Olivia Wilde

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1:26It's so funny, Jessie, because you really should be able to put it away like your mother. That's so rude. You are a very lightweight drinker. I know. It's not funny. How many glasses of wine was there? Do you drink spirits? Oh, well, I'll give them a shout out. I went to the Victory on Lordship Lane in East Dulwich, if anyone's from South East London. It was the old Franklins and it's now called the Victory. And it's this really great guy, Jamie Younger, who is involved with the Begging Bowl, Somsar, Kole. Anyway, the victory was delicious. And he did encourage us all to have a martini. There was one called Nelson's Blood.

2:04I know, I didn't go for that one, but it was delicious. I had a Gibson and I think that's what maybe did it. But then also potentially having dessert wine on a Wednesday. Why were you drinking so much midweek? England had won. No, that was not the reason. It was a balmy night. You were going to drink anyway, Jessie. Nothing to do with England, darling. Anyway, Sam said, I'm surprised you can't do it. you don't have the same genes as your mother and I don't and so I'm feeling a little ropey and I think I may have to have a drink just to get through this hangover. Anyway how are you? I'm okay. Okay great.

2:38Yeah fine. We've got a guest coming on today which is Olivia Wilde who we're so excited to have but she's coming at a quite kind of odd time to cook so it's a really hot day she's coming at three well she's not coming at three because she's not here she's not here but um i think she's been in a junket so she's on her way so we're probably going to be eating around four four thirty maybe so it's a kind of odd time to eat so i picky bit picky bits yeah picky tea do you think it's the british that are fonder of picky bits than anybody else in the universe everyone likes picky bit we are a picky bit nation i think i've made actually it was your recommendation it's a nigel slater loaf it's got sun-dried tomato in it basil thyme feta parmesan and kefir and like self-raising flour so it's kind of like a cake a savory cake i don't know if it's nice i haven't cut through it but i hope it is so i'm doing that with some jamon because that's a nod to the new film that Olivia is coming on to talk to us about um the invite so I've got lots of cured meats and I've got a cheese board and delicious nice yeah because I'm sure she has dinner plans I'm sure and then what have you made for put I've made apricot ice cream yum I've got a friend peppy she's your friend Carla's mum who says she can't cook but she always has these clever little recipes.

4:08She made delicious apricot and amaretti ice cream. Yum. Which is just basically a jar of really good apricot preserve. Yeah. With 300 mils of cream whipped up and just mix it all together with some amaretti biscuit crumbs. I promise you it's delicious. But isn't it so it's no churn? No churn. Will it like move well enough? Well if we get it out in time it will. Okay. So when she arrives, we'll take it out. Fab. Yeah. So Olivia Wilde is coming on to talk about her new fantastic film. Wonderful. That she's directed and starred in. It's called The Invite. It stars Olivia, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton.

4:52You call him Edward? Yeah, apparently he doesn't like being called Ed. It is the most wonderful cast. It's such a fantastic cast. And it's such a great film. the script is unreal the script huge accolades already it's going to win all the awards you think yeah there's lots of isn't it a funny time to bring out a film that you want to I don't know if she was going for it but usually the films in the summer aren't the ones that are going for the Oscars but they've always gone for the festivals they've already been at the festivals anyway it's a fantastic film it is I think one of my favourite films I've seen in so long yeah just sharp funny clever heartbreaking, just, it's all of it.

5:35Yeah. So, yeah, Olivia's coming on to talk about this. We feel very excited to have her. Olivia Wilde coming up on Table Manners.

5:51Olivia Wilde. Hi. Thank you for being here. Oh, my God. So sweet of you to come. This is the best. Well, to start and to celebrate, My husband Sam has made a select spritz. I do think, Nate, I'm just going to check it. That'll do big. That'll do big. Cheers. Cheers. To the success of the invite. It's unbelievable. I don't think you need much help. It's wonderful. It's truly wonderful. It's perfect. It's perfect. So is this. Yes, isn't it good? That's really good. So nice. Yum. What do you think? What does your publicist think? Hold on. What's delicious? Delicious, right? Delicious. So this is, I have to admit, I'm slightly hungover, so I think this is just going to sort me out.

6:37Hair of the job. How are you today? I'm so good. I feel so relieved. Really? Yeah. Why so relieved? Premiere last night. Because releasing a movie is always a nightmare because you just, this is the part you have no control over. It belongs to the audience now. Critics can be vicious. People can be bored. People are busy. It's hard to get people into theaters. But we have been so lucky with this so far, where the kind of chemical equation of film plus audience leads to something that is its own thing. And so far, it's been really lovely. And people have been having fun. And we've been hearing people laughing in the theater.

7:22And there's nothing better than that. Didn't you do a couple screening? We've done so many different types of screenings. We've had many, many, many couples in to see the film. I didn't watch it with my husband. However, I told him about it. Yes. And I told him about the premise and he loved the idea. And then he said, and then he said, I can imagine us doing that in a few years, babe. And I said, yes, I can't actually. well maybe he's got some like yeah exactly but it was so funny because i guess this it does provoke conversations with couples yeah do you want to explain to people without maybe giving it away yeah okay so essentially it's about on the surface what seems like an unhappy couple and a happy couple colliding for one night to have a dinner party that goes kind of off the rails and leads to unforeseen conclusions for everyone.

