Laurence Fishburne & James Hawes on The Amateur

Apr 10, 2025

This week features James Hawes, director of 'The Amateur,' known for hits like 'Slow Horses' and 'Black Mirror,' alongside Laurence Fishburne, iconic as Morpheus in 'The Matrix.' They discuss the film's unique take on espionage, weaving themes of grief and identity into an action-packed narrative. Hawes shares anecdotes from the set, while Fishburne reflects on his character's complexities. They also dive into the influence of traditional spy tales and the challenges of modern storytelling. Prepare for a lively conversation filled with insights and humor!

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ANECDOTE

Cab Driver Memoir

Simon Mayo's cab driver had driven him 30 years prior.
The driver's memoir, sold in the cab, includes stories of driving Led Zeppelin and Dusty Springfield.

ANECDOTE

Wedding Dedication

Simon Mayo dedicates the show to his nephew, Nick, who is getting married.
He jokes about listeners worldwide attending the wedding in Surrey.

INSIGHT

Jam and Jelly

In the US, jam is jam, and jelly is jam without seeds.
UK jelly is US jello, a generic term for gelatinous desserts.

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We have a real treat for you in the guest slot this week—director of ‘The Amateur’ James Hawes, and one of its stars Laurence Fishburne—AKA actual Morpheus from The Matrix. We are not worthy. Laurence plays Colonel Henderson, the grizzled CIA man tasked with training Rami Malek’s geeky decoder Charlie for the fieldwork he insists on undertaking in order to track down his wife’s terrorist killers. Simon chats to the actor and director about this smart action thriller, and its influences from Hawes’ Brit spy series ‘Slow Horses’ to Jason Bourne. We’ll hear stories from the set plus the pair’s thoughts on the theatre, The Matrix and Adolescence. Don’t miss this one.

Mark reviews ‘The Amateur’, as well as ‘Drop’--a psycho-thriller wherein a widowed mother’s (Meghann Fahy) first date interrupted by sinister messages threatening to kill her son—unless she kills her dinner companion. Plus, we’ll get the Good Doctors’ verdict on ‘One to One: John & Yoko’, the latest from documentary maestro Kevin Macdonald charting the revolutionary couple’s post-Beatles days in New York. We’ll also be catching up with the movie-going phenomenon that is ‘A Minecraft Movie’, and deciding whether we’re going to let its legions of fans get away with all those code violations...

Another week of Top Takes from Simon & Mark and top correspondence from you. Keep it coming!

Timecodes (for Vanguardistas listening ad-free):

Drop Review: 08:15

A Minecraft Movie Review: 19:53

Laurence Fishburne & James Hawes Interview: 29:48

The Amateur Review: 44:55

Laughter Lift: 52:43

One to One: John & Yoko Review: 55:24

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