Oprah with Hugh Jackman & Kate Hudson & Their Movie You Have to See this Christmas

Summary

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The Oprah Podcast — December 16, 2025

Episode: Oprah with Hugh Jackman & Kate Hudson & Their Movie You Have to See this Christmas

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Episode Overview

Oprah Winfrey welcomes Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, stars of the new movie Song Song Blue, to discuss their deeply moving, feel-good film based on the real-life story of a Neil Diamond tribute duo in the Midwest. The conversation covers the film's themes of second chances, dreams, resilience, and love, the process of making the movie, working with director Craig Brewer, and tributes to Neil Diamond. The episode is filled with laughter, emotion, and candid reflections, highlighted by memorable anecdotes, heartfelt reviews, and even a surprise for real-life fans of “Lightning and Thunder.”

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Origins of Song Song Blue

• True Story Roots ([03:37], Hugh)
  • The film is based on the documentary Song Sung Blue, chronicling the lives of Mike and Claire, aka “Lightning and Thunder,” Midwest tribute performers known for their passionate Neil Diamond covers.
  • Hugh Jackman: “They were two performers…they came together and rescued each other, not just musically, but in life. And it’s just a beautiful love story about the power of music, the power of dreams.” ([04:04])
  • Both actors were drawn to the powerful family and underdog narrative, underscoring that “nobody is ordinary.”
• Discovery and Casting ([06:28], Oprah/Hugh/Kate)
  • Kate Hudson read the script before knowing it was based on a documentary and was immediately moved.
  • Hugh campaigned for Kate to play Claire after seeing her on TV: “Kate Hudson should be Claire…Please send her the script and tell her she has to do it.” ([06:43])
  • Kate shares it was a dream role: “When you read something like that...you just hope it becomes a real opportunity.” ([06:18])

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2. Themes of Family, Dreams, and Resilience

• The movie celebrates people lifting each other up, even when they can’t believe in themselves ([07:55], Kate):
  • “They believed in each other so much that when they didn’t believe in themselves, they could because they had someone else who believed in them.”
• Oprah highlights rave reviews, notably one calling Kate's performance the finest of her career, noted for authenticity and emotional depth ([08:22], Oprah/Variety review).
• Kate reflects on missing heartfelt, inspiring movies like this: “Nobody’s making movies like this. I miss this…something that just completely moves you and inspires you...” ([09:53])

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3. Personal Connections and Representation

• Conversation touches on nostalgia, growing up loving Neil Diamond, and personal relevance ([10:15])
  • Oprah shares: “I was the only black kid in my neighborhood who actually knew who Neil Diamond was...I like the Temptations and Neil Diamond.” ([10:15])
• Both stars relate their own journeys to the story:
  • Hugh: “My life has taken so many turns I didn’t expect…but I sort of related a little bit to Mike. This idea of just having this dream and just wanting to entertain.” ([10:36])
• Studios repeatedly turned down the film, but Hugh believes it’s the story people need now: “1313 nos. They were like, oh no. The story goes places people don’t want to see...now everyone goes, oh, this is the movie.” ([10:52])

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4. Crafting the Performances

• Layered roles—playing people who play other people ([15:04])
  • Hugh Jackman: “I gotta strip all that away. I gotta become Mike and then Mike becoming Neil… it was a challenge.”
  • Both actors praise the research process and help from the real people involved.
• Heartfelt endorsement from Neil Diamond himself:
  • “I got a phone call from Neil and Katie… Neil was crying…he looked at me and put his hand on my shoulder. He goes, ‘You did good, kid.’” ([16:05])
  • Kate: The movie gave new life to Neil Diamond’s music and received his blessing as “a good note to go out on.” ([17:26])
• Both actors found deep personal resonance with their roles; for Kate, it was a return to the love of singing: “I’d be happy sitting in a little bar with, like, three people watching and singing, or no one watching, and I’d sing all night long.” ([18:27])
• Musical influences and supportive mentors, like Quincy Jones, played pivotal roles in their creative journeys ([19:01])

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5. Transformation: Accents, Looks & Chemistry

• Both actors discuss creating authentic Midwest personas through accents, wigs, and mannerisms ([20:24]–[21:44])
  • Kate drew on her longtime Wisconsin-born nanny, Kathy Heller, for her character’s accent.
  • Live audience (including Midwesterners and Kathy herself) affirm Kate “nailed it” ([23:14]–[24:44])
• Chemistry and emotional synergy between Hugh and Kate was essential: “This movie only works if we work. Somehow from day one, I knew we could trust each other.” ([39:10], Hugh)
• Kate: “Within hours, we knew each other’s entire life story. The most intimate parts…” ([39:57])

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6. Emotional & Uplifting Qualities of the Movie

• Movie’s depth: explores addiction, depression, codependency, and the strength found in connection ([33:11]–[36:19])
  • Kate: “There is this sense of the beautiful side of codependency. These are two people who really struggled—one with alcoholism and one with depression.” ([36:23])
• Hugh’s intensive research: “Mike was a Vietnam vet, and in Vietnam, he was a tunnel rat…” ([34:47])
  • Mike’s urgency, dreams, and resilience are central.
• The film is rooted in optimism: “Don’t stop dreaming…It's so uplifting, everybody needs a little upliftment right now, it leaves you feeling open.” ([32:44]–[32:46], Oprah)

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7. Surprises, Audience Connection, and Live Moments

• Touching surprise: Oprah introduces longtime fans of the real Lightning and Thunder on Zoom and announces Hugh and Kate have arranged a private theater screening for them in Wisconsin ([48:02]–[52:34])
• Real audience testimonies highlight the authenticity and relatability of the story and performances.

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8. Reflections and Takeaways

• What Hugh and Kate hope audiences take from the film:
  • Hugh: “The story...could be anyone...everyday people, but their lives are extraordinary...it will really restore any faith you have in having dreams...don’t say no. If anyone tells you, you can’t have that dream, that’s too big for you, say no, I’m actually gonna dream even huger.” ([53:17]–[53:59])
  • Kate: The film honors “the tip jar musician...for every superstar, there’s a thousand people who are just as talented and don’t get the same opportunities and are still out there because they love it.” ([54:08]–[54:30])
  • Oprah: The film leaves “a tear in your eye...and a song in your heart. Whether you know Neil Diamond, love Neil Diamond, or not.” ([55:17])

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the heart of the story:

  • “No one is ordinary or everyday. But their dreams were massive and naïve and huge.” — Hugh Jackman [05:04]

• On belief in each other:

  • “These people believed in each other so much that when they didn’t believe in themselves, they could because they had someone else who believed in them.” — Kate Hudson [07:55]

• On the chemistry between leads:

  • “This movie only works if we work…from day one I knew we could trust each other.” — Hugh Jackman [39:10, 39:57]

• On the beauty of the film:

  • “It feels like a letting go. It feels like a relaxing. It feels like a trusting…Somehow this feels like there’s layers that have just gone down.” — Hugh Jackman [44:42]

• On the joy of performance:

  • “I’d be happy sitting in a little bar with, like, three people watching and singing, or no one watching, and I’d sing all night long.” — Kate Hudson [18:27]

• On dreams:

  • “Don’t say no. If anyone tells you, you can’t have that dream, that’s too big for you, say no, I’m actually gonna dream even huger.” — Hugh Jackman [53:53]

• On music and connection:

  • “Isn’t music the best language?” — Kate Hudson [46:42]

