The crowning glory for Olivia

will deal with – the declining winner, Hopkins, in the film she health of ageing parents. swore – a lot. TEAMING UP WITH ACTING ROYALTY “My folks are still around and “It was like, ‘f---,” Colman TO HEAR still together. They’re late-70s now laughs. “I mean, can you imagine? ANTHONY HOPKINS A DREAM COME TRUE and there’s no sign of dementia, so I’ve known his face my whole life hopefully they’ve escaped it,” and everything he’s done – he’s a MEL DOYLE OPENS UP ROLE OF LIFETIME FATHER FIGURES Colman says. “Watching that bit of an acting God to me – and Melissa Doyle talks Colman’s new film The Father, happen to your parents must be you think to yourself, you’re going about her past and TIFFANY BAKKER based on the award-winning tough. I just can’t imagine to do a job with him. And I was like, future on the podcast French play, is not exactly a rant- watching someone that you love ‘f--- off, shut up, no way!’. And then Powerful Stories. Host he may have played fest but a poignant and deeply and admire go through he’s so much nicer, he’s so kind, Tory Archbold speaks the Queen on The emotional ride about a woman that.” he’s so generous, he’s so to Doyle about how Crown, one of the dealing with her father’s (Anthony Colman says f--ing brilliant at his job. she cried and retreated world’s most popular Hopkins) rapidly advancing when she found Every morning I’d say after leaving Seven but notes “ I’m no dramas, but Olivia dementia. out she was to my husband, ‘Ha, longer boxed in by the branding and the Colman is just a tiny It’s a brutal, heartbreaking film going to star I’m going to work place that I was in. I’m a little bit braver.” Sbit baffled by Australia’s interest in about a topic many of us have opposite with Tony the real-life drama surrounding either dealt with – or eventually fellow Oscar- Hopkins!’ ” the real royal family. “It is a bit bizarre the Queen is TO BINGE still your head of state,” laughs the British actor via Zoom from the NEW YORK vs COVID London home she shares with her He’s a bit of an acting husband, Ed, and three children. Foxtel Showcase “In Britain, growing up with God to me – and you 8.30 tonight them always there, you don’t Want to be reminded really consider them. It’s like, if think, you’re going to of how well we’re you live in Sydney, you probably going? COVID Diaries don’t go to the Opera House. do a job with him. I was NYC is a new special, “I don’t go to all the incredible airing tonight, that things in London because they’re like, ‘shut up, no way’ looks at five young there. And it’s the same with the filmmakers who put royal family – they were always the cameras on there so you don’t think about themselves to document life in lockdown them. I think for people outside of in the COVID-ravaged New York. the UK, they’re a much bigger deal. But I could be wrong about that!” Colman’s stunning performance as Queen Elizabeth TO READ II won her huge acclaim (and a Golden Globe), but she says she GIRL IN THE WALLS was more than ready to hand HarperCollins Australia over the reins (or the reign!) to fellow Brit, Imelda Staunton, $29.99 rrp who takes on the daunting Exquisitely written and role for the show’s final two highly original, Girl In the seasons. Walls by AJ Gnuse is a “I have a short powerful and haunting attention span, so playing story of belonging and a role for two years is a loss, perfect for fans of long time for me,” contemporary gothic Colman says. “And fiction or readers looking for though I was sad to something a little different. say goodbye to everybody and I really enjoyed it, I was excited to do TO SING something different. Playing PEACH PRC TAKES BIG the Queen, even BITE INTO APPLE though she is very Adelaide musician strong, and stoic Peach PRC is and silent and she blowing up right listens a lot, I now, with her new wanted to [play a single Josh role] where I have a bit becoming a take-no- of a rant and be less prisoners, change- controlled.” no-names smash. She’s just been announced as the first Apple Up Next local artist, meaning her music will be all over their biggest playlists. “I am truly so beyond grateful,” How sacked Justice League composer settled the score Peach PRC says. BACK TO BASICS composer-producer over Zoom from his LA base. “So, the day after I got taken off the film I TO CONNECT JAMES WIGNEY tweeted that and said ‘I guess I graduated today’ to look at it from a positive standpoint.” RIP MG hen composer Tom Oscar-winning German composer Zimmer Tonight is the State Holkenborg was sacked had helped Holkenborg go from his dance Memorial for Australian from writing the score of music roots – he had a global hit in 2002 as music industry legend the 2017 superhero epic Junkie XL with the Elvis remix A Little Less Michael Gudinski. If you Justice League, he didn’t Conversation – to one of the most in-demand didn’t score a ticket for take it too personally. film music composers. The pair had worked the event at WIn fact, part of him took it as a badge of together on director Zack Snyder’s Superman Melbourne’s Rod Laver honour, and turned a negative into a positive. reboot Man Of Steel and its sequel Batman v Arena, it will be live-streamed so music “One of my best friends here in town – and Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Holkenborg fans can watch the celebration of my mentor – Hans Zimmer, told me I would was set to go it alone on the third film in the Gudinski’s life. Head to vic.gov.au/state- never be part of the in-crowd if I hadn’t been trilogy, Justice League, when tragedy struck. memorial-michael-gudinski for details. Composer Tom Holkenborg. fired off a film,” says the Dutch DJ-musician- Snyder stepped back from the project after

