The Empire Film Podcast The Interviews (ft. Richard Kind; Regé-Jean Page & Halle Bailey; Ian Tuason & Nina Kiri)
Apr 9, 2026
Richard Kind, veteran character actor and comedian, discusses taking on Max Bialystock in The Producers. Halle Bailey, actor and singer, chats about filming You, Me & Tuscany and shooting in Italy. Nina Kiri, actor starring in Undertone, talks about inhabiting a claustrophobic podcaster role and the film’s production. They cover theatre revival challenges, rom-com chemistry and immersive horror sound and staging.
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How Venue Size Changes A Performance
- Performing the same role in different venues changes acting choices: a 1,400-seat Broadway house, an 18,000-seat Hollywood Bowl, and a 700-seat West End theatre each demand different energy and delivery.
- Kind emphasized that the character's foundation stays the same but staging, choreography and proximity to the audience alter timing, movement and breath control.
Avoid Overexplaining Comedy
- Don't over-explain comedy to someone who understands it; you either get it or you don't, and explaining often kills it.
- Kind avoids dissecting jokes with Mel Brooks, trusting instinct and the material's internal rhythm.
Location As A Character In Rom Coms
- Tuscany functions as a third character in the rom-com, with food, land and people inseparable and central to the story's emotional beats.
- The production incorporated local family culinary traditions, e.g., Halle learned to make Cacio e Pepe by hand, to ground authenticity.