Nathalie Emmanuel,
welcome to The Daily Social Distancing Show.
Hi! This is so cool.
I feel excited to be on the show
even though, you know, it's virtually.
Congratulations on, um, the new Quibi show,
which is, I mean, getting rave reviews
and, honestly, my favorite Quibi show.
I know it's a really short format,
and people are trying to figure out
how to make a show in such a short format.
But you're on the show, uh, with Kevin Hart.
It's called Die Hart, and it's honestly one
of the funniest and action-packed shows
I've ever seen regardless of the platform.
Oh, thanks so much. Yeah, it was a lot of fun.
And, um, I think for the short form...
uh, the short platform-- sorry-- format
that-that they have created,
um, I think the show so wonderfully, like,
just keeps you on a, uh, like, cliff-hanger
at the end of every episode.
And you're like, "How have they done this?
Like, it's a short episode, but I want to click the next one."
And, um, I think they've done such a great job with it,
and it was just such a joy to work on.
It was... If you find the show funny,
like, it's safe to say that we laughed a lot
when we were, um, making it, as well.
Right. It rea... (stammers) It's also, like, a--
It's also a cool departure for us to see you in.
Because, I mean, you know, we've seen you in action movies,
like Fast and the Furious, and then we've seen you
in, like, really dramatic roles--
I mean, most famously, Game of Thrones.
And so, like, to see you in a comedy
where you don't take yourself seriously
but in the show you're trying to take yourself seriously
is a fun world to be in.
You've got Kevin Hart, who's always hilarious.
And then you've got John Travolta,
who just, like, comes in with this gravitas and hilari--
Like, he just comes in with hilarity onscreen
that you don't expect.
What was it like working with the th--
like, just the three of you together in the space,
doing something completely new?
Well, first of all, for me,
I was kind of pinching myself the whole time,
because I'm...
standing with Kevin Hart and... (laughs)
John Travolta. Like, what?
And so that was pretty exciting for me.
Um, but, to be honest, the three of us together,
we had such great chemistry and we had so much fun together.
And, um, Kevin is just so, um...
He has so much energy and keeps the-the laughs all the time,
just to keep the energy up.
-Right. -You know how being on set
and long days and it's cold and damp and you're like, "Ugh."
But, like, he's always so, like, ready to go.
And he was so funny in his genius.
And then, working with John,
I mean, he is, like, funny in a whole other way,
but it's so brilliant.
And it was just so amazing to watch him work.
And his, um...
his, uh, range is insane.
-Yeah. Definitely. -And then you're just kind of watching him
pull these ideas out.
And just, like, you know, it's incredible to watch.
And I had so much fun, and we--
Like-like I said before, we just laughed so much
and had a really great time together.
You're also one of the first people I saw
in the UK who were, you know,
part of the Black Lives Matter movement, like, on the ground.
I-I mean, I know-- You know, in America, we saw this movement.
But once it spread around the globe,
I remember, uh, you know, seeing you talking about it.
And you were-- you were unabashed about it.
You weren't afraid to share your thoughts
on what needs to change not just in society but onscreen.
You know, a lot of people talk about how you were
the only woman of color on Game of Thrones
as a-- as a leading character or as a character, you know,
a spoken word character. And it, um...
It's-- It must be an interesting position to be in.
But tell me why you've gotten so involved in this
and-and what you hope to achieve, um, in your industry
and hopefully in-in society at large.
Well, I think it's a--
it's a matter of humanity at this point.
You know? Like, I'm just...
Like everyone, I'm just...
sick of seeing people dying.
And I realized that I have a platform
and I have an audience.
And if I can speak out about these things,
spread information,
share my own experiences...
and maybe make a difference in some way,
then that's the only way I--
that's all I can do.
And, you know, when it comes to the entertainment industry,
I think that we've made some really important leaps
and, um, important changes.
But there's still a lot of work to do.
And I think part of this moment and this movement
has resulted in people having the conversations
about how many black creatives we are hiring
at every level of production.
Because it's so easy to sort of do the, like,
oh, well, we've got a really diverse, inclusive cast
in front of the camera,
and then everyone at every level behind the camera
isn't really reflective of the world that we live in.
And, um... And I think that is where
we keep falling into these kind of stereotypes and tropes,
these kind of negative depictions of minorities.
-Mm-hmm. -You know?
And I think...
that, that, for me, is the goal,
is to sort of spark conversation
about the stories and the voices that are in the room,
not just in front of the camera.
And, um, I have real ambition to make that change
when I am lucky enough to start producing
and making my own things,
that I have that, um...
in-- Like, that's just a part of my...
desire, is to hire as inclusively as possible,
whether it be gender, race, you know?
Um... just everyone.
-Like... -Mm-hmm.
Well, like you say, the first step
is beginning with the conversations,
having the intention, and then, hopefully,
creating something where everyone has some equity
that represents society at large.
So, um, thank you for sharing that,
and thank you for coming on the show.
And thank you for staying healthy.
And, um, hopefully we'll see you again,
um, not through a lens.
Yes. Absolutely.
Thank you so much for having me.
Have a good one, Nathalie.
Bye!