All language subtitles for Hart to Heart s04e03 Cynthia Erivo.eng

Go

Go
-What's going on, world?

I come bearing gifts.

I am at HartBeat Studios,

and I'm shooting
"Hart to Heart" here.

That's right. From my studio.
This is a big deal, man.

I'm out of the wine cellar
into the studios,

which means that it only gets
better. Doesn't stay the same.

God, how do I do it?
I don't know.

It's the biggest question
of the day.

How do I do it?

Go

Guys, we have stepped out of
the "Hart to Heart" wine cellar

and are now at
my HartBeat Studio in Atlanta,

but that is not
the only exciting part

about this episode.

More excitement awaits.

Today, we have
an exceptionally talented

singer-songwriter/actress
with Grammys,

Tonys, Emmys,
two Oscar nominations

that only solidified
what we've already known --

She's a true gift and a natural
talent with a heart of gold.

Actually, there is one
of the few people

that I can call wicked
and they love it.

Please welcome Cynthia Erivo
to the show. How are you?

-I'm good.
-Come in.

-I loved that introduction.

-It was a good introduction,
right?

-Yeah.
-It was great.

-It was lovely.
-It flowed.

-I've never heard that one.
It's very nice.

-That means that was a first.
-That was a first, yeah.

-My job is to do more
of the same

throughout this episode.
Cynthia, first and foremost,

I want to say thank you
for coming.

-Thank you for having me.
-It's a very big deal

when we get very big people.

And it's my job
to really talk to you in a way

that I feel like
other people possibly haven't

in an interview setting.
-Yeah, yeah.

-That's what makes
"Hart to Heart" dope.

For me to get the comfort
that I want to get to,

I love to drink a glass of wine
through the conversation.

I think wine provides
a natural flow.

A natural opportunity for
progression in conversation.

-Yes. I am very open.
-Okay?

I'm an open book, but
I don't drink anything at all.

-Then you don't have to.

-But if you have
a nonalcoholic something.

-I have water.
-Water works.

-All right, well, then water is
what it will be for you.

-Yes.
-I am the complete opposite.

I am gonna take some wine,

and I may drink a lot of it.
-You must. Please.

-Okay? So don't judge me.
-You do it for both of us.

-Okay, good.
I'm gonna call my somm in.

Come here, D.

This is my somm.
-Sommelier.

-Ms. Erivo. Mr. Hart.
-Hello. Hi.

I'm gonna situate
Ms. Erivo first, if I may.

-Yes, please. Thank you.
-Very welcome.

But for Mr. Hart,
we do have

Châteaunef-du-Pape,
the "castle of the new Pope."

Wow. Dating back
to the 14th century

as early as 1306.
2017 vintage, though.

A blend of Grenache
and Mourvèdre.

-Not the Grenache!

-Always Grenache.
Always Grenache.

And it's fun to say
Châteaunef-du-Pape.

-Ah, shots-of-da-pop.
-[ Laughs ]

-What are the notes
that you usually find

in something like this?

-Yeah, the beautiful thing
about Châteaunef-du-Pape

and the beautiful thing
about what Grenache gives --

It gives this very earthy...
-Earthy.

-...yet ethereal,
almost a boysenberry...

-Boysenberry.
-...with this kind

of spearmint characteristic.
-Oh.

-It's loud.
-Yeah.

-It's got a lot of aromatics,
but at the same time,

it's got earth because that's
what Grenache does.

That's just the nature
of Grenache.

-I've never heard of boysenberry
and spearmint together.

-Oh, it's wonderful.
Yeah.

-Bright notes and bright tones.

-Right. I was gonna say that.
He beat me to it.

-He always nails it.
-Bright notes,

bright tones, Grenache.

Very earthy. Very earthy tone.

Yeah.
-Please enjoy.

-Yes, sir.
I'll see you later, D.

Cheers.
-Cheers.

-Cheers, cheers.

Now, the beginning, right?
-Mm-hmm.

-You are very much
about the craft.

You are very much embedded
into the world of theater.

And your background shows that.

What I love to talk about
is the entry point, right?

Like, you know,
the rhyme and reason before.

What is it that helped
you make the decision to say,

like, "This is
what I'm gonna do."

-A couple of things.

Like, when I talk to my mother,

she always says
that she can remember me singing

at the age of 2.

I don't remember that far back.

I do remember
about the age of 5,

I was asked to sing
"Silent Night"

at the Nativity play at school.
-Okay.

-And I don't remember feeling
shy or scared.

I remember
that when I did sing it,

I saw lots of smiling faces,

and something
about that reaction

sort of imprinted itself on me.

So I knew that whatever noise I
was making, whatever that was --

'cause when you're 5,

you don't necessarily know
that I'm singing a song

and I'm performing.

I just know that the sound
I'm making makes people happy.

I knew that I wanted
to continue doing that.

And I was such an outgoing kid.
I wasn't shy at all.

So I was always doing
performances on the playground

and writing scripts and creating
little, like, vignettes at home.

-Was your mom or anybody else
in your family...

-I think my mum's very dramatic,
but she was not an actress.

-Okay.
-But I think that's where I get

the flair for the dramatic from.

And she always encouraged it.

And I guess
because of the encouragement,

because of the constant sort of,
like,

exposure to doing those things
and working with people,

I just fell into it.

And when I was about 11,

this interesting sort of
theater company came around,

and they were looking for kids
age 11 and up.

Maybe 11 to 15.

And they asked me to join.

We did a performance
of a random play

called
"The Caucasian Chalk Circle,"

which is not necessarily a play

that you would have
young kids do, but...

-I love that you still have
the title down pat.

-Still in my head.

'Cause I remember it
like the back of my hand.

