Exclusive Interview with Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw
In Mary Poppins Returns, Emily Mortimer and Ben Whishaw play Jane and Michael Banks. We spend time with them as they have grown up, and forgotten the magic Mary Poppins brought into their lives decades before.
Everyday Joy and Wonder
When asked how they incorporate joy and wonder into their everyday lives, Ben hilariously mentions a good drink, and says most of the things that bring him joy aren’t very healthy. You have to love his honesty!
Emily says her two kids help her remember to enjoy the everyday. She wisely stated, “they are very helpful in abating the opposite of joy and wonder.” She brought her 15 year old to the L.A. premiere of Mary Poppins Returns, and is bringing her 8 year old to the London premiere. She said to be able to see the joy in their faces as they embrace this experience puts everything into perspective for her.
When Rob Marshall Believes In You
During a special screening the night before we had our interview with Emily and Ben, director Rob Marshall mentioned he got his first pick for every role in Mary Poppins Returns. We wanted to know what it’s like to work with a director that believes in you so immensely. Ben talked about how Rob’s belief in him completely changed his mindset on set.
“He doesn’t hold back. You feel his love. You feel his excitement about what you might bring to the table. I really, really value that. In a way, that’s everything.”
The Secret To Sibling Chemistry
In Mary Poppins Returns, we immediately dive into the closeness of Jane and Michael. Emily and Ben portray that sibling relationship so eloquently. We wanted to know how they attained that connection in such a short amount of time. The key? Ben said it was gossiping.
We were lucky. We just immediately got on, enjoyed each other’s company, giggled about things, and gossiped. We had an awful a lot of time to do that.
Emily said they had lots of downtime to connect with each other.
“Waiting to go on for rehearsals, then acting together. Then, sitting on the set for months and months together.”
The Best Scene In Mary Poppins Returns
We asked the most difficult question to ask any cast member of a film — what was their favorite scene. Both Emily and Ben agreed that Trip A Little Light Fantastic is their favorite scene and dance number. Emily proclaimed that this musical number, and all of Mary Poppins Returns, is “intravenous entertainment.”
I completely agree with Emily. Mary Poppins Returns is going to fill you with so much joy and you will thoroughly feel entertained throughout the film. I absolutely loved sitting down with both of these talented stars.
