'Almost Famous,' 'Song Sung Blue' star Kate Hudson: 'A good music movie is hard to do'

In the latest occurrence of The Envelope video podcast, Tonatiuh discusses the grassroots efforts helium spearheaded to get “Kiss of the Spider Woman” successful beforehand of communities Hollywood whitethorn not ever reach, and “Song Sung Blue’s” Kate Hudson explains what makes a bully euphony movie.

Kelvin Washington: Hello, everyone, invited to different occurrence of The Envelope. Kelvin Washington here. You cognize who I’m with: Yvonne Villarreal, Mark Olsen, gladsome to beryllium present with you. Thanks for watching and listening.

All right, let’s get it started. Mark, you had a accidental to speech to Tonatiuh. And of course, this is simply a large infinitesimal for him. This is thing helium worked hard for and present getting a batch of designation for — “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” Tell maine a small spot much astir your chat.

Mark Olsen: That’s right. So earlier this twelvemonth astatine the Sundance Film Festival, determination conscionable was this large infinitesimal astatine the premiere of Bill Condon’s adaptation of the philharmonic mentation of “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” wherever conscionable to spot a showcase similar this for idiosyncratic is truthful exciting. Tonatiuh, he’s acting, he’s singing, he’s dancing. There’s similar truthful overmuch successful this performance. It’s fantastic to to see. He has a batch of poise and charisma conscionable simply successful conversation. So it made for a truly breathtaking talk.

Washington: And besides the trouble playing aggregate roles, right? I mean, I would ideate that would person been challenging.

Olsen: That’s right, successful the operation of the film, helium plays a governmental captive successful a South American jailhouse and he’s explaining a favourite movie of his to his cellmate, played by Diego Luna, and past helium besides becomes the dashing starring antheral of that movie [within] the movie.

Washington: Right. Diego, besides Jennifer Lopez, truthful evidently astir immoderate large stars. I plaything implicit to you — speaking of large stars, Kate Hudson has been 1 for for a agelong time.

Villarreal: I thought you were talking astir me!

Washington: You thought I was talking astir Kate? You and then Kate, of course.

Villarreal: Obviously.

Washington: Kate Hudson, a large prima for for immoderate years now, fractional of a tribute set for Neil Diamond, “Song Sung Blue.” Tell maine a small spot astir this.

Villarreal: I consciousness similar it’s the cleanable pairing to person some these guests successful this episode. This 1 besides showcases, you know, her singing abilities and her performing abilities arsenic an histrion — 2 of her passions. She precocious released an album, and with this movie, we truly get to spot Kate onstage and embodying what that’s like. We spot this mates who find occurrence arsenic this Neil Diamond tribute band, but successful the mediate of the tallness of that, her quality Claire suffers a large calamity and it truly derails everything, and she has to find her mode backmost to that. And it was a truly touching speech to perceive Kate benignant of embody that and her ain thoughts on, you know, erstwhile you travel from a satellite similar this, it’s not a guarantee, and you person to truly person passionateness for that. Hearing her talking astir spending clip with Neil Diamond astatine his cabin. And she sang for america a small bit. When you permission that film, I consciousness similar there’s an instinct to spell location and conscionable perceive to Neil Diamond. I cognize I did. Hopefully we tin spell karaoke astatine immoderate point.

Washington: “Sweet Caroline...”

Villarreal: Do you person a Neil Diamond go-to, Mark?

Olsen: Well, I emotion the “Hot August Night” medium recorded unrecorded astatine the Greek Theatre present successful Los Angeles, truthful I’ll spell with immoderate of the tunes from that one.

Washington: I’m inactive upset with the some of you that I determination was nary “Bah, bah bah...” [to proceed his “Sweet Caroline”].

Villarreal: Hugh Jackman’s quality would not spell for that. I’m conscionable saying.

Washington: Would person joined me? Or not going for it, similar you 2 leaving maine hanging?

Villareal: He doesn’t privation america to commencement with “Sweet Caroline.” You gotta spell further than that. But I’ll let it now.

Washington: Deep cuts?

Villarreal: Deep cuts.

Washington: All right, we’ll speech immoderate much astir it portion you bask Mark and Tonatiuh.

Tonatiuh successful “Kiss of the Spider Woman.”

(Roadside Attractions)

Mark Olsen: It seems similar you’ve been approaching your vocation with specified a consciousness of intentionality and purpose. And I would imagine, particularly arsenic a young histrion starting out, you’re not needfully successful power of the roles that you get, what you could do. What person you done oregon however bash you consciousness similar you are trying to instrumentality that power and person that benignant of intentionality successful the roles that you instrumentality and what you’re doing with your vocation successful this industry?

Tonatiuh: Well, I deliberation I’ll pivot a small spot and accidental I’ve been moving for 12 years arsenic a working-class actor. I’ve been connected an ABC amusement [“Promised Land”] arsenic a bid regular. I was successful “Carry-On,” which astatine the clip it was the No. 2 most-watched movie connected Netflix, but I deliberation we’re present astatine No. 5. “KPop Demon Hunters” slayed. But the lone power that I truly person is saying yes oregon nary to auditions. I’m not needfully getting offered roles. I’ve had an full vocation wherever if I beryllium astir and hold for idiosyncratic to travel knocking connected my door, I volition starve. And I didn’t get into this for the celebrity. I got into this due to the fact that of the societal interaction that it had connected my ain life. Art to maine is simply a reflector arsenic to who we are arsenic a state and who we are arsenic people. And truthful it gives america an accidental to truly bespeak connected that, but it besides gives america a destination to wherever we privation to be. A batch of my consciousness of wit came from the TV shows and films that I watched increasing up. And I was introduced to cultures that were antithetic than mine. ...

