Clayton Davis: Have you ever wanted to learn more about your favorite Hollywood stars?

Hayden Christensen: Getting to swing a lightsaber is pretty awesome.

Diego Luna: Wow.

Clayton: Variety Studio invites you into the room with some of the biggest names in the business as they discuss their careers and critically acclaimed performances.

Ali Wong: Filming at, like, 2 in the morning and running in the dark, it's kind of terrifying.

Clayton: With Jennifer Coolidge and Jeremy Allen White; Jason Segel and Ali Wong; and Hayden Christensen and Diego Luna.

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

I'm Clayton Davis.

Elizabeth Wagmeister: And I'm Elizabeth Wagmeister.

With so much content available, it takes a certain level of talent to truly stand out from the crowd.

Clayton: And we're giving you exclusive access to some of the biggest names on television who did just that.

Elizabeth: Jennifer Coolidge and Jeremy Allen White received an abundance of critical acclaim and awards while being propelled into the social media stratosphere, all thanks to their recent hit shows.

Jennifer Coolidge danced her way to the Emmy stage for her scene-stealing performance as a rich and naïve heiress in Season 1 of "The White Lotus."

Supported by delicious writing for her zany character, she managed to top her performance in the show's second season.

Tanya McQuoid-Hunt: And then, these gays, they take me off to Palermo and then they set me up with this guy who's in the mafia and he's coming here, I think, to try and throw me off the boat.

Elizabeth: Jeremy Allen White's visceral performance in "The Bear" is better than fine dining, as he fully embodies a young professional chef who returns to Chicago to run his family's lean and mean sandwich shop.

Carmen Berzatto: And I cut myself and I got garlic and onions and peppers in my fingernails and in my eyes and my skin was dry and oily at the same time.

I had calluses on my fingers from the knives and my stomach was--and it was everything.

Jeremy Allen White: We met--do you remember when we met very briefly at one of these awards things?

Jennifer Coolidge: Yeah, we did.

Jeremy: We met, waiting in line to have our Golden Globes engraved.

Jennifer: Yes.

Jeremy: Yes, and it's been so cool seeing all of your acceptance speeches and talking about, like, your journey and longevity.

Was there, like, a plan going into it when you started and then, like, choosing roles and to, like, find the longevity that you have or have you kind of just been finding people you love like White or Christopher Guest and you keep working with them 'cause they love you and you love them, I assume?

Jennifer: Yeah, you know, I--you know, looking back I never had any strategy at all.

That was the weirdest thing.

I mean, I--you know, I have to say I made the terrible mistake of not riding a wave that I had early on which was, like, you know, it was sort of in the '90s where I got, like, you know, "Legally Blonde," Best in Show, and "American Pie."

You know, I felt like this cool thing was happening and then I just went, you know, I was just, you know, I'm wasting time, you know, doing these silly things and I didn't realize I was behind the wheel, and that I could have manipulated it better to a better outcome.

But, you know, look, I'm--it's going well now that, you know, 50 years later, I'm so thrilled and, you know, sometimes I think, like, were you a theater kid?

Were you, like, a-- Jeremy: Yeah, I grew up in New York and, yeah, I did, like, theater and stuff.

Jennifer: 'Cause I think my theater friends that, like, started doing shows early on, sort of, I don't know, maybe had a better idea of how the process worked and how, like, you could go from show to show and sort of, your parts could improve and-- Jeremy: Yeah, in television, you kind of have to, like, commit to, like, one sort of, like, choice and you hope it works.

But yeah, when you're, like, on stage and you get to do things over and over and over again, you know, I think, yeah, you find more of a confidence.

Like, I leave set every day just like, unsure I feel like.

Jennifer: Yeah, I remember, yeah, there's nothing worse than being insecure on a job.

Not too long ago, I was on a job.

I don't know if I was really the director's vision of what I was doing.

And then they'd say, "Action," and then I would say my-- you know, do my part and then they would come back into the room and go, "Yes.

Why don't we try that again?"

You know, and it was like, and you know, and that was not too many--too long ago.

You just don't know.

You're like, you look over at your actor pals and you're like, "Is this--am I out of my mind?

Is this a terrible choice?"

You know, sometimes.

Or you just don't say anything 'cause you don't want them to know how insecure you are.

But I've had that.

Do you have, like, the insecure-- Jeremy: Oh my God, yeah, yeah.

I mean, I think you're right, like, it is upsetting how much I feel like sometimes in the moment I need that, like, validation from, like, a director or something like that, and it's really--I mean, it's so great, "The Bear," the show I do has been successful and, like, I've had success in that and it's like award stuff, and finally, like, I'm feeling, like, "Oh, okay, like, maybe I, like, I belong here a little bit?"