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Important Timestamps

• [03:37–05:34]: Hugh describes discovering the story and why he and Kate were drawn to it
• [06:28–07:34]: Casting story for Kate Hudson, serendipity, and manifesting the role
• [08:22–10:07]: Oprah and critics praise Kate’s performance; conversation about missing heartfelt movies
• [15:04–16:39]: Hugh discusses the challenge of playing someone who is impersonating a star; Neil Diamond’s touching response
• [18:27–19:24]: Kate reveals her life-long love of singing, Quincy Jones’s encouragement
• [20:24–21:44]: Crafting the accent and look for authenticity; audience (and Kathy Heller) weighs in
• [39:10–39:57]: Hugh and Kate on their chemistry and instant trust
• [44:42–45:46]: Letting go, acting with vulnerability, and meeting the moment in their lives
• [48:02–52:34]: Surprise for true Lightning and Thunder fans: private screening arranged by Hugh and Kate
• [53:17–55:17]: Final thoughts and hopes for the audience’s takeaway; the importance of holding on to dreams
• [56:04–56:40]: Neil Diamond “so good, so good, so good!” family story

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Conclusion

Song Song Blue emerges as a celebration of dreams, resilience, and the power of music and found family. Oprah, Hugh, and Kate’s conversation is candid, vibrant, and full of heart—just like the film itself. The episode invites listeners to embrace their own dreams, cherish their chosen families, and let music unify and uplift. The hosts’ chemistry, laughter, and generosity—culminated by surprising devoted fans—leave listeners feeling inspired, joyful, and eager to experience the magic of the movie themselves.

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Song Song Blue opens Christmas Day. As Oprah says, “Go see it with your family—you’ll walk away uplifted, with a song in your heart.”

Transcript

[Oprah Winfrey]

Can we get the whole audience doing Song Song Blue? All right.

[Hugh Jackman]

In other words, Song song blue Everybody knows one Every garden grows one Song.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Song Blue Every garden grows one. Hi there, everybody. It's my pleasure to welcome you to the Oprah Podcast. And we're in New York City. Thank you to the live audience. And we are all. We're just. We're all jazzed up for our special guest today. You may have heard the buzz. Have you heard the buzz around the upcoming film Song Song Blue? Let me tell you, it is an extraordinary film based on a TR About a Neil diamond tribute duo who become local superstars in the Midwest. It's. As I say, it's based on a true story. And I just. I think it's the kind of movie we all need right now. It is so feel good. It is funny, it is so entertaining, but also a deeply moving love story about dreams and about second chances. And I guarantee you will be singing along to all those iconic Neil diamond songs after you watch. So this audience just saw the film. Wasn't it great? Wasn't it? You ready? Don't we all just want to go Song song Blue. Yes. Everybody knows one. Ok. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are going to blow you away in this film. Here's a look.

[Hugh Jackman]

I'm not a songwriter. I'm not a sex symbol. I just want to entertain people.

[Kate Hudson]

I don't want to be a hairdresser. I want to sing. I want to dance. I want a garden. I want a cat.

[Hugh Jackman]

I need something big. I need something new. What do you think?

[Kate Hudson]

You don't want to be a Neil diamond impersonator. You want to be a Neil diamond interpreter.

[Hugh Jackman]

We should call ourselves Lightning and Thunder.

[Kate Hudson]

So you be Lightning and I be Thunder.

[Hugh Jackman]

Uh, yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Sweet Caroline.

[Hugh Jackman]

Bubba.

[Kate Hudson]

How you doing?

[Hugh Jackman]

How am I doing? Cute.

[Kate Hudson]

You two always know what to do.

[Hugh Jackman]

I can't thank Neil. Cause every thank you I got belongs to you, doll. You're my August night, my September morn. You're my crackling Rosie. I want it to ripple and wave when the wind blows my shirt.

[Kate Hudson]

Wind in a bar.

[Hugh Jackman]

How like a leaf blower.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I love this movie so much. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson welcome them to the Oval Podcast. Hey.

[Hugh Jackman]

I love you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Hey, babe.

[Hugh Jackman]

I miss you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Miss you, babe.

[Hugh Jackman]

So good to see you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

So good to see you.

[Kate Hudson]

So good.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oh, so do you guys. Yay. May we say bravo. Bravo.

[Hugh Jackman]

Bravo. Bravo.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Bravo.

[Hugh Jackman]

I'm so glad you all saw it. Thank you for seeing it.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes. Yes. Yes.

[Hugh Jackman]

Thank you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes. Yes. And your performances are just spectacular. Mesmerizing and spectacular.

[Hugh Jackman]

You look amazing, Oprah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, thank you. So do you guys. Oh, my God.

[Hugh Jackman]

It's been too long since I've seen you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It's been so long, Hugh.

[Hugh Jackman]

I know. It's good to see you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Good to see you again.

[Hugh Jackman]

Me too.

[Oprah Winfrey]

So can you explain to us the story behind Song Song Blue?

[Hugh Jackman]

Well, there's a documentary called Songsung Blue which tells the true story.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Did you all know that? I did not know that. Not many people had seen it.

[Hugh Jackman]

It's an amazing documentary.

[Oprah Winfrey]

America's greatest Neo battle, incarcerated.

[Hugh Jackman]

Somebody saw this duo, Lightning and Thunder. Lightning and Thunder, Mike and Claire, and went, oh, these two are gonna be huge.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

And so he was with them for years, five, eight years, every day. And so captured this incredible true story. So they were two performers, let's say, maybe struggling a little bit. And in some ways, they came together and rescued each other, not just musically, but in life. And it's just a beautiful love story about the power of music, the power of dreams. And you watch these two go on a ride together, and as you can tell, you can't believe what happens. I'm sure people are gonna watch a film, go, well, that didn't happen. They made that bit up. But everything is true.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Everything is true.

[Hugh Jackman]

Everything.

[Kate Hudson]

Everything's true. Wow. I know, it's wild.

[Oprah Winfrey]

What attracted you to the story? And then what attracted you for her to the story?

[Hugh Jackman]

Craig came to me and said, I want you to watch it. This is the writer, director, Craig Brewer, who's incredible. He came to me and said, watch this documentary. I think there's a film in it. And when I saw it, I honestly thought, this is one of the most powerful renderings of what family can do.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

What family? The power of family. And to, I guess you might say ordinary, everyday people. But of course, no one is ordinary or everyday. But their dreams were massive and naive and huge. And Mike and Claire stuck together through whatever life was throwing. Cause life's gonna be life and. Right.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

And life comes at them hard, and they just stuck together. And I just thought, this is the kind of story I wanna put out in the world. I think it's the kind of story we need to hear and see. And.

[Oprah Winfrey]

And when you read it, you felt the same.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah. And different. I read the script as a script that was out in the world and read it and didn't know it was a documentary. And just the script was so good and so moving that I kind of had my eyes on it. And then when Craig called and Hugh then I saw the documentary and I was like, oh, my God. I had, like, what an amazing adaptation to you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

But when you even read the script, were you like, wow, this is. This is a role I want to play.

[Kate Hudson]

It's a dream for me, you know, to be able to. So, like, sort of hoping that.

[Oprah Winfrey]

And may I say, you're a dream in it. You had.

[Kate Hudson]

Thank you so much. Yeah, thank you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Kate Hudson]

It was really like when you read something like that. And so for me, it was like, you just hope that, you know, it becomes a real opportunity.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yes.

[Kate Hudson]

And it did.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes. Okay. And so you were gonna do it. Craig had called you. So tell this story because you were on CBS Mornings for a story about your new album. Right. And you see her on CBS Mornings and Craig sees her, right?