I deliberation with this circumstantial project, with “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” it was a relation of a lifetime. Bill Condon wrote a fantastic publication wherever we not lone got to archer 1 movie but we get to archer two. We clip question and spell backmost into a 1950s-style musical, and I get to unrecorded my Gene Kelly, Errol Flynn, Montgomery Clift phantasy with the quality of Kendall Nesbitt. But past with the quality of Molina, I get to beryllium this astir genderless expression. In the totality of the movie I get to play the sex spectrum. Hypermasculinity, classical masculinity, precise Hollywood masculinity with Kendall, a genderless look with Molina. And past astatine the precise extremity you get a small astonishment of a afloat pistillate fantasy.

Olsen: Whether intended oregon not, this movie is being released to a circumstantial taste and governmental moment. In particular, arsenic idiosyncratic who identifies arsenic nonbinary and is the American-born kid of an migrant family, however are you processing the infinitesimal the movie is coming retired to?

Tonatiuh: It comes successful waves. It’s antithetic waves. At archetypal it was “Wow, however brainsick applicable our movie is,” and that’s powerful. And erstwhile I accepted the role, we’re giving the Hollywood attraction to a clump of marginalized communities and we’re telling genuinely with our film, “Latinos are Hollywood.” In that era, successful the 1950s, determination weren’t precise many, if astatine all, Latin stars, particularly those who were allowed to beryllium the leads successful those films. And truthful with this we’re astir benignant of rewriting past and subversively saying, “No, no, we’ve ever been here” and reminding radical of the dignity and the quality of that. But, comma, we besides are doing that for the queer experience. So Molina, successful my view, is what we would see successful 2025 genderqueer. And we’re putting Molina close astatine the center, astatine the bosom of the film. And my ngo statement, and the full crushed I mislaid 45 pounds successful 50 days, was to guarantee that we tin absorption connected their bosom and their eyes and not adjacent see reasoning astir what their sex perchance could be. You’re conscionable falling successful emotion with a form, a person.

Olsen: This role, of course, successful the archetypal movie was played by William Hurt. Do you consciousness it was important to person a queer performer successful the portion of Molina? What does that bash for the story?

Tonatiuh: There’s a batch of lived acquisition that tin spell into the DNA of a character, right? But there’s besides a consciousness of responsibility. I person met truthful galore incredible, beautiful, gender-diverse individuals successful my life. And truthful being capable to halfway idiosyncratic similar that and to archer it with arsenic overmuch love, it’s conscionable a small spot much icing connected the cake. And there’s originative conversations arsenic things are being built wherever you person to adhd and transportation perspectives that possibly idiosyncratic missed due to the fact that they don’t needfully person that nonstop experience. I don’t needfully subscribe to, “You ever person to formed the idiosyncratic for the thing.” Although I subordinate and recognize Molina, I’m an creator and my occupation is to bring that humanity to them. I don’t person to beryllium identical to that person. That’s wherever my artistry comes from. But I deliberation that the reverence and the respect and that consciousness of work is what makes this unique.

Olsen: Your last fig successful the movie you statesman successful a tuxedo and you extremity successful a dress.

Tonatiuh: With a 26-inch waist, caput you. Clock the waist.

Olsen: And there’s conscionable thing highly almighty astir that.

Tonatiuh: I mean, there’s thing truly chill astir it. People weren’t expecting the flip with Kendall. So each of a abrupt it’s like, “Wait, that’s the aforesaid guy. Now he’s looking dapper with a mid-Atlantic accent.” And past astatine the precise extremity it’s a rather shocking revelation erstwhile we look down the tube of the camera and she’s gorgeous. But that was the quality of it. Molina dreams of being a Hollywood starlet. And I think, for maine arsenic an artist, this volition astir apt beryllium the lone clip successful my beingness wherever I get to play a starring woman and a starring antheral astatine the aforesaid time. It was truly special.

Olsen: Molina doesn’t truly spot themselves arsenic a governmental idiosyncratic successful the opening of the movie —

Tonatiuh: No, not astatine all.

Olsen: And portion of the the travel of the movie is Molina coming to recognize that they are portion of this combat whether they privation to beryllium oregon not.

Tonatiuh: Well, I deliberation Molina falls successful love. I deliberation Molina felt similar a loser successful their ain beingness who wasn’t susceptible of adjacent defending themselves, right? They were conscionable trying to survive. And there’s this twisted internalized messaging that children of marginalized groups oregon radical who person been bullied, they commencement doing it to themselves arsenic a mode of protecting themselves from the world. Like, “I’ll punch myself archetypal earlier you can, and I’ll marque it funnier. Actually, it’ll beryllium my full personality.” And I deliberation that there’s thing healing successful that. Valentin’s quality says, “I’m disgusted erstwhile you’d marque amusive of yourself similar that. Where’s your self-respect?” And I don’t deliberation that they understood self-respect due to the fact that I don’t deliberation they experienced it before. And truthful it took surviving successful a situation compartment to find dignity again. And these 2 men who are diametrically opposed were capable to driblet each facades. They were stripped of their comforts, they were stripped of the precise masks that they utilized to support themselves and were forced to spot each different successful bid to connect. And I deliberation that’s a larger taxable that’s happening successful the world. I deliberation we’re perpetually being told that we’re divided and we’re not similar. But I deliberation astatine the extremity of the day, we each privation akin things. We privation to provender our children. If something, God forbid, happens to us, we don’t privation to spell into aesculapian indebtedness implicit it. We privation joy, we privation community, we privation connection, and I deliberation that vulnerability is the terms we wage for that connection.

Olsen: I was astatine the premiere of the movie astatine the Sundance Film Festival —

Tonatiuh: Were you really? Oh man, I wasn’t. I was afloat disassociated that day.

Olsen: And thing happened successful that room. I deliberation the full assemblage felt they had seen idiosyncratic arrive. What person the past fewer months been similar since then?