And I remember
really loving what it felt like

to step into
someone else's shoes

and what it felt like
to play somebody else

and bring this world to life,

and when all you have
are four walls,

but you create a castle in them.

Um, and I just kept doing that.

And I would sing
at talent shows.

And as I got older,

I started doing backing
vocals for different, like,

clubs and nightclubs.

And when I was about 20,

I bumped into a woman
called Roma Ken

because I wanted to do
some theater.

I was working at a theater
that was close to where I lived.

And she said that I should go
and train.

And I said, "No."

And she said I couldn't join
the little theater company

that they were doing
at my local theater company

if I didn't train.
-Train.

Wow.
-If I didn't apply to school.

So she said,
"Meet me at my office.

We're gonna apply to schools,

and if you apply, then you
can come and join this thing."

So I applied to the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Arts

and got in.

That was the only place
I applied to.

It was the first time
I'd applied.

And she helped me work
on my speeches, and...

-What's the process like
applying and getting accepted?

-So, you get an application,
you fill it in.

You send it off.

You have your first audition.

And my first audition was
two speeches.

and an interview.
-Okay. Okay.

-Then, if you move through
to the next round,

the next round for me
was two speeches

and an unaccompanied song.
-Okay.

-And I did a speech from
"A Winter's Tale," Shakespeare,

another piece from a play called
"The Colored Museum,"

and a song called "It's a
Fine Line" from "Avenue Q."

-Are your nerves
still the same as they were

when you were younger?

Like, you know --
Like, you said

you sung the song,
and there was no nervousness,

there was nothing.

You were just doing it,
and you liked the fact

that you made people happy.

-Oh, no. Now I'm nervous.
Now I'm nervous.

I think the first time I did it,
I was like,

"Nothing's going to happen."

So when you don't think
anything is gonna happen,

you don't need to invest
as much.

So there weren't
that many nerves.

The second time,

when there was
a possibility of me moving on,

then the nerves start
coming through.

And now I really care.
I wanted to get in.

And you sort of -- You don't --

I didn't start there
wanting to go to drama school,

but that second audition
for me was like,

"Oh, I have a chance
at doing something

that I didn't think I could do.
And now I'm nervous."

-What was your family's,
like, reaction at this point?

I mean, like...
-I didn't tell my mum.

-Really? You didn't?
-I didn't tell her.

-Why?
-Because I didn't want

to let her down,
so I thought to myself,

"I'm just going to try.

And when I get in,
I will tell her."

-It's that you weren't --
You didn't tell her,

you didn't plan on telling her
unless you got in.

What was her reception to that?

-She -- You know what she --
I remember this.

She was sad
because she wanted to help me.

-Wow.

-I never thought that she
maybe would have already known

that that was my path anyway.

So it was kind of just waiting
for me to realize it.

And if I'd have told her
that that's what I wanted to do,

she would have been there
every step of the way.

-That's amazing.
I love that you got in, though.

So after getting in, of course,

the thing that I'm most curious
about is, like, okay,

within theater, there's singing,

and then there's
the actual acting of it all.

Was there one
that kind of was a...

-When I went to drama school --

This particular drama school is,
like, a classical drama school.

It's Shakespeare-forward,
at least when I went,

and that was what it was.

Just straight-up
classical acting.

Not really any singing.

You would have, like,
a lesson or two for singing,

but it wasn't musical theater.

Singing was something
I had possession of already.

-Okay.

-And then I wanted to make sure
that as an actor,

I was up to par, as well.

So I went to school.

It's three years,
Bachelor of Arts.

And it's a tough -- It's tough.

It's not an easy trip
to go down.

And I was so -- I felt
like a fish out of water,

and when you're a kid

that doesn't necessarily have
very much --

And I was 20 at this point

and I was paying my way
through it on my own.

So I was working on the weekends

and then going to school
at the same time.

-It's a hustle.
-It's a hustle.

I was falling asleep
in class sometimes.

-Yeah.
It is not a easy path

to go down.
-No, no, no.

-Which is why, like, for me --
and I've said it before --

we've had guests on the show

that have
the theater background --

There's such a high level
of respect and admiration

that I have for that
because I understand

the live performance aspect
of it.

I understand it just based off
of stand-up comedy,

and I know what the live feel
of an audience,

the interactions are.

But the schedule, the grind.
Like...

-We were -- On paper, it's
supposed to be 9:00 to 5:00,

but honestly, it could be
9:00 to 8:00, 9:00 to 9:00,

depending on what
the workload was.

And when we had shows
and showings,

it would literally --
I remember there was one year

where because we were in so
often and for such long hours,

I couldn't go home.

So I had to find, like,
a little hostel close by

to stay in for the week.

And it was literally, like,
a cot in a room,

and nothing else.

And I could go there,
shower, go home.

That was about it.
-All right, wait.

Cynthia, let me stop you
right here.

We want to take a quick break.

Guys, we'll be right back

with more "Hart to Heart"
after this.

Yeah.

- Go

-And we're back. And I'm still
talking to Cynthia,

and what an amazing
conversation we're having.

So, Cynthia, these things
that you're talking about are --

You know, they are far --
not as far, few, and in between

as one would think.
Right?

There's a lot of similarity
through the hustle.

My one question for you is,
like,

did you ever get to a point

where you faced the challenge
of, "I don't know.

Like, I don't know if this is --
if this is the thing

that's gonna get me
to the place of, like,

success or ultimate happy"?

Like, did it ever get you, like,
with a roadblock moment?

-I think I've had
a few roadblocks,

but I've never felt like this
isn't what I'm supposed to do.

-Tell me your first.

What do you think
the first roadblock was?

