Cumberbatch and Colman team up to play a couple at war

Summary

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Episode Overview

Podcast: Consider This from NPR
Episode Title: Cumberbatch and Colman team up to play a couple at war
Date: September 1, 2025
Host(s): Juana Summers, Mary Louise Kelly
Guests: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman

This episode dives into the dark comedy film The Roses, a contemporary reimagining of the 1989 classic War of the Roses. Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman join NPR to discuss portraying an unhappily married couple whose relationship unravels spectacularly, leveraging their own friendship to spark chemistry onscreen. The conversation explores the film’s themes of marital discord, creative collaboration, and the delicate balance of on-screen humor and pain.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Exploring the “End” of Relationships

• Opening Context (00:00 - 00:36):
  Juana Summers introduces the idea of focusing on films about relationships falling apart, as opposed to romantic beginnings. We hear a comically tense therapy session excerpt from the film:

  • Cumberbatch as Theo: “Okay, so Today's session, the 10 things you love about each other. Theo, you first.”
  • Colman as Ivy: “One: I would rather live with her than a wolf.”
    (00:19)
  • These exchanges highlight the film's dark, sarcastic humor.

• Film Premise (00:36 - 01:12):
  The Roses follows Theo and Ivy—a couple strained by children, relocation, and midlife disappointment. Even their therapist doubts their marriage’s survival.

A “Reimagining,” Not a Remake

• Project Origins (03:06 - 03:24):
  The film was built around Colman and Cumberbatch’s long-standing desire to work together.
  • Olivia Colman: "This project was imagined around us. We're friends and have been for a long time and wanted to work with each other for a long time." (03:06)
  • The idea was to recast the iconic 1980s War of the Roses dynamic with new energy.
• Benedict Cumberbatch: “But it's not a remake. I think we feel quite strong—” (03:38)
• Mary Louise Kelly: “Well, it's not about that. It's sort of a reimagining inspired by.” (03:40)
• Cumberbatch: “Inspired very heavily by. Because we loved that film.” (03:42)

The House as Battleground

• Significance of the House (03:46 - 05:13):
  The house becomes the central object of contention, symbolizing both achievement and loss.
  • Colman: “It's a very embedded...piece of architecture that sort of comes out of this wilderness...surrounded by trees and bracken and this incredible vista...” (04:06)
  • Cumberbatch: “For you, it's your most precious thing. So it's the perfect weapon for Ivy.” (04:43)
  • Theo’s professional and personal crises converge on this home. After a career setback (the collapse of a building he designed), he seeks redemption through constructing their new house.

Relationship Dynamics and Onscreen Conflict

• Emotional Trajectory (05:33 - 06:07):
  • The couple's conflict escalates far beyond rational mediation—"They go beyond that...I think they want to hurt each other by then. Yeah, that's the thing. That's the terrain." (Colman, 06:05)
• Memorable Scenes & Physical Comedy (06:14 - 07:10):
  • Mary Louise Kelly asks about particularly enjoyable scenes:
    • Benedict Cumberbatch: “I really loved flicking you in the forehead.” (06:49)
    • Olivia Colman: "You liked flicking me in the eye? It was my eyelid.” (06:53)
    • They recall the “dinner party” scene with fondness for its blend of humor and cruelty.
    • Colman: “All that physicality and the comedies was great fun.” (07:07)

The Climactic Confrontation

• Raspberries and Gunplay (07:27 - 08:10):
  • The interview covers a heated late-film confrontation involving a gun and allergies.
    • Cumberbatch: "A gun is gifted to us by our American friends...She gets the gun, says, I want you to get out. Oh, because you’ve tried to kill me with raspberries." (07:41)
    • Colman: “I have tried to poison you with raspberries, yeah.” (07:55)
  • The line between comedy and farce becomes razor-thin.

Reflections on Relationships

• Advice from Experience (08:17 - 09:13):
  • Both actors and the host reflect on marital communication:
    • Cumberbatch: "Sometimes it's about what you don't say initially...if you piss each other off one day, sometimes just wait till the next day. Just don't say it straight away. Find a calm moment." (08:44)
    • Mary Louise Kelly: "You can be a little bit deaf. Selective hearing goes a long way in a marriage." (09:13)
  • The tone is humorous, honest, and relatable, bridging real-life relationship insights with the fictional world of the film.

Lighthearted Closing

• Bananas and Fruit Fights (08:33 - 08:42):
  • Colman jokes: "Don't have hard through fruit that you can throw at each other."
  • Cumberbatch: "Addicted to bananas."