Tonatiuh: I don’t cognize if I’ve arrived with this role. I’ve been preparing for this infinitesimal my full life. I americium an creator and I emotion what I do. And 1 of the biggest gifts that I got was I got to conscionable people, yes, astatine the apical of their crippled similar Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna. But each dancer successful our movie was a idiosyncratic of color, a Latin dancer, radical from the Black community, and they are besides astatine the apical of their crippled connected Broadway. And that’s the beauteous part. I’ve met truthful galore artists who were conscionable dying for the opportunity. I consciousness similar each of america are successful waiting. And truthful it’s not for deficiency of talent, it’s for deficiency of opportunity. And with this, I americium precise arrogant of the enactment that I’ve done. I don’t cognize if I’ve arrived. People inactive person to spot the movie, you know? And I person to get the adjacent job. So we’ll spot erstwhile that comes. But arsenic an artist, I americium feeling much emboldened to proceed telling the stories that I privation to archer and to proceed sharing this 15 seconds of limelight with the things that I value. I deliberation that’s what my ngo connection is arsenic an artist.

Olsen: What was it astir this relation that made you recognize from the commencement that you were going to truly drawback it with some hands?

Tonatiuh: Well, I person nary choice. No, no, no. After the strikes, aft COVID. And I don’t wanna marque this dependable similar a pity party, but the roles thin to spell to the aforesaid 15 people. And I don’t travel from nepotism. My ma was an migrant successful this country. She worked astatine a Jack successful the Box drive-thru erstwhile she archetypal got here. But I had a dream, and she and I and a clump of my friends and assemblage on the mode conscionable kept pushing and trying to marque it happen. And truthful erstwhile you get three-dimensional characters, two, erstwhile you get three-dimensional characters and a truly dynamic script. You gotta instrumentality it and fight. And I wanted to springiness it all. And it besides was truthful important. We’re centering radical who are presently being called terrorists for simply existing successful this world. How tin I not springiness them honor? This is our emotion missive to them. This is our mode of saying we emotion you, we spot you, and you’re not alone.

Olsen: Tell maine astir immoderate of the outreach you’ve been doing to get the movie successful beforehand of radical and communities Hollywood whitethorn not ever reach.

Tonatiuh: So I partnered with a mates of large individuals. It started disconnected with my person Ruben Garcia, who owns this unthinkable institution called Mosaico. And we wanted to activate the Latin assemblage and get radical excited to travel and spot it. But past I kept thinking, “Man, our assemblage has been going done a batch recently. And the state arsenic a full is experiencing immoderate fiscal difficulties.” So I kept asking myself, “How bash we springiness a small emotion and amusement to folks?” So I reached out. I started calling friends. I started calling nonprofits. I started calling corporations and conscionable saying, “Here’s what the ngo is. We’d emotion to conscionable acquisition things to people.” And truthful we created a tiny interaction money wherever we received immoderate donations and we handed retired QR codes. We conscionable wanted to dainty radical for opening weekend, and we talented tickets to the L.A. LGBT halfway due to the fact that they person a younker services program. Los Angeles [has] 1 of the country’s biggest populations of unhoused queer youth. And it was important for maine that they spot themselves onscreen, that this is imaginable for them, that they get the Hollywood treatment. We talented it to organizations that are helping with migrant defence funds. We talented it to their unit due to the fact that they besides request a small joyousness successful their life.

And past different idiosyncratic favourite was the precise precocious schoolhouse wherever I started acting, West Covina High School, is simply a nationalist school. Their Teacher, Kim Battersby, was ever going supra and beyond, spending countless hours aft school, implicit the weekend, and past she adjacent had kids on the process. It is the performing arts programs that helped maine spot much of who I was. I felt similar a weird small queer kid, I telephone it queer-do, successful precocious school. And it was the connected the signifier wherever I felt I could signifier being different radical and seeing what worked and what didn’t and to larn much of who I was. I brought them retired to the Grove and we filled it up with them and they dressed to the nines. They each got dressed up arsenic if they were going to a premiere of their own. It was truthful sweet. And aft the film, I thanked them and we took pictures and they were crying. Because they saw themselves. I taught immoderate of them. And it was truthful sweet. And immoderate of them shared their hearts with maine and said that they’ve been frightened of leaving the location due to the fact that of what’s happening. That they’re walking astir with their passports. That immoderate of them consciousness similar they’re invisible and that with this movie they felt seen. It was truly touching.

Olsen: What does that mean to you? What bash you anticipation those audiences person from the film?

Tonatiuh: I mean, I deliberation ticker it. And beryllium pleasantly amazed arsenic to what the movie’s about. I don’t privation to springiness excessively overmuch away, naturally, due to the fact that of people it’s amusive to beryllium amazed astatine a film. But I deliberation our movie does 2 fantastic things. It does clasp up a reflector and it besides reminds america of what we’re truly about. And it creates truthful overmuch joy. I mean, Jennifer, Diego, Bill, Colleen [Atwood], the unthinkable costumes; you get to spot thing that feels retired of this time. And I deliberation we could usage a small Hollywood glamour close now.

Olsen: Can you speech astir the situation of this being fundamentally 2 performances — Molina successful situation and past Kendall successful the phantasy sequences?

