Well, what are you looking at?
- Might be a falcon.
(bird screeches)
- Oh!
- I think it just pooed in your eye.
- Yeah, I think so.
("Jingle Bells")
- So I feel like "Last Christmas"
is a lot about second chances.
- Hm. - And having another
go at things.
Have you guys had any times like that in your life?
- Ooh. - Oof, yeah, I mean--
- We're starting heavy, you guys.
- I know! - No, I know!
There we go, get right into it.
Literally, at life.
But then, I feel like there's been many moments
throughout my life where I've been given second chances.
I wanted to be an actor since I was three years old,
and then I was like,
"I'm gonna go to drama school when I'm 18".
Didn't get in the first time round,
and then didn't get in the second time round,
but I was on the wait list,
and then this girl broke her leg and I then got in.
- After-- - Broke her leg.
All right. - Right? I know.
- I pushed her, no big deal.
- Okay, Kathy Bates, all right.
- So, right, yeah, exactly. (Henry laughing)
So I feel like I've had multiple second chances.
- Generally, this new career of mine, sort of like,
in movies and things,
that was really a first and second chance,
I was kind of on that side of the table, and such--
- We can switch--
(laughing)
- But I was a journalist for the longest time
and, you know I got to a stage where I was like,
"Oh, what do I do now?"
and "Crazy Rich Asians" came about,
and John Chu really sort of took me by the shoulders
and shook me and was like,
So that was a first chance, I suppose.
And a second chance.
- And speaking of auditions,
that's something Kate goes through over and over again.
The hustle of being an actor.
- Yeah.
- Was there ever a moment in either of your careers
where you thought, maybe this isn't going to happen.
I just need to give up.
- So, right when I didn't get into drama school,
for that second time, and I was waiting,
to hear the girl had broken her leg
and I could get in on the waiting list.
- You must just love your job.
- Love it.
- Hey, elf! (bells dinging)
- Love it.
(bell jingling)
- Love it.
But I'm pathologically hopeful.
So it didn't last long, before I was suddenly like,
"Well, I'll just go to London, I'll get an agent.
"I'll just get an agent, I'll bribe someone."
- Easy.
- "They'll give a, oh, she broke her leg, thank God."
- Well, what about you?
- I mean, as soon as I got onto set for "Crazy Rich,"
I was like,
Like literally,
Every single day I'd turn up, like,
yeah, they've totally got the wrong person.
Like, I'm not right for this.
(laughing)
- Oh I was just beginning to think
you weren't as weird as you look.
- But, I persisted,
and I managed to make my way through this movie.
You know, it was essentially the first thing I've ever done
on a sort of camera like that.
- You know, from the outside looking in,
as audience members,
is we don't often think about actors
second guessing themselves on set.
'Cause you guys act, and make it look so effortless.
- [Both] Yeah.
- What's that like?
How do you guys grapple with self doubt?
- Oh Christ.
- Sometimes not very well.
- Yeah.
- A lot of the time--
- But that's okay.
- Most actors have a little bit of self loathing,
a little bit of like not really liking themselves.
A lot of self doubt.
You know what I mean?
- Ditch that.
All of your stresses will just melt away.
- Oh, but I just like stress.
(horn honks)
- Oi, you getting on?
- When the thing that you're selling is yourself,
there's plenty of room for self doubt.
Young people come up to me,
and they're like, "I want to be an actor."
My first thing that I say to them is,
"What else can you do?"
Like, it sounds funny, but it's completely truthful.
- Are elves always so cynical?
- Yes, relentlessly.
These are dark times.
So you have to create an armor of steel,
to protect yourself, from yourself.
And know, that there is another option if all else fails.
Don't put your self worth
on whether you get that next job or not.
- What was it about this project
that really, drew you guys in?
Just big Christmas fans, or?
(all laughing)
- Yeah. - Love it.
- No, it was definitely a multitude of things.
I think, for me personally, it was the fact
that I get to work with Paul Feig again.
And we were on the press weekend for "A Simple Favor,"
and he was like,
"Henry, I want to talk to you about this project I have.
"Emma Thompson's written this amazing script,
"with her husband, Greg Wise"--
- Oh, I know.
- "We have Emilia attached to it."
And I was like, inside I was like,
But it was like, "Yeah, I'll take a look at the script."
- Yeah, sure, no big deal!
- Sure, maybe if I have time--
- Yeah, yeah, exactly.
- But you know, I read the script.
And he was like, "You know, it was based
"on George Michael's music,
"and we're gonna have his back catalog in it."
I was like, "Yo, wherever I've got to sign this thing,
"just like, let me know."
♪ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart ♪
- My agent called me and said Emma had written the script,
and then I was like,
"I gotta read it, I gotta read that script".
- (laughs) Give it to me now! - I love Emma!
Any kinda, anything close to--
- Anything, anything!
Anything close to Emma, please dear God,
let me be a part of it.
And then I heard that Paul Feig was directing it,
and I just like, I mean, "Bridesmaids", please.
(Henry laughing)
Uh, "Spy", please!
- "A Simple Favor."
There you go!
Yeah, and then I read the script
and read a girl that seemed incredibly truthful.
And seemed incredibly honest,
and incredibly, I keep saying this,
but she's just not, she's not perfect.
And no one is!
And enough already with the stories
where they have perfect people.
'Cause perfect people don't exist.
Unless they're robots, and that's a whole other genre.
You know what I'm saying?
(Henry laughing)
so I was, it was a million little things.
But it all culminated in this beautiful movie.
That we've managed to make,
that is just so inherently British and so--
- Oh yeah, can't get any more British.
- Funny but truthful, and honest.
And yeah, and refreshing.
("Silent Night")