Claudia Winkleman's guests this week are BAFTA winner James McAvoy, actor, producer and singer-songwriter Rita Wilson, acclaimed actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and comedian Russell Howard.
Fresh from his directorial debut California Schemin’, the story of two Dundee lads who conned the music industry into believing they were a Californian rap duo, James McAvoy explained his passion for championing underrepresented voices: “I knew I wanted to make films about people from low-income backgrounds, council estates or schemes as we call them in Scotland,” adding his desire to see more Scottish stories and accents on screen. He also opens up about the realities of taking on dual roles, admitting, “I wouldn’t wish directing and acting on my worst enemy…it was a nightmare. You’d literally be sitting there trying to go ‘I need more love’ or ‘I need more comedy’ and somebody is whispering in your ear ‘We can’t get the Portaloos for tomorrow’.”
On whether she would ever try her hand at directing, Rita says: “I think I would direct if it was the right material… What I am most interested in though is that this was a movie about rappers, and maybe my agents didn’t get to you, but I do spit some flow, James” before perfectly rapping Hip Hop Hooray by Naughty By Nature.
Rita Wilson reflects on creativity, confidence and her evolving music career at this life stage and says, “Music can be a very ageist business, I don’t know of anybody else like me that has started this music career in my 50s.” She continues that Nora Ephron said to her on her fiftieth birthday, “I’m here to tell you that great things happen when you’re 50. I didn’t direct my first movie until I was 50.” Rita adds, “and look at what she did in the 21 years after that before she passed away...I don’t believe that there’s a clock on creativity.”
On the possibility of a third Mamma Mia! film, Rita teases: “There will always be discussions… but there is nothing definitively to announce," with a knowing wink to camera...
Later in the show, Rita also recalls her own iconic singing experience at the White House, where she performed for President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle, at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Describing how she felt, Rita confessed: “It was absolutely terrifying... They’re sitting right in the front row, and somebody says, ‘don’t look down’ and all you want to do is look down. They’re so gracious and so wonderful and absolutely incredible.”
Describing a time where he felt nervous around another celebrity, James McAvoy tells Rita Wilson: “I was like that with your husband [Tom Hanks] ... I have worked with him twice now when I was much younger, and I don’t know why but I do this thing sometimes when I get around famous people... and I go into this weird sort of put on working class [voice]... and I don’t know why that happens!”
Speaking about joining the ensemble cast of the TV series, Loki, Gugu Mbatha-Raw shares the experience of working with Tom Hiddleston: “He had played that character for ten years so coming to film a full series just on Loki, he had all of that experience, and all of us were coming to it afresh so he did a PowerPoint presentation for the cast and the crew....I think it sort of galvanised everybody together but it took prepping to the next level!” Expanding somewhat, she reveals that the presentation included Loki facts such as “all the Norse mythology...you can really nerd out on that stuff I think...it was very sweet.” Captivated, the other guests mused how far that might reach if an entire production took to doing this with Howard quipping, ‘Imagine if you were an extra, you had a really tiny role and you had like a fifty page...I chew the apple but WHY do I chew the apple?”
Over to James McAvoy’s experience of the Marvel universe and working with Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart where inevitably conversation turned to The Bard and indeed Macbeth. “It was my first day on the second X-Men film and I am walking past Sir Ian McKellen’s trailer... I go in and he’s sitting on his recliner and cooking is Sir Patrick. Sir Ian said ‘you’ve just done Macbeth haven’t you?’” Rita panicking over the fabled curse urgently interjects, “The Scottish play! Fair thoughts and happy hours be with you! Stand up turn around three times!” only to be dismissed by McAvoy who playfully repeats Macbeth over and over. Meanwhile, as he returns to the story in the trailer he recalls “he [McKellen] goes come on let’s all do a bit” and he thereby found himself with a front row seat to the two acting giants delivering every best bit of the Shakesperean tragedy. In awe and dumbstruck he stammered “I need to get back to my erm... hair extensions... also he [McKellen] was stroking my hair extensions at the same time!”
Russell Howard brings plenty of laughs, paying tribute to comedy legend Billy Connolly, calling him “such a sweet, beautiful man” before reflecting on his own career, adding: “I love [comedy] so much. I think I’m a lifer...during Covid I thought I was going to have a bit of a break, but I haven’t found anything through which I could do life more than stand-up.”
The Claudia Winkleman Show , Friday, April 3, BBC One and BBC iPlayer at 10:30pm.
Picture: BBC/So Television/PA Media. Photographer: Matt Crossick