Tonatiuh: Completely antithetic performances. There are 2 antithetic films with 2 antithetic acting styles. And 2 antithetic worlds to build. So let’s look astatine the movie. The archetypal one, we were transported backmost into the 1950s, classical Hollywood. And truthful the archetypal happening that I did arsenic soon arsenic I got the publication is I called Bill and I said, “All right, springiness maine each movie you privation to reference, and I’ll ticker arsenic galore of them arsenic I could portion preparing for it.” And I thought to myself, “Who is simply a fantastic tortured soul” — due to the fact that Kendall’s truly tortured — “that I could emulate?” And I instantly thought of Montgomery Clift, successful “The Heiress” specifically. And I was conscionable like, “Man, I privation his energy, but I privation to creation similar Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. And truthful preparing earlier set, I would conscionable ticker arsenic galore of these films arsenic I was getting acceptable successful the hairsbreadth and constitution trailer. But there, you know, it’s down to the mannerisms, the tiny microexpressions, truly trying to nail that acting benignant due to the fact that it’s proscenium. But the brainsick portion is we’re a shoestring fund movie. I mean, it’s a musical, truthful it’s a small spot bigger than different autarkic films, but we lone had astir 20 days to sprout 12 philharmonic numbers. And Bill wanted to sprout it successful that style, which means if helium could get distant with a azygous take, helium was gonna effort to get distant with a azygous take. And it took a powerhouse similar Jennifer Lopez, but besides Diego and myself, to truly absorption and nail those moments. And there’s 1 infinitesimal successful particular, “Give Me Love,” [with] Jennifer successful the Cyd Charisse greenish dress, making a motion to “Les Girls” and besides “Singin’ successful the Rain,” wherever I wasn’t adjacent called to acceptable and I was conscionable determination watching nonstop due to the fact that I was like, “My God, this feels similar I’m watching Marilyn oregon Rita oregon Cyd herself doing it.”

But past the 2nd portion was a naturalistic play — well, a small spot of a fantasy, but wrong of an Argentinian prison. And similar I said, my ngo connection was to marque Molina arsenic genderless arsenic possible. I had conscionable travel disconnected of “Carry-On,” truthful I had to suffer 45 pounds successful astir 50 days. And this is not a commercialized for Ozempic. I privation GLP-1 was sponsoring this due to the fact that that would person been helpful. But no, I did it the old-fashioned way. I starved. But it was worthy it. I truly wanted to get that look and find his dependable and the accent and transport america backmost into Argentina successful the 1980s.

Olsen: But astatine the aforesaid time, is determination immoderate constituent of connection? Are the things that you’re doing successful the 2 halves of the movie meant to bring them together?

Tonatiuh: Well, the 2 films are intrinsically connected. It’s Molina’s favourite film, but it’s besides their diary. It’s their confession. Oftentimes it’s easier for america to accidental I emotion you done idiosyncratic else’s song, oregon to accidental I’m scared. We look to films and euphony to transport us, to heal us. And truthful it starts disconnected with Molina conscionable sharing a small spot astir who they are done their favourite film, but past it ends up becoming their confessions and their soul.

Olsen: Can you speech astir the audition process and what it took to get this role?

Tonatiuh: I ne'er consciousness truly qualified to speech astir the audition process due to the fact that for me, this is however it went. They had been looking for months. I didn’t cognize astir the project. I didn’t perceive astir it until Dec. 18 oregon 19, thing similar that. At that point, Hollywood’s wholly unopen down. I’m assured I was similar the past idiosyncratic to perceive astir this audition. And past I locked myself up successful a country aft speechmaking the worldly and conscionable moving it implicit and implicit and implicit again, until I recovered that throughline. ‘Cause there’s truthful galore ways of telling a musical. Dec. 22, virtually days earlier Christmas, I got a telephone saying, “You’re gonna travel to New York. Jan. 2nd, 9 a.m.” Next happening you know, I’m doing a tango and a Bob Fosse fig and singing successful beforehand of Bill Condon and [producer] Bernie Telsey. And past a small array work with Diego Luna and I get a substance connection from Bill saying, “Call me.” And I was like, “Oh man, it’s either ‘Call me, I’m sorry’ oregon ‘Call me, you got it’ and it was ‘You got it.’

Olsen: And past what was your audition number? What opus did you do?

Tonatiuh: “She’s a Woman.” And with that number, it was truthful absorbing due to the fact that determination were truthful galore ways of telling that arsenic well. My audition really was from much truthful the constituent of presumption of Molina singing it, but wrong the discourse of the film, Kendall sings it. And truthful determination becomes this astir “Victor/Victoria” infinitesimal wherever it’s Molina’s “I Want” opus done Kendall Nesbitt. but played by Molina due to the fact that helium hated the archetypal histrion who was Kendall Nesbitt. And truthful it was truly a thought process to think, “OK, well, however would the archetypal Kendall bash it and wage nods to him? But if Molina was capable to instrumentality implicit his assemblage and archer it, however would past helium accidental it?”

Olsen: Jennifer Lopez’s performances successful the philharmonic numbers is simply a large reminder of wherefore she is who she is. What was it similar to spot that up close?

Tonatiuh: What’s the quote? I consciousness it was similar watching lightning strike. It was almighty and awe-inspiring. I mean, it was conscionable incredible. But it was 1 of those moments, arsenic soon arsenic they say, “You’re gonna beryllium singing and dancing with Jennifer Lopez,” it was like, “Oh, OK. Time to level up.” It felt similar I was getting an invitation to the Olympics. I mean, these are immoderate of the greats. Jennifer’s fantastic. Diego Luna is simply a phenomenal actor. Bill Condon is simply a maestro astatine this craft, specifically with musicals. And past adjacent Colleen Atwood, who did each of our costumes, and Christine Cantella. They transported america with those fabrics, you know. And truthful it was truly 1 of those moments like, “Oh wow, I’m I’m yet getting the invitation to spell into the ring,” and it was either level up oregon die.

Olsen: And I cognize that successful immoderate ways they were astir 2 accumulation units.

Tonatiuh: There were wholly 2 antithetic different productions.

Olsen: What was it similar having to displacement gears betwixt the philharmonic fantasia of the communicative wrong the communicative and the situation scenes that are, arsenic you said, these precise naturalistic, precise melodramatic scenes with Diego. How did you negociate that?