28 HERALD SUN, Wednesday, March 24, 2021 MHSE01Z02MA - V1 13 The crowning glory for Olivia

LIGHT RELIEF WITH JENNIFER DUDLEY-NICHOLSON Despite the story’s heavy emotional content, Colman says TODAY WEATHER she and Hopkins would crack each other up between scenes. “I know Free, Google Android it’s a really hard watch, but we had The weather really is such a joyful time together; I know the topic of every that sounds weird, but Tony tells conversation this week, hilarious stories and does amazing making apps like this impressions. We had a lovely time, one handier than ever. and that’s our approach to work Today Weather collects anyway – neither of us are very information from more than 10 sources, method. including the Bureau of Meteorology and “Tony would lean over and the National Weather Service, to deliver whisper to me, ‘Aren’t we lucky?’ more detail than you might expect and and I’d say, ‘YES!’ ” The role, which present it in a highly visual way. With this has already won her an AACTA app you’ll not only get an hourly rain (Australian Academy of Cinema forecast but details of humidity, the UV and Television Arts Awards – “I index, dew point, air quality, the moon was so thrilled and surprised – I’ve and wind. never been to Australia!”), has also landed Colman her second Academy Award nomination. (She THE LAST CAMPFIRE won the Best Actress Oscar in $7.99/m, 2019 for playing another queen – This Apple Arcade the wildly eccentric Queen Anne game is equal parts in The Favourite.) wistful, magical and Indeed, in recent years, the 47- adorable. Players help year-old’s career has skyrocketed, the final journey of an making her one of Hollywood’s Ember, a lost little most in-demand actors. And her creature who must find deserved success is not just for her his final resting place by navigating sheer talent but her incredible British actor Olivia Colman with her Golden Globe; with Anthony Hopkins in The Father (top); as Queen through a dark forest. His adventure versatility; she easily navigates Elizabeth II in The Crown (below). involves collecting artefacts, climbing between drama (The Crown, ancient structures and saving others of his Broadchurch, The Night THE REAL DEAL “Because the moment there’s a that position as much as possible. I kind who have been lost along the way, Manager) and comedy (see her The utterly charming Colman is photo from this angle,” she says, can see my friends whose bodies bringing them back to life so they can also breakout performance in the also that rare type of Hollywood pointing up from under her chin, have changed, or their faces have join the final fire. UK classic, Peep Show, while star – resolutely down to earth, and “everyone comments on it and you changed over the years, and I her biting turn as Phoebe self-deprecating. “People get too think, f--- off, I wasn’t born a think they’re so beautiful because Waller-Bridge’s hideous full of themselves,” she has said. supermodel and I’ve had three they’re amazing people. I can see POCKETBOOK 2.0 stepmother in Fleabag She’s also honest about her children and my body is stretched that just by looking at them and I literally stole the insecurities around the constant and bits have drooped and it’s not want to get to that in my own Free, Apple iOS/Google Android show). scrutiny that comes with being in fair everyone is expected to head, but I’m not there yet.” If you have questions the public eye. conform. Because I feel With that Colman is keen to get about where your “I’ve got a ring light here which embarrassed if I’m meant to be back to a lockdown-induced money is going, this app is meant to be more flattering,” she dressed up for a do, or feel like Friends marathon with her son. can help solve them. The says pointing to a bright light people are thinking, who does she “We’re always watching expense-tracking app above her computer screen. think she is – you can’t polish a Friends – my younger boy loves it. can extract transactions turd. Anyway, I’m nice I love cuddling up with him and from your savings and and my husband loves watching it, because I’m sort of credit accounts, and categorise them to me.” reliving my 20s.” deliver reports on how much you’re That’s the good thing about spending on groceries, kids, subscriptions, HOME BODY pandemic-era home Zoom and housing costs. It can track this over a Colman says she interviews – you can pop off to the year so you can see where spending has navigates media room to watch Friends with gone awry, and will help you create a scrutiny by “not really your kid. weekly or monthly budget. going out”. (The “You can also wear slippers,” pandemic, she says, has Colman continues with another FISTI-FLUFFS helped with that.) huge laugh, pulling one of her feet “But I know I’m not up to the camera to reveal some $9.99, Android alone. I know many very fancy silver footwear. Admittedly, this game’s women feel negative “The one thing about doing biggest drawcard is its things about interviews during the pandemic is novelty factor but it is themselves, and I have that I can wear my slippers. So … entertaining being got marginally better. I silver linings.” turned into a cat and asked to create as also protect myself by The Father opens in cinemas on April 1 with much chaos as possible while your owners not putting myself in advance screenings this weekend. are away. This game features five game modes, including ‘tussle,’ ‘destruction’ and ‘kibble defence’, and users can play against others or just destroy rooms solo. There are laptops to knock over, paintings How sacked Justice League composer settled the score to scratch, and a heavy metal soundtrack to fuel your worst instincts.