But it's a shame that it took, like, you know, 15 years of acting and now I'm like, "Oh, okay, like, I feel like I'm pretty good at this."

And I also, like, hope for young actors that they can, kind of like, find that on their own a little bit.

Jennifer: You're just--when you guys are filming, it looks like you never stop and it just seems, I don't know how you're doing--I mean, the amount of material that you have to say and nail it, right?

'Cause these are long takes.

Jeremy: Yeah, yeah, we did-- Jennifer: And you pull it off.

Jeremy: But that's the fun of it, like, in episode 7 of "The Bear" which we did shoot in one take, the fun of that was, like, we did get to rehearse it for two days so we were kind of, like, treating it as theater.

But it's interesting, like, outside of that episode, our director and show runner, Chris Storer, he only really gives us two takes, three takes, like, he won't give us more than that because he likes-- Jennifer: Really?

Jeremy: --yeah, because he doesn't want it to feel too comfortable ever.

I don't think he ever wants us to feel too much like we're nailing it, you know?

He wants it to always feel a little bit dangerous or uneven.

Jennifer: And it--also, I feel like I'm watching a documentary.

It's all so scarily real.

Jeremy: Yeah, we were lucky.

We shot the pilot, we waited around for six months.

I had my fingers crossed we would get picked up, and I just used those six months and I hung out in kitchens and hung out with chefs and I was, like, "Okay, if I really show up and I go to these kitchens and I listen to these people and I, like, try to figure out, like, the dance of, like, a kitchen and the movement, then I've got no excuses."

So I found confidence through just being able to tell myself, you know, I put in that time.

And that helped me.

That helped me, like, show up, you know?

But it's interesting, I was thinking--I was watching the last couple of episodes of "White Lotus" and I was, like, I was watching your performance as Tanya and I was thinking about Carmen, you know, it's like, they're so different.

These shows are very different.

They're so different, like, but I was trying to find similarities and there's like an incredible, like, loneliness in Tanya and I think for Carmen, you know, the way he dealt with loneliness was to, kind of like, shut the world out and, like, focus on one thing.

Jennifer: Yeah, well, I feel like, you know, Carmen is so busy and you can just get on that train and it's just like a momentum, you're gonna--but, yeah, I felt like Tanya was sort of stagnant.

Jeremy: Totally, I mean, yeah, it couldn't be diff-- you're going on your vacations and-- Jennifer: Yeah, and sort of she was--there wasn't anything really that active about her 'til the very end.

Jeremy: Right, so the kind of climax of season 2 of "White Lotus," you're on the boat, you have the gun.

Did you know the entire time?

Does Mike White, does he give you all the scripts beforehand, like, did you know where you were gonna end up?

Jennifer: Yeah, he did.

He--Mike did tell me that I was gonna have a horrible ending.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Jennifer: But he was just--he said it more like, you know, "I'm sorry, Jennifer, but you're gonna have to die."

But I don't know, I mean, I really do feel like my own awkwardness with a weapon really helped.

I mean, just trying to find it in the bag.

I was trying to--I was--we had to reshoot that a bunch of times.

I just couldn't, you know, and I'd-- get the gun and get it out, you know.

It was like, [laughing] "Where's the gun?

I just--inside of the bag is black, I can't find--" no, but by the time it was time for me to, like, you know, get a chance to at least, like, try to save my life, I really--it felt very real.

Jeremy: It felt like you were there, yeah.

Jennifer: And I really did like killing 'em all.

I really did.

It felt really satisfying.

Jeremy: Yeah, it was satisfying to watch.

♪♪♪ Clayton: Jason Segel and Ali Wong may be known for making audiences laugh, but with their latest projects, both performers find a surprising connection in exploring feelings of guilt, grief, and anger.

Jason Segel jumps into his most daring performance yet as a therapist dealing with the loss of his wife, making some bad decisions and hoping to reconnect with his daughter in the drama-comedy, "Shrinking."

Jimmy: Do you guys ever get so mad at your patients that all of a sudden you just wanna, man, like, shake 'em?

Paul: Oh, we don't shake 'em.

Jimmy: No, I know, I know.

I'm rooting for 'em, I am, I'm like, "C'mon, you-- person, you can change."

And then they just never do.

Clayton: Emmy-nominee Ali Wong is known for her standup specials and voice work on television.

But in "Beef," she displays even more range in her portrayal of a businesswoman obsessed with revenge following a road rage incident.

Amy Lau: But then I met George and I thought, "Maybe, well, just maybe if we could take the best parts of him and the salvageable parts of me, that we could make something nice.