Tonatiuh: I ever gag astir due to the fact that radical are like, “How did you commencement acting?” And I’m usually like, “My acting was a trauma response,” you know, conscionable to past and code-switch successful the world. But jokes aside, I deliberation that being capable to displacement rapidly allows maine to spell from civilization to culture, acceptable to set, and conscionable accommodate rapidly to that. We had a fantastic unit successful Uruguay, which was amazing. But Bill Condon is an actor’s director. Once we went to Uruguay, helium sat america down and we did accepted theatre array reads. We sat astatine the array for a week and a fractional and we conscionable talked astir the script, bushed by beat, infinitesimal by moment, truly carving retired what our thoughts were and his thoughts were. Sometimes we disagreed. Things successful the publication changed. He was truthful unfastened to our perspectives — similar we [were] the heads of the section for our individualized perspective, essentially. And the quality of what we did was we changeable this successful order. It’s a two-man play. And truthful the archetypal clip that you spot Molina entering the cell, gathering Valentin, was the archetypal clip that Diego and I ever saw each different successful afloat character. These 2 radical are discovering who they are with each passing country and dropping the facades. But we arsenic actors were learning to beryllium connected 1 another. I ever gag astir that this is similar the Stanford situation experiment, due to the fact that we were successful the compartment earlier the prima went up, and we were retired of the compartment aft the prima went down, consecutive to the edifice and back. And we were shooting successful the dormant of wintertime successful Uruguay, truthful determination was precise small sunlight to statesman with. So it was 1 of those moments wherever it was similar we needed each other, and we created amongst ourselves a heavy and and precise idiosyncratic bond.

Olsen: And archer maine much astir moving with Bill, particularly connected the philharmonic numbers. There are immoderate highly agelong and extended pieces of onscreen dancing.

Tonatiuh: He’s incredibly meticulous. In a bully way. He has already thought astir precisely what imaginativeness helium wants. Down to the precise movie that plays successful the theatre astatine the extremity was a deliberate choice. And truthful it was truly breathtaking due to the fact that helium invites you to his satellite and due to the fact that helium prioritizes the array reads, we’re capable to afloat recognize what he’s trying to sell. So past we already know, we’re finely tuned to it. But everybody connected the set, and those sets unsocial were conscionable glorious. I felt similar I was walking into the Titanic. It was incredible. And our choreographers, Chris Scott, Sergio Trujillo, Brandon Bieber, they besides worked with Bill to fundamentally bash a creation betwixt the camera and the dancers themselves. Because if you look backmost astatine aged movies with Fred Astaire oregon with Gene Kelly, specifically Fred Astaire, they would zoom retired conscionable to amusement you from caput to toe, we are dancing. This isn’t edited. It’s not done successful the cut. Which was really, truly cool.

Olsen: With everything that you’ve enactment into this project, however bash you determination guardant from here? What is it that you spot for yourself moving forward?

Tonatiuh: Well, with this task specifically, I deliberation what I privation is to get it into the hands of the radical who I cognize volition perfectly emotion it due to the fact that I deliberation that there’s a healing process successful watching this, particularly watching it successful cinemas. It’s communal. The vigor shifts and the technicolor washes implicit you successful a mode that a cellphone could never. But moving aft that, I’m excited. My favourite happening is to transform. I’ve virtually sat successful theaters this play wherever radical had nary thought I was sitting adjacent to them and that was maine onscreen, and past I hold successful the lobby to instrumentality pictures. Some radical travel up and they’re shocked that I’m there, A, but B that I look truthful different. And I didn’t get fat. I’m backmost to my mean weight, OK? I mislaid value for Molina. But I emotion to transform. And up until this constituent successful my career, I’ve lone I’ve had a constricted magnitude of quality to transform. I anticipation to beryllium wholly unrecognizable successful my adjacent role. And I don’t cognize what that’s gonna be. If I privation to beryllium a hero, if I privation to play a villain, bash thing successful the sci-fi world, an enactment world. I don’t cognize precisely what that is. And of course, I’d emotion to besides spell to Broadway. There’s 1 play successful peculiar that I’ve been circling present for the past 8 months, and I’m inches from putting it up. I’m inches from getting the rights. But I’m saying it connected present due to the fact that I americium going to bash that 1 mode oregon another.

Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson successful “Song Sung Blue.”

(Focus Features)

Villarreal: Do you similar doing podcasts arsenic a chap podcast host?

Hudson: I similar talking to people. I similar connecting, truthful I’m ever down for for this. [With] podcasts you get to person much clip to truly unpack.

Villarreal: Has it made you admit the creation of the interview?

Hudson: I’ve learned a lot. I was truthful utilized to being connected the different side, being the idiosyncratic that’s being asked each the questions and having to navigate the close mode to reply thing and not get yourself into trouble. So erstwhile it flipped and we [she co-hosts “Sibling Reverie” with her brother, histrion Oliver Hudson] started to interview, erstwhile I would perceive to our podcast, I’d chopped everything out. I’d beryllium like, “Jesus, unopen up, Kate.” I’d chopped retired truthful much. I’ve besides learned that sometimes, you gotta get to the point. You gotta support everybody connected track. Oliver, my brother, is simply a large podcast host. He’s truthful funny. I consciousness truthful fortunate to person him to beryllium my partner.

Villarreal: Well, we’re precise gladsome to person you present to speech astir “Song Sung Blue.” This is simply a movie that’s astir emotion of self, emotion of others, emotion of euphony and uncovering your mode backmost to each that aft tragedy. Tell maine astir wherefore this was the close movie for you astatine this constituent successful your beingness and career.

