Entertaining Into The Woods Interview with Emily Blunt and James Corden #IntoTheWoodsEvent

Disclosure: I received an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles to attend the Into The Woods press event. All opinions are completely my own.

Into The Woods

Did you go to see Into The Woods this weekend? If you did Yay! If not, what are you waiting for? Seriously, it’s an incredible film, with a stellar cast of characters. Read my full review and don’t miss my interview with Meryl Streep, Christine Baranksi, and Tracey Ullman.

 

Go To The Wood Clip

Interview with Emily Blunt and James Corden

The Baker and The Baker’s Wife

Hilarious. This interview was so much fun and both Emily and James were incredibly honest and open with their answers. From the get-go, James was telling us about being at home with his wife and their two children, 3 1/2 years old and 5 week old. He was speaking about how he’s never doing this again and his wife told him “we’ll see”. I think as a parent, we’ve all been there with a 4 AM feeding and we’re like uh-uh, not going through this again, but then we see a baby and we’re all saying “ooh-ah” and honey, you know we’ll have another.

I said to my wife the other [day] she was with our five week old baby and a three and a half year old, and I turned to my wife- this was about ten days ago at quarter to four in the morning, and I just went, you know, we’re never doing this again.

And she looked so tired, and my daughter’s just sucking here [points to chest], and my son’s losing his sh*t (…) and I say so you know we’re never doing this again, right?  And she went, we’ll see. – James

On Chemistry

The chemistry between Emily Blunt and James Corden was awesome and infectious. There was so much laughter in the room. Oh, and Emily even made sure to tell James that he had something in his teeth. It took a few tries and the use of a cell phone’s reversible camera to get the blackberry seed out, but together they accomplished the task.

When asked about their chemistry, Emily shared that she and James met at a Polo match in England and that they met both Prince Harry and Prince William that day. They’ve been friends for about 8 or 9 years and have this connection. Like I’ve said before, these actors are hilarious.

It was nice.  When I heard it was him- I remember Rob Marshall telling me that I had the part, and I said, who’s the baker.  And he went, it’s James Corden.  And I went, oh my god.  I was so relieved and so thrilled because I knew that this couple needed to have real lifelong, shorthand chemistry, ease with each other and, and you needed to believe in them. – Emily

There’s always options. – James

Yes, we all laughed when he pointed to himself and said “Okay?  There’s never not options if you’re rocking this [points to his body].”

This is the thing that he’s going on, that he said the whole time, this is a fairytale movie.  A lot of fantasy stuff happens, and the audience goes with it.  The only thing that this audience won’t understand is why she’d leave this [points to James] – for Chris Pine.  It’s was like, it doesn’t matter. – Emily

No one, no one would believe that, you know what I mean? – James

He said to Rob, they’re [the audience] not gonna go with you on this, Rob. – Emily

People will be just like, oh, come on.  No woman on earth leaves Brad Pitt for, you know… – James

Emily shared a little of how physical her character was and some of the challenges she faced while filming her scenes as The Baker’s Wife.

I found out I was having a baby when I found out I had the part, but I was thinking, she’s the baker’s wife, so it doesn’t matter if I gain a few pounds.  And also, it’s the singing, and it’s lovely, and it’s easy- I forgot how much running around this woman does in the woods.  I body slam into Anna Kendrick like a linebacker, and she’s a tiny person.  I almost killed her.

And you know, yanking Rapunzel’s hair out- she’s always running; we’re always rushing.  It was interesting.  There was a chair on set that was written on it, Emily Blunt’s pregnancy.  I often found Chris Pine sitting in it. I stood over him, several months pregnant, like that.  And he went, “oh, do, do you wanna sit down” and I’m like, “yes, I do.”

“I tackled @AnnaKendrick47 like a linebacker during filming.” – Emily Blunt #IntoTheWoodsEvent

— Sherry (@FamLuvStuff) December 19, 2014

On Parenting Methods

It was mentioned that most of Into The Woods is about different parenting methods and what happens when we use those methods. We wanted to know if this influenced the way that Emily or James raised their own children. Both James and Emily had some insightful thoughts to share with us. This was such a moving part of the conversation, so I’d like to share most of it here for you.

I think there’s an honesty in the film which has made me want to be more honest with my children from the get-go – I think what is the message in the film- the great message in the film of  be careful what wish for, and sometimes the very thing you wish for is not the thing that you need in a world where we seem to have told children that this happily ever after does exist, and we all know it doesn’t.

And I feel like- that’s not to say you won’t be happy, but like that song, No One is Alone, which at the end of the film, (…) it’s two adults talking to two children saying, there’s some screw-ups coming your way, and that’s true of all of us.  There’s screw-ups, and they’re coming for you, and there’s nothing you can do about it.  But when they do, you might feel like you’re completely on your own in the world.  You will feel like you are completely alone, and you’re not. And you never will be.  And these things are just part of your life and what ultimately make you better and stronger.  And it has made me think that that’s a positive message to tell your children, that mistakes are gonna happen. – James

You also said no one is more perceptive than a child. They see everything, they’re like little sponges, they pick up- even babies, I’ve noticed, they pick up on your energy, they pick up on if someone walks in the house that Hazel [Emily’s daughter] hasn’t met before, and they’ve had a bad day,  she doesn’t want to go to them.  She doesn’t want to be around them. So even from a young age, they’re so perceptive.  I just feel that it’s important to teach your children that life is not always going to be easy and that is what this film is about.

