Podcast Summary: All Of It with Alison Stewart

Episode: Michaela Coel Stars in 'The Christophers'
Date: April 10, 2026
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Michaela Coel

Episode Overview

This episode of All Of It features a deep-dive conversation between host Alison Stewart and acclaimed actor-writer Michaela Coel. Coel discusses her dual film releases: "Mother Mary," where she stars opposite Anne Hathaway, and "The Christophers," opening in theaters that day. The main focus lies on "The Christophers," where Coel plays Laurie, a painter/restorer entangled in a morally complex scheme involving art forgery, artistic legacy, and the secrets of human connection. The discussion ranges from script selection and creative process to the philosophical questions the film raises about authorship, authenticity, and the meaning of art.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Script Selection and the Actor-Writer Perspective

[03:31 – 04:16]

• Surprise Matters: Coel seeks scripts that offer surprise and unpredictability:

  "I need to get to the end and look back and realized that I thought I was going in one direction, but the writer has spun me around and I've ended up in a destination I couldn't have possibly imagined being in." (Michaela Coel, 03:45)

• Reading as Writer & Actor: She reads scripts as windows into the writer's soul—looking for writerly intention and directorial identity in each project:

  "A script is a window to the soul of a writer. And so I find the script and the person who wrote it inseparable." (04:16 – 05:36)

On Portraying Laurie in "The Christophers"

[04:16 – 10:01]

• Laurie at first mystified Coel; she describes trying to discern Ed Solomon’s purposes, including possible subversions around race and morality:

  "I was like, okay, she's the thief. Okay, where are we going? But then I got to the end and I thought, oh, oh, respect. Respect. Ed." (04:21)

• Laurie’s character is lonely and withdrawn, stuck in a “facade," with her painting unseen by others—a condition both literal and existential:

  "She’s living a facade in a way. Doing restoration jobs are kind of the only credit she can give to herself. ...Does any artist really make art just for themselves?" (07:58 – 08:47)

Artistry, Loneliness, and Instinct

[08:47 – 09:46]

• Laurie is surrounded yet isolated—actively lonely rather than alone. Coel notes a shared attraction to “isolated characters”:

  "She's not alone. I think she's lonely... She's very cerebral, she's very introspective, and maybe she likes to be alone, you know?" (09:21)

• The film shot quickly (19 days), leading Coel to embrace instinct and trust, rather than overthinking performance:

  "It's very nice to just trust what is instinctive to me as a performer and what comes in the moment...I don't ruminate much over performance and notes." (06:46 – 07:34)

The Scheme: Forgery, Motivation, and Morality

[09:46 – 13:20]

• Laurie's role as forger is due to her past scathing critique of Sklar (Ian McKellen); his children believe her resentment translates to pliancy:

  "She had a blog post that she kept online, and she was scathing about Julian Sklar...and it was brutal." (10:01)

• Coel sees the children's greed as inherited by neglect; Laurie’s own moral compass quietly guides her, distinct from their motives:

  "She’s following some path of goodness somewhere in the backseat of her consciousness that quietly guides all of her interactions..." (11:34 – 13:20)

Working with Cast & Steven Soderbergh's Direction

[13:20 – 14:11]

• First time working with Jessica Gunning and James Corden—Coel expresses admiration, especially for Gunning in "Baby Reindeer."
• Soderbergh’s direction is hands-off; rehearsal is minimal, with cast chemistry unfolding in real time:

  "Steven Soderbergh honestly doesn't tell you much about anything, really...the writer, Ed Solomon, is the person who gives you more information." (11:34 – 13:20)

The Julian Sklar Dynamic – Power, Bullying, and Performance

[14:11 – 17:25]

• Sklar is "a calcified human being,” performatively mean, having "resigned from kindness."
• Laurie is mischievous, careful, always "deeply considering everything"—used to "not being seen":

  "She's not someone that wears her heart on her sleeve...she is kind of not being seen and she's used to that." (16:32)

• Laurie doesn’t join the forgery for money; she's determined to chart her own unexpected path.

Two-Hander Structure and Dialogue

[18:04 – 20:53]

• The film’s “two hander” (primarily between Coel and McKellen) lends the experience a theatrical quality:

  "It feels like theater to me and that's my background. I'm very comfortable in that space." (18:15)

• Ed Solomon’s script avoids modern “snappy dialogue” in favor of longer monologues, which Coel finds refreshingly real and character-driven:

  "There's something real that Ed is bringing into script writing...He doesn't care. And I like that. Julian Sklar's voice goes on and on and on." (19:54)

Power Dynamics, Generations, and Authorship

[21:25 – 25:16]

• The clip of Laurie rebuffing Sklar’s questions reveals generational, gendered, and workplace complexities:

  "You can’t ask me in either place because you are my employer, which means you hold the power and I should..." (Michaela Cole, as Laurie, 21:51)

• Coel notes the interplay of perceived and actual power between their characters, as well as how performances reveal authorial intent.
• Both “The Christophers” and “Mother Mary” explore “who is the author?,” creative ownership, and the shifting nature of art after it’s made:

  "Who is the author? Is there one author?...are we all the authors and creators of art?" (25:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I think a script is a window to the soul of a writer. And so I find the script and the person who wrote it inseparable.” (Michaela Coel, 05:36)
• “Doing restoration jobs are kind of the only credit she can give to herself. ...Does any artist really make art just for themselves?” (Michaela Coel, 08:47)
• “She’s following some path of goodness somewhere in the backseat of her consciousness that quietly guides all of her interactions with even his children.” (Michaela Coel, 12:52)
• “Steven Soderbergh honestly doesn’t tell you much about anything, really...the writer, Ed Solomon, is the person who gives you more information.” (Michaela Coel, 13:40)
• “I love two handers. I love how psychological they become...you can’t sleep or be lazy with the relationship because it’s just you and them and they’re always watching you and you’re always watching them.” (Michaela Coel, 18:15 – 19:29)
• “He [Ed Solomon] doesn’t care. And I like that...Julian Sklar’s voice goes on and on and on. And you can tell that Ed is studying the character and the character is unaware that he’s being studied.” (Michaela Coel, 19:56)
• “I have no problem with questions, Laurie. It’s the answers that I can’t be bothered with.” (Julian Sklar, 22:26)
• “Who is the author? Is there one author? And I don’t think there is. And if there is one author, is that author human?” (Michaela Coel, 25:23)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:31: Coel on what draws her to a script
• 04:21: First impressions of Laurie
• 06:46: On quick shooting schedule & instinctive acting
• 08:50: Laurie’s isolation and loneliness
• 10:01: Why Laurie is chosen for the forgery scheme
• 11:34: Working with Soderbergh, cast chemistry
• 14:11: Film clip—Interview with Sklar & breakdown
• 16:32: Laurie’s strategy and inner life
• 18:15: On two handers and intimate performance
• 19:54: Ed Solomon’s approach to dialogue
• 21:38: Film clip—Generational/power difference conversation
• 25:23: Who authors art? Reflections from Coel

Closing Thoughts

This episode provides a layered look at "The Christophers," not only as a narrative about forgery and legacy but as a subtle meditation on authorship, artistic integrity, and the lonely spaces between creation and recognition. Coel’s reflections—nuanced, intuitive, and honest—reveal the threads connecting writerly intent, performance, and the question of who truly owns a work of art. For listeners interested in the making of art, the inner workings of relationships (both real and fictional), and the mysteries at the heart of creativity, this hour delivers insight, candor, and some thought-provoking takeaways.