-I think my first road--
I mean, honestly,

before I went to school,

that was a roadblock.
I was --

Just as I got into RADA,

I got my first job as
a backing vocalist for this band

who was really huge in London
at the time, Westlife.

And that money was enough
to pay for RADA.

But the choice was this or that.
-This or that. Ooh.

-And I chose that. I chose RADA.

-I am smiling because of
the understanding of the choice.

-Yeah.
-I'm smiling because, you know,

I feel like those are
the hitting tests

that get thrown your way...
-[ Laughs ] Yeah.

-...and often failed by a lot

because the money seems like
the big reward in the beginning.

-You don't realize
that that's the short term.

The long term
is that thing.

That's what's actually
gonna see you through. Yeah.

-So dope for you to realize
that at that point

and make the right decision.
-Yeah. It was tough.

I remember I was, like,
devastated

because I'd never had something
that big come along before

and it was the first time

something like that
had come my way.

And we'd done some rehearsals,
and I thought,

"Oh, maybe they'll let me go,
and then I'll come back,"

and I had to make the choice,
and that was the choice I made.

-It's the biggest
and best and worst.

-Yeah.
-It's like...

There's a merge of so many,
like, things at that moment --

at that moment that it is.

I remember it was, like,
you know --

It was either, "Do I choose
the concept attached

to mainstream comedy
with no financial gain,

or do I go and grab the money
that is available,

but there's no other opportunity
outside the envelope?"

Like, it's just...that's it.
-Yeah.

-And it's, like --
It's a hard decision

because I really do need
the money.

And I could use the money,
and, oh, my God,

things could get easier
if I had the money.

But I feel like down here...
-That will actually...

-...more money will come
if I finish this way.

Give me the final version
of a roadblock.

-Final version of a roadblock.

Small play comes along.

It's "The Color Purple" in
London, tiny little theater,

200-seater.

This is after drama school.

And I really want to do
this play.

And I'm sure that this is meant
to be the thing I'm doing.

I'm sure of it.

I'm sure this is the thing
I'm supposed to do,

and no one will see me.

They won't see me.
I can't get an audition.

My agent can't get
an audition for me.

Nothing.
And I'm calling and I'm asking.

And I'm calling and I'm asking.
And something inside me

was telling me to just keep
pushing, that I just knew

it was the right thing.

-Why did you have
so much confidence in knowing

that this was the right thing
for you?

-I don't know.
-Really?

-You know when you know --
Just there was, like,

an innate understanding
that this is the piece

that I was meant to do.

And it wasn't --
For where it was,

it wasn't a huge theater.

It wasn't paying a lot.

It was -- It was
an off-West End production

of this particular piece.
-Yeah.

-And I knew it innately --
I knew this was the thing

I was supposed to do.

And when I wasn't being seen,

a friend of mine
then reached out and said, "Hey,

do you know this is coming?"

And I said, "Yes."

He said he knew the artistic
director of the theater,

and he put in a good word
for me.

Kevin, I had two days to learn
four scenes and two songs

and prepare a song of my own.

I learned everything
like the back of my hand.

-Wow.
-Like the back of my hand.

I remember still staying
at my mum's.

I had a day and a night
to learn everything.

And I remember thinking
to myself,

"I refuse to go in there

and give them the opportunity
to say no to me.

They will not say no."
-Oh, this is too good.

It's too good,
but I have to stop you

'cause I have to take a break.
Don't get mad at me, please.

Just let me do it.

Guys, we're gonna take
a quick break.

We'll be right back with
more "Hart to Heart" after this.

I know. I know.

You don't want
the conversation to stop either.

Neither do I.
But I have to.

Go

-Hello.
-Hello.

-Hi.
-Let me give you a hug.

-How are you? I'm good.
-How are you? I appreciate you.

Thank you for having me.
This is very nice.

That shirt is great.
-Very nice. I'm going with you.

-All right. [ Laughs ]
-I'd pick you over me.

-I know it's very honest.
It's just us, chatting.

-It's a real conversation.

Authentic dialogue.
No prep. Nothing to worry about.

-We're back.
And we can get back into it.

We're still talking to Cynthia.

And this is
still "Hart to Heart."

So, Cynthia, please, continue.

-It was so clear.
It was so clear.

I could just -- I could see it.
I knew it was right.

And the moment
I had the opportunity,

I left nothing behind.

Like, I gave everything I could
possibly give in that audition,

and doing that play
changed my entire life.

-Well, before we get into
the world of the play

because we're in such
a great place right now --

We're talking about -- You know,

we're talking about the journey.
-Yeah.

-We're talking about, you know,

the work, the blood,
the sweat, and tears

that were put into the craft

before the rewards started
to come.

I want to ask you --
How good of a feeling

did you have over the course
of the two days

in memorizing and preparing
and going in a room,

knowing that you did everything
you were supposed to do?

-See, the best. It's the best.

That is one
of the best feelings ever,

regardless of what
the result is --

when you know
that you've done everything

you could possibly do
in your power

to be prepared for something.

There is a sense
of accomplishment

that you can't really describe.

I just knew I was walking
in there with all the armor

I could possibly walk
in there with.

I had everything
I needed at my fingertips,

and I felt so strong.

And I think that was one
of those moments for me

where I was taught

if that's what you have to
do to move forward with things,

that's what you do.

Regardless of the result,

the thing you do is prepare
yourself for any eventuality,

make sure
that you're always completely

and utterly ready so
that no one can say

you didn't do your work.

-You know,
when I was younger,

that feeling came,
you know, once in a while.

I'll say once in a blue moon.
-Mm-hmm.

-'Cause I wasn't
the best student.

But I remember when I
actually would apply myself

and actually study for a test,

and I went in and actually saw
the questions

on a piece of paper
that I knew the answers to,

it was the best thing
in the world.

I was confidently writing down
the answer

and finishing the test.

And I remember I would slam
the pencil down.

"Uhh! I'm finished! Finished!"

-It's like something's
been deciphered for you.

All of a sudden, you
can understand all the code.

-You're looking at it
through a different POV.

And it's the best thing ever.
And I would get the test back.

And I remember it would come,
and I was like,

"I know what I got.
I got a A."

And then, you know,
that feeling would go away

'cause I wouldn't study
the same for another test.

But in life
and in prep for career

and/or opportunities after,
for some reason,

that thing clicked,
and what you're talking about,

the reason why, like, there's
a high level of excitement

from me
about this particular thing

is because I understand
what you mean when you go,

"I did everything I had to do.

I wasn't taking no.

I knew that this was
right for me."

You then get it.
Oh, my God.

-Yep.
-Not only do you get it,

but let's talk about how
it flipped from being the thing

where you're like,
"Yeah, it's a small thing.

Nobody's
probably gonna see it.

It's not gonna be, you know,
too much of a thing,

but I just wanted to do it"...

Well...

Well, that changes. It changes.
-Yes, it does.

-Yes, it does.

-And it becomes something.
-Yeah.

-That something actually became
a pretty big deal in London.

-Yeah, it did. Yeah.
-A pretty big deal.

Well, now we're talking
about another stage of success

that you're not prepared for

because you didn't expect
this to be what it now is.

-Yeah.
-I want to talk to you

about just your first reception
of the limelight

and your first, like,
reception of attention

at that stage in London.
-Yeah.

We had this little play,
and then all of a sudden,

it was sold out every night
and people were coming

and people were applauding,
people were on their feet.

And I had never really
experienced anything like this.

And the one thing
that kept going through my head

was, "Just keep telling
the story.

Just keep telling the story.
Just keep telling the story."

'Cause if I could connect to
the story consistently,

then I couldn't be -- The feet
couldn't come out

from underneath me
because of everything else.

-That's how
you're processing it?

-Yeah. I'm just gonna -- Like,

"If people are on their feet,
it's fine.

We have a story to tell.
Let's keep going."

And I kept that mentality --
and I still do --

for years, just because all
of this is really lovely.

All the things outside
are fantastic.

But if you're not telling
a story

when you're meant to tell
the story, then it's all empty.

It's not connected to anything.

So I think that's
how I processed it.

It's very interesting
because even in a small amount,

with a small amount of success
and fame,

people are interesting
because they assume

that you are changing.

But actually,
you're just the same

and things are changing
around you.

-That's the biggest
misconception.

The biggest misconception is,
you're changing.

-And also, you're trying
to manage new things

and new personalities and things
that are coming to you

that are different
to what you're used to.

And it can be scary.
It was very scary for me

'cause I just didn't -- I didn't
recognize any of it,

and I
just wanted to tell the story.

-Everybody can look up.
-Mm-hmm.

-Right?

Because most people are
underneath

the thing
that they're trying to get to.

There's not many people
that were underneath it

and that got to the top of it

that can understand
what it's like to be underneath.

So the dual POV is only
shared by a very small...

-Yeah. Yeah.
-...small amount of people.

I talk about this all the time.
-Yeah.

-So when you talk about
the idea of changing,

the idea of changing are
coming from the POV of others

that have no...
-Yeah.

-They have no --
-There's no context for it.

-None.
You have absolutely none.

To understand, like,

the world that I'm actually in
and what I'm now dealing with

and how I'm navigating.
-Right.

-My person has not changed.

But my surroundings,
the environment and...

this is no longer
what it used to be.

I'm trying to figure this out.

While I'm figuring it out, you
can't expect me to still...

-Yeah, you need grace.
People don't give you grace...

-1,000%.
...a lot of the time

when you're figuring things out.
-1,000%.

-And it's also like there's
an expectation

for you to have it figured
out immediately

when, actually,
it takes time.

Anything takes time.
Everything takes time.

But when your surroundings
completely change,

when the way
people interact with you

starts to change a little bit,

when the expectation of you
changes...

'Cause it's one thing to be
a new person starting a new play

in a new -- That's one thing.

But even within a month or two,
you stop being, like,

this new person in this new play

and you start becoming,
"She is in this."

You're gonna go see this play
because she's doing this.

-Yes.

-And the expectation of you
is much bigger

than it was when you started.

-Well, that's a good segue

because your next opportunity
was another lead,

another leading role

provided because of your success
in "The Color Purple."

-Yeah.
That thing went to Broadway.

-I mean...
-I thought they were joking

when they told me it
was gonna go to Broadway.

-Which is huge, by the way.
-It was huge.

It just doesn't happen
very often.

-What do you mean?
It doesn't happen ever.

-Yeah. It just...

I genuinely --
I thought they were joking.

Someone said to me, "Well, one
of the producers said, uh..."

It was, like --
I think it was opening night,

and we'd had
a really beautiful review.

It was like a love letter
to the show, and he said,

"What do you think
about going to Broadway?"

I said "[ Laughs ]
Sure, if you'll have me."

That was my response.
-Yeah.

-That was my response because I
genuinely thought he was joking

and just placating
and being sweet and nice.

I didn't think anything of it
until a week or so later --

"So we're taking this
to Broadway

and we want
to take you with it."

"I beg your pardon.
What do you mean?"

-Yeah. Yeah.

-"What do you mean,
'we're going to Broadway'?

Okay, when it happens. You
let me know when it happens.

Sure. Okay."
And that's how I kept --

"Sure. Of course. When it
happens, when it happens."

Another couple of months. "Okay,
so we've found the theater.

We're going to be going
such-and-such a date."

"All right. Cool."
-Yeah. "You let me know."

-"You let me know."

And this went on until
I have the ticket in my hands

and I'm at the airport
looking at this flight attendant

with -- I'm, like, bawling

because
I'm realizing, "Oh, my God."

-"I'm going."
-"I have to -- I'm going."

-Yeah.
-And I kid you not.

There is a 50-50 chance about

whether I'm going to stay
in that airport

and go back home or get on
that plane and go to New York.

-Wow.
-Because if I go to New York,

I'm leaving something behind.
-Everything. Yes. Yeah.

-And I remember when I left
my house, my sister saw me off.

She said,
"I can't come to the airport."

She said, "Okay."
I said, "Okay. It's fine."

She goes...

She gave me a gift,
and she goes,

"You left some of your clothes
behind."

I said, "Yeah."
She said, "Why did you do that?"

I said, "Well, why wouldn't I?"

She said, "Because you're not
coming back."

I said, "What do you mean?"

She said,
"You're not coming back here.

So I don't know
why you left your clothes."

And she goes, "I'm gonna cry."
So she lifts her head up

'cause she doesn't want to cry
in front of me.

When she said that -- You know

when, like --
Have you ever played "Tetris"?

-Yes.
-All the pieces...

-Yes.
-...fall together.

And you go, "Oh, my God.

I'm actually leaving
something behind

and moving on to change,
to another stage of my life."

And I didn't realize that that
was what this was going to be.

And when I get to the airport,
I think, "Oh, my God,

I really have to, like, make
the decision to move forward."

-Yeah.

-And when I get on the plane,

it takes me a while to navigate.
Getting to New York

when you're on your own
by yourself.

Having to figure out this new
place in a new show

where nobody knows you
and...

It just was
these huge, massive stages

that I had to figure out,
that had both joy in it,

but real loneliness sometimes,

'cause I just
had never experienced it.

-Oh, it is too good.
It's too good.

But I have to stop you
'cause I have to take a break.

Don't get mad at me, please.
Just let me do it.

Guys, we're gonna take
a quick break.

We'll be right back with more
"Hart to Heart" after this.

-I think you'd be really great
on Broadway.

I think you'd be great
in a play.

-I just don't have the patience
for the schedule.

-But you have amazing --
Like, I was watching one

of your shows.
Your physical comedy,

your physical, like --
It's, like, immediate.

It's, like, a natural thing
that people don't really have.

-I think it would be great.
It's just the schedule.

-You could do it. If you can
do the marathon,

you can do the schedule.
-They'll go, like, five months,

two a day.
-But the thing is,

if you want to do something,

you could make it
as short as you need.

If you want to do a month
two months of something,

you could do a month.
-Too much.

If I didn't -- If I wasn't
the crazy man trying

to do everything,
then it would be different.

Right? Then it would be...

Go

-We're back.
And we can get back into it.

We're still talking to Cynthia.
So when you talk about theater,

you know, you are in a --
You're in a place

where everything is reviewed,

and critics love
to have a point of view

and talk about and say things.
-Yeah.

-Has that ever gotten
the best of you,

or could it ever get
the best of you?

-I guess it would get
the best of me

in that I always want to be
better.

-Okay.

-But I never let it
shut me down.

Because, you know,
art is subjective.

Whatever -- Some people might
like it, some people might not.

You can't be
everyone's favorite.

Not everyone is going to like
what you do.

But I think as long as
what I'm trying to do

is tell the truth as much as
I possibly can, connect as much

as I possibly can --

As long as I'm doing that job,
then -- then I'm okay.

-You're okay?
-Yeah.

-Yeah, I don't really -- I don't
really feed into them.

-It's not necessary.
It's not useful.

-Also,
all mine are always bad.

-For goodness' sake.
-So I send them all gifts.

-You send them gifts?!

-I send them gifts.

I send them gifts, and then
that started getting expensive.

I was like, "Well, wait a
minute. I can't keep doing this.

I'm gonna go broke
sending these people gifts

and all these daggone..."

But I don't, like, feed
into them ever.

So I just -- I just stopped
reading them.

-Yeah.

I'm grateful for the ones
that come to me

'cause sometimes they come to me
without --

I'm not searching
for them, but...

And I'm grateful
for the kindnesses

'cause there are some reviews
that are really thoughtful

and they've dived into
the piece,

and they've mined it for all
of the details.

And that always feels
really good,

when you know that
a person has actually gone on

the journey with you and they
wanted to go on the journey.

'Cause that means
you've done your job.

Like, if you can move someone
whose job it is to critique,

then that's great.

-1,000%.
-Right?

-Journey that
the theater actors are going on,

and some of the journeys,

like, they start and end
in theater, right?

Like, there is no want for
the bigger side of box office,

or theater, or movie star.
-No. Mnh-mnh.

-Like, there's a real world
of a success

and successful thing in this,
and...

-That's it.
-...that's it.

-Yeah.

-So in knowing
that and understanding that,

I think, like,
there's a tremendous amount

of just respect that
I have simply for knowing that.

And then there's the merger
of the two,

where you can jump in, jump out.

And, you know,
some of the performers,

you know, get big
above and beyond,

and it's just, they go back
and go back to it.

-I think that's -- Any actor

that's come from theater
and leaves

to go to film and TV

always gets the itch
to go back to the stage.

I get it. I have it.
-Yeah?

-Because there's something
about the quality of being

in front of a live audience
that is unlike anything else.

-Yes.

-And having live responses
and hearing them.

When you're on a stage

and someone said
something to another character.