Nobody goes through life unscathed.  Nobody does.  And actually, these fairy tales, the original fairy tales really were sort of, obviously children can’t understand the deep metaphorical meanings in these fairy tales, but they understand right and wrong, and they understand the need to make decisions, and they understand what happens when people behave badly, they get a comeuppance.  You know, it’s that sort of thing that these fairy tales, I think, were created to teach children about life – warn them about life.  And we’re sort of in a society where we like to coddle our children and over-tend, over-parent, over-this- there’s like ten thousand books on how to raise a kid nowadays, and it’s purely instinctual. – Emily

I feel like the only thing you can be with your children is honest.  We’ve got quite a bit of change coming up in our house, we’re moving- we’re moving [to a new] country, and so for my son, we’re like, we’re moving country, and he’s just had a- this is a new person joined our family, and he’s leaving his school and gonna start a new one.

[Tweet “The only thing you can be with your children is honest. – @JKCorden #IntoTheWoodsEvent”]

And like, any one of those things are huge deals for a child.  And so we, me and my wife, saw a child psychologist; we, Skyped this child- so just to go, I thought, we don’t wanna mess this up.  And she said the most amazing thing.  When she just went, if your son says I don’t wanna leave or, starts crying, or is scared of it, don’t do the thing which you might- which I think I would’ve done(…), [tell the child] it’s gonna be great. It’s gonna be sunny, we’re gonna have a swimming pool (…); she was like, don’t tell him that what he’s feeling is not valid; is actually go, I know.  I know, buddy.  It sucks, but I promise you we’re all in it together, and I feel sad about it, too, but there might be great things that we get to do, and this is an adventure that we’re all gonna go on together and I was like, oh, so all you really need to do is just be honest and go, you’re not a child.  You’re just a person.  You are a person. – James

On Working with the Children

When asked what it was like working with Lilla Crawford (Little Red Riding Hood) and Daniel Huttlestone (Jack) during the filming of Into The Woods, both Emily and James had a slew of compliments to share with us.

They are both, they’re both incredibly talented and gifted, and unbelievably composed and assured, because it’s one thing being brilliant in the film; it’s another thing just being brilliant to be around all day, and they are.  – James

I mean, Lilla Crawford was doing eight shows a week playing Annie on Broadway. This is a girl who knows how to punch in and go to work, and show up, and be professional, and when she opens her mouth, she has a voice like a trumpet. (…) It was just insane what she was able to do, and she was so capable, you know.  And Daniel was completely unflappable, like, the coolest kid.  – Emily

Well, the first day of shooting- the first day shooting was the Giants in the Sky song, and which is my favorite song in the show anyway, and I absolutely remember watching him run around this tree looking at him as if it – he’s got- comes out of his arms, so I remember looking and thinking, oh my god, this is- I’m watching a thousand Facebook profiles start to happen from girls who are just gonna be in love with you.

He’s got that thing which is unquantifiable that you can’t- you don’t know what it is, but it’s just there.  And he’s so gifted, musically.  He would sit down at a piano, and he’ll playing these ukulele- he’s the real deal.  He really, really is. – James

Emily may have mentioned the fact that Daniel liked older women and would flirt with both her and Meryl on the set. There were a few details given, but suffice it to say that he was fond of blowing kisses to Meryl Streep. 😉

These Beans Carry Magic Clip

On being the new Late Late Show Host

We asked James how he felt to be this new talent [to a lot of new fans] and how he will handle being the new host for the Late Late Show.

It’s an amazing sort of time for me.  I’m very intent on trying to enjoy it while it’s here, whatever it is, whatever- it comes or doesn’t.  I’m so aware that these are transient things that will go as quickly as they arrive, in so many ways.

And so I just want to really enjoy it and, lots of people have said to me, and I get it. When I decided to take on the Late Late show, lots of people, their first reaction- and my reaction, when I first got offered it, it was an amount of reticence of people saying, well, you won’t be able to do this, and  there’s a film coming and what if, you know?

But  after talking it through with my wife, the truth is that in this, in this job, there are no guarantee of anything, and you really have to go wherever the work is.  And there was a point in the summer, just after I got offered, and I was unsure what to do, where I was shooting in Johannesburg for six weeks, Skyping my son on my birthday.  And I thought, this is only gonna get harder.

And actually, here is someone offering me a job where I get to be creative every day, I get to have fun every day and talk to America before or more likely while they’re falling asleep, and at the end of every day, I get to go home and be a present father and husband.  And I just don’t think there’s ever a child when they’re twenty or thirty, sitting in a therapist’s chair going, do you know, my dad was just around too much. He, he gave me too many cuddles, and he was too much a part of my life.

And ultimately, this is a privilege to be in this job, in this industry, because you don’t have the choice.  You’ve gotta go.  Oh, there’s a tax break in Vancouver.  I’ll be back in three months.  And actually, here’s a place where it’s a luxury, and (…) that was the thing that tipped it over, really, is just to be around, and I feel very lucky to have such an opportunity.

[Tweet “I feel very lucky to have such an opportunity – @JKCorden on The Late Late Show #IntoTheWoodsEvent”]

Seriously, one of my favorite interviews. I needed to share the wittiness and the banter that I experienced while I was sitting in that conference room. They make an incredible pair, both as friends and as The Baker and The Baker’s Wife.

When taking our group picture, both Emily and James were having fun and one of the bloggers laid across their laps on the couch for the shot. That was fun, but I wanted to share our “more professional” group shot with y’all. Such a great interview and you guys really should go see the movie (again, if you’ve already seen it)!

I haven’t stopped listening to the INTO THE WOODS soundtrack all weekend. The songs stay with you even after leaving the theater.

INTO THE WOODS is now playing in theaters and is rated PG for the whole family.

Follow INTO THE WOODS on social media

Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr