Why does the Cinderella story keeps getting retold? Because fairy tales are part of our culture. This is a very female-driven, new way of telling the Cinderella story. And the story itself is so ingrained and it’s so wonderful, I don’t think anybody is ready to give it up. In past versions, the queen hasn’t had much to say, but in this one she’s a very strong woman. She plays the role of consort to the king [PierceBrosnan], who’s a bit of a narcissist. But she loves him, and I think [their love has] gotten lost. When she finally puts her foot down, it’s like, “That’s enough.” It shows him the error of his ways and he becomes, hopefully, a more generous king. What was it like to sing songs by Queen, Madonna and Earth, Wind & Fire with such a talented cast? It was amazing. IdinaMenzel [the stepmother] is a legend. Camila Cabello is fast becoming a legend. It was great to be part of something that was so joyful, and with such extraordinary music. Do you see Cinderella as a true-love story? Or as something else? I think being a strong woman is not always easy. You come up against a lot of resistance, but you have to continue. [Cinderella] doesn’t change who she is because her circumstances dictate that she should, she maintains her line, which I always love about her. And she isn’t saved by the prince; they fall in love. I think in a way she saves him. Having Pierce Brosnan as your king had to be special. I know. I’ve known Pierce since I was a kid, actually, because his family used to come on vacation where I lived in the Caribbean. I was friends with his lovely daughter, Charlotte, and then we were in Golden Eye together. His first day of shooting was my only day of shooting on the Bond film. And then we made a movie called Spinning Man together. He’s just my lovely friend. It was a bit weird playing his wife. He’s always felt a bit avuncular to me. But I love him so much and he’s a delight to be around. Yeah, a Stag Triumph. It’s a classic British car. We shot in Ireland. It’s so fantastic that Modern Love has expanded to tell international stories. Tom Burke, who stars in C.B. Strike, plays your late husband, who shows up as a ghost. I honestly think he’s one of the best actors working today. He’s absolutely brilliant. He runs very deep. And for someone who says hardly anything in a show, I think he completely steals the episode. Then there’s your podcast, Minnie Questions With Minnie Driver, in which you ask artists questions aimed at finding common human truths. Where did that idea come from and what is it teaching you about people? The idea came because I loved the idea of a disciplined format where I ask the same seven questions to a variety of amazing people creating some sort of cultural anthology that could help us understand each other’s differences. It was also a way of connecting during the pandemic, and people were a lot more available to talk. It answers a lot of my own questions about life and about being a human being. I’ve had the great privilege of speaking to some really extraordinary people. It’s very revealing. They’re an extremely diverse collection of interviews. So, to ask you one of your seven questions, when and where were you happiest? Oh, my goodness. It’s always with my family; it’s all of us together. My mom, my dad, my sister, my brother, my stepmother, my other brother. All of us together eating and always by the ocean, wherever that is. I am happiest in the ocean. If it’s not with my family, then it’s when I’m surfing, and I can see my son playing on the beach. Whenever I feel disconsolate or dislocated from my own life or anything that’s happening in it, if I can find my way to a body of water and swim, I feel better. So, the ocean is really the great anchor for me in my life. Is that why despite having a home in the Hollywood Hills and one in London, you spend the majority of your time in a trailer in Malibu? It’s the most amazing community. I feel so lucky. The community that I live in here is full of wonderful, very different people and I love it. Going back to early in your career, Good Will Hunting was your breakthrough movie. Your Oscar nomination is for that. Was there a lot of pressure from that role and getting the Oscar nomination, and then picking the right roles immediately after? There’s a huge amount of pressure, and it was pressure that I wasn’t all together comfortable with and didn’t really know how to navigate. Because there’s no roadmap for fame and celebrity, I did the best that I could. And I feel that I’m still working all these years later, it feels like the road is full of ups and downs, but it’s been fantastic. It’s a very hard job to have longevity in because it is predicated often on you and on newness. But I love that I’m still getting to explore it at 51. It feels a great rare privilege. Do you think part of still being hired is because you didn’t let yourself be typecast? When you look at your résumé, there’s so many different types of roles that you’ve played. I do. I think that it’s been varied and not pigeonholing yourself. This business very much likes you to stay in your lane, and I think you make it a little bit more difficult when you do choose to do lots of different things from cameos, and leading roles and supporting roles, and drama, and comedy, and television, and movies. It’s sometimes hard if people can’t pin you down, but it’s certainly the career that I wanted and I’m very proud of it. Do you say no to a lot? Do you have any regrets when you look back? Is there a role that you said no to that you wish maybe you hadn’t? Yeah, I wish that I’d made this movie called The Wedding Planner that I was offered. I still am not entirely sure why I didn’t do it. JenniferLopez ending up doing it and was brilliant and it was great. It was a big commercial movie and I think I thought I wanted to do more serious stuff at that moment. But it’s funny, you look back and it all sort of works out. Even if you think it didn’t work out, it kind of did because I do believe that everything sort of leads to the next thing. But, yeah, there are lots of things I’ve said no to. As an actor, when you’re only an actor, that’s really the only power that you have, is to say no to stuff because you are constantly being metabolized by other people’s idea of you. Whether that’s your public persona, or whether that’s a director, a producer, an editor, or a studio. So, the things that you say no to, I think you have to really know why you’re saying no, that’s all. But also, as a single mother, you have to support your son [Henry, 12]. Were you ever tempted to take a part that you really didn’t want? No. Around my son, I really decided to stay in one place and to make television because that’s what was going to work for our family. I needed to be home, I needed a regular paycheck, and I needed to know that I could make it to his soccer matches on the weekend and be present for his life. How did becoming a single mom change your life? I stopped gallivanting around the world making films, but it was for the good because I made [the TV series] About a Boy, which I’m really proud of, and Speechless, which has a huge part of my heart and really has had a social impact for the disabled community. You don’t often to get to have a social impact as an actor. When was the last time you surprised yourself? I think I was very surprised by wanting to do the podcast, by choosing to be in conversation rather than on a set. It’s turned into this really wonderful, amazing job. I thought that perhaps it would be diverting, and I’ve been surprised by how deep it has gone and continues to be, and how much I love it. Do you know what’s next? I’m going to make a movie in Prague in September. The deal’s being done and it’s a secret, so I can’t really talk about it, but that’s going to be amazing. It’s a small part but it’s in a great film. I always want to be part of things that are really, really good. So, that’s what’s next. I’ve got a few shows in development at some different networks, that I’m producing, also, and then a couple that I’m potentially going to be in. So, there’s lots on the horizon. And you started your own production company? Yeah, it’s called Huge Fan Productions, and we’ve got a really interesting, very female-driven slate. We’re working really hard to put good, clever, sharp entertainment out into the world. Next, Schedule Your Next Family Movie Night With These Upcoming Kid Flicks We Can’t Wait to Watch