You say something back
to a character,

and the audience reaction
is visceral.

There's nothing like it.

And when we talk about,
you know, reviews and whatnot,

like, I'd be delusional to think

that
everything is going to be good.

So I can't expect that
it's always going to be good.

But I can expect of myself
that I'm gonna try

and do my best work.
-Absolutely.

-Right? And so I think this love
of art, I think, for me,

performance
and telling stories --

I think I'm a bit greedy
when it comes to it,

to be honest,

which is why that ache
for wanting to be onstage

doesn't really ever leave.

I think I'm lucky

in that I get to sing onstage
in front of people live.

And so that gets to be filled.

That cup gets to be filled
a little bit.

But I really love film and TV.

I really love being able to jump
into these fantasy worlds

and create things that you
might not be able

to create onstage.
-Was there ever just,

like, a "let me get
my bearings straight"

once you went from the theater
to the film and TV side?

-Yes. My first film was
with Viola Davis

and Michelle Rodriguez,
and I was a puppy...

-Really?
-...compared to everybody else.

-Really?
-Oh, yes.

-Did you really feel that way,

or was it more about, like,
"I'm a fan of my surroundings"?

-A bit of both.
I was like, "I'm new."

-'Cause you're coming in --
But let's just --

I just want to make sure
that we --

Let's just table that.

You're coming in with
a tremendous, tremendous résumé

filled with receipts
of polished, poised,

prepared individuals.

I just want to make sure,

like, we're very clear
that on paper...

-[ Laughing ] Yes.

-Like, I'm what I am.
On paper,

when you show up, I go,
"Let me get my shit together.

-'Cause I don't want to...
-[ Laughs ]

-I ain't gonna
have her looking at me crazy.

Let me make sure I know all
of my stuff."

Okay? Because I know
where you're coming from.

So, I want to make sure
that you understand, like,

there's a mutual feeling
of that.

-I think -- It was -- I felt

like there was
a mutual understanding

and everyone was so lovely
and respectful and...

But I still was the newbie.
I was the newbie.

And I'm okay
with being the newbie.

And Steve McQueen's
your director,

Viola Davis is standing there.

You go, "I'm just going to be
here for whatever

you need me to be here for.
What do you need?"

'Cause that's
how you get better.

-That's the best part. Right?
-The best partner.

The partner that shows up
and that's prepared

to do whatever
to make the project better.

-"Let me be of use." Yeah.
-That's right.

"I want to make
the project better."

I'm gonna make you laugh.

You and I have shared what
I would like to call possibly,

like, one of the worst decisions
that I made...

-Go on.
-...in my career.

You've done something similar.
-Uh-huh.

-I ran a marathon.

And the night of that marathon.

I decided to also book
an arena show at the...

-Why do we do this?

-...the United Airlines Arena
in Chicago.

I ran the Chicago Marathon.
-Why?

-Because I can do it all.

What do you mean?

I'm Kevin Hart, and I'm gonna
run this marathon --

26.2 miles.

By the way, it felt
like somebody took my legs.

I've never felt more pain
in my life.

Tried my best to sleep
after the marathon.

Couldn't sleep.

I drank Coronas because I was
trying to get my shit back,

my bearings together.

So I was looking
for carbohydrates, whatever.

I could not walk on the stage.

The first and only time in my
career that I sat on a stool...

-Oh, my gosh.

-...from beginning of the show
to end.

For you,
you ran a half marathon,

but you went and did two shows.

-That's right, yep.

-[ Laughs ]
I don't know.

I thought to myself --
I had promised myself

that if I finished the
half marathon with enough time

to get home and get ready, that
I would go and do those shows.

And I finished the half marathon
with enough time

to go home and get ready.

And by the time I got ready,
the car was downstairs.

I got in, I got to the theater.

I had never run a half marathon
in my life before, mind you.

So when I got to the theater,

the first thing I have to do
is kneel on the floor.

-Oh, God.
Oh, God.

-And so...
-Oh, God.

-...there is a small second
where you think,

"I won't be able to get up.
I can't get up.

I'm not gonna get up.
The show is not gonna continue.

I'm gonna have to do the show
from here."

-I would have shitted myself.
[ Laughter ]

-I couldn't -- I was like...
-Right there. Yep.

-..."How am I gonna get up?
I --

There
was a little step behind me,

and I'm doing
mental gymnastics to figure out,

"How am I gonna get up
to continue doing this show?"

And I didn't put
two and two together

because it wasn't
just the physical.

Like, the physiological thing

that was going on
with the muscles inside my body,

including my throat,
the thing I have to use to sing.

-Oh, my God.
-Everything is tight.

Everything.

-You did two shows.
-I did two shows that day.

-That's nuts.
-It was ridiculous.

-That's just...
-It was silly.

-Well, let's just call it
what it is -- It was stupid.

-It was stupid.
It was. It was dumb.

-We're not the smartest people.
-No, that wasn't smart.

It wasn't smart at all.
[ Laughter ]

I'm very glad I was
able to do it.

Very glad. But it was dumb.
It was silly.

I shouldn't have done it.

I just --
I shouldn't have done it.

I couldn't --
It was a bad idea.

-It was the worst thing
I've ever done in my life.

-And the thing is,
I'll never live it down

because it keeps coming up
and everyone's like,

"You did two shows
after a half marathon?!"

I don't recommend it.

-Well, for a long time,

I thought I was the only one
a part of,

like, a decision so bad.

And then I saw you.
I was like, "Oh!

I'm not alone!
I'm not the only one that..."

But the thing is, why would I

then continue
and then do the full marathon,

take only two days off, and
go back and do the show again?

-I did a half, I think,
in Miami.