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. Actually, Michelle, who's worked with me for 15 years, her sister and niece are here today, and she's here somewhere dying right now. She rang me and said, are you watching CBS Sunday? I said, I'm not, actually. She said, you got to watch it. Kate Hudson should be clear. And I turned it on. I'm like, she's absolutely right. And I immediately texted Craig Brewer. I said, you've got to watch CBS Sunday. Claire is Kate Hudson. Please go. I'm already invested. Please, please send her the script and please tell her she has to do it. And she did.

[Kate Hudson]

He said, I was so happy. Cause I had read the script before.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah, it was great.

[Hugh Jackman]

What do you mean you'd read the script?

[Kate Hudson]

I had been flipped the script.

[Hugh Jackman]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Kate Hudson]

I've got people and places.

[Hugh Jackman]

So you did. So maybe it was Kate Hudson putting it out. She's a powerful one, this one.

[Kate Hudson]

Let me tell you all a master plan. That's fantastic.

[Hugh Jackman]

What else she got planned. Kay, that's it.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That's fantastic. So did you feel the same thing, though, that this. It's like a down on your luck guy and woman who are trying to make life meet in the right spaces for themselves.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

And then this moment happens.

[Kate Hudson]

The thing that hit me the most about the story, there's two things that just got me, which. The first one was that these people believed in each other so much that when they didn't believe in themselves, they could because they had someone else who believed in them. You know, like, you know, I think that this idea that you have this. You build this family and you build. You build your family around you, and they are your support system.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, this is what's so interesting. So many critics are talking about this and already Loving it. And I know you don't do things for critics, but one critic said in Variety that it's without qualification the finest work of her career. What makes Hudson's performance so potent is its refusal to condescend. There's no distance between actress and character, no visible seams in the construction. It's the kind of organic inhabitation that makes you forget you're watching Capital A, acting, et al.

[Kate Hudson]

That's a review that's hard to hear.

[Hugh Jackman]

You're going to start reading reviews now.

[Kate Hudson]

I mean, I literally. I said to everyone, I was like, please don't send me anything because I get so nervous about reading reviews. But everyone was like, you have to read what Clayton said in Variety. And it made me very emotional reading that. Yeah, it was the only one I've looked at. And I got very mad.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, you know, here's the thing. I watched with a friend of mine, dear friend and neighbor, Marlene Veloz. I had her come over because I didn't want to watch it by myself, and Stebin wasn't there. And so I said, marlene, come over and let's watch this movie. And when we finish watching, she goes, can we watch it again? Can we watch it again? And during the movie, she goes, oh, my God, has Gail seen this? She's going to love it. I just love it. And I can't wait until it opens on Christmas Day.

[Kate Hudson]

Thank you, Oprah. And it made me miss movies.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yes.

[Kate Hudson]

Like, when I see nobody's making movies like this, I miss this. You know, this feeling that you get when you see something and it just completely moves you and inspires you and feels totally relatable and yet so unrelatable. But so relatable.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah.

[Kate Hudson]

And inspiring.

[Hugh Jackman]

And anyone can watch. It doesn't matter how old you are. It doesn't matter where you're from or.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Who you are or if you know Neil Diamond. But I am a big Neil Diamond.

[Hugh Jackman]

You really.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oh, my God. I was the only black kid in my neighborhood who actually knew who Neil diamond was. And I'd go to school singing all the Neil diamond songs, Hot August Night, and they'd say, don't you like the Temptations? I like the Temptations and Neil Diamond.

[Hugh Jackman]

Okay.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I heard that when you were first approached about the role, you were struck by a sense of. I think you said it was a sense of kismet, right?

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah, it felt to me. My life has taken so many. My career has taken so many turns I didn't expect. But I have been in musicals. I have been a performer And I sort of related a little bit about to Mike. This idea of just having this dream and just wanting to entertain.

[Kate Hudson]

Yes.

[Hugh Jackman]

And I didn't know when I was in Australia, I thought if I could just be in the local theater in Sydney, that'd be fantastic. I had no idea I'd be talking to Oprah with Kate Hudson, but I really have. I relate to Mike in that way. All he wanted to do was just to affect people, tell stories and this movie. I just thought, this is where I'm at in my life, in my career. This is what I want to put out there. And I'm so thrilled you liked it. But you know what's amazing? Every studio turned it down. No 1313 nos. They were like, oh no. The story goes places people don't want to see. And I think now everyone goes, oh, this is the movie, you know, type of movie.

[Oprah Winfrey]

No, I'm telling you. What did you think, audience? I mean, really. I mean.

[Kate Hudson]

I love it.

[Oprah Winfrey]

They came in cheering. Time for a quick break. Next, Hugh and Kate met with the real Neil Diamond. I want to know what he thinks of the movie. Plus, we're going to find out how Kate mastered her character's Midwest accent. We have a fun surprise for her that's coming up next. Stay with us.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Oprah Winfrey]

Hi, and welcome back to the Oprah Podcast. We're talking to the super talented stars of the movie song Sung Blue, Hughie Jackman and Kate Hudson. I hope you go see it on Christmas Day in a theater with your family. It's so fun. Let's get back to our conversation. I want to show this clip where Mike and Claire realize they both have a bigger dream for their life. Let's look at this.

[Hugh Jackman]

I'm always going to be an alcoholic, but I've been sober 20 years. The other day it was, well, they call it a sober birthday.

[Kate Hudson]

Happy belated sober birthday.

[Hugh Jackman]

Here's the thing with sobriety. You got to face up to certain troops.

[Kate Hudson]

Way to go, Lightning.

[Oprah Winfrey]

20 years.

[Hugh Jackman]

All right. I'm not a songwriter, I'm not a sex symbol, but I just want to entertain people and I want to make a living.

[Kate Hudson]

I know, Me too. I don't want to be a hairdresser. I want to sing. I want to dance. I want a house. I want a garden. I want a cat.

[Hugh Jackman]

So here's what I'm thinking. I need a hook. I need something big. I need something new. And as you put it, nostalgia pays.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I love that nostalgia pays.

[Hugh Jackman]

Nostalgia pays.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Okay, so for Hugh, Deadline says Jackman, complete with diamond style, hair is as good as he's ever been. Playing a complicated guy who finds his groove in the music of an iconic singer. It isn't easy being such a recognizable star, meaning you, Hugh, impersonating a man impersonating an equally recognizable star. But Jackman gives him edge and likability, so we are with him all the way. His diamond vocals are flawless. That's pretty good, sir.

[Hugh Jackman]

Thanks. I don't read them either, but thanks.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I'm going to stop now.

[Hugh Jackman]

That's awesome.

[Oprah Winfrey]

So what was it?

[Hugh Jackman]

I'm just going to call you after every.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Okay, yeah, please do. Only the good ones. Only the good ones. So tell me this. What did it feel like interpreting someone who is interpreting someone else?

[Hugh Jackman]

I'm kind of glad you brought it up because it was a bit of a magic trick for me because I am a performer. I do get on stage, and I'm sure I have my own mannerisms that I'm not aware of. And I was like, I gotta strip all that away. I gotta become Mike and then Mike becoming Neil. And it was a challenge. I talked a lot about you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You gotta strip away Hugh to become Mike, who becomes Neil.

[Hugh Jackman]

Right I mean, and it was so much fun, but it was a real challenge. And I think it took me a second and to really find it, particularly as a performer. And I came up with things. I was just trying to feel him. And I had the. Obviously, I had the documentary to go on, so I had a lot of footage. And I would talk particularly with Rachel, who really helped us a lot. Rachel, the daughter in the movie, who is very much the grounder of that family, is still the grounder of that family. And she was the one we talked to a lot on set. But I have to say, I was lucky. Both of us. I got a phone call from Neil and Katie. Neil diamond and Katie, his wife. And they'd just seen the movie, and Neil was crying.