8:25What it really is, is a story about relationships that tries to figure out why they work or why they're not working and if it potentially has something to do with how little we communicate, particularly about sex. And it's based on a great Spanish film called The People Upstairs that was itself based on a play by the same writer-director. I've read all about it. It felt to me like I was watching... I can so imagine it on the stage. Yeah. Me too. Yeah. We think you should definitely come the same cast and do it on the stage as well. Would you be tempted to do something like that? Because I love kind of like Noel Coward, Comedy of Errors, like to do something like this on stage.

9:07It would be really interesting to think of what would need to change about it. I think it would have to be adapted again. Yeah. Because we did so much work to adapt this version to something that would work with this cast, with the energy we wanted from the film. and it was truly the most fun I've ever had, even though it was the hardest I've ever worked. Because, I mean, you're not only starring it, you're the director, so how... Insane. An insane thing to do. Truly unhinged. But you're good at it. Well, yes. I think, yeah. I didn't want to star in it. I didn't want to be in it. Oh, why not? Because I just wanted to nail the direction.

9:44So who would have been you? I had so many good ideas. Okay, come on. Who are the ideas? I got all these... I mean, everyone. All the brilliant actresses that I love and the cast, Edward and Seth and Penelope, kept saying, maybe, maybe, yeah, I could see it. But I was like, what's wrong? Why won't you guys? These are all great ideas. And they were like, because we think you should do it. And I was so struck because I just, it hadn't occurred to me. Really? Wow. I weirdly had like, I think, imposter syndrome about acting in it, but for some reason not about directing it. I don't know. I think at this point I feel like a much better director than actor.

10:29I think you did a great job. But now I think it was the most perfect cast. Then it felt like so meant to be, but I've never felt that good acting before. So I'm so happy I ended up jumping in. I was so terrified, but they were so supportive. I mean, it couldn't have been a tighter group. It is a masterclass in, like, all of it. Acting, reacting. I mean, it's... And also, shout out, it's Rashida Jones and who's the other? Will McCormick. I mean, the script is great. It's great. I mean, you've got, like, heavyweights delivering those lines, including yourself. But it is just punchy, kind of unforgiving, beautiful, heartbreaking, all of it.

11:14But I mean, is Penelope Cruz the sexiest woman alive? There's a moment in the film where she improvised a kiss with me. How many times did you have to reshoot that one, Olivia? I was like, oh, film hair on the gate, do it again. No, I was so shocked when she did it that I actually turned my head and looked directly into the lens. And then through my camera operator, he was like, Olivia. And I said, Namaste. For some reason, that's the only thing that came to my mind. Namaste. And everyone was like, what? And I was like, I don't know. My mind went blank. My mind went blank because I was so struck by this moment.

11:56I was like, what? I lost control. I was so madly in love with her. But it was a lot about control, wasn't it? I mean, you're very buttoned up. You wear a collar and your hair's in a plait and you look kind of straight and buttoned up. Oh, and just riddled with anxiety. But she's also talking about control. Yes. And being in control. And what she enjoys is the control she has over her life and her sex life. Yes. And I was very struck by that. When she turns on Edward Norton, I forgot what his name is in the... Hawk. Hawk, of course. His name's Howard, isn't it? Howie. Howie. But when she turns on him because he corrects her English, and I just thought, oh, wow, so many times you want to correct...

12:45When people correct you for doing things. And men do it more to women, I think, than women would ever do it to men. And that came from a very deep place within Penelope. I'm sure it did. And she, you know, she was not only improvising along with us, she's doing it in her second language. And she oftentimes points out that, you know, she's like, look, I'm, I'm live trying translating everything you guys are saying. And she's very, very smart. And so she, she speaks probably several more languages, but she has dealt with people correcting her in her life. and I love that moment she has this moment where he corrects her and he says she's saying and she just turns and she goes she's saying what and I would like I feel like every woman the feeling of you tell me tell me what I'm saying mansplaining exactly and I you know the cool thing about this movie is we shot it like a play we shot it in order and because of that there was such organic kind of development of character that led people to these different places.

13:56And she knew at that point that she would be just at the brink of losing it over being corrected that many times. Was that your choice to shoot it like that? Yes, that was the dream. Is that quite unusual to be allowed to do that then? Yes. Well, it's usually impossible because you're moving around to different locations. So it's logistically a nightmare and actor availability, all of the reasons. But it had always been my fantasy because since I started acting, I was like, this is really hard doing this out of order because I trained in theater. And then I was like, movies are hard, mostly because we are jumping around thinking like, how will I feel now if I imagine I've already done that?

14:34And it's like a Rubik's cube. And so I thought, if I get to direct, I would like to shoot something in order. And it's usually too complicated. This time when I read Rashida and Will's brilliant script, I thought this is an opportunity because it's one location to do the thing I've always wanted to do. Make it like a play. Rehearse, which we never get to do. And then shoot in order and workshop the script with the cast and the writers and make it feel very specific to everyone's ideas and instincts. I'm so in awe of all of you. Yeah, the performances are. They are so good. I mean, they are so funny.

