Clayton Davis: Have you ever wished you could hang out with some of your favorite Hollywood stars?

Anne Hathaway: Hello, Jeremy Strong.

Jeremy Strong: Anne Hathaway.

Anne: Nice to see you.

Jeremy: Good to see you.

Clayton: The most buzzed about actors in the world are sitting down for real conversations.

Christina Ricci: I wanted to do things more the way that things are being done now.

Clayton: With Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong, Christina Ricci and Sydney Sweeney, Quinta Brunson and Adam Scott, plus Josh Brolin and Josh Brolin.

♪♪♪ Clayton: Welcome to "Variety Studio Actors on Actors."

I'm Clayton Davis.

Elizabeth Wagmeister: And I'm Elizabeth Wagmeister.

Years ago, everyone wanted to be a movie star, but today Hollywood A Listers are running to television.

In this episode, the biggest TV stars in the world are sitting down to discuss their craft.

Two classically trained theater actors, Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong, take on complex characters in starring turns.

No stranger to stage, screen, and TV roles, Anne Hathaway is now taking on the part of a business woman who is in over her head in the electrifying drama "WeCrashed."

Anne: This is WeWork's newest, boldest initiative, reimagining the education system, and they're getting an exclusive with the CEO.

Damien: Adam's schedule is kind of packed.

Anne: No, no, Damien, no, me, I am the CEO of WeGrow.

Elizabeth: And Jeremy Strong's commitment to the erratically flawed Kendall Roy has already earned him an Emmy Award, but in the latest seasons of "Succession," he delivers some of his most daring scenes.

Jeremy: There's things you're able to do that I can't, maybe.

male: Maybe.

Jeremy: You've won because you're corrupt, and so is the world.

male: Mm, well.

Jeremy: I'm better than you.

You're, you know--I hate to say this because I love you-- but you're kind of evil.

Anne: I mean, this is a hideous question and excuse me.

Do you find that you have shaped the performance that you try to adhere to?

Jeremy: No.

Anne: Or is it something where, like, the wind hits, and I'm off in a different place?

Jeremy: I think my only goal at this point is to be as free as possible, and in a way, too, here I go.

I'm gonna not censor myself and quote something.

And they say in this book, the writer says that painting must not merely reconstruct a moment.

It must itself be a moment.

Anne: Oh, good one.

Jeremy: It must not exist beforehand but come into being in the moment it is expressed.

Anne: That's the aim.

Jeremy: And I think that's the aim.

Anne: Yes.

Jeremy: So, in a sense, every time somebody calls, "Action," and then you discover what it is, and it reveals itself to you, but I don't ever prescribe a shape or know where I'm going.

Anne: Mm-hm.

Jeremy: I think if you prepare enough and have internalized enough, then you kind of just-- Anne: Yes.

Jeremy: You know, go.

Anne: I'm so happy you brought up preparation, because when we worked together in "Armageddon Time," your character was a-- Jeremy: Plumber.

Anne: Plumber, and you went to learn how to fix a refrigerator.

Jeremy: Plumb.

Anne: And plumb.

So, that, like, so a plumber is a trade.

It's something you can go, and you can learn.

With Kendall, was there something you could do?

Like, was there some way--was there something that you really went deep on and nerded out that kind of put the character in perspective for you or made him come alive for you?

Because I was blown away that you had, you had such an arsenal of knowledge about Irving in our movie.

And I just, I was curious about your level of preparation in all your other projects, specifically, "Succession."

Jeremy: I think with each time, you're sort of starting from nothing, right?

And you sort of follow the line of your intuition.

With Kendall, there's sort of nowhere to hide.

It feels like it's calling upon something else from me, which is a sort of bone marrow honesty, I guess, for lack of a better word.

I mean, of course, I read everything possible to read on the sort of media industrial complex and the landscape, but nothing for character.

Anne: Yeah.

Jeremy: Very little for character, just a sense that--I remember reading-- Anne: 'Cause he's trying--'cause there's such a sense of--I'm sorry to interrupt.

Jeremy: No.

Anne: There's such a sense of him trying so hard not to drown.

Jeremy: And I think that that's true of both of our characters, actually.

Anne: Yes, I agree.

Jeremy: It's one of the things I find so poignant about her.

You can't help but care about this person.