[Oprah Winfrey]

The real Neil Diamond.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

And I did the very Australian thing. I said, can I come and see you and have a cup of tea, cup of coffee? And he said, sure. Why don't you stay the night? So I invited myself to Neil Diamond's house, and we sang karaoke at dinner. Yes. With Neil Diamond. But as he came up to me, he looked at me and he put his hand on my shoulder. He goes, you did good, kid. Oh. And I'm like, yeah, I can retire.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Okay. I'm done.

[Kate Hudson]

I'm done here.

[Hugh Jackman]

But it's somehow. It meant a lot to him. The movie's also, by default, a love letter to him.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It is.

[Hugh Jackman]

And his songs and how he put his life and the ups and downs of his life into his songs. And he was just so moved by. He knew the story. There was a standing ticket.

[Oprah Winfrey]

He knew about them. Right. He obviously knew them.

[Hugh Jackman]

There was a standing ticket for Claire. Right. For years. And Claire went to so many and always went back and met Neil. And he just said, I love this story. Here's the rights to my music.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness.

[Kate Hudson]

And when you get into his catalog of music, it's so prolific. It's like I discovered so much about his songwriting through this process because I had never really gone deep on Neil Diamond. And he's just one of the most prolific, wonderful songwriters. And there's so much music to. Even after this, I hope his music has a whole other life to it after people see this.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, it certainly does in my house right now.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

So I heard that he said. I don't know if he said this to you. Did you hear that he said this? That. That this was a good note, that this movie is a good note to go out on.

[Kate Hudson]

Oh, my God. Yes.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Kate Hudson]

That's what I heard on the line, on the. Yeah, Katie with the FaceTime. And he said that to me. And Katie and I were like, well, don't say that. You know, but it was. This movie means a lot to him. When I went to see him, he just kept thanking me. And of course I was like, no, Neil, thank you. And he's like, no, thank you. No, thank you. You know, but he said that, he said, there's something about my music that's always like, somehow found another life and these things come along and they give it this new life. And he was very, like, had so much gratitude for the movie and it sort of being that love letter to him.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Well, you've been singing for years. Yeah, I know. Gayle told me when you were here, she went to see for him. So what does it feel like for you to now to have the world recognize your singing voice through this film?

[Kate Hudson]

I mean, amazing. I just love to sing. Like, I think that's where I relate to Claire. You know, I, I, it was that moment in my life where I was like, you know, I'd be happy sitting in a little bar with, like, three people watching and singing, or no one watching, and I'd sing all night long. I think we share that. And. But I wasn't exercising the muscle. And so to be able to do that and then to be able to do it like this in a film is just, you know, can I drop some names?

[Hugh Jackman]

It's a name. Because I actually met him at your place. Quincy Jones. Can I tell this story?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oh, okay, sure.

[Hugh Jackman]

Because Kate is really a musician. So when Kate was only 15, 16, she sang @ her house, and Quincy was there. And your mum had said, come on, Kate.

[Kate Hudson]

Sing. Yeah. I was like, no.

[Hugh Jackman]

Mom. And at the end of the night, Quincy rolled down his windows over here. He goes, you're a singer. You need to sing. And for forever.

[Kate Hudson]

Forever. He was like, why aren't you in the studio? You need to get in the.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Studio.

[Hugh Jackman]

Really? So I'm thrilled that the.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Audience. Quincy Jones says that to.

[Kate Hudson]

You? He was always, Yeah, I take him at his word. Yeah, I thought about him a lot when I got in the studio to make my album, because he, you know, there's certain people along the way that are cheerleaders and, like, really kind of are these people that you're like, maybe I should be doing this, you know, and he was one of them. But that was one of the, you know, you need to get in the studio, girl. He said all the time, you need to get in the.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Studio. You Know what he said to me when we did the Everybody knows I did the color purple in 1985. The first one. Right. That movie meant so much to me for so many reasons. And when we finished the movie, he said, oprah, baby, your future's so bright it burns my eyes. I did not know what that meant at the time, but I took him at his word and everything. Every wonderful thing that happened, I was saying, oh, this is what he was talking about. He could see what I couldn't see. So he could see, Kate, what.

[Kate Hudson]

You couldn't see from very young. Yes. Yeah, yeah.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. Something about the hair, I think. Something about the.

[Kate Hudson]

Hair. All the.

[Hugh Jackman]

Hair. A lot of.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Hair. Really? Does the hair make you connect to Neil? Every time you put that wig on, does something.

[Hugh Jackman]

Happen? And there's two wigs. You notice there's the Mike wig at the beginning. And then when he decides to become Neil the interpreter. The interpreter. I just loved it because I could feel Mike just going, yeah, this is great. Yeah. And when I see that shot, it just looks so hilarious.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. In the.

[Hugh Jackman]

Back. And just like, give me some leaf blowers. I want some. Like, he just loves his hair. It was. For Mike, it was all about it. So, yeah, I'm sort of. I wake up and whatever comes goes. But no Mike, I really. It really helped me get into his.

[Kate Hudson]

Character. I had the same with Claire. I mean, when I got. We called it the Claire hair. Like, when that. When Claire hair got on and I did hot rollers every morning, and I chose to use my own hair, and we thinned it out and made it look crazy. But when I got the rollers on and they'd come out, it was.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Just like, wow, Claire is.

[Kate Hudson]

Here. She's.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Here. She's arrived.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah. Yeah. And my hairdresser, Johnny V. Who's brilliant, was very specific with, like, the hair journey. Claire's hair journey. But, you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Know. Yeah. Well, I think that both of your accents and extraordinary for you, Mr. Aussie, to get that Wisconsin accent. And you, Kate, you really nailed that Wisconsin.

[Kate Hudson]

Thing. Thank.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You. You.

[Hugh Jackman]

Did.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Mm. Just.

[Kate Hudson]

Enough. Yeah. It's hard when you're doing something like that. Cause you don't want it to become a caricature of it. And yet they had very strong Wisconsin. She has a very strong.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Wisconsin. Yeah. I heard that you blended the real Claire's accent with the accent of somebody that you'd known for a.

[Kate Hudson]

While.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah.

[Kate Hudson]

So. Crazy story. I had a nanny from 9 to 15, Kathy Heller, who I loved more than anything. Wisconsin born, raised in.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Milwaukee.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah. And then when I was 21 and started getting work, a lot of work, I was very weary about having help and trusting people. And so I called her, and I was like, would you ever come help me? And you called the woman who was your nanny? Yeah. And she goes, no. And I was like, please, Kathy, I don't know. I don't know what to do. And she's like, I give you. Okay. Six months, 27 years later, she just retired, went back to.

[Hugh Jackman]

Milwaukee.

[Kate Hudson]

Wow. I. There's a lot of Kathy in Claire. So, yeah, I was raised and nurtured and loved and connected to a very. A very Milwaukee.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Accent. I know we have a few Midwesterners in the audience today. Raise your hands. Tell us how you think Kate did with that.

[Kate Hudson]

Accent.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. You think she's okay? Hi, I'm Destiny Kay Chambers. First of all, phenomenal film. Multiple themes that I think many, many people resonate with a lot of humanity in it. As somebody with a mental health disorder, it connected with me on that level, but especially as somebody who was born and raised in.

[Kate Hudson]

Milwaukee. So.

[Oprah Winfrey]

I. And I didn't expect that. I went into the film blind. So as somebody born and raised, were you not a black person who loved Neil diamond, too? So I was not a black person who loved Neil diamond, but I definitely had my fair share of genres that were not similar to those that people in my neighborhood listen to. But I would definitely say the accent. You nailed it. You nailed.

