>> James: OUR FIRST GUEST IS ONE OF THE BUSIEST ACTORS AROUND,
SHE CURRENTLY STARS IN TROLLS WORLD TOUR, THE DUNLY
ON QUIBI, AND LOVE LIFE ON HBO MAX, THE STUPENDOUS, ANNA
KENDRICK IS HERE, HI FRIEND, HOW ARE YOU.
>> HOW ARE YOU.
I'M SO SAD I'M NOT SEEING YOU IN PERSON.
>> James: WE WERE SUPPOSED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER,
DOING PRESS AND PROMOTIONS AND HERE WE ARE.
>> IT IS A CRAZY WORLD, FRIEND.
AND I FEEL LIKE I'M DEFINITELY MISSING MY SEMIANNUAL MOMENT OF
HANG OUT WITH YOU, SO I THINK YOU KNOW, I WAS EXPECTING TO SEE
YOU ON THE TROLLS WORLD TOUR.
AND EVERY TIME I SEE YOU YOU GIVE ME SOME KIND OF LOVELY PEP
TALK OR NUGGET OF ADVICE THAT I CARRY AROUND WITH ME SO I'M VERY
SAD.
>> James: WELL, I AM ALSO SAD.
BUT IT IS LOVELY TO SEE YOU LIKE THIS OVER A SCREEN, NONE THE
LESS.
IT REALLY IS.
NOW YOU ARE HERE IN LOS ANGELES.
I KNOW, YOU WENT TO ONE OF THE PROTESTS FOR THE MARCH IN L.A
TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
HOW WAS IT?
HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?
>> MY EXPERIENCE WAS REALLY POSITIVE.
IT WAS REALLY MOVING AND MEANINGFUL.
AND I FOUND IT TO BE TOTALLY PEACEFUL AND I HAD BEEN NERVOUS
ABOUT GOING BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN VIOLENCE BUT IT
WAS SO WONDERFUL.
AND I ACTUALLY LEFT AFTER A FEW HURS CUZ I'M AN OLD LADY AND I
CAN ONLY BE OUT IN THE HEAT AND THE SUN FOR SO LONG, OBVIOUSLY.
AND I DID, I HAD A FUNNY EXPERIENCE WHERE, YOU KNOW, I
LOOKED AT MY PHONE, YOU KNOW, AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER
LEAVING.
AND I SAW, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WERE RUBBER BULLETS BEING FIRED
AND THAT THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, A COMPANY CAR WAS ON FIRE.
AND AT FIRST I HONESTLY THOUGHT THAT IS A MISTAKE.
THAT CAN'T BE TRUE.
I WAS JUST THERE, YOU KNOW.
SO IT IS REALLY A CONFUSING TIME SINCE I HAD BEEN THERE, YOU KNOW
WHEN A SITUATION IS ESCALATING AND THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GO CRAZY
AND THE SITUATION FEELS FRAUGHT, AND IT JUST WASN'T THAT.
SO IT WAS PRETTY ALARMING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED SO SOON AFTER
LEAVING.
>> James: YEAH.
HOW DO YOU, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU FOUND OR ANYTHING YOU
READ, ANYTHING AT ALL THAT HELPS YOU GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING
OF THESE ISSUES RIGHT NOW?
>> YEAH, WELL, I HAVE BEEN DOING THROUGHOUT LOCKDOWN, THROUGHOUT
QUARANTINE, I HAVE BEEN DOING KIND OF FAMILY MOVIE NIGHTS.
AND HAVING REMOTE FAMILY MOVIE NIGHTS WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, BEEN
VERY LOVELY AND BONDING.
AND IT IS USUALLY A DISNEY FILM, BACK TO THE FUTURE, THAT KIND OF
FAMILY FILM.
AND LAST WEEK MY MOM SAYS SHE DIDN'T REALLY FEEL RIGHT ABOUT
THIS THE DISTRACTION, I SUGGESTED THAT WE WATCH THIS ONE
OF DOCUMENTARY ABOUT JAMES BALDWIN CALLED I'M NOT YOUR
NEGROE SO WE WATCHED THAT INSTEAD.