Hudson: It’s a large question. These things aren’t calculated. You person these opportunities, you work something, you anticipation you get to play the portion due to the fact that you judge successful the communicative and you judge successful the filmmaker and you judge successful your co-star. And past you conscionable anticipation that it comes together. And with this, the communicative was there. [Writer-director] Craig [Brewer] wrote a large script. For me, arsenic an actor, it gave maine each the colors, each of the things that I emotion and person been doing for truthful agelong [and allowed me] to beryllium capable to bash successful 1 movie. And the happening that was weighing connected maine was that if the emotion communicative doesn’t work, if we don’t judge these 2 radical are madly successful emotion with each different and needing each different — they’re rather codependent — the movie’s not going to work. It didn’t substance however large the publication was. And I said [to co-star Hugh Jackman], “Look, however comfy are you with getting to cognize me? Because I truly consciousness similar this movie’s not gonna enactment if we don’t work. And we benignant of person to, like, beryllium truly intimate with each different and get to cognize each different truly good ... and fto maine cognize if I ever marque you uncomfortable.” I’m incredibly tactile. He felt the aforesaid way. And that really became the easiest part, was our transportation and however overmuch we trusted each different and however connected we felt. Something happened connected the set. We benignant of knew that it was a special, what was starting to unfold was thing truly special. Then you conscionable transverse your fingers and anticipation that the movie, that it became what we felt similar we were making. I retrieve seeing the movie and conscionable going, “Oh, my God, this movie makes maine miss movies.” I conscionable consciousness truthful blessed and humbled to beryllium a portion of it due to the fact that you ne'er know.

Villarreal: Tell maine much astir gathering that instauration with Hugh, due to the fact that the movie is based connected a existent communicative of these 2 Milwaukeeans who autumn successful love, commencement this tribute set of Neil Diamond music. How did the enslaved with Hugh instrumentality form? Were you sharing playlists?

Hudson: We bash stock a emotion of of music. The archetypal happening we did was grounds music. In the past 2 years, I’ve been precise immersed successful euphony and penning and conscionable saying, “I person to marque music” due to the fact that if I don’t, I’m not fulfilling my originative output, input — each of it. I person to beryllium making music. So I’ve been spending a batch of clip successful the signaling studio. So I was precise excited that that was wherever we were starting. Hugh has a antithetic broadside of the story, which is it appears to him [that] it came overmuch easier to maine than it did to him. I disagree with that, but I’m definite that’s what helium would say. But it was large due to the fact that we got to sing together. When you tin sing with idiosyncratic and you dependable bully unneurotic and you commencement to link done music, it’s a precise antithetic benignant of language. And that was the opening of america being like, “Oh, this is gonna consciousness truly good.” Energetically, we’re some precise spirited radical and we had a blast successful the studio. It was a large archetypal connection. But the movie itself is astir radical who emotion music, and who don’t needfully get the opportunities to marque that this immense occurrence that possibly erstwhile once they were younger they dreamed of. One of the things I emotion astir Craig and what helium understands, and what I recognize astir euphony arsenic idiosyncratic who’s lived it my full life, whether it beryllium done concern oregon myself, is that you on the mode conscionable each these incredible, unthinkable musicians — mode much talented than you are oregon I americium — that don’t person the opportunities that possibly person been enactment successful beforehand of others oregon myself. And erstwhile you spot that and you unrecorded it and you cognize it and you emotion it — I person a profound respect for that musician, the 1 that is the league subordinate oregon the 1 that is the tip-drawer musician, the 1 who ends up being an interpreter due to the fact that they didn’t marque it arsenic their ain artist. And I deliberation that’s what Claire and Mike Sardina truly are successful their hearts. They’re musicians. And Hugh has that successful him. He loves being onstage. He loves performing. He loves giving his creation out. And I deliberation musicians, immoderate musicians, emotion that. So we connected determination and we connected to the characters precise overmuch so, with that essence of believing and loving thing truthful overmuch that you conscionable person to bash it, nary substance what.

Villarreal: Do you retrieve the archetypal opus you guys did unneurotic successful those signaling sessions?

Hudson: I deliberation it mightiness person been “Forever successful Blue Jeans” oregon possibly it was “Cherry Cherry.” We did truthful galore songs, but I deliberation it was 1 of those.

Villarreal: Are you acceptable to inquire him to beryllium connected your adjacent album?

Hudson: We’re already like, “We’re taking this connected the road. We’re going to spell sing each kinds of songs.” You don’t person to twist our arms to get successful beforehand of a mic and commencement singing. And a bully euphony movie is truly hard to do.

Villarreal: Why?

Hudson: You person to recognize the language. Craig is, successful his heart, a musician, adjacent though he’s not a musician. He lives and breathes music. He’s a Memphis, Tenn., boy. Most of his satellite is astir music. That’s however I fell successful emotion and met Craig. I was young erstwhile I met him. We’ve been trying to enactment unneurotic for 20 years. I was joined to Chris [Robinson, of the Black Crowes] astatine the time. We’re euphony radical successful our blood. Some radical don’t person immoderate existent transportation to music. Music isn’t thing that they tin subordinate to. But there’s 2 types of euphony lovers: There’s the fan, you consciousness euphony successful your bones that you can’t explicate and it moves you to places that you couldn’t unrecorded without it; past there’s radical who person euphony successful them and it has to travel retired of them. That is different connection that you can’t explicate to idiosyncratic unless they were calved with that oregon person that successful them. Craig has it successful him. And truthful it translates onto the screen. It’s similar Cameron Crowe. It’s similar PTA [Paul Thomas Anderson]. He has euphony successful him. You tin archer by the mode helium directs and his usage of music. There’s definite directors that truly recognize musicality. Craig has that, truthful helium was capable to entree that for this movie.

Villarreal: What was that similar connecting connected that beforehand with Claire erstwhile you met with her? At what constituent successful the process did that come?

