British Comedy Guide
The Graham Norton Show. Graham Norton. Credit: So Television, Christopher Baines
The Graham Norton Show

The Graham Norton Show

  • TV chat show
  • BBC One / BBC Two
  • 2007 - 2024
  • 514 episodes (32 series)

Comic chat show presented by Graham Norton. The biggest names in showbiz join the host on his sofa.

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Series 12, Episode 15 - Helen Mirren, Paul Rudd, Leslie Mann, Little Mix

Dame Helen Mirren enjoys a kiss on the sofa with Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann talks about kissing Zac Efron. Little Mix perform live in the studio.

Preview clips

Further details

Helen Mirren, talking about immortalising her hand and footprints in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre recently, says, "I'm right off in the corner but I'm there and I'm incredibly proud."

Talking about her role of Alma Hitchcock in her new movie and the prosthetics that turned Anthony Hopkins into the film director, she says, "It was incredible, absolutely real and I would completely forget it was Tony in there. At the end of the day when he took off his face and there would be Anthony Hopkins, I was like, 'what the hell are you doing here? You're in this movie? Really? Tony became a stranger to me and I really only knew him as Hitch."

Revealing she once met Alfred Hitchcock, Helen says, "I was a very young actress and was sent off to meet him and he hated me, he didn't like me at all. I didn't like him actually either. He was just sort of 'Hitchcockish' towards me and I was really intimidated. Anyway, I was arrogant and stupid and didn't realise he was a genius. I wanted to be in movies with Jack Nicholson and didn't want to do Hitchcock movies. I was an idiot!"

Asked if she has her dress sorted for the upcoming BAFTA awards, she says, "Yes, the gown is chosen. It's all about the gown. Nothing else matters!" adding, "There is a lot of pressure about the gown. It's very unfair on us girls, it's uncomfortable and stress making and then they all tell you, 'you look crap', and after all that!"

Talking about reprising the role of The Queen for her new play, Helen says, "I didn't want to go back but it's a wonderful play." Talking about playing the monarch, she says, "It is a weird thing. We know so much about her on one level and then absolutely nothing on another level. When I did it the first time I was really worried about the personalisation of it and how I would never be as good as the real thing and then I had an epiphany - she has allowed herself to be painted and photographed and never tried to control the image and has allowed the artist to express themselves so I decided, I'm just another artist doing another portrait."

Talking about working with her husband, director Taylor Hackford, she says, "When I first went to Hollywood people would walk straight through me to get to my husband - In Hollywood people can be pretty brutal. It is quite weird working for him - it is a different relationship between what happens at home and what happens at work. I found when I was directed by Taylor I moved towards the cast and away from him. It was like, 'I'm with them I'm not with you.'"

Leslie Mann, talking about her own working relationship with her husband director Judd Apatow, she says, "We've worked together a lot and he gets very bossy and demanding and I have to shut that down when we get home."

Leslie reveals that when she kissed Zac Efron in a movie her daughter got very excited, "When I got home, my daughter ran up to me licked my face so she could taste Zac's spit!"

Talking about love on screen, Helen says, "It is all so technical it just become a mathematical thing to be worked out. Paul Rudd interjects, "I always hear actors say that but I'm like, 'That's not true at all - it's awesome!'" revealing, "The most kisses I've had in a movie was with Jack Nicholson where we played a loving father and son. It was one of the greatest moments of my life!"

Clearly impressed, Helen says, "Can I lick your face?" before asking if Paul can re-enact the audition with him playing Jack Nicholson and her playing Paul. Helen gets into character by removing her lipstick. After what is clearly a very enjoyable kiss she politely says, "Thank you very much."

Little Mix perform Change Your Life live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat about their tour.

Broadcast details

Date
Friday 1st February 2013
Time
10:35pm
Channel
BBC One
Length
45 minutes

Cast & crew

Cast
Graham Norton Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Helen Mirren Guest
Paul Rudd Guest
Leslie Mann Guest
Perrie Edwards (as Little Mix) Guest
Jesy Nelson (as Little Mix) Guest
Leigh-Anne Pinnock (as Little Mix) Guest
Jade Thirlwall (as Little Mix) Guest
Writing team
Rob Colley Writer
Dan Gaster Writer
Production team
Steve Smith Director
Jon Magnusson Series Producer
Mike Altman Producer
Pete Snell Producer
Alan Thorpe Producer
Graham Stuart Executive Producer
Catherine Strauss Line Producer
Perry Widdowson Editor
Chris Webster Production Designer
Lindsey McLean Costume Designer
Mandy Furlonger Make-up Designer
Chris Rigby Lighting Designer
Jonathan Whitehead (as Trellis) Composer
Kerry Hussain Graphics

Videos

Annoying husbands

Graham chats with Dame Helen Mirren and Leslie Mann about their husbands annoying habits.

Featuring: Graham Norton, Leslie Mann, Helen Mirren & Paul Rudd.

Paul Rudd's look

Graham chats with Paul Rudd about his 'look' as he's growing his hair for the sequel to Anchorman.

Featuring: Graham Norton, Leslie Mann, Helen Mirren & Paul Rudd.

Paul Rudd kisses Dame Helen Mirren

Graham chats with Helen Mirren about kissing, and Paul Rudd demos his first meeting with Jack Nicholson by kissing Helen.

Featuring: Graham Norton, Leslie Mann, Helen Mirren & Paul Rudd.

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