And you give such care and respect to who she is and, you know, very clearly, your empathy for her and the way that she is a student of life and--but also, I mean, part of our job is to create a character who can say, "Does it have a key?"

in the way that you said, "Does it have a key?"

Anne: But that's part of a world.

Jeremy: Right.

Anne: And I feel very, very lucky, in many ways, to have been born in a world that's different than the one that I've earned my way into.

Because I feel that it kind of lets me have a perspective on it and see where I stop and where it begins.

And I found that helpful in this story because--your character in "Succession," my character in "WeCrashed," they line up in a very specific way, but yours is inspired by someone, and I was playing someone very, very real.

Jeremy: Right.

Anne: And so there was a component to it where I had to sit there every single day and check in and just be, like, you are playing a real person.

Jeremy: Right, she's gonna watch this.

She might, right.

Anne: You know, so just tread--be fair, be honest.

And look, we've all, I think, to a certain degree, had our eyes opened in recent years about the things that we do not see.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Anne: And how, under the right conditions, even the best intentions can meet an area of blindness.

It was an interesting study for me, because I do believe with everything I have that the intentions were pure.

And I did a lot of research, and I spoke to a lot of people that had spent a lot of time with the woman that I was playing, and I heard the same thing again and again, which was, "She's so sweet."

And that was, for me, such an important aspect to playing her, and I found that was the only approach I could take to this--to playing this part--was a real--was a new level of compassionate curiosity.

Jeremy: That's great.

Anne: About what would make someone, who is defined as sweet by one person, but who's also defined very differently by other people--what's going on behind there?

And I do think that, you know, if there's one thing that we're learning in this world is that everybody is carrying around something.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Anne: And, you know, and take a look at the Roys.

I mean, money doesn't protect one from trauma.

Jeremy: No, that's right.

I mean, it is both sort of heavy is the head that wears the crown, but it's also this idea that having the external, having the trappings of power doesn't mean that that sense of power was installed in you internally in a real way, and that's a kind of burden, if you're born into a family where your sensibility or your strengths are not the same sort of criteria for what's of value, sort of the ethos of winning, which is, you know, both of these shows are sort of very representative of that.

And one of the things I love about being an actor is you get to sort of slide around that.

You have to slide around that, because your only job is to have compassionate curiosity and try an empathically understand what this person's struggle is and what it's like to walk a mile in their shoes.

Anne: Thank you, thank you, yes.

Elizabeth: Christina Ricci and Sydney Sweeney are two actors who have displayed great range through their work and now have gained the highest praise with their latest shows.

Christina Ricci was first introduced to audiences at just ten years old, but is now experiencing perhaps the most acclaim of her career with her nearly unrecognizable role in the psychological drama "Yellowjackets."

Christina: But you're wrong.

You only have leverage if I am not willing to make you talk, which, in this case, means that you have no leverage at all.

Elizabeth: Sydney Sweeney had a star-making year, stealing scenes as Cassie on the second season of the intense teen drama, "Euphoria."

Sydney: For 3 weeks and 3 days before we even had sex, so I didn't betray you.

Plus, you guys are terrible for each other, and you know I'm right.

And you guys can all judge me, if you want, but I do not care.

I have never, ever been happier.

Christina: You've had such an amazing year.

How did this year feel?

It must have been crazy for you.

Sydney: It's been amazing seeing everybody's reaction.

But it's a little overwhelming.

Christina: Yeah?

Sydney: Yeah.

Christina: And do you feel like there's a much different reaction for you second season than first season?

Sydney: Yes.

Christina: Yeah.

Sydney: Majorly.

I think that everybody had a lot of time to be able to watch "Euphoria," any show possible, and then there's just something more to consume.

Christina: Yeah, and also what Cassie goes through is so incredible.

Sydney: Thank you.

Christina: In season two.

It's really amazing.

And the thing that I really loved and appreciated about your performance is that it's a performance that you can take and make into like a meme or make it camp.

But the way you played it was never camp.

You know, sort of like so real that that's where the ridiculousness kind of came from.

And I mean, I feel like I do know how difficult that is.

Sydney: It is.

Because I think a lot of times, you find yourself maybe not taking a character like that seriously.

Christina: Mm-hm.

Sydney: You know, like, oh, she's crazy.

Christina: Yeah, and there were so many moments, also, that were really uncomfortable and painful, and it is, like you're saying, like, just the uncontrolled emotion of a teenager.