the death of his daughter and was replaced by the first people he called. “I am quoting him: James Cameron, Peter Jackson, George Miller, Joss Whedon in 2016. The Buffy and Avengers ‘Let’s f---ing do it’ – is what he said,” says Tim Miller and I thought this 4 ½-hour movie UNSPLASH director significantly reshot, rewrote and re- Holkenborg with a laugh. needed the best possible score I could give it. Free, Apple iOS cut the film – and also turfed out Holkenborg’s The director had expected the composer And that automatically meant starting over.” half-finished score in favour of new music would resurrect at least some of the music he Adding to the degree of difficulty of his If your phone feels tired, from Danny Elfman. The result was something had already written, especially given the personal “Mount Everest” was that he had to this app can make it of dog’s breakfast, pleasing few and gargantuan task of scoring his four-hour film, create the score in isolation due to the look fresher. Unsplash underperforming at the box office. Like and was stunned (but delighted) when pandemic. Again, he looked at the glass half can give its home or lock Snyder, Holkenborg has chosen never to see it. Holkenborg said he wanted to start from full and revelled in the creative freedom of the screen a makeover, with a huge selection “The surroundings of Zack’s departure and my scratch. The Dutchman says not only did he solitude and basic set-up. “If you are in of royalty-free images sorted into departure were unpleasant enough themselves have some negative emotions about his isolation and you work in a room three metres categories. There are street photography not to be exposed to what it became.” previous work given the circumstances, but by four with a small set-up that is one guitar, shots for those who prefer an edgy, dark But after an online fan campaign led to more importantly he felt the intervening five one bass, a few percussion instruments and a look, experimental images for people who Snyder being given an extra $90 million to years had made him a much better composer. few boxes that make noises – you appreciate want something not too distracting, as release his version, which made its debut here “I have been fortunate to work with some of with how little you can get great stuff.” well as vintage items, people, nature and on BINGE last week, Holkenborg was one of the world’s best directors in Robert Rodriguez, Zack Snyder’s Justice League is on BINGE. Soundtrack on Spotify. colours.

V1 - MHSE01Z01MA HERALD SUN, Wednesday, March 24, 2021 45