[Hugh Jackman]

It. Thank.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You. I don't have a typical Wisconsin accent, except for when I say Wisconsin, because it's all in the nose. It's very nasally. So I think you did a phenomenal.

[Kate Hudson]

Job. Thank you so much. I also used to get Jimmy's, like, the sprinkles and custard. We used to get them shipped from Wisconsin as a kid because I love Jimmy so much. And they're better in Wisconsin. They're better in Wisconsin. Classic. A classic. So I hear.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You. I hear that. Well, there's somebody else here. Kathy, what did you think of the accent? Stop. No. Yes. I thought she was amazing. Just.

[Hugh Jackman]

Amazing. Love it. Oh, that's so.

[Kate Hudson]

Awesome. How was my.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Accent? It was wonderful. Thank.

[Kate Hudson]

You. I loved every word you said. I have to tell you, I.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Loved every word you.

[Kate Hudson]

Said. It was, like, special to me. So out of the whole.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Movie. Hi, Kathy Heller, everybody. This is the Kathy Heller. I'm.

[Kate Hudson]

Here. I.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Know. Yes, yes, yes. You called her to tell her that you wanted her to go to the.

[Kate Hudson]

Premiere. I was talking with Brad backstage. I was like, I gotta get Kathy and her sister out in December. Oh, okay. To see the movie and to be.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Here.

[Kate Hudson]

Hi. You look amazing. Thank you. Thank you. Retirement's been.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Good. It looks good. Did you know she was using you for the accent? You know, I had to kind.

[Kate Hudson]

Of figure because we've been together for so long, and there were times where she would make fun of certain words that I would say. So she would kind of like.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Correct me or just say, did you just say car? And it would.

[Kate Hudson]

Be. So I figured she had to.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Be thinking of me at doing.

[Hugh Jackman]

That. Ok, so why didn't you say no at the beginning with.

[Kate Hudson]

Her? Yeah. Because I was her nanny for six.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Years. Six, seven.

[Kate Hudson]

Years. And all of a sudden she.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Was going to be my.

[Kate Hudson]

Boss. And I was like, I don't know how this dynamic's going to work. So I did say no. And I said no more than.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Once, too, so she sure did. I can.

[Kate Hudson]

Imagine. I don't take no for.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Anything. Her nanny. And now she's going to be your bo. I would think about that, too. I.

[Kate Hudson]

Did. I.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Did. And that's when we got to have worked out for you, Kathy. It.

[Kate Hudson]

Did. It was the best. We had so much fun. So much fun. And every Christmas, all I could think of is, we're doing it right now. And I'm like, where's Kathy? Because Kathy and I at Christmas time. It's like our favorite time. Yes, Our favorite. We.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Did. Okay. Did you just see the movie? I did, and I loved it. I loved.

[Kate Hudson]

It. I loved your connection. You guys were so real together. And I kept thinking, this is like real life and you're creating it. I mean. I mean, in the movie. It was.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Amazing. Yeah. One review says that you two don't just have chemistry. I know y' all don't read them, but let me tell you what the people are saying. You two don't just have chemistry. You have emotional synergy. Emotional synergy. I would agree. Wasn't it so.

[Kate Hudson]

Special? It was. I mean, it felt and it was.

[Hugh Jackman]

Funny. The other day, Kate turned to me and someone was saying something like.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. And Kate said, and it was easy. It just felt easy from the jump, from the first day we got.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Together. We have to take a break. And if you are having as much fun as I am with Kate and Hugh, share this conversation with your friends and family. Whoever needs a pick me up. Be right.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Kate Hudson]

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[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Oprah Winfrey]

Details. Thanks for joining me on the Oprah podcast. I'm with the dynamic duo of Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, who star together in a triumphant love story song sang Blue. And I saw in an Instagram post where you had said that if there was one word to describe Kate, it would be congruent. Yes. Yeah, yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

Why? Because what she says, what comes from her heart and from her mind, everything is in line. So as an actor, from day one, from rehearsals, everything, when you're opposite her, you go, I believe absolutely everything. She's just. It's so true. And that's not always the way in life. Some people can be great at actors and then when you meet them in life, that feels like there may be a barrier or they're second guess Kate, what she thinks and what she feels comes out of her mouth. And it is always wise. She's someone who's done a lot of work on herself. You don't mind me saying that her life has been life and there's been a lot of life is life in life has done a lot and she's managed to just process it all with such heart and care for others. So when you work with Kate, you feel.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Safe. Take it in. Receive it. Receive it. Receive it, receive.

[Hugh Jackman]

It. And you also hold everyone around you. You hold. There's no separation between crew and actor where everyone was hanging out on set and you get no separation between boss like she's just herself. And that is such a beautiful thing in life and on camera, it's a rare thing. Take it.

[Kate Hudson]

In. Thanks.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Hugh. Receive it. Let's look at this clip where we see the spark between Hugh and Kate's characters when they sing together for the first time. Oh, my love. This.

[Hugh Jackman]

Clip. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Tell your mama, girl. We can't stay long. We got things we gotta catch up on, you know? You know what I'm.

[Kate Hudson]

Saying? Excuse me. Much too late for anyone to be singing that loud. Ma, this is the man I was telling you about, Mike. Sardina, this is.

[Hugh Jackman]

Lightning. How you doing.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Tonight? Not.

[Kate Hudson]

Good. Sing.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Softer. I heard that you screened this with your.

[Kate Hudson]

Mom.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. And your PA sure did. And what.

[Kate Hudson]

Happened? They were very.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Emotional. I never heard your mom, Goldie Hawn, your pa, Kurt.

[Kate Hudson]

Russell. My mom is easily emotional. You know, she's like emotional with everything. But Kurt it really hit Kurt in a way that I hadn't seen him experience something before in the sense that he was audible, like, audible. Watching the movie with the things that were. Oh, no. You'd hear him go, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You know, and then he got very emotional, and he's the tough. He's my toughest critic. He really is. Like, he.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Doesn'T. And aren't you your toughest.

[Kate Hudson]

Critic? I'm my.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Toughest. Were you usually watching and judging and then you. Weren't you able. The fact that you were. I heard that you were able to, like, get into the.

[Kate Hudson]

Story. I was able to, like, lose sight of the fact that it was. Yes, I was able to actually take in the story and the movie. And, like, you. Like I said, it made me miss movies. I could watch it again, like we were saying very rarely. I could watch this movie over and over again. I intend to, and not feel a personal connection to it anymore. I could watch it as an experience, which is very.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Rare. I know. I mean, I said, my friend Marlene said, let's watch it again. And I go, marlene, I can't watch it again tonight. But I will watch it again and again. And I hope you all go. Don't you want to now tell everybody? You want to tell everybody, Go see this movie and go see it on a big screen and go see it on Christmas.

[Hugh Jackman]

Day. Christmas.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Day. Christmas Day, yeah. What do you want to say about the phenomenal supporting.

[Hugh Jackman]

Cast? I'm so glad you mentioned it. We were so lucky. Every day we would turn up and there was incredible actors. Jim Belushi, Fisher Stevens, Ella Anderson. Ella Anderson, who plays Rachel, who is. People will know her from a Nickelodeon show. She's phenomenal. Michael Imperioli, who you probably know from the Sopranos, who's phenomenal. Hudson Henley, who plays my little.

[Kate Hudson]

Son. My youngest, younger.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Dana.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. Who else? We got.

[Oprah Winfrey]

In. He's the one doing the.

[Kate Hudson]

Filming. Yeah. KP Mikayla. She.

