We were just talking about it might be
could have a challenge?
Benedict's probably got it
because he's in The Power of
the Dog and he's big sort of,
My wife Alexis was like, "never underestimate
The Power of the Underdog."
Hello. Hi, how are you?
Fine, hello thanks, how are you doing?
I'm good. It's a pleasure to meet
you and to do our little Tea thing.
Yeah.
Have you got a tea with you?
I've got a banana smoothie.
Having a smoothie is like,
"yeah I'm eating, but it doesn't look like I'm eating."
It's quick and it's easy
and it's just right there.
A sip is like a mouthful,
you can drink quicker than you chew.
Cheers. But I think we're time traveling as well at
the moment because you are in New Zealand.
I'm in New Zealand, yeah.
Yeah, so it's Thursday?
Yeah. I'm doing a second series
of a Netflix show out here.
Are you allowed to say what it is?
Sweet Tooth.
Ah, Sweet Tooth. How is it going?
All right thanks, it's going good because we're here for
the first series so we're
familiar with the terrain a bit,
but it's more just so outdoorsy here.
Everybody is just out and
about because the weather is so nice,
and a camping thing that happens every week.
People go out into the wilderness more and
it's nice for them
because it is out more enjoying the sun.
I find the same here in L.A.
That's the thing that I really like.
I should so say as well,
congratulations on your nomination
and my fingers are crossed for you.
Yeah, I will say yes.
Strange thing to be nominated.
Actually, when you see your face pop up in
amongst all the rest of them, Will and Leo. [LAUGHTER]
There I am. Just nice to be nominated,
nice to be recognized, nice for the film to be seen
on that sort of platform
and that's a little film, little budget.
It's made for what it is.
It's made a big splash,
yeah, just so happy for that really.
It's good. I love the film
and it should say as well,
I know Tracy and Amina.
Indeed, yeah.
So I messaged her and I said "I'm going to be interviewing Adeel." I said to her kind of weirdly .
Yeah.
But I really love the film and I really
love your performance in it as well.
I'm a big fan of yours as well.
I've been following you since Utopia really.
I saw you in that I was like,
"Wow, yeah, he's great."
Then when I saw you in Ali & Ava,
and then I was like, "This is great."
You're doing a romantic lead and a complicated character,
and they're both really complex characters,
and that's what I really love about it,
that it's because I'm a big music fan,
and especially at the music that she used in the film.
The bit where you're dancing on the car
is one of my favorite bits
because it's becoming a little bit of
a trope of which I love anyway,
of female characters dancing in
films to show that they're expressing their freedom.
The first time I've seen a man doing
that. I really loved that.
As you see it, a bit Titane,
but this is very different
and I really loved that element of it.
That, bit in particular,
was a product of just being on set,
being in a part of this process
on how Clio developed.
I don't think that was scripted.
Now you look at the film is a whole,
it's a bit of a linchpin for a lot of stuff.
Some stuff you can articulate, some stuff you can't.
I suppose there's a sort of rigidity that you're attached
to a process of film-making,
there's a script and everything is scripted
and then you just go to the edit room and you do it.
Everything in my experience with the whole film was,
from the first chats I had with Clio from
rehearsing to shooting and even
post to film like stuff we talked about.
Now it's just which is very easy and slow-moving,
but then when you look at the end product,
it's full of nuance and complication,
like I'm taken aback by some other stuff as well.
I'm not sure on my performance. [LAUGHTER]
I'm so taken aback, by me. I'm great.
When you look at the thing on the whole,
you realize all the sort of complications and nuances in it.
Just by sort of, it's wrapped up in some very simple
approach and that sort of sums up
how Clio directs and how she has
chats with people and how she is on set.
She's just a really good listener,
and everything that she's listening to she'll sort of drop
into scripts and drop into the film at some point.
So you're looking up in the middle
of a scene and you might have had a chat.
She came down to our house with some dinner and
then there was a rocking chair in my house.
I'm going to bang on about his rocking chair.
Basically, [LAUGHTER]
when my wife and I got married
and came back from Registry Office
and she sat down in the front room
and she said,
"One thing that this room is missing is a rocking chair,
if we just moved in to a new flat."
Then her uncle and my father or her dad
knocks on the door and they found
a rocking chair was like
5 or 10 minutes later, it was so strange.
I told Clio that she had exactly the same reaction,
and she goes, I'm having that and she put
that in the script. [LAUGHTER]
There is a chair, yeah.
Yeah. She puts all these things in it.
That type of conversation,
she's had with loads and loads of people,
that sort of level of investigation
in people like really paying attention to them.
