The Hulu series' stars toast the show’s new season.
Shot glasses lie shattered and crushed on the hardwood floor.
Booze sloshes onto laps.
‘The Great’ stars Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning.Ren Adkins for EW
Above the hustle and bustle, lusciously dressedNicholas HoultandElle Fanningyell “Huzzah!”
ROUND 1: MOSCOW MULE
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Take us back to the very beginning.
How was this series pitched to you, and what made you want to sign on?
‘The Great’ stars Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning.Ren Adkins for EW
ELLE FANNING:It was several years ago, and [creator Tony McNamara] came to me.
He thought of me for it, which I was very lucky and grateful for.
I read the script and was obsessed.
‘The Great’ stars Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning.Ren Adkins for EW
Tony’s just the best ever: the best guy, the best writer, genius extraordinaire.
And I’d never done anything like this.
The tone is so specific people talk about that.
‘The Great’ stars Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning.Ren Adkins for EW
It’s a dark comedy, but…
I don’t know.
It can go anywhere, we can do anything.
Elle Fanning of ‘The Great’.Ren Adkins for EW
Tony’s writing is very beautiful for that, because you just enjoy it.
It’s fun, and it’s funny.
And then suddenly, you get this emotional punch that you kind of weren’t expecting.
Nicholas Hoult of ‘The Great’.Ren Adkins for EW
When did you feel, “Oh, this is it.
We’ve got the tone figured out”?
It’s like, “Why is a severed head on a platter funny?”
Elle Fanning of ‘The Great’.Ren Adkins for EW
I don’t know.
But somehow, we made it funny and gross.
HOULT:I don’t think it’s the severed head that’s funny.
Nicholas Hoult of ‘The Great’.Ren Adkins for EW
It’s when you gouge out the eyeballs.
That’s the true
FANNING:Oh, yeah.
That’s truly hilarious.
‘The Great’ stars Nicholas Hoult and Elle Fanning.Ren Adkins for EW
But it’s dark and twisted, and I think we nailed it from then on.
What changed the most between seasons?
HOULT:It mainly changed character-wise.
We haven’t seen those two together.
Let’s try this, and we’ll push it in this angle."
He has the overall idea of what the series will be, but he writes as we go.
So when he sees things that he likes, he’ll pepper more of that in.
That’s what was exciting about playing the characters again seeing where he takes them.
How would you describe those “different dynamics”?
HOULT:I think the power dynamics completely shifted, right?
He’s
FANNING:Indebted to me.
So it really strengthens the bond from his side of things.
FANNING:Catherine is trying so desperately to hold those emotions down.
She’s trying to be, “Oh, I hate him.
I hate him,” and she truly doesn’t, and it grows.
HOULT:She holds him captive as a sex slave.
FANNING:Right, basically.
Do you two feel pressure, given how well the first season was received?
HOULT:Now I do, because you said that.
And also, you don’t want to repeat yourself.
We’re even closer, of course.
So I hope people like it, and I hope they like where it’s going.
“I loved working with Nick and Elle.”
Who is most like their character in real life and why?
HOULT:That’s a very tricky question.
FANNING:You’re a lot like Peter.
FANNING:Yeah, that’s true.
I mean, gosh, is anyone like their character?
I don’t think so, honestly.
That’s probably a good thing.
FANNING:Everyone is just really good actors.
Belinda [Bromilow, who plays Aunt Elizabeth,] has a fairy, sprite quality to her.
I think Aunt Elizabeth has that, and I feel that way with Belinda.
So it may be her.
You’ve both said you break character a lot on set.
HOULT:I feel like I crack more.
HOULT:…without laughing.
Look, I can do it fine now.
“Clitty bitty.”
[Pauses, then bursts out laughing] No, I can’t.
FANNING:That was hard to get through.
You have a lot of really funny lines.
HOULT:When I first read that script, I texted you right away.
I was like, “Clitty bitty.”
[Both laugh]
FANNING:Yeah.
And I hadn’t read the script, so I wasveryconfused.
HOULT:Imagine receiving that as a text message out of the blue.
“Clitty bitty.”
FANNING:I was like, “Okay…”
Nick, you have so many lines like that.
Do they all trip you up?
Do you stand in the mirror and say them over and over?
HOULT:To myself?
[Laughs] No….
I don’t know, really.
I think I really enjoy them.
They’re always really fun to deliver.
We’re not allowed to ad-lib on our set.
Tony is very specific.
It’s all written out, which frees you up in a way.
But the cadence of it is very specific.
Your characters do some pretty scandalous and silly things.
What’s the most scandalous or silly thing you’ve ever done?
FANNING:You have something.
HOULT:It’s not even that silly.
I got naked in a fountain in Paris once.
With a lot of mates.
We were all naked.
Weeks later, I read that a few people got arrested for it.
So luckily, we got away with it…until now.
Are you going to be sharing this?
FANNING:Darn it.
HOULT:It’s probably too late.
FANNING:[Laughs] Ummmmm…
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to do on set?
FANNING:I did a backbend while pregnant serving macarons on my stomach in a yoga pose.
I loved doing that.
What else did we get to do?
HOULT:I get people to lick my tongue after refrigerating it.
HOULT:It was a weird day.
FANNING:I got to wear the prosthetic belly, which I loved.
It was very heavy.
It was really eerie.
So I was sucking on a real nail.
The dirt was not real dirt, though.
It was, like, crushed brownie, or Oreos.
So I ate a real one.
HOULT:There’s a scene where Peter goes a little bit mad and gets lost while truffle hunting.
FANNING:Did you continue the scene?
HOULT:I continued the scene.
Because I’m a dedicated actor.
[Laughs]
FANNING:A true pro.
FANNING:Rihanna, just because I’d love to meet her.
HOULT:Yeah, I’ll just take my best mates.
FANNING:Yeah, and you’d go naked in the fountain.
HOULT:We’d go naked in the fountain.
That’s where the revolution begins, so we thought.
Given the shift in power dynamics you mentioned, are you Team Peter or Team Catherine now?
HOULT:I’m Team Peter.
FANNING:I’m Team Catherine, obviously.
Tell me, why would you even ask?
FANNING:I beat the crap out of you.
It’s good and horrible.
I don’t want to reveal too many things, but I think it’s carrying on.
Basically, the loss of him and what she had to sacrifice… And that was a bit ruthless as well.
Sometimes you have to give up some things to gain others.
Tony wrote it in the script that I would punch my face.
So I was constantly on set punching my face.
The stunt coordinator was like, “We can do it fake.”
And I was like, “No, I’ll haul off and hit myself.”
What are you most excited for fans to see in season 2?
FANNING:Oooh, that’s good.
HOULT:Because I think it’s just so funny what happens and how it works.
And I think that co-parenting…
FANNING:And the birthing scene.
There is a birthing scene, you guys.
HOULT:There’s a birthing scene.
FANNING:Cheers to Paul.
Cheers to Paul and Catherine and Peter.
HOULT:Cheers, cheers, cheers.