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "I would rather live with her than a wolf." – Olivia Colman as Ivy, mocking a couples’ therapy session (00:19)
• "I don't think you have the capacity...to fix your problems." – Benedict Cumberbatch as the skeptical therapist (00:57)
• "This project was imagined around us...The idea of this film came about around getting us together." – Olivia Colman (03:06)
• "For you, it's your most precious thing. So it's the perfect weapon for Ivy." – Benedict Cumberbatch, on the symbolism of the house (04:43)
• "They really do, you know, I think they want to hurt each other by then. Yeah, that's the thing. That's the terrain." – Olivia Colman (06:07)
• "I really loved flicking you in the forehead." – Benedict Cumberbatch (06:49)
• "Don't have hard through fruit that you can throw at each other." – Olivia Colman (08:33)
• "Sometimes just wait till the next day. Just don't say it straight away. Find a calm moment....I remember hearing that and thinking, I'm going to try that." – Benedict Cumberbatch (08:44)
• "Selective hearing goes a long way in a marriage." – Mary Louise Kelly, citing advice from a Supreme Court justice (09:13)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – 01:12: Introduction to The Roses and excerpt of therapy scene
• 03:06 – 03:46: Actors explain how the project came together
• 03:46 – 05:13: The symbolism and centrality of the house
• 06:14 – 07:10: Recollections of favorite scenes (physical comedy, dinner party)
• 07:27 – 08:10: Climactic confrontation (gun & raspberries scene)
• 08:17 – 09:13: Reflections and advice on relationships

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Final Thoughts

This episode spotlighted how The Roses leverages the real-life camaraderie between Colman and Cumberbatch to deliver both biting humor and painful authenticity in the depiction of a marriage in collapse. Through witty banter, personal reflections, and a look behind the scenes, listeners gain both a sense of the film’s darkly comedic tone and genuine wisdom about relationships.

For anyone curious about how two acclaimed actors tackle the bitter end of love—and find laughter in it—this discussion is both illuminating and entertaining.

Transcript

[Juana Summers]

There are loads of movies out there about the beginning of a relationship, that first spark of attraction, that first sweet kiss. Well, how about a movie that tackles the other end when it's all falling apart?

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Okay, so Today's session, the 10 things you love about each other. Theo, you first.

[Olivia Colman]

Sure. One I would rather live with her than a wolf.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Did you say wolf?

[Olivia Colman]

Yeah. Wow.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

One, he has arms. Well, I saw a documentary once about a man without arms, and it looked like a difficult life, particularly for the partner.

[Juana Summers]

So that's Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as Theo and Ivy, husband and wife, architect and chef in the new dark comedy the Roses. The couple was once very much in love. But two children and a transatlantic move later, they're now struggling to save their marriage. New no one thinks it's going to work, including their therapist.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

I don't think you have the capacity.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

To fix your problems.

[Olivia Colman]

Are you actually allowed to say that that seems unprofessional? Yes. Like malpractice?

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

No. You'll be expecting a hefty discount. Time's up.

[Juana Summers]

Consider this the Roses reimagines an 80s divorce comedy. Coming up, it stars sure. How they leverage their real life friendship to to play two people who love to hate each other. From npr, I'm Juana Summers.

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[Juana Summers]

It'S consider this from NPR. Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman play the very unhappily married Theo and Ivy in the new movie the Roses. In real life, the actors are buddies and when they stopped by our New York bureau to talk with my co host, Mary Louise Kelly, about the film, she asked how two Brits playing two Brits came to make a movie set in Northern California.

[Olivia Colman]

This project was imagined around us. We're friends and have been for a long time and wanted to work with each other for a long time. So the idea of this film came about around getting us together. So, you know, it's a jumping off point. The War of the Roses, the great sort of iconic film. Kathleen and Michael in the 80s, but.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

People may be starting to put together. The title is the Roses. It is about a marriage that spectacularly falls apart. This is a remake of the 1989 classic with Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas, War of the Roses.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

But it's not a remake. I think we feel quite strong.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Well, it's not about that. It's sort of a reimagining inspired by.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Inspired very heavily by. Because we loved that film.

[Olivia Colman]

Exactly.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

The thing that your characters, as the marriage is collapsing, end up fighting over is the house. And to be fair, it is a pretty spectacular house. Describe the house.

[Olivia Colman]

Oh, well, it's a beautiful open.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Ivy paid for it.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Yeah, Ivy paid for it.

[Olivia Colman]

It's a very embedded. As in sort of. It speaks to its location. Embedded piece of architecture that sort of comes out of this wilderness on a.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Dramatic cliff, sea and the forest.

[Olivia Colman]

Exactly. That you're doing a better job than me. And surrounded by trees and bracken and this incredible vista that everything sort of walks towards and looks out over the North Pacific coastline of California.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

But it's interesting. Why is that the thing they end up. Because they don't fight over the kids. They don't fight. There's a million things they could fight over.