-Oh, cool.
-I may have done

a half in Miami.
I think.

I have three marathons for sure.
And I didn't do...

-Chicago, I want to do.
-Chicago's amazing.

-Apparently, it's flat.

-The whole thing is flat.
-[ Sighs ]

-But for everybody else,
it was probably perfect,

but on my day, it rained.
'Cause that's my luck.

-Oh, no.
-Yeah. Bad rain.

The type of rain
where in the middle of it,

you say to yourself a bunch
of times, "Fuck this shit."

-No, no. It's the worst.
-"You know what? Fuck this."

Three times,
I probably said, "You know what?

Who cares
that I'm not gonna finish?"

-Bad weather
when you have to do a long run

is the absolute worst.

-Are you still
actively running? Like...

-On and off.
-Okay.

Walking and running,
walking and running,

-We're getting smarter.
-We're getting smarter.

-We're getting smarter.
How about we just say that?

-Yeah.
-We're both getting smarter.

-It's good for us.
-By the way,

there's so many similarities

that you just don't
even know about.

Like, when you say walking
and running,

I'm like, "Yeah! That's it!"
-See?

"That's the plan!"
-Yes.

-That's what we needed.

-We should have been doing that
back then.

Nobody told us that back then.
-Lord!

No, I bet you someone did tell
us and we just didn't listen.

-We just ignored it.
-'Cause I'm sure someone said,

"Hey, on your day off,
just walk."

And I went, "Well, I'll start
walking," and then...

-All right.

So, wait.
I want you to go on,

'cause this is
extremely important.

I think honestly, my audience
needs to hear more of it.

But let's take a break first.

We'll be right back with more
"Hart to Heart" after this.

-Cynthia, thank you so much.
What a treat.

-Cynthia was fantastic.

If they could all
be like Cynthia,

my job would be easier.
-[ Laughs ]

-Okay.

-We're back.
We're talking about theater.

We're talking about the trials
and tribulations, ups, downs.

I mean, God, it's so much.

I mentioned you're doing
so many things.

Of course,
you were from theater,

the world of television.
Box office is happening.

"Wicked" -- a big project.

-Yes.
-Very, very massive.

I cannot not talk to you and
not get into the details of it.

How did it come about?

Like, what's the origin story
of you involved in "Wicked"?

-When I was at drama school,

I would go into, like, a piano
room with a friend of mine,

and we would play the music.

I'd never seen show.
I just knew the music.

And I learned this music
like the back of my hand.

I knew it back to front,
all of it.

And then when I was about 25,

I took myself on a solo date
to see "Wicked"...

-Okay.
-...at the theater.

Cut to 10 years later,
when I'm 35.

I get a call to say,

"Hey, we would like you
to come in

and audition for this role,
for Elphaba."

-This is without understanding
that you are already a student

of "Wicked"
at the highest level?

-This is without understanding.

Nope, they don't know that
I know it as well as I know it,

but I know it very, very well.

And I took a meeting
with the wonderful director

that is Jon Chu.

And we're sort of
like kindred spirits.

We had a
really wonderful conversation.

And then
a couple of weeks later,

I was sent the material
to come in and audition.

And it was just a really
emotional and connected day.

I was there for three hours.
-Wow.

-And I did many scenes
and about three or four songs.

And that day, before I came in,

I was doing laps
singing the songs.

So running
and doing the songs

just so I could have it in my
body and in my breath and...

-That's, like, a wind exercise,
I'm assuming?

-Yeah, just, like, to --
I do the audition,

and, like, I feel great and
everything is going really well,

and I leave everything there.

I get into the car to come home,

and by the time I reach
my doorstep, I have a fever.

And then I am in bed
for four days, ill.

Cut to two months -- two,
three months later.

I get a call --

I get an e-mail, actually,
from my team

'cause my team has a flair
for the dramatic.

They sent me an e-mail to say
that there was a book

that they thought we should jump
on immediately as a piece of IP

that could be really cool,

that we could maybe put in as
part of my production company,

and maybe we want to talk, but
we need to talk to the writer.

It's 1:00 a.m.

I'm in London,
and I'm ready for bed,

but I'm like, "Fine.
Sure. I can get myself together.

Let's have this conversation
now.

I'll get, like,
a pair of glasses on.

Make sure I look smart enough
to have this conversation."

I press the Zoom and
Jon Chu's name comes up.

My brain doesn't put
two and two together.

I think, "Well,
maybe it's his book.

Maybe he knows something
about the book.

Well, it's fine."
It's just coincidence, isn't it?

Jon comes up,

my team comes up, and I'm
still not putting two together.

And then
he starts talking about,

"So obviously, your team's
talking about this book that,

you know, is about the --"

and he starts describing
this young woman who,

you know, was from London,

who used to steal away
to a piano room

with a friend of hers...
-Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

-...and sing the music,
and now she is in front of us,

and we don't know
what planet she's come from,

but we want to give
you the role of Elphaba."

I cannot tell you
the feeling of elation

that I had.
I burst into tears.

-That's so dope.
-It was just wonderful.

And from that point to now,

we've had the most incredible
journey making this film.

-Wow.

-And I don't say it lightly
when I say

that there is a -- We
have created a family of people

who are of one accord, who know
that this movie is special,

if not to anyone else, to us.

We worked very, very hard.
Blood, sweat, and tears.

Bruises to show for it,
the whole lot.

We were -- Whether it be singing
live, doing our own stunts,

flying in harnesses,
whatever it was,

that's what we were doing.

And I think this is one

of the most amazing moments
in my life.

-That's dope.

-One of the
most amazing experiences

I've had in film
just because of the people

that I got to work with.
-You checked a very big box.

