A Chat with Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer

Jane and Michael Banks have all grown up and moved on with their lives. So much so, in fact, neither of them ever expected to see Mary Poppins drop in unexpectedly in their adult lives. We got to chat with Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer on their roles as the adult Banks children in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns.

Rob Marshall told us in an interview he was so excited to have his first choice for all the roles in the film.

“When Rob likes you, he doesn’t hold back,” Whishaw said. “You feel his love. You feel his excitement about what you might bring to the table. I really, really value that. In a way that’s everything.

“It makes you your best,” Mortimer said.

“My dad always said that if you tell people they’re beautiful or wonderful and clever and talented and special and amazing, they are,” Mortimer said.

Both Karen Dotrice and Dick Van Dyke have cameos in the film.

 

“I think that the final scene when we’re on the balloons was quite challenging,” Whishaw said. “I mean, everything was. But that was because that had to be the climactic moment, you know? And it’s weirdly much easier sometimes to play misery, and kind of grief or whatever. But being open-hearted and happy can be quite hard.”

“I remember feeling quite confused by how to be when we talked into the house, and it was all empty of all the furniture, and we were clearing out the stuff, and saying goodbye to the house,” Mortimer said. The temptation was to, you know, oh my god, this is a terrible moment in their lives, and to really make a meal of it. And Rob was really good, and he said, ‘You know, you’ve done your grieving, kind of. Just say goodbye to your house and try to be.’ I felt a grateful him. The sadness is going to come from seeing people trying to be happy.”

“You spend most of the time sitting in a little tent by a heater,” Whishaw said.

“Planning your lunch. And getting obsessed…by what you’re gonna have for lunch,” Mortimer said.

 

 

MARY POPPINS RETURNS arrives in theatres everywhere on December 19th! Grab your tickets now!

Thanks to Walt Disney Studios for bringing me to Los Angeles on an all-expense paid trip. As always, all opinions are my own.