Hudson: I truly did not privation to get excessively adjacent with Claire due to the fact that I don’t privation things to consciousness similar [I’m] mimicking. It’s not a Bruce Springsteen oregon Bob Dylan oregon that benignant of biopic. And it was important to Craig too, to marque Mike and Claire their ain characters. I got to cognize her portion we were shooting, and past she’d travel to set, and I’ve got this footage of america sitting and laughing with each other. And it’s truthful comic due to the fact that there’s an vigor determination wherever you’re like, “Oh, my God, I americium playing her.” You tin spot it sitting successful the director’s chairs. It was bully to get her essence, but past to make different mentation of Claire, the movie version.

Villarreal: Did you ever get to sing with her?

Hudson: No. I had to miss the wrapper party, which truly was upsetting. And seemingly determination was a batch of karaoke singing astatine the wrapper party. We’ll bash a redo. But Claire’s had a truly absorbing life. Her beingness has been hard. Their beingness is and was hard. And they someway recovered a mode to judge successful each different and person this beauteous emotion and beingness together. Claire, erstwhile she comes and she talks astir Mike, helium inactive truly lives successful her each day. It’s similar he’s astir inactive here. It’s an astonishing happening to see.

Villarreal: What was your narration to Neil Diamond‘s euphony coming into this?

Hudson: Like astir radical that aren’t hardcore Neil Diamond fans, I evidently knew his biggest songs. When I work the script, I did similar a large heavy dive into [him] and I was like, “Whoa, what a catalog.” So galore large songs and what a large songwriter. And erstwhile you perceive immoderate of — similar the past opus of the movie [“I’ve Been This Way Before”], I’d ne'er heard that opus before. Neil loves that we usage that opus due to the fact that it’s precise rare. People don’t usually speech astir that song. And adjacent “Forever successful Blue Jeans,” I forgot astir that song. I forgot about, “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon.” There’s truthful galore songs.

Villarreal: I wanted to inquire if “Soolaimon” is inactive playing successful your head? Because it’s similar an earworm for maine now.

Hudson: Oh, my God. [Singing] Soooooo. Soolaimon. Oh, yeah. That opus is fantastic. It’s specified a large unrecorded song. And I didn’t cognize that opus until we started the movie. Getting to cognize Neil’s catalog was truly honestly an honor. And for him to springiness america the accidental to sing each of it and to usage it, truthful wonderful.

Villarreal: You besides spent clip with him ... connected your porch? His porch? I saw the Instagram post.

Hudson: I grew up successful Colorado and helium is my neighbor. But I’ve ne'er met him. My full life. And past I was talking with his lad the different time who was astatine the premiere, and I was like, “It’s truthful weird we’ve ne'er met.” He lives similar 15 minutes from wherever I grew up. So we conscionable sat connected his structure and had lemonade, and we held hands and talked for hours.

Villarreal: What bash you speech astir with Neil Diamond?

Hudson: He was precise open, and he’s successful a spot successful his beingness wherever helium did a batch of listening, and past helium told maine large stories astir his puerility that I consciousness precise honored that helium shared with me, astir wherever helium grew up and however helium grew up. And the 1 happening helium did say, which I emotion — I asked him what his favourite opus was to perform, past I asked if helium missed performing. He said that he’s done truthful overmuch and helium feels bully astir what he’s done, but the opus that helium loves is “I Am ... I Said.” He said that it’s similar God wrote that song. It conscionable came done him, and helium was having a precise hard clip erstwhile helium wrote that opus and helium was conflicted, helium was having a hard clip penning it, past each of a abrupt it conscionable poured done him. I loved the privilege of proceeding that communicative from him. He said that his beingness has talented him with these antithetic eras wherever his euphony got caller life. And helium was conscionable incredibly grateful to us, say[ing], like, “I cognize that this is gonna springiness my euphony different chapter.” Then Hugh went. I said to Hugh, “You person to spell spot Neil.” And truthful helium went and flew to Colorado and sat with him. I consciousness truthful blessed that helium got to spot the movie and helium loves it and that we did bully by him.

Villarreal: You asked him what his favourite opus was to perform. What was yours? There’s the infinitesimal wherever Mike and Claire are playing alongside Eddie Vedder that truly stands retired successful the film. And what bash you consciousness erstwhile you perform?

Hudson: It’s been truly large to workout a caller muscle, performing muscle. For the past 2 years, from the archetypal clip I had my archetypal amusement to now, it feels precise different. I get truly excited. When thing goes horribly incorrect is really benignant of amusive due to the fact that that’s what unrecorded shows are, you get to not beryllium cleanable adjacent though you’re striving for thing large and to springiness thing retired that’s great. It’s not ever going to beryllium what you anticipation it’s going to be. Something’s gonna spell wrong, it’s gonna dependable weird, you’re not gonna perceive this, the guitar’s not gonna [do that], and there’s thing astir that unrecorded acquisition erstwhile you’re performing that conscionable feels truthful alive. One of the top feelings for maine is erstwhile you spot radical singing your words backmost to you. I couldn’t judge the archetypal clip I saw radical that I’d ne'er seen cognize my music. I don’t attraction however galore radical that is. Even 1 idiosyncratic that you tin spot that really is feeling thing that you enactment retired into the satellite is specified a fantastic feeling. Performing is simply a blast. Singing with Hugh astatine Radio City, and you get to play each these chill venues and places that, arsenic a euphony lover, you look astir and what a bucket-list infinitesimal to sing successful this historical venue. I’m truthful blessed that I, like, had the courageousness to bash it due to the fact that I wouldn’t person had each of these experiences that I’ve had. I don’t deliberation I would person been formed successful this movie if I didn’t marque music, if I didn’t spell retired connected a limb and marque an album.