AND YOU KNOW, GROWING UP LIKE MY DAD SHED ME, YOU KNOW, TO KILL A
MOCKINGBIRD AND MY MOM GAVE ME A BELL COOK BOOK WHEN I WAS 16 OR
17, AND I SA SAY THAT TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PEOPLE
FEELING WELL MY FAMILY IS NOT RACIST-- RACIST, I DON'T HAVE TO
DO THAT.
TO ALWAYS DEEPENING YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF IT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS A REALLY NICE WAY FOR US TO DO SOMETHING
TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO WATCH THE 13th.
>> THAT IS A BRILLIANT THING.
>> YEAH.
>> THAT IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR FAMILY IF YOU ARE
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
>> SURE.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE DURING THIS LOCKDOWN AND QUARANTINE.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE OTHER WAY, YOU ENJOY GOING TO WORK I
THINK MORE THAN ANYBODY I KNOW, LIKE WHENEVER I TALK TO YOU
ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU WILL TELL ME THE NEXT 11 THINGS
THAT YOU ARE DOINGMENT AND I WILL THINK OH MY GOD, HOW DO YOU
COPE WITH JUST STOPPING.
>> WELL, THE FUNNY THING IS THAT I HAD FINALLY KIND OF
ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I NEEDED TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME OFF
AND MAYBE NOT BE RUNNING AROUND THE GLOBE WORKING WITHOUT SEEING
FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR A MONTH AT A TIME.
AND TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF TIME OFF.
AND THEN A TINY PANDEMIC HIT AND I WAS A LITTLE BIT LIKE THIS
ISN'T WHAT I WANT.
YEAH, I DO FEEL LIKE I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED THAT WHEN
THIS IS OVER, YOU KNOW, THE POWERS THAT BE WILL BE LIKE
OKAY, YOU READY TO GET BACK TO, WITHOUT.
AND I AM LIKE I MEANT MORE LIKE GOING TO THE MOVIES AND STUFF.
>> I WOULD LIKE IT WITHOUT THE ANXIETY.
>> YES.
>> LIKE IT WITHOUT THE FEAR.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING AROUND THE HOUSE TO KEEP YOURSELF BUSY.
>> YOU KNOW, I HAVE GOTTEN THROUGH MOST OF THE BIG LEGO
SETS.
I AM A GROWN WOMAN, YES, JAMES, IN CASE YOU FORGOT.
BUT YEAH, I MADE THE MILLENNIUM FALCON.
THE-- TO WE ARE OF-- FROM LORD OF THE REGULARS AND HOGWARTS
CASTLE.
>> SO HERE IS MY QUESTION.
DO YOU MAKE THEM AND THEN KEEP THEM TO LOOK AT OR DO YOU
DISMANTLE THEM AT ANY POINT.
THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH LEGO IN OUR HOUSE.
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> MY SON, HE'S NINE SO HE IS LEGITIMATELY OKAY DOING THE
LEGO.
AND HE, WE BUILD SOMETHING AND THEN HE THINKS OH, THAT'S NOW,
THAT SHOULD THOUGHT LIVE ON THESE SHELVES.
>> FOREVER.
>> AND HE NEVER WANTS TO DISMANTLE AND REBUILD SOMETHING
OUT OF HIS OWN IMAGINATION.
>> YEAH, I WILL CON FEES-- CONFESS THAT EVEN AS A
GROWN ASS WOMAN, I HAVE MAYBE TOO MUCH PRIDE IN THE LEGO
BUILDS THAT I HAVE DONE.
AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY ON A SHELF, ARE THEY GOING TO STAY
THERE, NO, I'M TELLING MYSELF.
BUT YEAH, MY INTENTION IS OBVIOUSLY TO DISMANTLE THEM AND
GIVE THEM TO A CHILD WHO WOULD ENJOY MAKING THEM.
BUT I KNOW THAT-- THAT DAY WILL BE SADDER THAN I WOULD LIKE TO
ADMIT.
>> OH, YOU WILL BE DEVASTATED.
>> NOW I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT YOUR BRILLIANT NEW SERIES,
LOVE LIFE, I FEEL LIKE YOU MADE A SERIES THAT WAS BASICALLY MADE
FOR ME.
THIS IS MY KIND OF SHOW.
>> YOU ARE MY TARGET AUDIENCE.
BECAUSE I REMEMBER MAKING BONDING WITH YOU OVER LOVE OF
ROMANTIC COMEDIES.