[Hugh Jackman]

Was. We all hung out together, so.

[Oprah Winfrey]

We would hang out, actually. Really felt like. Didn't it feel like a.

[Kate Hudson]

Family? It felt like a family.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. And that's why I'm so glad it's coming out on Christmas Day, because for me, it really is about.

[Kate Hudson]

Family.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. And I think that's why it's emotional. And I sort of love that, this story. I was talking with Eddie Vedder, who's had that relationship with Mike and actually never forgot Mike, and he just said, isn't it incredible how their dreams, which were naive, are being realized 30 years later through a movie. And that's sort of how I was like, yeah. Eddie is like, I'm telling everyone to see the movie. And I'm not that kind of guy. I'm not the guy who's like, you gotta see it. But that's how I feel. But I feel it's. Mike and Claire's story needs to get out there because it somehow sparks in all of us. Don't stop.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Dreaming.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yes. Don't.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Stop. I feel that it's so uplifting, and I feel that everybody needs a little upliftment right now. I feel that it leaves you feeling open. Don't you feel that it opened the heart space a little for you? You feel that there's a tragic accident that actually happened to the couple in real life, the character Claire struggles to recover, and the family feels helpless. Where did you get to go some places for that? I went.

[Kate Hudson]

Whoa. Yeah, you have to go. Yeah, you get to go. I got to go down. Got to go down and out. I think it's like any dream as an actor to be able to sort of go to a place where you can serve a story, especially when it's a real person, where you can honor someone's darkness and their light. And for me, it's like really, really understanding what that is and then allowing the writing and the story and the director to help take you.

[Oprah Winfrey]

There.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah. And I was saying, like, any performer you long for the things that allow you to be able to feel out of body. And when you're working like that and you can actually like, it's like something you're channeling versus something you're trying to make happen. It's why we're so addicted to performing. Whether it's on stage and you're singing or hitting a note or, you know, whether it's, you know, some of the tough scenes we had together when you. When you're in a pocket like that, it's. There's something about it that. It just feels like it's a channel. And, you know, with that comes all the work that goes into getting there and understanding.

[Oprah Winfrey]

That. That's what's so great about this film. Because as you were saying earlier, Hugh, it's about life lifing on people. And the character that you play also is struggling with his own problems. And we feel the complexity of that in every scene and particularly when he's on stage, because you're rooting for the guy. You're rooting for the guy to win. So did you have to go someplace to tap into all The. There's so many multiple layers for both of.

[Hugh Jackman]

You. So Mike was a Vietnam vet, and in Vietnam, he was a tunnel rat, which was the worst of the worst job. The ones who had to jump down into tunnels that were usually booby trapped or filled with the enemy and just start shooting. And 90% of them died of the tunnel rats. And many of them became addicts, the ones that survived. And so I started with that. What is that? You come back, you're given this chance at life that most of the people you know didn't have. He also had a heart condition. So he's one of those people that is not thinking, well, you know, I'm probably got till 75. He might go any minute. So there was an urgency about him. Like, I need. I've got this dream and I. It's got to happen now. And sometimes that was to his detriment. Like, you see that scene with the biker bar, and he's like, no, this is our set and this is what we're doing, and it doesn't turn out.

[Kate Hudson]

Well. But I. He needed that Suleiman, that in a.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Way. I love that biker bar where they play. Yeah, right. Cause Suleiman, I love that song.

[Kate Hudson]

Suleiman. I was like, just gotta play it, play it.

[Hugh Jackman]

There. And that's all the true story. They were throwing bottles at him and it broke his heart because for him, he thought, this is the road. And he got booed. And Michael, all he wanted to do was to please people and make them happy. And he couldn't understand he was being booed. It was a really. So I relate to him, but in many ways, I'm inspired by him.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Because he kept the dream.

[Hugh Jackman]

Going. He couldn't say no. He just kept going. And that scene at the table where he finally says, I think I'm gonna give up lightning. You see what the cost of that is? What? The cost of giving up that.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Dream to both of them. To both of.

[Hugh Jackman]

Them. But he's rescued by his partner. They rescue each.

[Kate Hudson]

Other. And there is this sense of sort of the beautiful side of codependency. These are two people who really struggled. One with alcoholism and one with, you know.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Depression.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah. And I think Craig, as a writer did such a wonderful job of like, you know, understanding what it is to have those that struggle, but never, like, being inspired by it versus it bringing you down into.

[Oprah Winfrey]

The. You know, and the whole time you're thinking, this is a true story. This is a true.

[Hugh Jackman]

Story. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I find myself. I've been in a few screenings I want to yell at. Did that really happen? No, no, no. That really happened. Everything really happened because it's so.

[Kate Hudson]

Unbelievable.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. I mean, we all have things in our life that come out of the blue, but somehow these two got. They got a truckload full.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Of. And what they go through, endless. I mean, she's just standing in front of her house, which we won't say what that is. After the break, a little surprise for some true blue Neil diamond fans and lightning and thunder fans in Milwaukee. That's.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Oprah Winfrey]

There. Welcome back to my conversation with the incomparable Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, the stars of the new movie song Song Blue. It's about a real life Neil diamond tribute band, but also so much more. Oh, I just love this movie. Do you have a.

[Kate Hudson]

Question? Yes.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Hello. Hi.

[Kate Hudson]

Hi. How did you develop your amazing on screen.

[Hugh Jackman]

Chemistry? On day one, we did a reading and Kate came up to me afterwards and it's the only reading I've ever been to where everyone's crying at the end and especially our producer. Your producer? He's done 117.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Movies. 117 movies. And he was crying.

[Hugh Jackman]

Out. I have never, ever cried ever before at a.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Reading. And so you had read the whole thing. This is where you all sit.

[Hugh Jackman]

Around the table and we just sat there and we had some wine. There Was some sandwiches, some Jersey mics or something. And we were sitting there, and you and I were just sitting next to each other. And I remember Kate turned to me and she said, this movie only works if we work. And I went, you're right. And somehow from day one, I knew that we could trust each other. There's something in our DNA. We like to connect. You're a connector. Connect, you know, and some actors who are brilliant and I. As soon as the camera's not rolling, they don't want to talk. They're.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Separate. There's an exclusive, and it's.

[Kate Hudson]

Okay. Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. That's just who they are. They're introverted, but we like to connect. So we very quickly got to understand each other, trust each other, and know that we were gonna go to some places that neither of us had ever been.

[Kate Hudson]

Before. Yeah. Within hours, we knew each other's entire life story. The most intimate parts of. You.

[Hugh Jackman]

Know. And it's a bit of a therapist, so I got a lot of.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Framework. So, Kate, when you finished the reading and you said that to him, this movie only works if we worked, was that based on the reaction that you'd gotten from everybody listening to it? Based upon what? Because, as you know, during that first read, even though you've read the script yourself multiple times, when you have that first read in the room with everybody, it feels different. It comes alive in a way that it hasn't.

[Kate Hudson]

Before. It does. I felt that way, though, coming in. It was. My biggest thing was everything's on the page. The thing that we don't know if it is is how our chemistry. And if we don't have that, and if that's not. If we're not in that.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Intimate. That's why it doesn't feel like.

[Kate Hudson]

Acting.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Depth. That's why you both deserve many awards. Because none of it feels like acting. None of it feels like.

[Hugh Jackman]

Acting. I'm so glad you mentioned that, because both of us can. We can take it pretty well. Right? We can get on with.

[Kate Hudson]

People. We.

[Hugh Jackman]

Can. You.

[Kate Hudson]

Know. We.