[Olivia Colman]

It's because they're both invested in it, you know, massively.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

And I think it's the thing that's. Well, for you, it's your most precious thing. So it's the perfect weapon for Ivy.

[Olivia Colman]

Yeah, it's basically him. You know, he's suffered this massive collapse of confidence and ego and everything with his literal collapse of his building, which is where his career nosedives, just to inject.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Theo is an architect.

[Olivia Colman]

Yes.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

He designs a building that literally collapses, a giant one. So this is his redemption plan. He's gonna build the perfect house.

[Olivia Colman]

Exactly that. I get very overexcited, as often architects do, with various details, including expensive Irish moss, as opposed to Californian moss, and, you know, things. The tension starts to escalate even in the build of it. And at the same time, our Children earn these scholarships and we are empty.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Nesters as this whole battle of Royale is playing out over the house. Did you ever wish you could just feel. Oh, God, take it. Just take it and just go?

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yeah.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Yeah.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Well, yes, I suppose Ivy, as she says, she thinks Theo has stolen the children, and so she thinks I'll steal his big child, his house. I mean, there are many moments, aren't there, when you could go, everybody stop, pause, count to 10. This could all be okay. But that's. It wouldn't be quite as fun to watch.

[Olivia Colman]

They go beyond that.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

They sorted it out.

[Olivia Colman]

They really do, you know, I think they want to hurt each other by then. Yeah, that's the thing. That's the terrain.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

I wanted to ask about a couple of specific scenes that I wondered if you each enjoyed playing with particular relish. Benedict Cumberbatch. There is a scene that involves your foot.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Oh, yeah.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

A microplane and a dish that your wife is trying to prepare and serve at her restaurant.

[Olivia Colman]

Yeah, yeah. That was fun. I mean, yeah, a lot of that kind of stuff was fun. The dinner party scene was extraordinary fun.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yeah, it was both of our favorites, I think, wasn't it? I really loved flicking you in the forehead.

[Olivia Colman]

You liked flicking me in the eye? It was my eyelid.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Oh, was it?

[Olivia Colman]

Yeah. The forehead wouldn't hurt as much. That's okay.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Your reaction was too funny.

[Olivia Colman]

I did throw an orange in your face, although it was a fun one. And that whole vice at the end, you know, I just.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yeah, that's fun.

[Olivia Colman]

All that physicality and the comedies was great fun.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

The dinner party scene, you get very drunk. Your character gets very drunk. Olivia Colman, you are absolutely savaging each other. And about half of your dinner guests get it and are appalled, and the other half are like, oh, this sounds a new way to talk to your partner.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Join. Right. In the scene at the very end, Olivia Colman, you are brandishing again, without giving away quite how we get to this point or quite where it goes, just explain the scene for people who haven't seen it yet.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

So a gun is gifted to us by our American friends much earlier in the film. And he just really pisses her off. So she gets the gun, says, I want you to get out. Oh, because you've tried to kill me with raspberries.

[Olivia Colman]

I have tried to poison you with raspberries, yeah.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Your character's allergic to raspberries.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yes. Desperately allergic. Yeah. And he uses that to get her to try and sign over the deed. And, you know, I think that's enough to push her over the edge. A near death experience.

[Olivia Colman]

So the gun is warranted at that.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Point and I'm not sure she means to shoot it, but it's got a hair trigger and it's quite delicate and then it gets a little out of hand.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

The serious real question. Anything else you could whisper to those characters that you have learned over what I hope is the course of long, successful, very happy relationships where you think, I wish I could just tell them this.

[Olivia Colman]

Yeah, well, I, I not for public radio. No. But yeah, don't have hard through fruit that you can throw at each other.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yes.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Addicted to bananas.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Also, I heard there was a documentary about couples with extraordinary longevity in their relationships. And one guy said sometimes it's about what you don't say initially. When you hear that, you think, is that right? Is that good advice? And then, yeah, it is, actually. So if you piss each other off one day, sometimes just wait till the next day. Just don't say it straight away. Find a calm moment, you know, and I think that was great advice. I remember hearing that and thinking, I'm going to try that.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

One of our longstanding female Supreme Court justices here was asked about the secret to a happy marriage and her answer was, you can be a little bit deaf. Selective hearing goes a long way in a marriage.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Yeah, I think that's true.

[Mary Louise Kelly]

Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, this was a pleasure. Thank you.

[Benedict Cumberbatch]

Thank you so much for having us.

[Juana Summers]

This episode was produced by Kyra Joachim and Katherine Fink with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Juana Summers.

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