-Yes. Yeah. It's huge.
-That's a very big box.

To be a part
of the checking in that box...

is a massive thing.
Like, that's -- Kudos to you.

-Thank you.

-And honestly, well deserved.
And shouts-out to your team

for the way
they delivered the message.

I love the -- I love that.
-I'm lucky.

I've got a beautifully,
wonderfully caring team

who are constantly looking out
for me

and care about me as a person,
as well as the work that we do.

It's all very thoughtful.

They're always really,
really thoughtful.

We're all, you know, moving
in the same direction together,

and they want the best for me.

And I want the best for them.

They're amazing.
I'm really lucky. Yeah.

-All right, wait. Cynthia,
let me stop you right here.

We want to take a quick break.

Guys, we'll be right back with
more "Hart to Heart" after this.

No way. My wife bitches at me
too much.

-Can I take a picture
of you two?

-No way.
-Get in the middle.

Oh. Nice. Perfect.
That is perfect.

Nice. Love it.

Go

-We're back.
And we can get back into it.

We're still talking to Cynthia.

Okay, look,
so the success

has bubbled
and blossomed into so much.

Right? Now that you're
experiencing it on all fronts --

Like you said, "I'm never
not gonna go back to theater,

even though I have the success
of television and film."

I mean, "Wicked." Huge.
It's gonna be big, right?

All of these things.
What is the want from you now?

What's the thing that you're
like, "You know what?

I want to get my hands on this"?

-Yeah.
-"I want to also do this."

-Yeah.
-Now that you've tackled things

that you've put your mind
and you've seen

the power of putting
your mind on something

and it actually happening,
what else is there for you?

-There's a couple things.

Some things that are for
my heart and some things

that are for business.

And, like
I have a production company,

and I really want to be
able to create an infrastructure

that allows me to be able to
create things for other people.

I want to make sure that...

'Cause, you know,
there weren't that many places

for me to go
when I first started.

You sort of have to find them.

You have to have
a really good team

who's willing
to have the fight with you.

But I want to be
able to have pieces

that I can find new talent

so they don't have to
necessarily work as hard

as I had to work.

And I loved the hard work.

I wouldn't change it
for the world.

But wouldn't it be wonderful
to be able to help someone,

if they don't need to do
all of that extra?

-You're on the board, if I'm
correct, of your alma mater,

where you started, right?
-Yes.

So, now I'm the vice president

of the Royal Academy
of Dramatic Arts.

Yeah.
-What are you talking about?

That's, like...
-I'm so excited about it.

I've been going back to the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts

for about five years teaching,
which I love.

It's, like, one of my loves,

probably one
of my raison dêtres,

'cause I love going into
the school.

And I teach performance
through song,

so I'll work with the students
and ask them to prepare songs

and we'll work
through each piece

and help to put
the building blocks together

that they've had over the year,

'cause I usually see them
in their final year.

Such a full-circle moment.

It's such a -- because, you
know, it's where I went,

and If I was to say
it was smooth sailing,

I would be lying.

-People hear so many stories
about,

you're not gonna know
what the thing is

that could possibly launch you

into the place
that you want to be.

You may not see it.

It may not be the thing
that you think

it should be or will be.
-That's right.

-But when it happens,
if you're prepared for it...

-Mm-hmm. Yeah.
-...you'll know.

Your story throughout this
conversation is just one of,

like, preparation.
-Yeah.

-Your commitment
to being prepared,

your commitment to saying,
"I'm gonna do the work

and buy into the process,"

it hasn't failed you.
-No.

-And I love that.

-And this is what I tell a lot
of my drama students, as well,

because I think so many people

who are coming into film and TV
and theater,

they're always told,
"You're gonna hear a lot of nos.

You'll hear a lot of nos.

It's gonna be really,
really difficult,

and it's hard to..."

But rarely are they told,
"You might hear a lot of nos,

but you are gonna hear yeses."
-Yeah.

-"And if you're not ready
for the yeses,

well, then it's probably
not gonna keep coming."

-Yeah.

-So, for me,
I've always had the idea,

well, a yes is gonna come
at some point.

And what I don't want to be
is unprepared

for when that yes comes along.

I really want to keep
being ready.

So I am reading.

I am listening to music
all the time.

I am listening to
different artists.

I am going to vocal lessons.
I still have a vocal coach.

I still speak -- used to speak
to my acting teacher,

God rest her soul.
She passed away.

But I would talk to her
about everything.

I would send her the scripts
that I was doing.

She would look at the pieces
that I had done.

I would bring her to the show

so I could still keep
my training going

because I always wanted
to be ready.

Even the running,
even the physicality,

that's all in aid of
not just my mental,

but for me to physically be
always ready to go

and do the work
that I need to do.

Sometimes that sounds trivial,
but it really is true.

If you are consistently
in preparation mode,

if you're consistently
in "I'm getting ready.

I'm always getting ready,"

then when something comes along,
you will be ready for it.

You won't be unprepared.

And I think that that's
the most important thing.

-Cynthia, you're dope.

-Thank you, Kevin.
-Your cadence, your reason,

more importantly,
your world attached to your why

is dope.
I want to thank you.

I want to thank you for coming
on and doing "Hart to Heart."

Ladies and gentlemen,
this is what it is.

This is real, raw,
authentic conversation.

-Thank you.
-Of course, I'm a fan.

I can't wait to see
what you do next.

Thank you for coming on.

-Thank you for having me.
-Thank you.

-This is really cool.
-This is good, right?

-This is good, yeah.
-How dope was that.

-That was awesome.
-Fucking great.

-That was awesome.

[ Indistinct conversation ]

Go

Repair and Synchronization by
Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0