Sydney: Right, there's so much--so much is happening.

You don't know how to handle any of it, and she has so much being thrown at her, and Cassie is dealing with just trying to love herself, and it's so hard when you just, you don't know who you are.

Christina: Wow, yeah.

So much goes on in that show, I just-- Sydney: Well, can we please talk about how much goes on in "Yellowjackets," I mean-- Christina: I guess.

But when you're involved in it, it doesn't seem-- you know what I mean?

By the time you see it on screen, you're like, "Oh, yeah, right, none of that happens."

Sydney: I have the hardest time watching.

I'm so grossed out.

Christina: Yeah, my sister said, she was like, "It's like just feeling dread."

Sydney: Yes.

Christina: So much dread.

Sydney: I haven't had nightmares in a really long time.

I had nightmares after watching the first couple of episodes.

Christina: Well, I mean, it's a horror show, so that's good.

Sydney: But it's amazing.

You guys are doing incredible work.

And I absolutely love Misty, she's crazy.

Do you love playing crazy?

Christina: I do.

I've always loved playing people that you are supposed to hate, you know?

I've always been like, I don't want people to like me.

You know, and that's, of course, just me being a jerk.

But I do enjoy playing characters that challenge the audience to like them, in spite of their actions kind of idea.

And again, and like with Misty, I feel like it's a little similar in terms of that she could so easily--just like you were saying, where if you play Cassie in a way where she was camp, or it wasn't grounded in extreme pain, that you could dismiss the character.

Sydney: Right.

Christina: And I feel like Misty is a similar sort of situation.

Sydney: I felt so bad for her.

Christina: Well, that's it, yeah, and that's the thing.

She's in a similar situation in that what she does is very-- it's just on the edge of camp, you know.

And she is, you know, the comedy in a lot of the scenes, but so my real desire and struggle and whole intention was to just have it all be grounded in reality and have her be somebody that, you know, you might've seen that person on the street and kind of been like, "Oh, what a weirdo," but this is what's going on, actually, inside that weirdo.

Sydney: Did you ever--I've always been so curious when you have a younger version of yourself.

Did you work with Sam Hanratty on creating the character together?

Christina: Yeah, Sammy Hanratty and I met before.

Once we were picked up after the pilot, we met, and we kind of talked about just our intentions and how she was going to play her.

And then I spoke about how what I would be adding from age.

You know, like, she doesn't play it in a passive aggressive way, and my older Misty is extremely passive aggressive, because I feel like is a result of just being squeezed for years, and rejected, and not having any power, and being small, and all of those things.

So, and I think that's fun.

Sydney: Yeah.

Christina: So, what's the situation like on "Euphoria?"

Do you guys rehearse a lot?

Sydney: It's such a beautiful dynamic, because it's almost like a playground, and we're so fortunate because Sam Levinson allows us to kind of develop our characters with him and follow the process.

So, when we're in a scene, sometimes we'll either do it from beginning to end, and it'll be like, we should change this up.

And on the spot, we just work together on developing what maybe we should change or the character should say, or we'll just live it, and he doesn't call "Cut," and we just play-- Christina: That's fun.

Sydney: I was gonna ask--I mean, you started so young.

And, of course, I'm a huge fan of you in "Casper."

And how has it been being a child actor and growing up, and watching the industry change, and watching roles for females change?

Christina: It's really great, actually, and I feel very--like a small, totally infinitesimal way, I feel vindicated, because I wanted to do things more the way that things are being done now, and I wanted to play the characters that are now being celebrated, when I was much younger, but it's been so incredible to watch, and now to see all the incredible opportunities for women, and how things are changing, and, you know, even, you know, the leading lady material is so much more interesting and evolved.

It's really great to see.

And, you know, on "Yellowjackets," we have four older actresses, but we've all talked a lot about the difference.

And amongst the older women, we talk about how amazing it is, and how impressive and great it is to see young actresses really having power--and not power to exert over other people, but power to protect themselves and decide what they want to do with their art.

Clayton: Two actors who both got their big breaks in network comedy, Quinta Brunson and Adam Scott, are talking about their groundbreaking work.

As the executive producer, writer, and star of the breakout comedy, "Abbott Elementary," Quinta Brunson has catapulted to stardom with her portrayal of a dedicated second grade teacher.

