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Colman and Cumberbatch Reflect on Playing Villains

9/7/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch discussed the challenges of portraying mean characters on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
They highlighted the difficulty of acting cruelly towards child performers.
Colman recalled crying after a scene in Les Misérables where she hit a child actor.
She shared an experience of unintentionally upsetting a young performer.
Both actors star in The Roses, a modern adaptation of The War of the Roses.

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Story summary

Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch discussed the challenges of portraying mean characters on the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
They highlighted the difficulty of acting cruelly towards child performers.
Colman recalled crying after a scene in Les Misérables where she hit a child actor.
She shared an experience of unintentionally upsetting a young performer.
Both actors star in The Roses, a modern adaptation of The War of the Roses.