15:14Like, I was the one trying not to break the whole time, which is very unprofessional as the director. I was just constantly like, like every time Edward would speak Spanish, it really made me laugh. And then Seth is just constantly making me laugh. Is he good fun? He's the best. Yeah. But you also had a really good time on the studio together. Yes. I mean, that story was fantastic too. Yes. Had you already done the invite by that point? No. Okay. He asked me to come on the studio. And I thought, what a brilliant idea that you're kind of sending up this ridiculous industry, but doing it with a lot of love for movies.

15:53Yeah. And I love Seth. And I said, absolutely, I'll do it. And I also love the opportunity to make fun of myself. Like, what a gift. What a gift to be able to go on and just make fun of yourself and everything. And then when I was opposite him acting in the scene, it occurred to me, he has to play Joe in the invite. He has to. In fact, there's no one else. And I refused to accept anything but this. And I wasn't supposed to, obviously, at that point, be in the invite. But I knew he was Joe. And I could suddenly see the movie around Seth. And so I begged him to come and do it. And he was very gracious.

16:31He was he was very supportive from the beginning. I will say he and Edward are two real like male allies in Hollywood, which is rare still someone. I think there's a lot of great men working and they're generally just wonderful and they work for women, they work for men, they're great. But the thing that separates these two, I think, is that they go out of their way to really stand up for the women they work with and to fight for their voices to be taken seriously. And I saw it to such an extent that I really understood how rare and how special it was. I mean I guess it can't always be as perfect as this No I have to retire, I'm done I really feel that way, I'm ruined Well we should talk about food a little bit but we can keep on talking about the invite Yes, because I want to And cheese souffles, have you got the recipe for that?

17:28It's so funny because the joy of cooking is open in the opening credits because that was me trying to figure out what she would actually need for a souffle which I picked because I thought that's the most risky thing in my non-chef mind. That would seem like a risky thing for a party if you are not a very good cook. And you've never met the people and you're quite stressed. So risky. I've never done a souffle. And she ruins it immediately. Like within moments. Within moments of the movie beginning it's ruined. But let's talk about you. Growing up in DC? Yes, first in New York. How long until? Five.

18:04Moved to DC at five and then in Georgetown. Why DC? because your father was working there or your mother? Both my parents are journalists. And, you know, they kind of worked all around the world, so they could probably have been anywhere. But I think D.C. was probably more affordable than New York and a good place for kids. It's a very green city. And I think it actually reminded them of London. They met in London. And I think there's a kinship between those two cities. so who was around the dinner table and what were you eating okay my parents had dinner parties all the time so did mom and i think about it now because i'm not very good at hosting dinner parties and i think i'm robbing my children of the experience that i was given and i have to correct it because i loved the the constant kind of murmur of people coming for dinner sitting around the big long table like this and my mom would make salmon she had her thing it was she would do a salmon and potatoes and a salad and it was good she executed it brilliantly yeah and it was like that was it she nailed it my dad would do a lot of cooking on on kind of other nights like just for us all the time and it was like shepherd's pie roast chicken um he's irish so it was also like boiled bacon and cabbage which having like american kids over for dinner and they're like i'm sorry what are we eating what is this and it's like this is a very very salty dish it's very good we love it and they're like what is this strange dish have you tried it on your kids no my kids have this really honestly pathetic palette oh mate they i think ours is similar age if it isn't beige they don't want it it's so irritating i know i'm like oh come on your daughter My daughter's good.

19:58She's nearly 10 and she's decent. She'll eat muscles. No, no, she's all right. The boys are crap. Do you know, I just took, so my kids are 9 and 12. And I just took Otis, who's 12, to Tokyo for a week. We went together as a just kind of trip together, which was a dream. And I was shocked because we went and took a sushi making lesson and he ate the sushi. And did he like it? I don't think so. but I have never been more shocked in my life than seeing that child pick up sashimi, a big piece of sushi and eat it. I was like, what? I mean, I couldn't believe it and it was because he typically eats pizza with no sauce.

20:41That's what he wants. And he'll eat like a lot of salami. So he likes the pizza dough? Yes. But what's he have on it? But he won't eat pasta, he won't eat bread. oh he just wants sashimi that one time and one time only where are you going to take him next i don't know italy for a bit of sauce maybe it's so funny because my daughter is nine she has she loves pasta she's like me she wants like a nice big italian meal but it is still limited to two shades of beige you on this trip they're not on this trip but they will come soon because I'll be in London for a while. And they, it's funny because for them, like cuisine in England, they're like, mmm, Nando's.

21:25Oh, they like Nando's. They just want chicken. I mean, Nando's is great. It's great. Do they not have Nando's in the States? Don't they have it in DC? Oh, really? I swear it's the only place in America. It's possible because it's such an international city. I mean, I left there at 13, so I don't. Okay. I want to know. Where did you go next then? I went to boarding school. Where? In Massachusetts, right outside Boston. And I went there for four years and then I moved to L.A. Did you enjoy it? I did. It was very weird for me because I was such a city kid. Like I really enjoyed my kind of city haunts.

22:01And that was why they were like, you're going to boarding school. Right. Were you naughty? I thought it was naughty. Now I look back and I'm like, it was very tame. It was very tame. I just didn't really understand kind of curfews, rules, boundaries. It was probably going to get worse. So they said you were going to boarding school. They're like, you're going. And I'm glad I went because it had this extraordinary theatre program and I just did like 12 plays a year. Wow. Yeah, acting. And it was a great school and I was really lucky to be there. But boarding school is, I mean, I guess it's more normal here.