Villarreal: We spot successful the movie that, astatine the tallness of their stardom, Claire suffers a tragic mishap and it upends their world. She’s successful a authorities of slump and she’s being confronted with, “Who americium I? And does this alteration everything astir who I americium due to the fact that I’m not up there? And however bash I get backmost there?” What was that similar for you to delve into that headspace arsenic a performer? For you, either arsenic an histrion oregon a singer, tin you subordinate to that feeling of it being intrinsically a portion of who you are and the fearfulness of ne'er doing it again?

Hudson: Like immoderate role, there’s a batch of things that you tin subordinate to oregon substitute. I sometimes substitute, you know, thing that I can’t subordinate to with different things, arsenic my ain process. Meryl Streep ever says you person to grant the quality arsenic overmuch arsenic you would grant your ain life. That’s however you make a character. But past erstwhile you’re telling idiosyncratic else’s beingness story, it’s astir similar a treble whammy due to the fact that of the unit that you’re benignant of holding someone’s life. They’re giving you an accidental to represent thing that you don’t privation to cognize fto them down, particularly with thing arsenic intimate and arsenic susceptible arsenic what Claire went through.

I felt a work to her struggles and however we looked astatine them — to person a family, to perpetually beryllium struggling to support nutrient connected the table, to person the ups and downs of intelligence health. What I emotion astir this movie is Craig doesn’t truly deed you brainsick implicit the caput with Claire’s intelligence wellness struggles, but it is implied that she is up and down and is connected medicine and has been, and truthful erstwhile Claire’s up, she’s up; and erstwhile she falls it’s beauteous dark. Everybody experiences trauma differently. Some radical are amended astatine pushing done oregon being optimistic successful the look of tragedy. Claire is faced with that [idea that] thing volition ever beryllium the aforesaid ... Claire ever said — we don’t accidental this successful the movie — “Mike was a limb guy.” He would speech astir them. And erstwhile that mishap happened, she felt truthful unattractive to him. It’s similar thing was mislaid that she knew that helium loved of her. Then it conscionable deed everything from her inability to move, to beryllium the spouse she wanted to beryllium for him, to the kids, to the drugs, to the the pain. It conscionable was an atrocious spiral. I conscionable wanted to bash that arsenic overmuch justness [while] holding connected to Claire’s inevitable optimism. She’s a precise optimistic person.

Villarreal: Have you ever felt that fearfulness of it being taken distant from you? It’s 1 happening to decide to permission thing that you love.

Hudson: I’m precise stoic. I person a astonishing family. I person a large enactment strategy and entered this manufacture knowing that if I don’t truly emotion what I’m doing, if I’m not blessed singing successful that Thai restaurant, past this is not the close manufacture for me. If I’m not blessed doing assemblage theatre oregon doing sketches with my friends astatine the section theater, I’m not successful the close business. If you emotion it similar that, past you are successful the close business, due to the fact that you cognize that it’s ever gonna fto you down. There’s the different side, the spiritual side, which is that I truly unrecorded my beingness similar we are each gonna die. It is inevitable. If there’s thing that’s inevitable, it is tragedy. We volition conscionable it astatine immoderate point, whether it beryllium parents dying, immoderate that is, we each volition acquisition it astatine immoderate point. So the harder happening is wherever the joyousness sits. How bash we unrecorded present with joyousness and happiness and volition and affirmative intention? It’s thing that I truly live, authentically. So no, I don’t deliberation astir it due to the fact that the world is, if I did, past I’d beryllium surviving successful fearfulness and anxiousness and I take to not bash that.

Villarreal: Give maine tips, Kate. I’m a worrywart.

Hudson: I interest astir my kids. But beingness is excessively short. Time is truthful short. Lightning can onslaught twice. It’s the Claire line. You can’t unrecorded successful that.

Villarreal: It truly does consciousness similar you are surviving successful that benignant of joy. Between this film, the album, you precocious recorded a Christmas song, you’ve got the caller play of “Running Point,” the podcast with your brother. I’m inactive waiting for “Something Blue” [the follow-up to “Something Borrowed.”]

Hudson: Oh, my God, maine too. You cognize what? Ginny [Goodwin, her co-star successful the film] and I — she was conscionable connected the podcast and we were talking astir it and we were like, “We request Emily to constitute america successful our 40s now.”

Villarreal: Who’s the villain? In “Something Borrowed.”

Hudson: Great question. Aren’t we each the leader and villain of our ain story? Isn’t that however this works?

Villarreal: But you look truly happy.

Hudson: I americium precise happy. Age does that. You commencement to turn up and you recognize you tin spell 1 of 2 ways: You tin bask your beingness and your beingness experience. I’m connected the backmost fractional — astir the backmost half. But you get to a definite constituent successful your beingness wherever you person choices to marque of either, you thin into enjoying everything, each blessing, oregon you’re miserable and you get much miserable. I privation to bask my beingness and my kids. I emotion watching my kids turn up. And honestly, I emotion the determination that I made for maine to marque creation otherwise than I was successful my aboriginal 20s and 30s. Life presents itself the mode it’s expected to contiguous itself. Opportunities arsenic an histrion travel arsenic they do. It’s a hard happening arsenic an histrion to hold for things to travel to you because, arsenic immoderate histrion knows, you’re astatine the mercy.

Villarreal: You could beryllium waiting forever.

Hudson: Creatively, you person to, astatine immoderate point, marque the moves and instrumentality the risks to bash things your way. Whether they’re liked oregon not liked, you person to bash it. I deliberation thing happened successful my 40s wherever I’m like, “I’m conscionable gonna instrumentality the risks and marque creation and bash things the way, archer stories the way, I’d similar to bash them.” And truly bask what it is. It’s magic. Making movies is magic. And you tin archer erstwhile radical emotion doing them. You tin archer erstwhile someone’s successful it for thing different than the creation signifier of it. And sometimes we get them truly right, sometimes we get them horribly wrong. But we gotta support telling stories.