[Hugh Jackman]

Can.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. But this needed something deeper than two actors meeting. They get on great, you know, it needed a trust.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yep.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. And.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Intimacy. I guess it's what the reviewer said. It's not just energy or chemistry. It's a synergy that happened. Something that happened. Yeah. And so how do you make that happen? On. Is it either there or isn't there? Or you have to work at actually making it.

[Kate Hudson]

Happen. I think what you said did you have to work at it. I didn't. What Are we gonna discover something? No. I feel like when you say we're connectors, I think that there's something about us that's very like. We love being a part of the community. We're circus people, you know, and there's a similarity in how we connect to anyone, and we're both tactile, and I think there was just this immediate understanding that we needed to go to this place, and so we allowed ourselves to. Trust is the right word, but also generosity. Hugh, like, my son, said this. Ryder said this about Hugh. He's like, mom, if sainthood was still sort of a thing, I think you would be a.

[Hugh Jackman]

Saint.

[Kate Hudson]

Ryder. Yeah. And he really meant that, because he and Ryder said his words, not mine, was. His generosity of spirit is so. It's so palpable. It's so incredible. And I think that for someone like you, I think it's probably becoming intimate or doing something like that is something you haven't really. You haven't really.

[Hugh Jackman]

Expressed.

[Kate Hudson]

No. And so when I was able to sort of be that person with you, it was like I felt this, like, openness in you. But I think it's a new part of who you are in this part of your life. And I feel so honored that I got to be the first person.

[Oprah Winfrey]

To actually crack that thing, to crack.

[Kate Hudson]

That experience that with you, which is, you know, I've met you multiple times throughout our, you know, careers, but there was just a newness in you, a different thing. And I think we just met each other at the right time, and it came out.

[Hugh Jackman]

And. Yeah.

[Kate Hudson]

Therapist. Yeah, Yeah, I can hear.

[Oprah Winfrey]

You. I can see you receiving that, like, what she's saying. I can see you really taking that in, is what she's saying. You feel that for yourself, that there's a newness, There's a something.

[Hugh Jackman]

There. Yeah, yeah. And I. I felt it with the director as well. With the director, because you went.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Somewhere we haven't seen you go before you.

[Kate Hudson]

Did.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. And I look up on screen, I go, oh, I feel. I'm seeing more of me that I feel than I've ever seen on screen. So I think it comes with trust. It comes with some humility. It comes with life. Your work, too, and the work. My own.

[Kate Hudson]

Words.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. Well, I want to show this moment, y', all, where Hugh's character, Mike, realizes that his dreams just. They just might come true. Take a.

[Hugh Jackman]

Look. You know, Neil is special, and I just want everyone to get that feeling I get when I listen to America and.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Forever. Blue.

[Kate Hudson]

Jeans. Sweet.

[Hugh Jackman]

Caroline. Sweet.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Caroline.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. But I'm never gonna be the real McCoy. I mean, I don't really look like Neil. I don't even really sound like Neil. I gotta be Neil, but I've just gotta be me.

[Kate Hudson]

Too. Yeah, you don't want to be a Neil diamond and impersonate her. You want to be a Neil diamond.

[Hugh Jackman]

Interpreter. I was looking for the right way to say it, and you just came right out and said, a Neil diamond.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Interpreter. So you were saying that there was a part of you that is showing up in this film that you haven't even seen or expressed.

[Hugh Jackman]

Before. If I could simplify it, it feels like a letting go. It feels like a relaxing. It feels like a trusting. I think I had maybe if I can look at myself, it was a little more planned. Reflect. Yeah, a little more planned. A little more controlled, A little. Somehow this feels like there's layers that have just gone down. And that's why I say about Kate. You meet Kate, it's just congruent. There's no barrier. You can feel it today. There's no barrier to what she's saying right here today is exactly what she was saying backstage. To me, there's no difference. And I think there's more. I think working with you really helped. Working with Craig and the script and maybe just life, that it's catching me at this time of my.

[Kate Hudson]

Life. But, Hugh, you said this halfway through the movie. He said, I feel like this is just meeting us both at exactly the right time, because we were both. It was an emotional experience for both of us to make this movie. There were so many themes and so many things that we could relate to in our own life. Even the musicality of.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It. You know, I started crying when y' all played Play Me together for the first time. Did y' all not? Oh, my God. And that shot, how he goes around. Oh, my.

[Kate Hudson]

Gosh. That was Kurt. That was Kurt's first shot. Yes, that was in my.

[Hugh Jackman]

Dad'S. That's Kurt Brewer. Remember what he did with Hustle and.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Flow? Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. Whether it's Roger B. Hanson and Terrence Howard, that moment where they start to make a song and you feel.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Something magic happen, that's exactly what happened here. He did it here.

[Kate Hudson]

Again. He did it here again. Belushi said this at one of our interviews. He's got the soul of a musician. Craig, our writer, director, and, you know, I think music movies are really hard to make. They're not made well, very often. You could really name your favorite.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Ones. And you. You said in the CBS Morning Piece that you tried out for every musical and been turned.

[Kate Hudson]

Down. I know everything that had anything to do with music, I was like, I would love to do it Some I got to do some I didn't. But, yeah, I think the Craig. Craig, though, has such an amazing connection to music himself. And so you.

[Hugh Jackman]

Can. We sang it live. Craig was like, we'll do it live, because if we're going to capture a magic moment, it has to be captured.

[Oprah Winfrey]

There. Well, Mike Sardina Lightning passed away in 2006, but Claire Thunder is still.

[Kate Hudson]

Alive. She's still doing.

[Oprah Winfrey]

It. Has she seen the.

[Kate Hudson]

Movie? Yeah, yeah, she saw it. I. She loves it. She loves it. She's just over the moon. And it was very challenging for her to watch, you know? Yeah, yeah. I guess they're the. You know, where we go.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Down.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah. But she's just so great. They're so happy. It makes me so happy that she's. Yeah, I think about Mike a lot because I'm like, his whole thing. Like, he was so filled with life and wanted to be this big like this, you know, his. I'm huge. I'm.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Huge. It's like, I love when he goes, I'm huge.

[Kate Hudson]

Baby. Yeah, I'm huge.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Baby. I'm.

[Kate Hudson]

Huge. Yeah. And. And, I mean, he. I wish he could experience this, but this is, I guess.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Exactly. This is the way it.

[Kate Hudson]

Was. The way it.

[Hugh Jackman]

Was. He's up there, mate. Made this all.

[Kate Hudson]

Happen. Yeah.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. He was like, when thirteen Studio said, no, Mike's up, they go, hold on for the.

[Oprah Winfrey]

14Th.

[Hugh Jackman]

Yes. This is gonna be.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Huge. This is gonna be huge. Okay, so I have a little.

[Hugh Jackman]

Surprise. Is it mine, nanny? That's true, because I didn't have.

[Oprah Winfrey]

One. Okay, so here's a surprise. Okay. We found two people in Wisconsin who love Neil diamond and used to go to the real Lightning and Thunder concerts back.

[Hugh Jackman]

Then. Oh, my.

[Oprah Winfrey]

God. They think, okay, I'm going to start. I'm going to zoom in with them in a second. And they think they've been told by the producers that we're doing a show talking about America and that because I grew up in Milwaukee and it's this, you know, center of the country. We want to talk about that. And they don't know that they are here, and they don't know that we want to talk about lightning and thunder. So I'm getting ready to do that. Okay. Oh, hi there. Hi, guys. So Barb and her husband Reid and their best friends Christy and her husband Casey are joining us on Zoom from Wisconsin. They're all Born and raised in the Milwaukee area. Christy, I want to ask you first. I hear you're all big fans of Neil diamond. And, you know, there was a group that used to play there in Wisconsin called Lightning and Thunder, and that. That was a real midwestern American kind of thing. So can you tell us about that? Did you all know who they were?

