This week (3rd November), Graham welcomes Succession star Sarah Snook, the irrepressible Miriam Margolyes, actor Greta Lee, pop legend Boy George, and singer-songwriter CMAT.
Sarah Snook talks about finding her soulmate, Miriam Margolyes says it’s now silly to live apart from her partner, Greta Lee reveals her terror of doing a movie in Korean, Boy George says his new book is unfiltered, and CMAT performs live in the studio.
Sarah, who was unable to speak about Succession due to the ongoing US actor’s strike, says of her one-woman play The Picture of Dorian Gray, in which she plays 26 different characters, “It’s a daunting Mount Everest of a task but a lot of fun.”
Talking more about the story (originally written in 1890), she says, “It is still such a modern idea because from the Victorian era to now is like a bookend of narcissism, the idea of self, and individualism which is just getting to this crazy chaotic moment now with Instagram and all the other ways in which we worship youth.”
Asked about her theatrical roots, she says, “My grandmother was English and an actress in the 1920s and 30s and so I imagine one of her dreams would have been to be on the West End stage so it’s nice that one of her granddaughters can fulfil that for her.”
Reflecting on her romance with her husband (Dave Lawson) she says, “We were best friends for years and then got stuck in Lockdown together. We fell in love, I proposed, we got married, and had a baby all in a short space of time because I felt like I’d been here before, like it was a repeat of something. It’s not too big a word to say ‘soulmate.’”
Miriam, talking about her new book Oh Miriam! says, “It’s not quite as rude as the first one because I wanted to talk about the more serious part of my life, so people don’t just think I am a maniac. I am a real person.”
Asked about her verbal slip up on the Today programme when she voiced her very strong and rude opinion of Jeremy Hunt whilst a microphone was still on, she says, “I would never swear on Radio 4 because to me it is a temple. I truly didn’t know what I had done. I was shocked and appalled at my own rudeness. It was upsetting.”
And on her 54-year relationship with her partner she says, “We are together, but we live apart. She is in Amsterdam, and I am in London but now we want to live together. I really do want to live with her because we are old, and we haven’t got much time left. It is silly to live apart.”
Greta, talking about her new drama Past Lives, says, “You never know what the final product is going to be when you are filming something, but the script felt different and so radical in telling such a quietly powerful story. I worried who would want to watch a movie with no yelling and barely any kissing, but the response has really restored my faith in the collective humanity that despite how differently we may present to each other we are ultimately the same.”
Asked about performing in Korean, she says, “I grew up speaking it, but it had become terrible, so it was a terrifying nightmare to consider doing a full movie in Korean. Acting is hard enough in English!”
Boy George, talking about his autobiography Karma, says, “It’s pretty unfiltered because I like to be myself and be honest, but I wanted to talk about what I have learnt as a person, how I’ve learnt to be more relaxed and enjoy everything.”
Revealing that lawyers had been through the book with a fine-tooth comb, he jokes, “They took so much out because the libel laws have changed annoyingly!”
Asked about doing I’m a Celebrity… he says, “I still can’t believe I did it. It was for the attention, and it was fun. The press was vile to me but when I came out of the jungle everyone I met said they loved me.”
And on the early days of Culture Club, he says, “My music was like a living diary. At that age I thought everyone wanted to know what I was going through!”
CMAT, performs her single Stay for Something live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat about her new album and upcoming tour.
And finally, Graham pulls the lever on more foolhardy audience members brave enough sit in the world-famous red chair to tell their funniest stories.
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 3rd November 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer.
Notes to editors – All quotes in this release were made during the recording of the show but won’t necessarily appear in the final version.
Next week (10th November) Graham’s guests include Grammy-winning American rapper and record producer Diddy.
For further information please contact Mary Collins 07769 670516 or at mary@marycollins-pr.com
3rd November 2023