The result is Good Luck To You, Leo Grande, a lovely and intimate sex comedy that is so much more than meets the eye. As Nancy (Emma Thompson) approaches the situation with candor and apprehension, her partner Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) shows us both charisma and compassion, and together they discover a surprising human connection. McCormack, an Irish actor, is best known for his role in the popular Netflix series Peaky Blinders, has performed in the movie Pixie, and several West End productions, including The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Romeo in Romeo and Julietand the title role inOthello. Not only did McCormick enjoy every aspect of making his recent film, but he says that he has gained a great friend in Thompson in the process. “I can definitely say that Emma is going to be a friend for life,” McCormick exclusively tells Parade.com. “Emma is someone I’m so grateful to have as a friend because she has so much experience and life experience and I just have such admiration for her. To have someone I can go to even if I have any questions or worries is wonderful." Read on for Daryl McCormack’s take on intimacy, sex workers, friendship and whether or not his grandma will watch the often racy movie with a hand over her eyes.
Do you feel that you’re naturally charming or sexy in your own life?
Daryl McCormack: I definitely don’t really go around thinking so! I try to just be myself in a sense. But it’s not something I think of too often, whether I’m charming or sexy. I’m even blushing now thinking of me thinking of that. But obviously, there is an element in that character that needs to be there and that’s something that Sophie and Emma saw in me. I’m grateful that that’s the case.
You mentioned you made a lifelong friend after bonding with Emma Thompson. How did that happen?
I always think that you go on, you do work and you always have keepers after a project. There’s always hopefully one person at least from any given project that you feel like you’ve made a lifelong connection. Yeah, the same as with Emma—it’s really hard to go and do a film like that and not grow close. We just relied on each other so much to make this story. She’s quite good.
What were the challenges in your role for Good Luck to You, Leo Grande?
There was an element of just trusting myself as an actor. The kind of nature in which we shot the film and the sense that we can’t really hide anywhere was a challenge. I guess because it just makes you have to really anchor yourself in who you’re portraying and trust yourself within the story. So that was a challenge because for someone as experienced as Emma everything seems so effortless. But, yeah, I think over the course of the shooting you continue to build trust, both in yourself and the people that you’re working with, and it seems to get easier.
Leo is a sex therapist, but he’s also kind of part psychotherapist and part friend and helps Nancy with intimacy and a lot of other issues. How did you approach all of that? Because it’s complicated.
Well, I was really fortunate to speak to sex workers and I got us—I think for me it was a sense of vocation, and that was the case in regards to the people that we spoke to, that sense of vocation and just seeing the big capacity that sex work has was my main way in. I think Leo as a young man has just had enough life experience to not really be too thrown by anything that comes up for Nancy. I think that’s why he is such a good sex worker, is that he’s gone on his own journey with life and intimacy and all these different things that he can offer a sense of safety for her to explore anything that comes up for her.
Who is Leo in your mind? How do you see Leo? How did you approach Leo? How did you get to know Leo?
I see him as a really intelligent man. I see him really kind of brave in his exploration. I was really drawn by the fact that in a way he was kind of wounded from an early—from his upbringing with regards to his exploration of sexuality. I thought that was really interesting. I kind of wanted that to be a big part of who he was, and quite often pain can propel us to grow. That was just something that I kind of tried to hold close to me and something that felt very apparent was in Leo.
When you read the script what made you say ‘I want to make this movie?
It felt it was very unique. It felt very individual and the endeavor behind it was inspiring. I don’t think there are many people who would turn down a two-hander film with Emma, as well. But, yes, the subject matter just felt really important and new. I don’t think I’ve seen a film that explores intimacy in this way. So that was super exciting. Also, to just see a young man portrayed on screen like that I haven’t seen very often, either, so it really became a bit of a no-brainer for me once I read the script. I was just excited to even see a film like this being made, let alone be lucky enough to be involved.
Was there one scene that was more fun or more difficult or just kind of stuck in your head?
One of my favorite scenes, it’s a really small scene—but it’s just a scene where Leo is in the room on his own for the first time and he catches a glance of himself in the mirror. I really love that scene that Katy [Brand] wrote into the script. It’s just such a moment where he’s caught off guard by his own reflection. He kind of goes internally somewhere, I guess into the journey that he’s gone through in order to get to where he is. I just loved that feeling of playing such an inner life that was contradicted in a sense the outer representation that he was giving for his work. So that definitely was one of my favorite scenes to play.
You’ve performed on the West End of London, this movie and Peaky Blinders. Is there a plan or just good work?
I don’t think there is a plan. I’ve not really tried to create a plan. I’ve really just tried my best to follow my instinct and really work that gets me excited, because I think that’s the key in a way—to keep showing up, as an actor at least, is to feel like your work is invigorating you and exciting you. I would love to continue to make films, to be honest, independent films, and just work with directors and creatives that I’ve been fond of for quite a long time. I guess that would be a plan.
Do fans recognize you for Peaky Blinders?
I don’t get recognized that often, I think because I have a Peaky Blinders haircut in that and also. I’m wearing a cap a lot of the time. The odd time someone will recognize me, but it doesn’t happen that often, which I’m actually kind of grateful for.
What gave you the confidence to pursue a very difficult field?
My mom allowed me to do anything I wanted and never felt like there was—she never suggested anything that I should be doing with regard to my life. She just always supported me, she would always just drive me to lessons or acting classes, sports sessions, whichever. Without her, I wouldn’t really be here because I guess she allowed a boy to dream and she never, ever gave me a sense that nothing was achievable. I have a lot to thank for her.
What are some of the reasons you would like my readers to see this movie?
Well, I think it’s a great 97 minutes! I think it’s a film that hopefully a lot of your readers haven’t seen before. I certainly haven’t read anything like it or seen anything like it. I think you will definitely come away thinking about certain things that maybe you have not examined in a while. I think it gives a really uplifting and healthy portrayal of intimacy and how important intimacy is in our lives and how much it is intertwined with our sense of self. I hope that they come away entertained, but also that they come away thoughtful and encouraged.
I like the fact that one message is that it’s never too late and that after her life and her marriage not being what she wanted Leo gave her this major gift.
Absolutely. I think that is so important because I’m just about to be in my 30s. It would be terrible to feel that there is an age limit on intimacy and that there’s a cutoff point, because as long as you’re still breathing, you have every right to have access to that. I think that is hopefully another encouragement for people of Nancy’s age who have found may be that they don’t have that right. I hope they have a second look at that if that’s the case.
Do you know what you’re doing next?
Yes, I’m shooting a film in Germany at the moment called The Tutor. It’s an independent feature film with Richard E. Grant and Julie Delpy. It’s a drama-thriller set on the outskirts of Oxford. I’ll be there until mid-July.
Is there a family member that you kind of had to warn about Good Luck to You, Leo Grande? The trailer’s a little bit sexier at times than the movie.
Did I have to warn any of my family members? No, I don’t think I had to warn them. I think they knew the content of the film. Actually, all of my family is going to see it this Sunday, including my grandmother. There’s a running joke that my grandmother will have to watch the film like this with a hand over her eyes. But, no, I didn’t have to warn them. If I’m honest, my family just sees how much doing this job makes me happy, and after that, they’re just happy for me. So, it’s not too much of a concern. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande is streaming on Hulu. Next, check out the 12 steamiest movies on Hulu right now!