Ali Wong: Hi, Jason.

Jason Segel: Hey, Ali.

Ali: So, I finally watched your show this week.

It's a really great unique show.

It does seem like a left turn for you too, so I am curious as to what made you wanna do that.

Jason Segel: Well, Bill Lawrence who produced our show, and did "Scrubs" and "Ted Lasso," called me out of the blue and was, like, "Hey, I wanna--I wanna make a show.

Do you wanna do it together?"

And--which is a dreamy call to get, you know?

And he pitched me "Shrinking," Brett Goldstein, also.

They'd come up with this idea about a therapist who was grieving and it felt like the combination of the comedy that I had gotten really good at and then the drama I really wanted to be good at.

And here was the opportunity to do 'em both.

Ali: I love how you don't let go, because sometimes when people really wanna do drama, like, they completely abandon that part.

But you're such a naturally funny person, 'cause some people feel like they need to, like, strip all of the comedy to prove themselves as a dramatic actor, but I really like that you didn't do that.

Jason: Well, look, it's like your show also, which I wanna talk about, but I'm going through life the same way you are.

It's--none of it's one thing, you know what I mean?

Like, man, I've been through some tough stuff in my life and I laughed my way through it.

And some of the funniest moments were the times I was the most miserable, weirdly enough.

And so, I just take the view that that's what life is and the best kind of--I don't know how I would define your show.

Like, the best kind of art, I think, is reflective of this sense of, "God, it's all of it.

It's all the things," right?

How many scripts did you get when you got "Beef"?

Ali: So, Sonny, the creator, he just called me one day and he said, "I have this idea based on a real-life incident where I got into a road rage incident with somebody, and I just ended up following them."

And he always had Steven in mind for one character and then, for the longest time, he was like, "I thought the other person in the road rage incident would be a white male, like a Stanley Tucci type," and then he said, "I just, you know, had an idea yesterday that it maybe would be much more interesting if it was you."

And I've always wanted to work with Steven Yeun.

We had before as voice actors on this show but, you know, he's like--it's him, he's like a once in a lifetime talent.

He's so good.

And again, he's that person who, like, he has a really strong essence that always shows up on camera, you know?

So he does disappear into the character.

Jason: Were you scared?

Ali: I was really scared.

And I was especially scared to be on camera-- I was intimidated about working with Steven.

And on the first day of rehearsal, I think he could sense that I was a little intimidated and he put his hand on my shoulder and he looked me in the eye and he was, like, "You know, Ali, I don't know anything that you don't know."

And either he's like, you know, I believed him because either he meant it or he's an incredible-- one of the greatest actors of our time.

But it made a really big difference.

Were you scared?

Jason: Can I be honest with you?

I'm scared about everything in my life, and I'm not scared when I'm acting.

Ali: Oh wow.

Jason: It's the one time in my life where I feel like I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

And that may be delusional, like, that may be--well, it's true, you know, like, that may be the delusion of, like, an athlete who's like, "I'm gonna destroy this other team," or something like that.

But I'm obsessed with prep.

I don't wanna be--I don't wanna be thinking about what my next line is or if I'm gonna get it right.

Ali: Do you start, like, a week before or do you-- Jason: I do this thing where I, like, I have a notebook and I write out the script by hand.

Ali: Oh wow.

Jason: Yeah, then I record it, leaving gaps for my line.

So I do everybody else's line except for mine.

So then I can just take to the streets and walk around and run the scenes.

Ali: Oh my gosh.

Jason: So by the time I arrive, I've, like, run 'em a bunch of times.

I almost got kicked out of a hotel because somebody called and said there was a crazy person in the courtyard talking to himself.

That's a true story.

So I show up super-prepped, and then I just try to really listen.

I could see how present you were in the show because there are moments when, especially in conversations with your husband, where you were gonna say something and then hesitate and then decide to, and then it turns, like-- Ali: Yeah, that took a while for me to learn how to do because I come from standup where you're not collaborating with anybody.

You're just by yourself and you don't listen to Jack S. You don't listen to anybody, so that was--that took a while for me to learn, and I think having really good scene partners who, like, you can't ignore them and when they're so good at listening, you're like, "Oh my God."

But it took a while for me to learn.

But it feels like, my God, from the beginning, you know, from when you were 20, you were, like, such a great listener.

Jason: There's so much improv in those--it was like the way I cut my teeth was on improv with Judd Apatow in our group, so that there's so much improv you have no choice but to listen.

And so, it was a really, really helpful tool, even going into, like, more structured drama and stuff like that.

