The Graham Norton Show - Series 16, Episode 11 - Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Jude Law, Tamsin Greig, Nicole Scherzinger - British Comedy Guide (original) (raw)

Jim Carrey says he willed his career to be a success, Jeff Daniels talks about Dumb and Dumber, Jude Law says acting is a very odd job, Tamsin Greig reveals her father's last words and Nicole Scherzinger describes being in Cats as 'amazeballs'.

Jim Carrey, talking about his and Jeff Daniels' new movie Dumb and Dumber To, and why they are reprising their old characters after 20 years, says, "We did it for the fans... they won't let us alone!" Jeff adds jokingly, "We did it to shut them up!"

Asked if they were concerned about bringing back the characters after so long, Jeff says, "We were worried." Jim adds, "I am worried now if we will be able to do it in another 20 years - it will be called Gum and Gummer!"

And on whether there might be a Dumb and Dumber 3, both Jim and Jeff say, "It was really fun - we'd do it again!"

Talking about his extraordinary early film career, Jim says, "I couldn't really enjoy it because I was stoned. But now I am clear headed and really enjoying myself - I'm having a good time. Back then all I ever cared about was my next fix."

And on willing his career to be a success, he says, "I am a great visualiser and I spent every night of my life for about four years doing the comedy clubs while trying to manifest my life. I made a cheque out to myself for 10mfor′actingservicesrendered′postdatedto1995,stuckitinmywalletandsixmonthsbeforethatduedateIwasmaking10m for 'acting services rendered' post dated to 1995, stuck it in my wallet and six months before that due date I was making 10mfor′actingservicesrendered′postdatedto1995,stuckitinmywalletandsixmonthsbeforethatduedateIwasmaking10m a movie. It's crazy." Asked if he cashed the cheque, he says, "I gave it to my dad."

Talking about the "Horrendous" time he had working on The Grinch, he says, "The make-up took eight and half hours - it was like being buried alive each day. On the first day I went back to my trailer, put my leg through the wall and told Ron Howard I couldn't do the movie. So a guy that trained CIA operatives how to endure torture was brought in. That's how I got through it. That, and The Bee Gees - the only thing that worked to calm me through the make-up was everything they had ever done. I've no idea why, but they just made me happy. There'd be no Grinch without them!"

Jude Law, talking what his children think of him, says "There are droplets of humiliation. It's just my job and for them it's what dad does, but there is that funny thing when you get home and they ask, 'What did you do today?' and I say, 'I wore someone else's clothes and pretended to be someone else.' It's a very odd job."

Revealing he spent time on a real submarine to prepare for his new film Black Sea, Jude says "I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to say because it was a proper nuclear sub and top secret. I'm not sure it helped me to be honest, but it was an amazing experience. We spent four days on board and they just let me wander around and I steered it for a bit."

Asked by Jeff if it was claustrophobic, Jude says "For me it was more about the proximity of other people. You hot-bunk with other people and the commander said with such joy 'You're going to smell like a badger when you get off.' And he was right, I did!"

Revealing they went to extreme lengths to keep warm during filming in wet conditions, he says, "We had a Jacuzzi brought in on set. All these guys would sit in it in their boots with rubber ducks and cups of tea!"

And on acting in such a confined space, he says, "You're limited and an awful lot of the footage is shot over a shoulder so we came up with 'Backing' - who could act the best from behind. It became a running gag and we started giving awards for the best." Jude demonstrates a range of emotion with just his back, before Jim, Jeff and Tamsin Greig join in.

Tamsin, recalling the advice her dad gave her on his death bed, says, "My dad taught me two things - how to bowl a cricket ball and how to do an impression of a scared pig. When he was dying I thought, 'This is it, this is the moment when the thing get's passed on,' and he said, 'Now look, don't do what your mother did.' I thought he was going to say, 'don't do what your mother did and marry a fool like me,' but no, he said, 'Don't do what your mother did, don't let yourself go!'"

Talking about appearing in her first musical, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, and how she prepared herself for the fear, she jokes, "I had children and that's it!" adding more seriously, "I think, unless you're scared there's not much point in doing anything. Everything is a risk and you have to feel what that feels like, otherwise you're just treading water."

Asked about the sex scenes with Matt Le Blanc in Episodes, she says, "Everyone wants to know what it's like. It was four years ago and I really hope he's over me! But people are very interested in it and what can I say? It was fine." On having to give voice to her own vagina in the series, she says, "In the script it says, 'Beverley speaks in a deep Yoda-like voice.' I was disappointed because I sounded more like The Cookie Monster!"

Nicole Scherzinger performs Run live in the studio, before joining Graham for a chat.

Describing being in Cats as 'Amazeballs,' she says, "I feel like a Shakespearian actor working with Sir Trevor Nunn, it's hardcore," adding, "I'm studying cats and I'm allergic to cats!"