Hollywood’s hottest double act Emily Stone and Ryan Gosling talk about La La Land, Ben Affleck chats about his brother Casey, Sienna Miller talks about receiving a rather backhanded compliment, and Gregory Porter performs live in the studio
On the first show of the New Year (Friday 13th January) Graham welcomesRyan Gosling and Emma Stone, together in La La Land, the most talked about movie of the awards season, Oscar-winning actor and director Ben Afleck and Sienna Miller talking about their new movie Live By Night, and American singer songwriterGregory Porter.
Emma, asked about learning to dance separately from Ryan for La La Land, says, “It was a little bit of a mind game. I would go to my tap dancing lessons every day and I was learning these primitive moves and every day I would ask how Ryan was doing, and they would say, ‘He is really good, he is amazing, he’s exceeding our expectations.’ So for two months I thought he was the best dancer of all time and I was failing miserably. Then they put us together and I was like, ‘I’ve got this!’
Ryan adds, “I grew up loving the musicals from the 50s and assumed they were a thing of the past. When I met the director he was really passionate to make a musical that was relevant to a modern audience. It was a really exciting idea. We tried to make a musical for people that don’t like musicals.”
Revealing that meeting Gene Kelly’s widow almost ended in disaster, Ryan says, “We went to meet her, which was wonderful and she shared a lot of his stories. But, after this magical night we managed to let her little dog out on to the street. We were running in and out of traffic trying to catch it and there was a moment when Damien (Chazelle) looked and me and said, ‘We will not kill Gene Kelly’s widow’s dog!”
Emma, talking about dancing with Ryan when they starred in Crazy Stupid Love, says, “The Dirty Dancing lift didn’t go to plan. When I was seven years old I broke both my arms because my gym teacher let go of my ankles when I was on parallel bars and I fell six feet to the ground. When we did the film I knew Ryan was going to lift me up but what I didn’t know was that I had an internalised phobia about being lifted six feet in the air and it all went horribly wrong.”
Ryan interjects, “I’ve never had this experience but I can only imagine if a possum fell out of a tree, landed on my head and tried to scratch my eyes out it would be something similar!”
Finishing the story, Emma says, “I went into full melt down, I had to lie down and watch Labyrinth while crying!”
Ben, talking about writing, directing and starring in his new movie Live By Night, says, “When you do all that it’s hard to avoid blame!” Asked if actors now treat him differently, he says, “Maybe. I don’t know. People think actors are pretty stupid and treat them like farm animals so I guess I get a little more credit!” adding jokingly, “But people still don’t respect me!”
When Graham points out that Ben wrote a lot of sex scenes for himself in the film, Ben jokes, “Why else get into directing? That’skind of the whole point!”
Asked about his brother Casey winning a Golden Globe Award, he says, “It was spectacular and well deserved,” Adding jokingly, “When I got the Oscar I thanked everyone including Casey, who I called a genius, and he thanked everyone except me. I wish him less well now!”
And, on the buzz surrounding Casey and a possibleOscar win, Ben says, “It would be an exciting thing. We would be the only two brothers ever to both win, which would be cool.” Making another joke at his brother’s expense, he adds, “And it wouldn’t be the only first. Casey would be the first bed wetter to win! It would be so ground-breaking!”
Sienna, talking about starring with Ben in Live By Night, and perfecting a West Cork accent for her character, says, “We just had a press conference in LA and someone complimented me and said, ‘You are so unrecognisable in the role and you were very brave wearing fake teeth.’ I pointed out they are all mine!”
Revealing that the first time she had a screen test in LA was for Ben for Pay Check, she says, “I was very young and I have never done anything like it before and I didn’t get the role.” Ben interjects, “Consider yourself lucky!”
Gregory Porter performs Holding On live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat.
And finally,Graham pulls the lever on more foolhardy audience members brave enough to sit in the Big Red Chair.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, 13th January BBC One 10.35pm
Pictures are available from PA
Notes to editors – all quotes in this release were said during the recording but won’t necessarily appear in the final show.
Next week (20th January) Graham’s guests include Matthew McConaughey, Christina Ricci and Ed Sheeran.
For further information please contact Mary Collins 07769 670516 or at
13th January 2017