22:37For the posh people, yes. Yeah, yeah, it's a posh thing. It's a posh thing. And this was definitely a posh school. It's very preppy and sporty. Did you go to university after that? No, I got into school and then I said, I'll take a year off. And it's been like 23 years. Okay. Before a year. I would love to go now. I think college is wasted on the young. I agree. I would love to go now. Imagine just sitting around. At the time, I thought I'd study theater. Now, I don't think so. Now, I'd like to study neuroscience. Oh, wow. But you'd have to probably learn a lot of math, which wouldn't be possible for me because I've never been able to.

23:16I can't either. You can. Anyone can do it if you don't. I don't understand what they're talking about. The same. It's like it's ancient Greek. And your children have to do it and I cannot help them. The amount of times I've. The arguments. The arguments. I've been correcting homework being like, now that's not. That can't be right. And then looking on my phone, pretending to be thinking. Let me just think about this very basic, easy equation. And then my son has the kind of brain where he can just see. Oh, wow. He sees it and he knows the answer. He just has that. Wait till you do physics. Nope.

23:49That's going to be a challenge. It won't happen. You kind of went to the school of house, though, didn't you? Yes. I got to pretend to be a doctor. Yeah, I was impressed because I thought you were so clever. Yeah, no, it was all fake because I got to learn lines. She is clever, Mum. No, but I thought she was a neuroscientist. Well, that was the inspiration. He's so fun. He's so attractive. I hate to say it. I hate to say it. I don't want to objectify him, but I think he's gorgeous. We also love his brains, but let's be honest. Is he bright and funny and clever? He's not only a brilliant actor, but he's a musician.

24:25He's a novelist. He rides a motorcycle. Of course. He's cool. Of course he does. That's a bit of you. Yeah. I aspire. He was always so rude to you in the house. I know. And yet couldn't have been more gentle and sweet. And I loved it. I loved being on that show. It was so much fun because I grew up watching ER. I was obsessed with ER. Yeah, me too. Okay, well, should I get some food? Yeah, please. Do you still like it? Why have I had all of mine? Yeah, you need another one. Because you've been working hard. She needs another. You need to lubricate the vocal cords first. Jessie, what's in the middle?

24:57It's a little Nocella Olive. Jessie, she needs another one, darling. Would you like another one? Yeah, of course she would. I would too. I would eat my olive first. Yeah, and I'll replenish. Okay, I have, what we are having... Is picky bits. Is picky bits because I didn't know whether you had dinner plans and all of that. So it's like, but I did put a bit of jamon in there because I felt like it was only right. We must have jamon. And it is jamon. Real jamon. Real jamon. Unlike the prosciutto we had in the movie. Exactly. So I'll just get that sorted. I'll make some more drinks. And you can ask Olivia about her lass.

25:30Okay. Okay, so who was cooking for you when you were at home? Did your mum cook anything or was it dad's shepherd's pie? She cooked, but my dad was probably more of the chef, I think. But you know what? She was really great about bringing healthy food. Before it was trendy, like I remember growing up with so much salad and people would come over to my house and they would say, wow, at your house you just have like green leafy salad all the time, which I think a lot of people in the States, a salad is sort of just another way of having like, saying like a bowl of food. And so it would be a lot of like cheese and fruit and things.

26:14And she was so good at making like the most perfect salads and vegetables. And she would, I remember in Ireland when we were little, she would go and get olive oil from the pharmacy because you couldn't get it at the store yet. No, you couldn't. so she would get lots of little tiny vials they were only small they came like medical supplies and make vinaigrette what was the food like at boarding school? you know what I think we were pretty well we were spoiled in that there were there were a lot of options it's not like we were like given slop and told to eat it we were definitely given options but I think there's something about unleashing 13 year olds on a dining hall and then just telling them like make sure to eat a balanced diet and be healthy and I just remember kind of fending for myself and probably eating way too much shit when you when you left boarding school you went to live in LA I did presumably on your own I did yeah so you were flat sharing yeah and and actually I lived in in in someone's little guest house and I was a casting assistant and I would take buses to work which in LA well how did you find hours of commute hours of commute waiting in the swelter I would arrive at work so sweaty I remember my boss just being like Olivia what has what's happening and I was like I don't know why everyone else isn't sweaty why is everyone else fine but then I finally did get myself a car and then I started auditioning and I really kind of put roots in LA but then I moved back to New York for a bunch of my 20s and 30s.

27:53I had my kids in New York. Where did you learn to cook? I went to the Ballymaloo Cooking School in Ireland. Ballymaloo? Oh my God! How long did you do the course for? I just did one summer. Jessie, we need to go. Yeah! Summer? How long is the summer? It was like several weeks long. Wow! Oh wow, I was thinking of a week long. It is the best and most beautiful place. And Darina Allen, who runs it, of course, and she now her kids, I think, are like taking over the empire. But it was so funny because I think I was the only person. I mean, I was really young. I was like 14 and everyone else was like probably in their like 50s.

