Mark Ruffalotells me he has, until now, kinda shied away from playing the villain of the piece.
Being a bad person on screen, breaking whatever expectations.
He says it was never a case of avoiding such roles.
(L-R) Colman Domingo, Mark Ruffalo and Andrea Riseborough at the BAFTA Tea PartyBaz Bamigboye/Deadline
Its not so much avoiding it, they dont really come my way.
Now they will, hopefully.
He laughs, agreeing that hell be begging to play a nice guy again.
Karim Saleh and Andrea RiseboroughBaz Bamigboye/Deadline
From one extreme to the next.
This guys like a nasty dictator, fascist, narcissist; we know the bang out!
Ruffalo explains that theMickey 17characters a commander of a colonizing outer space excursion.
Hes as bad as any of these a**holes running around today.
He loves playing such parts, he tells me.
Its a whole new era.
Next up is an FBI agent for HBO inTask, a miniseries from Brad Ingelsby and Jeremiah Zagar.
He plays a good guy but complicated, he says.
Hes badly damaged but fighting for good.
The characters the head of an investigation that involves murder and kidnapping.
Cameras roll in March.
At some point those two might run into each other in the future, thats what theyre saying.
Its not set, nothings set, he adds.
Now lets see if I can do it, he says.
Riseborough appears with Winslet in the Ellen Kuras filmLeeand in the Stephen Frears HBO dramaThe Regime.
She also appears opposite Domhnall Gleeson in the miniseriesAlice & Jack.
Its directed by Marco La Via and Hanna Ladoul and is executive produced by Martin Scorsese.
Very few actually stop for a cuppa; most guests knock back champagne or coffee.
Bad enough that there were four different types of milk.
This is how the Empire was lost.
At least there were scones; albeit three choices of scone with vanilla essence, wheat-free or with raisins.
Maria Bello, a sunshine vision in yellow, appears.
Shes so good as Jordan Forster in Netflixs hit seriesBeef.
Bellos performance is in the running for a best supporting actress citation at todays Critics Choice Awards.
But were more interested in chatting about food!
The cuisine at the Parisian establishment has a Californian flavor, Bello cooed.
Stars came and went.
Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy fromOppenheimerstayed mere minutes, it seemed.
DittoMaestrosCarey Mulligan, who caught up withSaltburnfilmmaker Emerald Fennell.
Some of the best moments inSaltburninvolve Mulligan and Rosamund Pike, who wore a terrific afternoon tea dress.
Archie Madekwe, also very good inSaltburn, was tea-partying too.
So wasRustinsColman Domingowho announced he was wearing chocolate today as in the color chocolate.
A perfect segue toThe Color Purplesmarvelous Danielle Brooks and Fantasia Barrino.
Bailey tells me that filming on both parts of UniversalsWickedwill be completed soon.
He also somehow found time to shoot for two days on the Netflix showBridgerton.
Now, thoseBridgertonfolk know all about tea parties.
He nodded in agreement.
Its a Wonderful Lifecan screen any time of year, same withThe Holdovers.
Oh, it wasMayDecembersJulianne Moore.
And then maybeThe Killer of the Flower MoonsLeonardo DiCaprio followed by Loki, aka Tom Hiddleston.
Now, I have this to say about the tea that was brewed at The Maybourne.
Im so up myself that I travel with my own tea.
Its Fortnum & Masons Ceylon Orange Pekoe and the most important factor is the freshly boiled untainted water.
I travel with my own mini kettle too.
Im sipping a cup as I write.
Im more than happy to assist in the tea-making preparations for next years BAFTA Tea Party.
