, but I don’t remember the Oscars, really. [Pauses, then groans] Agh! My husband says it was the best night of his life. I would love to watch him do it, because… I wish I could remember it. You can’t help but dream of something like that happening, and you just think it’s never going to happen. And when it does, you can’t remember it.
Did the offers you were getting change after the Oscar, and did you feel a little less fearful that the work might dry up?
Weirdly, no. I still have the fear it might all stop. [laughs] Yeah, you’d imagine that would help me feel a bit more confident. Yeah, I’m still worried. When you say it all out loud, it sounds bonkers. But I never want to rest on my laurels or think, “I’ve got it. I’ve got this covered.” I think that’s foolish. I feel like any job only lasts a week, and then it’s finished, and you’ve got to crack on as if it never happened. And winning something, although it’s an amazing story to tell my kids, I should pretend it hasn’t happened, and move on, you know? It does sound bonkers.
With The Crown being another huge role for you, did you have a fascination with royals, or was it a coincidence?
It was a huge coincidence. And, you know, in British TV and filmmaking and plays and everything – you know, all the monarchs written about by Shakespeare – everybody will always have a fascination with something that was so far removed from everybody… you know? I want to say “normal people”, but you know what I
mean. [laughs] Your average Joe. We’re always going to be fascinated by something that’s completely different to us. So the fact that there was a film about one queen, and telly about another queen, it’s purely a coincidence. And also, weirdly, I don’t think I play high status very well, so I was like, “OK? Shit! We’ll see how this goes.” It was really fun.
How do you approach someone like Queen Elizabeth? Do you really lean heavily into research, or do you treat it as you would with a fictional character?
I treat it like a fictional character, really. Which might not be the right thing to do. I don’t know. As soon as you join The Crown, their research department is like the British Library. Suddenly, you’ll get so much information. They’ll show you every image and moving image and speech she’s ever done. So you can watch everything. I suppose it sort of subliminally goes in. And you have this incredible voice department headed by William Conacher. He goes through every word with you. But basically, we’re fictionalising something, you know? And we’ve got Peter’s [Morgan] beautiful writing. I just played it like an acting job.
How was the experience of picking up the baton from Claire Foy, and now passing it on to Imelda Staunton?
I have to say, in Season 4, I felt more comfortable, cos in Season 3, I was very aware that… I was a fan of what Claire Foy was doing, and I just kept thinking, “Oh, fuck, she would have done this so much better.” And I kept thinking, “Everyone’s just comparing me to Claire Foy. It’s going to be such a disappointment!” It was this awful thing at the back of my head. So by Season 4, I felt a bit more comfortable. And I was trying to channel Claire for the first few weeks. I was thinking, “What would she do?” It’s hard to pick it up from someone who’s so brilliant at it, and is so adored. But you’ve got to get rid of those little voices in your head, and crack on.
Have you spoken to Imelda about taking on the role?
No, but what would you say to Imelda Staunton? There’s nothing I could offer. I’ll watch her and go, “Oh, fuck, I should have done it like that.” If she ever wanted to call, what would I… I don’t know. I’d love to see her at a party, and get pissed together in the corner [laughs]. Just because I love Imelda Staunton. No, she hasn’t called me yet. But maybe she hasn’t got my number.
I NEVER WANT TO THINK, ‘I’VE GOT THIS COVERED’
Or maybe she’s as intimidated as you’d felt with Claire.
I doubt that very much. [laughs]
Is it fun to come in and do a supporting role like in Fleabag?
Yeah. Heaven. I adore Phoebe WallerBridge. I think she’s a genius. I think she’s brilliant. And I would do anything for her. I begged her to let me be in it. [laughs] I said, “I want to play a bitch.” And so she wrote a real bitch for me, which was amazing. It’s lovely. It’s so joyful to go in, and you’re not carrying it. It’s basically down to Phoebe, so I can just have a nice time.
And, finally, in terms of feeling like you’ve made it, guesting on The Simpsons must be pretty high up there...
That might be the highlight of the last 20 years. My kids have never thought I was so cool. It hasn’t come out [in the UK] yet. I keep telling my kids, “Remember, mummy’s in The Simpsons. Like me, like me.” Because they couldn’t give a shit about anything else that’s happened…
THE FATHER IS SCHEDULED TO OPEN ON 12 MARCH.