28:36Oh, my God. And you were there learning to cook. And I remember we learned quiche. I remember really studying quiche. And there were a lot of pastries. And I remember her thing was really like butter and cream and more butter and more cream. It was delicious. It was so beautiful. And you'd cook from the garden. Everything there is fresh. And she was really revolutionary within the kind of world of Irish cooking. People used to equate Ireland, thank you, with pretty terrible food. even though there's so much fresh fish and vegetables and then she changed the game okay it's really not it's not us really showcasing our cooking skills no it is look at all that cheese yeah there's a lot of cheese based i hope you like cheese i love cheese okay so what we have here is you know cheese board with some jamon because we are thinking about Penelope Cruz and the invite.

29:34And then this is a Nigel Slater, like, savoury loaf, which is, it's got kefir in it. So it's good for your gut, Olivia. Feta, sundried tomatoes, basil, thyme. I don't know if it's any good, fingers crossed, but if not. And then I've done, have you seen these things on TikTok? These, like, viral dippy oil things. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And I've never done them, and I thought, oh, well, I'll just do that. So that's the dippy thing. Do you know what I mean? So there we go. We've got everything. So please help yourself. Yes. Because I think that... Should I just put a bit on? Okay, is there anything you don't like?

30:11No, I want to. I feel fine.

30:23Is your kid's birthday coming up? Don't stress the prep. The Party Shop at Michael's is your one-stop shop for everything from bluey to rodeo. Transform your space into a birthday wonderland with dream-worthy tablescapes and decor starting at 99 cents. Plus, get free helium inflation on select balloon styles. Whether you're crafting a one-of-a-kind bash or grabbing the essentials, Michaels has everything to make their big day legendary. Shop now and order ahead for delivery or in-store pickup. Michaels, everything to celebrate anything. From Taco Night in Tulum to sushi in Tokyo, every bite is rewarding and post worthy with Amex Gold's four times membership rewards points at restaurants worldwide.

31:06Wherever you dine, points are piling up. So bring your friends along for your next course because it's not all about the posts. It's about the company and the memories. How can gold from Amex sweeten your next food moment? Learn more at americanexpress.com slash explore-gold. Terms and points cap apply.

31:31Whilst mum and me cut things up, last supper, start a main pud, drink of choice. Okay. I love this question because it is actually my favourite question to ask at dinner parties when I feel like people are really struggling to connect. Right, yes. And I feel it is something that everyone, really if they think about it, they have an answer. But you say it in a nice way, last supper, I always say execution meal. we used to say that but then people got offended it's very funny do you want some yes come on this one i would love no it's this one but just like here darling okay here's what i was thinking it's a it's a little bit disgusting because in this fantasy meal if i'm imagining it to be my last i'm gonna mix cuisines yeah it's fine and you would never do this but yeah i was thinking i would like to start with like um like a nice like refreshing like hamachi crudo you know something with a little like something like a little jalapeno yeah citrusy something love that and then i would do a weird sharp turn and do a gazpacho i love a gazpacho i don't so you need to explain to me where i need to go to get a good gazpacho I think Penelope Cruz, her house in Spain.

32:51I've never been, but I want to imagine that we've been there. Is she not your new best friend? She is my best friend. I wonder if I'm her best friend. No, I think she's told me many times to come to Madrid and to stay with her and Javier, and it's simply too good for me to experience. Of course, I've forgotten it's Javier Bardal. I know. Do you know their story? The most attractive couple in the world. Gorgeous. So they, do you know how they met on Ramon Ramon? A film, a Pedro Almodovar film that they made. And she was really young, like 17. Okay. And I think it was her first film. Right. And he was like a little bit older.

33:32Yeah. And obviously had the hots for her, but it didn't happen then. Right. Yeah. But obviously they crushed on each other. And then not until Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Oh, wow. So how long ago after that was that? A while. 20 years. Yeah. It's gotta be, you know, in that one, right? That's many years later. Again, math, not my thing. But many, many years later, they meet again. I mean, they knew of each other. They're the two most famous people in Spain. I'm sure they saw each other around. But they worked together again. And she said within a week, it was love. And I love them. Within a week.

34:09I love them and I love their kids and they are the most, like, aspirational couple. you just want to have what they have I've been very conservative with the cheese so you can have lots more this is great we've got this crudo hamachi do you want an artichoke? sorry it may need a little little something so hamachi crudo gazpacho I know already it's like what is wrong with you but imagine it's refreshing I like it but then the next one the main is an emotional choice Okay. So my grandmother, my dad's mother, made this roast chicken that was the most delicious thing any of us have ever eaten. And we've all tried to learn to recreate it.

35:00You can't. It's impossible. There's something about it. I don't know. My dad and I were just talking about it. Like, why is it so good? And she would do roast chicken bread sauce. Mm. Mm. which I really like. It's delicious. I love it. It's so onion-y with like big peppercorns and stuffing. Which isn't an American... Well, I mean, she's Irish, right? They do have stuffing in America, darling. Do they? Only on Thanksgiving. On Thanksgiving. We have it every Sunday if we could. I would eat it by the bathtub load. Yeah, and dripping in the bread sauce. I feel like, sadly, bread sauce is restricted really to...

35:42I'll do it for you next week. Christmas Day for us now. Yeah, it's kind of an indulgent thing, right? You can just have a bread sauce all the time. They're not like giving that in the pubs. No. Do you know what I mean? This is so good. Oh, it's picky. I love this bread, Jessie. This is all I ever want. Okay, good. I'm adding this to my last meal. Darling, this is amazing. Yeah, but it's Nigel Slater. It's not me. It's delicious. I think I probably, I was worried it wasn't cooked properly in the middle. I think it probably could have come out about two minutes early. No. It's a good recipe. It's his recipe, but you made it.