Quinta: One, two, three, four-- Quinta: I'm Janine Teagues.

I have been teaching second grade here at Abbott Elementary for a year now.

Quinta: Eight, nine-- Quinta: As a product of the Philadelphia school system, I'm proud to say I survived, and now I teach here today.

Clayton: Known for his work in comedies such as "Parks and Recreation," Adam Scott has made the full leap into leading man status in the sci-fi psychological thriller, "Severance."

Adam: I broke protocol this morning.

I was dusting the old group photos, the ones of Petey, and it just made me feel sad, and I guess worried I won't be able to run MDR like he did.

male: That tracks.

I have similar worries.

Adam: So, I took them from the cubicles and put them in the storage closet, which we're not supposed to do.

Adam: Hi, Quinta.

Quinta: My dog Adam.

Adam: That's me.

This is cool that we're finally shooting our pilot, "Quinta and Adam Live."

Quinta: I know.

We've talked so much about it.

Adam: Yeah, years.

Quinta: And finally, the world can see what we have to offer as the best guest hosts the world has ever seen.

Adam: I can't wait for everyone to see it.

But since it's live, they're seeing it right now.

So, that's cool.

Quinta: Yeah.

Adam: Yeah, anything you do, it's live.

It's on TV.

So, "Abbott Elementary" is your show.

Quinta: Yes.

Adam: And I love your show so, so much.

I love "Abbott Elementary."

My family and I, we go through phases of watching a show together, and we can't watch it unless all four of us are there.

And we've moved through and Abbott is our latest and greatest.

Quinta: Yay, that's my favorite thing to hear about it, by the way.

It's like family appointment viewing.

Adam: Totally, which is really hard to find.

There's something about Abbott that's that great mixture of these razor-sharp jokes and a little subversion here and there like that-- which is just so, it's so deeply funny.

But also, the kindness in the show.

And my mom was a public school teacher.

And there's something that kind of hits me squarely in the heart every week, watching the show, because it's so clear that you have an affection and such a respect for teachers.

Where does that come from?

Quinta: Well, first, I didn't know your mom was a public school teacher.

Adam: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Quinta: I don't know if you said that before.

Adam: I don't think, I don't think I did to you.

Quinta: You talked to me a lot about Star Trek.

Adam: I did.

That was our full three-hour conversation starter.

Quinta: My experience was also really unique, because I went to the school where my mother taught.

I was in her kindergarten class, and then I was at the school where she taught for the next five years.

So, I spent so much time with her riding to school, being, you know, in school with--the relationship she had with my teachers was different than other parents to teachers.

It was, let's talk about Quinta, but let's also talk about this new curriculum that's coming in, or this new principal, or this change that they're making this year.

I just got to hear so much.

And then after school, watching her work more while I was in the classroom with her.

And then we'd go home, and she'd work even more.

Yet, somehow, still, like, put food on the table.

And so, naturally, I have this, I think, an insight that most people don't have.

But a question I had for you, what was it like as an actor, balancing--you're balancing so much, because you're two people.

Adam: Yeah.

Quinta: What was that like from day to day?

Do you just tap in, in the morning, and say, "Here we are.

Here's where we are this scene"?

Or what's that like?

Adam: It was challenging, because once I actually stepped onto the set and saw it, kind of the enormity of it, I started getting a little freaked out because of what you're talking about, like the whole-- because we had all nine episodes.

Quinta: Mm-hm, I assume that "Severance," although not a comedy, has a soul, but is it different from comedy to a thriller?

Adam: Yeah, it is different.

And "Severance" was unique, also, because we were shooting during pre-vaccine COVID, so it was sort of this isolation of shooting the show.

You don't even see anyone on the crew's faces, which it's still of sort of like that, I guess.

Quinta: Yeah.

Adam: So, we would shoot the show and right after cut.

Everyone puts their things and their shields up and everything, and then I, at least, was living in an apartment by myself away from my family and stuff, so I would just go to this apartment and sit by myself.

'Cause I wasn't really going out because everything, you know, was pretty locked down.

So, it kind of started this pattern that felt very sort of isolated and sort of parallel to the show, in a way, kind of emotionally.

And I think--and then, also, when we were on set together, the actors, that was our time during the day to be around people and be able to connect with people without seeing each other's faces.