Either what they're saying or not saying some time.
She just makes this film,
which for me allowed me to be really free
because you're being kind of held
and watched by this really benevolent, kind person.
When I watched it,
it feels very personal, actually feels very natural,
I guess, for those reasons that you're saying.
But is it personal as well as in Ali & Ava
with those elements?
Because of those elements.
Because those elements are
peppered throughout the script,
these anchor points,
where this real stuff is happening.
Like some of the events which happened to
some people who are actually acting in the film.
Like I said, I had the rocking chair moment with Clio.
I think that gives it a level
of reality to it. It gives it a sense of,
obviously, you're acting because
you're in front of a camera.
You fall into a scene as
opposed to turning something on, if that makes sense.
For example, we're on set and there could
be somebody who might
have a scene throughout the whole film.
That person might have an idea
and she listens so intently to that person.
If that person comes out with the right idea,
this whole thing can move in another direction.
There's something about the peripheral nature
of that which I'm trying to put my finger on it.
It's just so freeing because it's like you
suddenly reminded that that thing that you always knew
like a good idea can come from
anywhere and from anyone or whatever.
The interesting part of filmmaking
as well is everything is a collaborative process,
every part of it, like people feed into.
That's the fun bit about it.
My favorite bit about making films.
A little bit tell me about your ukulele playing.
Yes.
Is it something that you had before
you got to the character or what came first?
Clio says, "Do you play a ukulele?
I'm thinking about putting a song from Bob Dylan,
this song Whenever..." and I go
"I know a couple of chords."
A little bit like jumping off the
car and a little bit like I'm going to
workshop this character when really it isn't, whatever.
I sang the song to her and I sent her over to her.
Then that resonated with her on
some sort of level and then she used it.
There's all these moments where there's invitations.
In each of those invitations,
your heart rattling a little bit because you're like,
I don't know if I've got what it takes to do this,
but there's something about being directed by her
and knowing the type of work that she wants to make.
She wants that stuff
that you're a little bit terrified to doing that.
I think what's so exciting about
whatever job you're doing is like,
does it scare me?
Is it exciting? [LAUGHTER]
Yeah.
Just do it.
Take advantage of that.
I think that's how we all learn, isn't it?
You're quite musical anyway
but you said that you knew a few chords of
the ukulele?
I know a couple of chords.
Which is interesting because I do play
quite a few instruments and then I've
just got into playing the guitar.
Nice.
I've been given one for Christmas.
I don't know.
I've already missed playing music and
just that physicality.
I really ache for
playing music when I hear something good.
I used to play the piano, violin,
and whenever I hear
a particularly beautiful piece of music.
"I wish I could play that now."
I think the guitar is somehow a bit easier to grab.
Although, there seems to be pianos everywhere.
[LAUGHTER] I could just run.
They're all over the place.
There's something about that unfinished quality
of something that makes it very pure or something,
the idea of you picking up the guitar and having
this musical background and
just learning this instrument.
There's something that bypasses
all the critical thought a little bit.
How long when you stop playing the violin and the piano?
To be honest,
it was more going out to clubs and becoming a teenager.
Then it wasn't cool look to be playing an instrument,
which is bizarre when
you go through that phase like, "Oh, yeah,
that's not a cool instrument,"
especially where I grow up.
Where'd you grow up?
In Salford, Manchester.
You've had a lot going in there.
You can't go clubbing with your piano, can you?
Exactly.
Doing those violin and piano break for ages and ages.
Now, guitar after years and years of life.
Wow, that's cool.
I'm craving to it. I might try
for a ukulele as well. It seems quite fun.
Yeah, it's easy. You just hold
down one string and you got something.
You've got a chord straightaway.
I'm intrigued to know,
what do you think is the most important lesson
that you've learned in your career?
What has been your big takeaway or big piece of advice?
Just knowing that there's probably
something in you that's uniquely you.
I knew this when I was younger.
I used to pay lip service to it a little bit.
I still go like, "You are only you
and duh duh duh." But I really believe it now.
[LAUGHTER] I really believe the idea that if you take time
just to work out what you
can contribute to something
more than anyone else could possibly.
It doesn't make you better or worse than anyone else.
It just makes that thing unique to you.
It's terrifying to do sometimes,
but if you lean in to that,
then it eventually does payback a little bit.
I keep my fingers crossed for you.
I think the underdog will win.
[LAUGHTER] I believe in the The Power of The Underdog.
Well, take care and I'll see you soon.
See you later. Nice chatting to you.