[Kate Hudson]

Absolutely. Sure. Yeah. So, yes, we absolutely knew who Lightning and Thunder were. We, as young adults, before we were even married, would go and enjoy the shows downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You know, we love our music, so we enjoyed their show so much, it felt like you were at a mini concert. They were great singers, and it was so much fun. It was not only fun with your group, but the whole bar joining in and singing. So they really were great connectors and a lot of fun to see, for.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Sure. Was it just in Milwaukee? Was it a Milwaukee thing.

[Kate Hudson]

Only? They also were in Chicago. I had friends from college that also would go see them for the weekend. So, you know, this area, they would.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Hit. So, Barb, what was it about Lightning and Thunder and the whole Neil diamond music that. That you love that attracted.

[Kate Hudson]

You? Well, what we loved about them is they had this chemistry between the two of them, and he would come out, walk to the crowd, and he looked like Neil diamond. So we would all kind of gather around him and sing. And it was like you were with Neil diamond because he really looked like Neil diamond, but he just made it really fun. And they were kind of fed off of each other as a couple, so they were really.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Fun. I think that is so fun. You know what is even more fun that we know it's your birthday, Barb, and it's your birthday. And I, you know, I love a good surprise. And I want to let you on a little secret we've been keeping from you here in New York. I'm here with the stars of the new movie song Song Blue, Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, who play Lightning and Thunder in the.

[Kate Hudson]

Film. Hi.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Hi. Good to.

[Hugh Jackman]

Me. Happy.

[Kate Hudson]

Birthday. Happy.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Birthday. Happy birthday.

[Hugh Jackman]

Boy. It's my mom's birthday tomorrow, so this is.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Cool. And I know you have a surprise for the Hugh, what's the.

[Hugh Jackman]

Surprise? What is my.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Surprise? Okay, the surprise is. The surprise is that you all are going to go in the spirit of the season. Hugh and Kate are going to rent out the theater for you for your own VIP screening of the movie song Song Blue. That's awesome. And you're bringing all of your friends and.

[Hugh Jackman]

Family. Y. That is so.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Awesome. Thank you, Hugh and.

[Hugh Jackman]

Kate. So when they Say, you should read these notes. You really should read the notes. I knew about you guys. Anyway, we're so thrilled. I've been planning it for a long time and you know, I've spoke to the manager. Everything's going to be.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Great. And Kate's taking care of all the popcorn. All of it. And all the concessions. Don't worry about.

[Hugh Jackman]

It. A lot of.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Garlands.

[Kate Hudson]

Yeah. So many, so many Christmas.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Decorations. It's going to be so fun. So you get the whole theater for your friends and family to go see it. Let me tell you, the audience here, we've all seen it and it is fantastic. You're going to have so much.

[Kate Hudson]

Fun. You want to dance in the aisles during the.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Show? Well, you will be able. Hey, Betta, you'll be able to do that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all so.

[Hugh Jackman]

Much. Thank you guys. Happy.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Birthday. How.

[Kate Hudson]

Fun. A rented out theater with your. That sounds so much fun. Like so much fun. I love.

[Hugh Jackman]

It. It's so.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Great. Didn't you think that was a good.

[Hugh Jackman]

Idea? I thought it was.

[Kate Hudson]

Awesome. That's a good.

[Hugh Jackman]

Idea. Good. Thanks. And it was so sweet of you to try and give it to me. That was a good idea. I was so.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Kind. Okay. There's something about, I think the spirit of the holidays and the spirit of Neil Diamond's music mixed together with the. The spirit of this love story that really lifts you up. What do you, I mean, I know that you did the film because you wanted to do the film, but what do you want people to get from all of this?

[Hugh Jackman]

Yeah. The story in many ways is it could be any. It could be anyone. They're everyday people, but their lives are extraordinary because of not just what happens to them, but because of their dreams and the way they. They build this family together. There's two people who come together later in life and they rescue each other and they build around them this village that no matter what goes on in their life, they have someone there for them, the unit. Ultimately, it will really restore any faith you have in having dreams sticking to them. Don't say no. If anyone tells you you can't have that dream that's too big for you, say no, I'm actually gonna dream even.

[Kate Hudson]

Huger.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. And then when a terrible anything bad shows up in your life, you just pick yourself up and you keep going and pick each other up and pick each other up. Oh, that's.

[Kate Hudson]

It. The unit gets us through everything. And I also think that there's something really amazing about that. It really honors like the Tip jar musician. It honors the people.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Who. Cause all those people who are in the scenes with you in the beginning, those people were real people that were on that circuit, right? Yes.

[Kate Hudson]

Yes. For every great rock star or every movie star, everything, there's a thousand people who are just as talented and don't get the same opportunities and are still out there. And they do it because they love it. And I always say, like, I remember when. And when was it Cillian Murphy who said, I'm a failed musician? And I remember hearing him say that, and I thought, no, you're not. You're always a musician. There's nothing. There's no failure in being a.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Musician, no matter if you love the.

[Kate Hudson]

Music, how you do it. Yeah. And I think it's a big love story to that, to people who have a drive to. Whether it be.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Something. Yeah. I think that's what's so motivating about it is that ultimately it's a big love story.

[Kate Hudson]

Right?

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. Big love story. Well, thank you, Hugh, Kate, for.

[Kate Hudson]

Stopping. Love you so.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Much. Thank you, guys. Song Song Blues in theaters everywhere. Christmas Day. I think it's just. It's a great see for the holiday season. And you walk away with a tear in your eye. I had a couple tears in my eyes during it. And a song in your heart. Whether you know Neil Diamond. Love Neil Diamond. Not know Neil Diamond. It's a fantastic film, and you guys are fantastic in it.

[Kate Hudson]

Really. Thanks.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Oprah. I can't wait to see it.

[Hugh Jackman]

Again. I want a little story.

[Kate Hudson]

What?

[Hugh Jackman]

What? Can I tell you a little.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Story? I want to hear the.

[Hugh Jackman]

Story. I hope Neil doesn't mind me telling you this, but when you're in the diamond house, they have a little rule that if anyone in conversation says, so good, two other people have to.

[Kate Hudson]

Say, so good, so good, so.

[Hugh Jackman]

Good. You have no idea how often we say so good in life. Try that at.

[Kate Hudson]

Home. And when I was there and it happened and it was so funny to me, I was like, did you guys really just do that? And they're like, oh, Anytime someone.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Says food, like, if you say this.

[Kate Hudson]

Food. This is so good, then the family will go, so good, so.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Good. I'm like, that is the.

[Kate Hudson]

Best. And now I do it all the time. If I hear it, I do it all the time. It's so.

[Hugh Jackman]

Great. And he loves it. It wasn't something in the original song. It just came out right. It happened in performance and crowds started. Someone picked it up, and then.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Everybody does it all over the.

[Kate Hudson]

World. Isn't music the best.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Language. It is the best. It's the best. But I just saw a video on YouTube of, like, 60,000 people in a stadium in Germany singing Sweet Caroline. I mean, it is the official national anthem of white people. It is for sure that. Yes, it is. So good, so good, so good, so good. All right, go well, everybody. See you next.

[Kate Hudson]

Time. Oh.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Yeah. Sleeping on my.

[Kate Hudson]

Pillow. Sleeping on my.

[Oprah Winfrey]

Pillow. You can subscribe to the over podcast on YouTube and follow us on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen. I'll see you next week. Thanks.