Will Smith reveals how son Jayden suckered him, Helen Mirren
jokes that playing Death offended her, Naomie Harris reveals
that Will can be very annoying, Martin Freeman says the new
series of Sherlock is extraordinary and Katie Melua performs live
in the studio
On a special festive show (Friday 23rd December) Graham welcomes Hollywood
star Will Smith, award-winning actresses Dame Helen Mirren and Naomie
Harris, all starring in Collateral Beauty, Doctor Watson himself, Martin Freeman
and singer songwriter Katie Melua.
Will, talking about how he will be spending Christmas, says, “It’s very important
to my wife – Christmas is mummy time. She takes it very seriously. In October
she starts looking at where the maximum snow will be and books us in there, it’s
crazy. If there isn’t snow for Christmas the year doesn’t count! I pretty much just
turn up!”
Talking about his son Jayden’s recent 18th birthday, he says, “I told him it was a
big birthday and asked him where he’d like to spend it and he said. ‘I want to do it
in London because it’s one of my favourite cities. I was here promoting so
thought that’s fantastic so the family came and we celebrated his birthday. As
we sat down at the table he ordered Tequila. I was horrified and was like, ‘Hey,
what’s going on?’ And he said, ‘The drinking age is 18 in London!’ He suckered
me!”
Asked about the most unlikely place in the world where he has been recognised,
Will says, “We were making Ali in Mozambique and filming in a village about 50
miles from anywhere and a woman washing clothes in the river looked up and
shouted, ‘Big Willie!’ It was strange.”
Helen, talking about her role of ‘Death’ in Collateral Beauty, jokes, “I was so
insulted! Adding, “I read the script but wasn’t quite sure who they were going to
ask me to play and then when I was cast as ‘Death’ I thought, ‘God damn it!’ But,
it’s a comedy role the way I play it.”
Talking about how Will charmed the fans that turned up in New York when they
were filming, Helen says, “Filming with him is difficult but wonderful. Word goes
out that he is filming on the street and hundreds of people turn up. After every
scene he would hang out with the fans and then come back and play a serious
scene – I was really impressed with that. He was amazing and our secret
weapon because he was just so unbelievably gracious with people.”
Naomie interjects, “That was true every day on set… but, can I add, he can also
very annoying like an older brother. Never show weakness to Will. I made the
mistake of telling him that I turned up with my whole family to the premiere of my
first ever movie – I was all dressed up and did the red carpet and everything –
only to find out that it wasn’t me on screen. I had been replaced by another
actress!”
Laughing, Will says, “It was the funniest thing I had ever heard.”
Helen, asked about her upcoming role in Fast and Furious – a part she wished
for during a previous appearance on Graham’s show – says, “It’s fantastic.”
Asked if she gets to drive in the film, she says, “I’m not allowed to say. I can’t
say a word.”
Asked about being spotted wherever she goes, she says, “Queues for the toilet
are not an easy place to be recognised. You end up having a conversation with
the whole queue as you move slowly towards the empty cubicle and then
everyone listens!”
Naomie, talking about her recent award nominations for her upcoming movie
Moonlight, says, “I feel like an idiot now but I nearly didn’t do it. I didn’t want to
play a crack addict, I wanted to portray positive images of women in general, and
black women in particular and I thought a crack addict wasn’t part of that. I was
stupidly about to say no when the director said he was basically asking me to
play his mother and I’ve never had anyone ask me to play their mum before.”
Asked how she will spend Christmas she says, “I live just eight doors down from
my family so on Christmas day I walk up the hill in my pyjamas!” Adding, “My
family is brutally honest and if they don’t like a present they are given they say
so! Growing up I thought it was perfectly normal until I took a boyfriend home
and he said, ‘That’s just not normal, you just say, ‘Thank you!’”
Revealing Will dined with her parents recently, Naomie says, “They were really
casual and acted like a movie star comes over every day. They were cool but I
did have to tell my little brother off for taking pictures of Will across the table. I
said it was really rude to take pictures of people when they don’t know you’re
doing it and he said, ‘It’s okay, mum’s already posted it on Facebook!’”
Martin joins Graham for a chat.
Asked about Sherlock and what we can expect from the new series, he says, “All
I can tell you is that John and Mary have a baby now and as Sherlock isn’t the
world’s most touchy feely person it’s pretty baffling for him.” Adding, “What I will
say is that I think this is the best written of all the series – the three scripts are
extraordinary, really exciting.”
Talking about the success of the show, Martin says, “It’s doing very well. It’s had
a real life of it’s own almost from the first ever episode. The reaction to that show
was extraordinary. I’ve never known anything like it. We were all worried when it
went out in the summer that no one was going to watch it and that it would be
disastrous, but it made no difference and people liked it.”
Asked about being recognised wherever he goes, he says, “It’s a big show that
reaches parts other programmes can’t reach! It’s delightful.”
Katie performs The Little Swallow with the Gori Women’s Choir live in the studio
before joining Graham for a chat about her new album.
Helen delivers her Christmas message to the nation before Graham pulls the
lever on more foolhardy audience members brave enough to sit in the Red Chair.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, 23rd December 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.
On New Year’s Eve Graham’s guests include Michael Fassbender, Marion
Cotillard, James McAvoy, Gary & Paul O’Donovan, Frank Skinner and Pete Tong
For further information please contact Mary Collins 07769 670516 or at
[email protected]
23rd December 2016