36:12That was the script and this is the movie. And you made it. Oh, thanks, Olivia Wilde. You did it. So, okay, we've got the main. We've got your grandma's own chicken. And then? Are you a sweet tooth? I love chocolate pudding. What is that? Like chocolate mousse. Oh, chocolate mousse. Okay, can I tell you where you need to go whilst you're here? Yes, please. Oh, yeah. For a baked chocolate mousse. Café Clement. Okay. It's St. Clement. Why am I saying Clement but then I say St. Clement? Whatever. Café Clement. Nick Jones' new place. Oh, yes. Oh yes, I read about it. The baked chocolate mousse there, babe.

36:45Oh yeah, I'm going. For two people is freaking... Or one. It's delicious. Please go and eat that. Is it like, you know in Paris when they give you the big glass bowl? Well, it's not because it's baked. So it's slightly like a souffle, but also like a mousse. So it satisfies both things. I really, I like it when it's really whipped. And it feels light. Olivia, can you make a souffle? No. Oh, Olivia. I know. I would like to learn. It's dead easy. Is it? Is it true? You've got to be brave. That you can't make lots of noise. Is that a wives' tale? That you can't yell around it? What? I've never heard that.

37:25No. This is obviously a lie my mother told me so that we would shut up. Well, it was that if you were... Now that I say it out loud, it sounds insane. That if you make lots of noise, it'll fall. Olivia I'm gullible but that's fucking gullible sorry I love that you're a dreamer you're a believer got it silence only for the souffle I mean I guess like concentration comes into it maybe there was there's it was like a lot of it like don't let it fall which I now realise sounds I love that obviously science wasn't my thing either did you have good catering on the set We did. So I hear. I was so... Oh, God, were you just like doing everything?

38:14Well, she was everything. Riddled with anxiety and... I mean, I was having the most fun. But you know when you're so focused on a project... And you care. Yeah. And you care, and you have this deep well of energy that comes up, which is great. Yeah. It's like manic, though. It's a little manic. Yeah. It's a little manic. Penelope Cruz used to walk up and just shove snacks in my face. and she'd see me drinking like a Diet Coke or Seth Rogen got me onto Cherry... Cola? Cherry Coke Zero. Oh my gosh, I've never heard of that. I mean, it's not made of anything natural. No, but it's delish. It's so good.

38:50So good. So I would be drinking that, but I'd be like, oh no, no. And she'd give me like a piece of fruit and a water and I'd be like, this won't do. This isn't going to get me through the day. But it was just a very short period of time of like real intensity. How long did you film it for? 21 days. Wow. And then two days on location. We went to San Francisco and did all the kind of exterior stuff. I want to say that first opening shot with the chairs in the auditorium. Isn't that great? I love it. That's in this beautiful conservatory in San Francisco. It's actually in a high school, but it looks so beautiful.

39:29and I mean I really care a lot about opening shots I think it says everything about the movie I also I love opening credit sequences which is kind of an old school thing now that was beautiful it's like a way to tell to set up the movie give a lot of context very quickly what would you have been if you hadn't been an actress and a director well the funny thing is that besides a neuroscientist the reason I went to Ballymaloo is I wanted I thought I wanted to be a chef did you? I think it's just because I wanted to eat all day every day I just love food and I love food culture and people I think for me because my parents had these dinner parties all the time I equated the food world with like happiness people gathering connection kind of glamorous dinner parties as well yes yeah fun it sounded fun people don't do as many dinner parties anymore but I think English people are much better like in new york people put shoes in their kitchen like why would you even have a kitchen yeah sarah jessica parker in the fridge store stuff where do you where do you live now i kind of i'm based in la okay la london a bit of new york um but would if we were coming over would you be ordering in or would you cook for us you guys ordering and i wouldn't dare but a normal person.

40:51Nora Ephron always says it's okay to have like one little thing that's brought in. And she also said you need just a few basic recipes, right? And I think that I used to have my go-tos and I've really, I've lost that practice. We didn't get what your last supper drink could be, did we? I think wine, but I wasn't confident enough to name a wine. You like red. I like red wine. I do like red too. I like white wine too. I like a good summer that's just drenched in real white wine, just like a boozy white wine summer. I really could live that life. That's what I'm doing this summer. And I'm not opposed to putting ice in my wine.

41:33I love that, babe. What are you? That's what the French do. Oh, really? The Greeks do it as well. I think it's to dilute it slightly. I mean, hang on. It's chic. Sorry, that's my annoying... my dancer who lives in Paris said that they're all having rosé with an ice cube in and it's a thing I love rosé I don't love rosé I prefer like a really dry crispy white like a white burgundy a chubli but I do like a good red wine so you're in London promoting are there any spots that you absolutely love to go to when you were in London. Yes, so I edited the film in London. Oh, nice. And I was in Soho. And my favorite lunch place was, I love duck soup.