And I think the characters, too, are kind of yearning for a connection.

Quinta: So tied in.

Adam: Yeah, and each of us were sort of isolated when we were away from the show.

So, I think there was a sort of emotional pattern that emerged in making the show, where it's some sort of unanticipated parallels.

Quinta: You are so good in this.

You're also so good in "Big Little Lies."

Adam: Thank you.

Quinta: You're also so good in "Parks and Recreation."

Do you feel like a constant?

Do you feel like a--what's it called in Marvel?

A Nexus being.

Like you just show up in places-- Adam: And do the same thing.

Quinta: And do the same thing?

Adam: It's just your surroundings that change?

Quinta: Yeah, do you feel like that sometimes?

Adam: I think, theoretically I would like to think that it's just the material and your kind of circumstances that dictate what you're doing.

And as an actor, you should just always be doing the same thing.

But I don't think that's really what I do.

I think you have to adjust, depending on what you're doing, right?

Like, if you have some jokes to hit, it's just a different responsibility when you're doing a network sitcom.

You need to make those jokes work, you know?

Quinta: Yeah, exactly, yeah.

I think as the first joint hosted-- Adam: That's right.

Quinta: --show in history, between non-television show hosts, this was a success.

Adam: This was, I think, excellent, and I think, as far as pilot episodes for global talk shows-- Quinta: It was pretty good.

Adam: It was very good.

Quinta: Pretty good.

Clayton: It's been three years since "Avengers End Game" became the second highest grossing film of all time, and now Josh Brolin is stepping back into the television realm, having an in-depth conversation with the person he knows best: himself.

Josh: Give him the Fritos, Bill.

Listen to me, you slack-jawed tub of guts.

I know that Tillerson's paying you off.

But hear me when I say my west pasture is my west pasture.

And if you don't call off that hearing, I might just have to show you a nice big hole in the earth that you do not want to be acquainted with.

'Cause guess what you're not gonna find in that hole, Carl?

Carl: Fritos?

Josh: There are no Fritos in that hole, Carl.

So munch up while you can, big boy, 'cause I've got plans for you.

Josh: Wow, I'm like, I'm nervous.

It's great to be here with you, man, I-- Josh: Thanks, man.

Josh: Yeah, I'm just, I've always been a big fan and-- Josh: No, I really appreciate that.

Josh: You have this new show, "Outer Range," which I wanted to watch the whole thing.

They started sending me all the episodes, but I saw the first two episodes.

And, my God, man, I mean, that prayer scene in episode two is incredible.

Josh: We ask that you show us the way here 'cause we're in trouble.

Josh: So, what was it like--I'm sorry, I'm so nervous.

Josh: I appreciate that.

I've been a big fan of yours, too, for a long time.

But I haven't seen a lot of your work, but some of it, I saw that "The Goonies."

Josh: Yes.

Josh: So good, so good.

Josh: Haven't you ever heard of that guy--what's his name?

The pirate guy, one-eyed Willy.

Josh: You know, I did "No Country for Old Men," which was a big turning point for me, and I hadn't done a western for a while.

And even though people really associate me with western work, I haven't really done a lot of westerns.

I ended up, I did a series when I was in my 20s, my early 20s, "Young Riders."

And then I did "No Country," and then I ended up doing "True Grit," and I mean I don't want to give my whole resume up here, but so it had been a while.

So, I talked to my agent, and I was like, you know, I really, I would love to look for something like that.

Have you done a western?

Josh: No.

Josh: They're a lot of fun to do.

It's gritty.

You're out in the elements and all this.

So, this "Outer Range" thing, it was really a straight western.

But being able to kind of look at life in a different way, it was really attractive to me.

Clayton: We hope you've enjoyed our look inside "Variety Studio Actors on Actors."

Elizabeth: Please join us again next time.

Jeremy: It was all your fault.

Anne: So my fault.

I so appreciate how deeply my fault this is, and you're willing to sit in this blue chair right now.

Sydney: I have such [bleep].

Christina: That's okay.

My--put an old-fashioned bleep here.

Adam: So, you know how to, like, if something's wrong with your phone, you can-- Quinta: Yeah.

Adam: Can you?

Quinta: Yeah.

Adam: It's been bothering me for weeks.

Quinta: What's happening?

Josh: Tell me when to stop.