Interview Key Points

Introduction and Social Plans

The interview begins with a warm and excited greeting, expressing a desire to get to know each other better and suggesting a drink or hanging out.

• Excitement and connection: Both speakers express immediate enthusiasm and happiness to meet.
• Social invitation: A clear suggestion is made to go for a drink or “hang out” after the event.
• Irish connection: SPEAKER_01 identifies as Irish and offers to show SPEAKER_00 an “Irish night out.”

Pub Culture and Drinks

The conversation touches upon pub preferences and what one might order at a pub.

• Guinness in Ireland: SPEAKER_01 states a preference for Guinness when in Ireland.
• Irish bars in America: The ease of finding Irish bars in New York is mentioned.
• Spicy Margarita: SPEAKER_01 reveals a liking for spicy margaritas.

Harp Playing and Music

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around SPEAKER_01’s ability to play the harp and their musical background.

• Harp as an instrument: SPEAKER_00 expresses intrigue and a lack of understanding about how the harp is played, asking about plucking and pressing strings.
• Harp playing technique: SPEAKER_01 explains the technique as “pluck and flick,” and sometimes “stamp and pluck.”
• Family musical background: SPEAKER_01’s mother is a harpist, and they come from a musical family that played various instruments.
• Harp camp experience: SPEAKER_01 attended harp camp twice as a child, describing it as a gathering of harpists with morning classes and evening “harp jams.”
  • Location of harp camp: Tirmafecken in Drogheda, Ireland.
  • Motivation for returning: Besides enjoying playing the harp and family influence, a “hot harp teacher” in leather trousers who taught jazz harp was a significant draw.

Acting Career and Recent Projects

The interview shifts to SPEAKER_01’s acting career, focusing on recent successes and upcoming projects.

• “Hamnet” Recognition: SPEAKER_00 praises SPEAKER_01’s performance in “Hamnet,” highlighting the numerous awards won, including a BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, Golden Globe, and an Actor Award, as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Lead Actress.
• Fellow Nominees: SPEAKER_01 has formed friendships with other nominees, specifically mentioning Tiana Taylor and bonding over motherhood.
• “The Bride” Role: Discussion about “The Bride,” a role in “The Bride of Frankenstein,” described as a “totally different role.”
  • Filming schedule: Shot in New York for three months, with only two weeks to transition to “Hamnet.”
  • Appearance changes: Arrived back with bleached eyebrows and hair, which initially caused concern for the “woman of the woods” role in “Hamnet.”
  • “The Bride” Concept: Based on an idea by Maggie Gyllenhaal from a tattoo, exploring the Bride of Frankenstein’s desire for a voice and her own identity.
  • Setting and Plot: Set in 1935 Chicago, featuring Christian Bale as “Frank,” and depicting a revolutionary wife who goes on a “Bonnie and Clyde rampage.”
  • Performance in “The Bride”: SPEAKER_00 praises SPEAKER_01’s performance as “fantastic” and “entertaining.”

Cat Controversy and Audition for “Cats”

A lighthearted but significant segment addresses a misunderstanding about SPEAKER_01’s feelings towards cats.

• “Busy right meow”: SPEAKER_01 playfully uses a cat-related pun to describe being busy.
• Clarification of cat love: SPEAKER_01 expresses distress over a perception that they don’t love cats.
• Audition for “Cats”: SPEAKER_01 reveals they auditioned for the movie “Cats.”
  • The Audition Experience: Described as the “worst audition of my life,” involving trying to embody a cat in a minimalist studio with choreographer Wayne McGregor.
  • “Licking my paws” and “leaping”: Vivid, humorous descriptions of the audition attempt.
• Dog vs. Cat Identity: SPEAKER_01 identifies as “a quarter cat and three quarters dog,” while SPEAKER_00 is “100% dog” (specifically a golden retriever).
• Misinterpretation: A previous interview question about being a dog or cat led to misrepresentation.