42:21So nice. I love mountain. Oh, yeah. We love mountain. Mountain is really good. They have this chorizo that is so good. Is it the sobrisada? The one that's, yeah, yeah, yeah. The honey. His bread is great. It's so good. And really, really nice wine. Do you need more cheese, darling? No, now I'm finally getting into my shoes. I haven't had the soft one. Is that the... This is the Taleggio. I love it. Taleggio. Shall we go with it? I have to tell you something, Olivia. But Jessie and you, your character in the... Yes, I have a lot in common. Oh, you're a bit of an Angela. Jessie likes what you're around naked.

43:02Ah, I do like what you do. But I don't necessarily want to do it for the neighbours. You don't stand in front of a window. And I don't do it for Ray and Carol. No, I don't. but jesse's always they don't mind but jesse's always walked around naked actually carol did tell me when we just moved in that she saw you i hate to break it you if i i can see you in your bathroom i think maybe and i did get a curtain that's a good they shouldn't have said anything yeah no it's a very sweet she went i hate it we don't know each other very well but i can't see you naked in your bathroom i used to when i lived in new york there were there was a couple across the way in a building nearby and I had binoculars and I don't know if this is this is unethical really but I watched their entire relationship it was very rear window like I watched them from I believed I told myself it was their first date through the breakup over like a year oh wow I would check in it was like watching my favorite show I would just like run up to the roof of the apartment building be like and unfortunately they were they they always went away into the bedroom to have sex I was always like you never got that eventually they're gonna get busy in this kitchen that I'm watching they were very polite they were like have drinks have dinner and like flirt and I'd be like okay okay oh no but I really tracked their emotional development as a couple I love that honesty thank you for that before we have um pudding yes um what so yeah we didn't actually find out what you would be cooking for us did we if we were coming over Yeah, because I bailed on it really quick.

44:33You really did. I would order you something from all time. The Japanese sweet potato. I would get you some beautiful Japanese sweet potato cooked by Ashley from all time. What do you have with it? Do you have the fish or do you have the steak? I really like that steak, actually. Sometimes I'll go sit by myself at the bar and have the steak with some red wine. I love to eat by myself. Do you live near Hillhurst? I used for years. I was right up the street. Now I'm in Laurel Canyon. I'm nearby. But I will drive there happily. I, in the last six years, learned how to eat alone without shame. And the funniest time, I mean, there was one time, my favorite restaurant in Paris is Ami Louis.

45:19Ami Louis, you've probably been there and not remembered, but they have the roast chicken. They have this chicken with fries, and it's so delicious. And that's what you get there. You just get the chicken. and I went, I was in Paris and I didn't have anyone to have dinner with and I was like, I just want to go alone. I actually don't want to talk to anyone else. I want to focus on eating. I just want to think about the chicken and eat the chicken. But it's really a chicken for two. Or like seven. Chicken, it's a big chicken. And I went and they were like, it's just you. And I was like, yes. And I ordered it and I ate the entire fucking thing.

45:57Oh, wow. Good for you. It was like the scene in Seven when he's like, I couldn't be stopped. It was real gluttony, but it was perfect. And I saw someone I knew in the restaurant and they looked at me with such pity. And they're like, do you want to go join me? And you were like that. And I was like, bye-bye, bye-bye. And I was so happy. Do you read when you are? Yes, and I read. And then it's just, you realize like, I didn't want to see anyone else. I wanted to just have this time alone, but it feels so shameful. Do you know of Bill Nye? Yes. He eats alone every night and reads a book every night.

46:33And he never cooks in. He goes out every night to a restaurant and eats on his own. That's the life I want. I love it. And I think it's tricky because sometimes when people say, are you free? And you're like, well, I am free. But I don't want to see you. But I'm going to spend it alone in a restaurant. And it's valuable. I also finally learned how to travel by myself, which I think many women don't do, particularly once you've had kids and you feel guilty. about doing it but I started going on trips by myself road trips by myself just learning how to be I can't do that you could I can't even an evening but this is what I had to learn it was a very it was an important thing for me as a person to to figure out how to I was single for many years in the last chunk of years because I just thought wait do I not even know how to be alone and so I I made it my focus and I mean people really look at you like you're insane but it's worth it.

47:33Okay I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try. I have to come for the, if Sam goes out she wants me in the house. That's really nice. That's maybe more for child care. Fuck off Jessie. I thought it was because you adored me. I do adore you mum. We're tethered. We are tethered. Should I check if that ice cream's okay? Yeah. Mum Tell Olivia what she's eating. It's an apricot ice cream with amaretti biscuit. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. That's heaven, Mum. I told you. Shit, that's good. Do you know what it is? You'll probably stop eating it. It's a whole jar of jam. Bon Maman apricot preserve. You whip up a small pot of cream and mix it together.

48:18With amaretti biscuits. Amaretti crunchy. Mum, this is a great... I actually think this is heaven. It's so good. It actually has like almost a mousse-like quality to it because it's so creamy. And you don't need to churn it. Oh, my God. This is great, Mum. Wow. It's like proper ice cream. I mean, why does anyone bother to do bloody the whole churn with the ice cream? You don't bloody need to. I think there must be some alchemy with the jam and the cream together. That's creating this very specific. And do you get the crunch? I did get the crunch then. That's a slam dunk. Would you have a bit more of the crunch in?