AN INCREDIBLE GENRE, AN ALL-TIEF FAVE, I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
YOU'VE GOT MAIL AND YOU STARTED QUOTING THE LINE BACK TO ME
WHERE HE WAS LUKE I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WAIT FOR YOU
TO CALL ME.
I WOULD HAVE LEFT A MESSAGE ON YOUR MACHINE AND.
>> FOREVER, AND EVER.
>> FOR AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE.
>> AND I WAS LIKE JAMES, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW
FRIENDSHIP.
SO IT IS LIKE UNABASHEDLY A ROMANTIC COMEDY SERIES.
AND THE CONCEPT IS THAT EVERY EPISODE IS A RELATIONSHIP
WHETHER A-- OR ONE-NIGHT STAND AND IT IS REALLY ABOUT THE WAY
THAT WE LEARN AND GROW AND HOW WE CHANGE BASED ON THE
RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE IN OUR LIFE.
THERE IS A KIND OF LIKE DAVID AT ENBORROW DOCUMENTARY ELEMENT TO
IT WHERE IT'S LIKE OBSERVING HUMAN BEHAVIOR THAT I THINK IS
REALLY FUN.
>> NOW YOU'RE ALSO A PRODUCER ON THE SERIES.
>> YES.
>> WHAT IS PRODUCER KENDRICK LIKE?
AS OPPOSED TO ACTRESS KENDRICK, LIKE DO YOU JUST START THROWING
YOUR WEIGHT AROUND.
>> WELL, OKAY, SO YOU KNOW ME, SO IT'S D-- I'M BLUSHING A
LITTLE BIT BUT IT'S NOT THAT DIFFERENT.
BECAUSE I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN OPINIONATED AND BOSSY.
>> NO, I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
>> IT'S MORE LIKE INSTEAD OF IT BEING LIKE A CHARACTER FLAW AS
PART OF MY JOB DESCRIPTION, THE DIFFERENCE IS NOT HUGE BUT IT IS
REALLY WONDERFUL TO FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT I HAVE A VOICE
AND A SAY IN HOW THINGS GO.
>> NOW THE CAST ON THE SHOW IS BRILLIANT.
DID YOU HAVE MUCH SAY IN CASTING, CUZ IT'S KIND OF WEIRD
IF YOU ARE A PRODUCER AND CASTING PEOPLE TO BE YOUR LOVE
INTEREST, ACROSS WHAT IS IT, TEN EPISODES.
>> WELL, INITIALLY THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD MOST OF THE SERIES
LAID OUT BUT THE CHARACTERS OF THE LOVE INTEREST WEREN'T SURE
TO FIND YET, SO I SUBMITTED OME IDEAS FOR CASTING NOT REALLY
KNOWING SPECIFICALLY WHAT KIND OF CHARACTERS THEY WERE GOING TO
BE.
I REALIZED THIS IS JUST A LIST OF PEOPLE I WANT TO MAKE OUT
WITH.
AND THIS IS NOT A SUPERPROFESSIONAL LOOK FOR ME.
SO I DEFINITELY LIKE HELD OFF AND THEN ONCE YOU START GETTING
CHARACTERS-- WE JUST GOT, I MEAN AN EMBARRASSMENT OF.
>> WELL, I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS SHOW AND I AM ALSO EXCITED
THAT AT THE ARE GOING TO DROP IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY RATHER THAN
ONCE A WEEK.
I AM JUST GOING TO DEVOUR.
>> I AM REALLY EXCITED.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ONE EPISODE A WEEK AND THE
VIEWERSHIP WAS SO STRONG THAT THEY DECIDED TO RELEASE THEM IN
CHUNKS.
THERE ARE THREE MORE THIS WEEK AND THE REST WILL BE NEXT WEEK.
SO THAT IS MAKE ME HAPPY.
>> WELL, LET'S TACK A LACK AT A CLIP FROM LOVE LIFE, THE FIRST
SIX ED EPISODES ARE AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW ON HBO MAX.
>> I NEVER SEE YOU ANY MORE.
>> SORRY.
>> IT FEELS REALLY RIGHT.
>> STICK AROUND, WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE ANNA KENDRICK RIGHT
AFTER THIS.