The--I think, like, the tools of improv, I'm sure you do it as well, yeah.

The tools of improve are so helpful in terms of being present.

Ali: Yeah, they really are.

Jason: You got to do a nice mix of comedy and drama in this, right?

Ali: I did, and like, the show runner was really-- we would do different levels, you know?

They were--like, my instinct, like, that oner you see in episode 2 where I go around my house, point the gun at the crows and I'm, like, swearing.

I think they used, probably, the first take, and then he's like, "Okay, let's try one that's like less--just like, just smaller."

And then he's like, "Okay, let's go back to that one."

Jason: Yeah, yeah.

Ali: You know, just because the tone of the show keeps, like, morphing.

We always made sure to get, like, three different levels.

Jason: The finale is so beautiful.

Ali: Oh, thanks.

I will say that, like, have you ever filmed in a forest for a week?

Jason: No.

Ali: It was wild because I'm kind of a wimp, you know?

When we were there, filming at, like, 2 in the morning and running in the dark on camera looks cool, but in reality, when you run in the dark, it's kind of terrifying.

And so I was like, "Ugh," like, I felt like Shelley Long in "True Beverly Hills."

I was, like, "I am so uncomfortable."

And then Steven was--he'd been on the "Walking Dead" for 7 years in the suburbs of Atlanta at 3 in the morning, running away from zombies.

Jason: He was fine.

Ali: He was, like, "I'm at home."

You know, he looked at me and he's like, "I love it."

Jason: Yeah, ha, ha.

♪♪♪ Elizabeth: Not so long ago, in a galaxy we all know, Hayden Christensen and Diego Luna entered the "Star Wars" universe and joined a fandom that has been growing for over 50 years.

And now, they're bringing new depth to their popular characters.

In the miniseries, "Obi-Wan Kenobi," Darth Vader lives on, thanks to Hayden Christensen who reprises his iconic role as Anakin Skywalker, the former apprentice who fell to the dark side.

And it was definitely worth the 18-year wait.

Darth Vader: I am not your failure, Obi-Wan.

You didn't kill Anakin Skywalker.

I did.

Elizabeth: It was in 2016 that Diego Luna presented his take on Cassian Andor in the film, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."

And now, the character lives again with Luna playing a starring role in the prequel series, "Andor."

Cassian Andor: You just walk in like you belong.

Luthen Rael: Takes more than that, doesn't it?

Cassian: What?

To steal from the empire?

What do you need?

A uniform, some dirty hands, and an imperial toolkit.

They're so proud of themselves, they don't even care.

They're so fat and satisfied, they can't imagine it.

Luthen: Can't imagine what?

Cassian: That someone like me would ever get inside their house, walk their floors, spit in their food, take their gear.

Hayden Christensen: Here we are.

Diego Luna: Here we are.

Hayden: Good to see you, man.

Diego: Good to see you.

Hayden: Yeah.

Diego: I was wondering because I was making numbers and you were around 20?

Hayden: When I first started with "Star Wars," yeah, I was 19.

Diego: First film, 19.

Hayden: Nineteen, yeah.

Diego: How did that feel back then?

I mean, were you still, like, attached as audience to this universe and-- Hayden: Yeah, big time.

It was, I mean, just a crazy journey, finding my way into "Star Wars."

You know, I was 19, I was kind of fresh out of high school and very much committed to this craft of acting and romanticized about it and I loved "Star Wars," and when the audition came around, it was exciting but it felt too big.

It felt like just unattainable, you know?

It was a very long auditioning process, but the entire time I never really thought that it would, you know, never sort of really go my way.

So I was just enjoying it.

And then when I got the phone call to actually get to play the part, that was--that was a big deal for me.

It was a life-changing thing.

Of course, when I first got the phone call that I was getting the part, they're like, "You can't tell anybody, you know, 'cause we've got to wait till we make an announcement."

And I got on the phone right away and I told my mom, I told my best friend, and--I'd actually really love to start with hearing about how you got into "Rogue One," because that was kind of your introduction into "Star Wars," and I mean, it was one of my favorite "Star Wars" films.

Diego: Oh man, it was the first time, like, such secrecy happened around anything I was gonna be part of, you know?

I was asked by my agent to be in LA to meet someone for something, and I went into a meeting in a restaurant that was completely empty.

There was a guy sitting in the corner with a computer open, and this was Gareth, the director.

Gareth explained to me a whole film.

He kept talking about a guy and then this guy and then this guy and then this guy and I thought, "What is he talking about?"

I said to him, like, "But I don't see myself here.

How do I fit here?

No one has my accent," and he said that he wanted the--a realistic tone and a different approach.