48:56Do you want me to? I would have more crunch and slightly less apricot. That might have been the junk you got. Then I think I might put more cream in. Yeah, more cream or which? It's really slimming and you won't have a hot cup afterwards. My dad always says if it doesn't taste right, add more butter. If that doesn't work, add more cream. He's Irish. Yeah. He gets it. Do you still go to Ireland on holiday? Yeah, they're there right now. And I'm going in a couple of weeks. And we usually spend the whole, I mean, they spend like four months a year. Have you got a house there? Yeah. Because your kids are on break now.

49:33They're on break. So before we let you go, can you give us a nostalgic taste that can transport you back somewhere? Oh, yeah. It's funny because I think about, I said my dad would make like shepherd's pie, which is a thing that I think if I were to have a bite of would immediately take me back to being about like 10 years old. Do they have shepherd's pie in the States? No. Does he have a secret ingredient? I put baked beans in mine. Ooh. Yeah. That's great. Yeah. I think it's just like the mince itself being as kind of like probably buttery as possible. And the potato is gorgeous on top. For a few misguided years, I was a vegan and I say misguided because I didn't do it right right I was like a really badly bad vegan yeah because I would just eat like that could be your memoir I was a bad vegan but it was pathetic because I would try to turn every delicious dish into a vegan dish and which is always really disgusting and I would do like vegan shepherd's pie which is a lot of Mushrooms.

50:39Yeah. Oh, mushrooms. You don't use corn. Shredded mushroom. Corn or that pretend mint stuff. I don't like any of the pretend meats. Okay. But it was so funny because I would try to make it for my dad and be like, I've done the same thing except vegan. And he was like, get it out. It's not the same. But I really feel, I feel emotional about shepherd's pie probably because of him. But it's funny because that just occurred to me in the moment because we were just talking about him. But I'd say if I had to pick, like, my favourite thing to eat is Italian food. Like, I think that there's nothing better.

51:14Me neither. There's nothing better. Which sugo is your sugo, your go-to sugo? What is my go-to sugo? I mean, for me, I go for, like, the spaghetti vongole at any opportunity. Do you go to Italy on holiday? Yeah. Who would be your favourite guest around a dinner table? Dead or alive? Dead or alive. I was thinking about this recently and I was thinking Carl Sagan because I actually. Who's that? Carl Sagan. Well, I always called him Carl Sagan, but I'm sure it's Carl Sagan. No, I don't think it is. I think you're right. He, so. He's a novelist. He's a novelist and an astrophysicist. And he and his wife, Anne Durian, they created, I think, the most romantic thing that's ever been made, which was the golden record.

52:00the golden record in 1975 was a record of kind of creations by humans in terms of this like sounds of humanity that was pressed onto a literal golden record and put on the voyagers the two voyagers sent into space and they're still in space they're still going and it's so so romantic is what they did and you can find this you can listen to it online they captured the sounds of like babies crying people laughing just what humans sound like and music like chuck berry they they curated this so if a martian finds yes and the idea was that if a martian found it or anyone found it that they would play this record and they would understand humanity and they even had instructions for how to put the vinyl on as though there would be someone with like opposable thumbs to figure out.

52:52But I just think it's the most romantic thing in the world and the fact that they're still out there and you can listen to the recordings they made and there's an opening to the record from the, I think, Secretary General of the UN and it's all about like on behalf of humanity. It's the idea of we come with curiosity and kindness and the idea of, oh, if only this could be what we send out into the space. Jessie, I'm writing to NASA and asking for one of your albums to go out there, darling. You must be on the next The next Rocket Yawn album is going to be on that And Carl Sagan The idea of we are just a pale blue dot In space And not only was their love just legendary As a couple But he had this perspective On our place in the universe That I find really fascinating So I think if I could have anyone to dinner It's Carl Sagan I think that is where we can leave it Because that is an excellent answer Olivia I thank you so much for coming over congratulations it's such a fantastic film I'm so happy you liked it we would wish you good luck but you don't need it you absolutely don't you need a muzzle top I appreciate it thank you

54:21Olivia Wilde. What a gal. What a fantastic woman. Such fun. That was a great first date for me and Olivia. I just loved her. I mean, she was enthusiastic, clever, well-informed. Who knew about Carl Sagan? I know, that was a great dinner party guest. Yeah. Also, I guess she said at the beginning she's relieved because it all feels good with the invite because it is that brilliant. You must go and see it. Wonderful. You must go and discuss it with your friends. Yeah. And your loved ones. And congratulations to Olivia Wilde and the cast of the invite. It is so fantastic. The food was really, I mean, look, it was delicious.

55:07That Nigel Slater loaf would be perfect for a picnic. It was gorgeous. Really good for a picnic and really straightforward and rose for me. So if I can do it, anyone can. And you know how crap I am. What was the rising agent then? I think the self-raising flower. Okay. By carb. And the kefir, I guess, kind of helped maybe. Helped too. Maybe. I don't know. Don't know. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. We'll see you next week for more. Excuse me. Sorry. Sorry. No, let's talk about the ice cream. That ice cream was unreal. I know. Easiest thing I've ever done. do you think we can give our guests next week that ice cream with another ice cream yeah thank you peppy that was not dead mom no i don't know i was looking to the sky but i wanted to thank peppy because she always says i can't cook and then she always turns up something quite delicious that's kind of a really easy recipe lovely welcome peppy um we'll see you next week for more table on this.

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