Though they had never worked together prior to “The Nest,” Carrie Coon and Jude Law have much in common. They both consider themselves “actor’s actors” with a devotion for the stage. And then there’s the fact that both are Marvel action figures.
“On my Marvel film, I was the bad guy that lost so, you know, if someone gave my doll to someone, they’d go, “I don’t want this doll, he’s a loser! I want Captain Marvel!’” jokes Law, who appeared as Yon-Rogg, Captain Marvel’s sinister mentor, in the 2019 film. Coon, for her part, says she recorded all her voice work in “Avengers: Infinity War” as Proxima Midnight in about six hours.
“The Nest” is worlds away from the Marvel Universe, an intimate family drama set in the 1980s starring Coon and Law as a married couple whose already fragile marriage begins to unravel when they move from America to an isolated home in England. The sophomore feature from “Martha Marcy May Marlene” filmmaker Sean Durkin, the film almost feels like a horror movie with its Gothic location and sense of foreboding.
Coon and Law spoke on this week’s Variety Awards Circuit podcast about how they came to the project, balancing indies and blockbusters and how they’ve learned from their characters over the years – such as stillness. Listen below:
Law reveals how he would incorporate a lot of physicality into his characters, including how they stood and sat. “And then I got to play this guy who is a Pope with incredible power. And I realized that the best I could do is find absolute stillness,” Law says. “And it was it was wonderfully calming. And it led me to a place to learn to meditate and I’ve carried on since and I love that stillness.”
Coon echoes the sentiment, noting that in “The Nest” she had to learn horseback riding, which kept her authentic. “You can’t lie on a horse,” she says. “They’re pack animals. So if you aren’t leading, they will find somebody who will, or they’ll just take over. And that whatever that quality was, it was really helpful.”
“The Nest” will be released on VOD on Nov. 17.
Also in this episode, Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan discuss their new film “Ammonite.” In the Awards Circuit roundtable, the hosts dissect the best actress Oscar category and look at how the election will impact this year’s race.
Variety’s “Awards Circuit” podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jenelle Riley, Jazz Tangcay and Michael Schneider (who produces), is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each week “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much, much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post every Thursday.