He basically said, "Since I saw 'Y Tu Mama Tambien,' I thought you could be great for a role like this, and I want that kind of tone in the film.

I want that realism," like, this was about the people.

The magic was gone and the people had to find a way to bring change, to understand the sense of community, you know?

That's what I love about the film and then about Tony Gilroy's perspective on "Andor," that it's very simple to apply these ideas to the world we live in, you know, to end up reflecting on what's needed in terms--or what we are capable of doing as a society, you know?

Hayden: Well, I think it was very important for "Star Wars" because it is so, sort of, grounded in reality and it's populated by, you know, real people who you can sort of imagine their lives existing beyond the story.

And I think it made it even more so accessible too, you know, to the audience.

I love your performance.

It's like there's so much sort of subtlety to it and nuance to it, which you can't always get in stories like these.

Diego: I think it was something that we reminded ourselves every day.

In "Rogue One" and in "Andor" I think we took it even further, you know, the idea of, like, you have to forget this is "Star Wars," you know?

It has to become very personal for the audience.

So it has to be, then, personal to you, you know?

Everything needs an explanation.

You have to understand everything.

And the, kind of like, find the parallel with your life, you know?

What this moment means in your life, who this character would be in your life.

How would you, I mean, move around this town?

Tony Gilroy is a great leader and he was very specific always, like, every time you had to explain too long what you wanted to do, he would be, like, "That's--there's no room for that.

It has to be simple.

It has to be easy.

It has to be real."

So when you decided to be back for the "Obi" series, what was behind that decision?

What was there?

Hayden: Coming back to "Obi-Wan," that was a really great experience for me, you know.

I kind of thought that my "Star Wars" days were behind me, and so when I got the call, it was a very easy decision.

And the fact that it was, you know, the "Obi-Wan" show with Ewan McGregor, it was--he was a good friend of mine and work with him again and swing a lightsaber with him again, that was just, you know, it was a thrilling invitation.

And I was excited to get to do more with the character, you know?

Diego: That's so, I mean, it's not every--it's not just the character, man, it's The Character.

Hayden: It's a good character.

Diego: It's not a good character.

It's The Character.

It's like, I mean, 'cause I think it's more than just the look and the presence.

I mean, it's the story behind the idea.

Hayden: You know, I think what was really interesting about what George Lucas did with the prequels is he, kind of, like, subverted all of our, sort of, expectations and understanding of this character when he went back to episode 1 and introduced him as this, you know, very sweet young kid who just had a lot of promise and a lot of potential and he really, you know, mapped out a very compelling character arc that was, hopefully, somewhat sympathetic, like, I think we understood what Anakin was going through and maybe why he was making some choices that perhaps weren't the best decisions.

So it was a very understandable fall to the dark side.

But it humanized him and made him a real person.

And you feel for Darth Vader now in a different way too.

Diego: Definitely.

Hayden: It's this man, you know, trapped in this life that perhaps he didn't really want.

Diego: Yeah, it's--I do think that, for me, "Star Wars" has brought freedom in many ways.

But what did it bring to you?

Hayden: I mean, it would be easier to count the ways that it didn't affect my life, because it just affected my life in so many ways.

It's such a special thing that you can't fully appreciate unless you're sort of a part of something like that, to have that impact on an audience, and have that sort of carry with them and stay with them.

I mean, but how about you?

How has "Star Wars" changed your life?

Diego: I would say the love around this project and this universe, you know?

The expectation and even-- Hayden: The anticipation and the excitement and-- Diego: But it's so cool because I've spent my whole life trying to get people's attention.

Say, "Hey, look, we have a film here.

You might like it," you know?

And here's the opposite.

You know you're a part of--it's not just that they're expecting the film to come out or the show, but they also want the show to be good and they wanna love it and they wanna feel part of what you're doing and that connection, you don't find anywhere else, you know?

♪♪♪ Elizabeth: We hope you've enjoyed this episode of Variety Studio "Actors on Actors."

Clayton: Please join us again next time.

Jennifer: I always fell in love with the angry chefs.

I mean, I don't know what that is.

Jeremy: What do you think it is?

Jennifer: I like the way they, like, throw the food down and be, like, just, I don't know, it's so sexy.

Jason: I luckily started out as a model.

Ali: Really?

Jason: No.

Ali: [laughing] I'm so sorry, about the sheer disbelief that washed over my face.

Hayden: Have your cake and eat it too.

Diego: I like that expression, "Have your cake--" Hayden: "And eat it too."

I never really fully understood it, 'cause I was like, if you're gonna have cake, why wouldn't you be able to eat it?