Interview – Elizabeth Banks and Kumail Nanjiani discuss terrifying bedtime stories and flapping their arms in the recording booth for ‘Migration’

This holiday season, Illumination, creators of the blockbuster Despicable Me, invites you to take flight into the thrill of the unknown with a funny, feathered family vacation like no other in the action-packed new original comedy, Migration.

The Mallard family is in a bit of rut. While dad Mack (Kumail Nanjiani) is content to keep his family safe paddling around their New England pond forever, mom Pam (Elizabeth Banks) is eager to shake things up and show their kids—teen son Dax and duckling daughter Gwen—the whole wide world. After a migrating duck family alights on their pond with thrilling tales of far-flung places, Pam persuades Mack to embark on a family trip, via New York City, to tropical Jamaica. As the Mallards make their way South for the winter, their well-laid plans quickly go awry. The experience will inspire them to expand their horizons, open themselves up to new friends and accomplish more than they ever thought possible, while teaching them more about each other—and themselves—than they ever imagined.

As Migration prepares to land in Australian cinemas on Boxing Day, Nick L’Barrow had the chance to chat with the films stars, Elizabeth Banks and Kumail Nanjiani about their most terrifying bedtime stories, the physicality behind voice recording, and the moments in their careers where they had to take a leap of faith. And find details at the end of the interview as to how you can see a 40ft inflatable duck make it’s way pass the Harbour Bridge in Sydney for the film’s premiere!

Nick: Elizabeth. Kumail. It’s a pleasure to see you both! How are you going today?

Elizabeth Banks: I’m great!

Kumail Nanjiani: We’re good! How are you?

Nick: I’m very well, thank you! I appreciate you both taking the time to chat today, and I want to kick off with a question about the first scene in the film. I think it’s a scene a lot of us can relate to, and that’s the fact we were all told ridiculous bedtime stories growing up to keep us in line! What were those crazy bedtime stories you were told growing up?

Kumail Nanjiani: Oh gosh! Well, okay, my dad had a reign of terror over us for no reason! He was say that when you go to bed at night, djinn’s – which are sort of like genies, but scary – he said that djinn’s have a tea party under your bed, but you can’t look under there and don’t move around too much all night!

Elizabeth Banks: [laughs]

Kumail Nanjiani: I was terrified of the dark! One time he bought this boombox and he recorded himself going, “Ooooh, Kuuuummmaaiiillll”. And then he would hide it [the boombox] around the house and go like, “what’s that sound”? There was a whole family here, I have a brother! And it would always be my name! It was terrifying. I couldn’t go into a dark room until I was 12 years old. It was just chaos.

Elizabeth Banks: That is… so much more intense than mine!

Kumail Nanjiani: It was so intense! I have fear in my bones.

Elizabeth Banks: I was just going to say, like, we read a lot of Hans Christian Anderson, you know. Hansel and Gretel. Whenever I go into the woods, I still leave markers so I can get back! Make sure you leave something behind you so that when you’re stolen and go missing, somebody can find you.

Kumail Nanjiani: I think dad’s parental techniques are really shining a light on why I am the way am! [laughs]

Elizabeth Banks: My dad played monsters with us, for sure. We would turn all the lights out in the house and we would, like, go through the house and he would jump out at us. But, it was a fun game. Like, we consented to playing that. It wasn’t to scare us to sleep, it was to have fun!

Kumail Nanjiani: No, I truly was very scared for a long time.

Elizabeth Banks: I can’t wait to tell my kids about the djinn’s having a party under their bed!

Nick: There’s a pivotal point in the film where your characters, and the entire duck family, all have to take a literal leap of faith and fly out of their comfort zone in order to begin their new adventure. So, I’m curious to find out what that moment was for you in your career? Do you remember that moment where you had to fly out of your comfort zone in order to get where you are today?

Kumail Nanjiani: Oh, wow! Good question!

Elizabeth Banks: Mine was actually saying ‘no’ to something, not ‘yes’. I was offered a contract on a soap opera in New York City when I was graduating from school. I had so many student loans, and I came from a working-class family. We didn’t have a lot of money, and I turned down a six figure contract. And I called my mum, just to hear her say that it was okay to not take the money. You know what I mean? Which by the way, she did, and she was the most supportive—she’s like do whatever you think is right.

Kumail Nanjiani: Was this before Wet Hot American Summer?

Elizabeth Banks: Yeah! This is like day one in New York. And it just wasn’t my dream to be on a soap opera. I know that I got it like, right away, but I just wanted to see what I could do tomorrow.

Kumail Nanjiani: Wow!

Elizabeth Banks: And my mum was like, “Okay, do you think this is right?” And I didn’t do it… and I could’ve been a lot richer! [laughs]

Kumail Nanjiani: That’s so inspiring! I don’t think you would’ve been any richer, thought.

Elizabeth Banks: I would be actually!

Kumail Nanjiani: I’m going to Google your net worth! For me, it was moving from Chicago. Quitting my job and moving to New York to try and pursue stand up comedy as a career. Like, that felt really insane. It was irresponsible, with like no money, just to move to New York. But, you know, alright, I’m gonna try and see if I can make this work.

And you know, I was with Emily [V Gordon, Kumail’s wife]. We were already together. So I think with two people, it felt a bit safer to do. But looking back on it, you know, I’m glad I was stupid enough to try it.

Elizabeth Banks: Totally! Your naivete takes you far when you’re young.

Nick: And I mean, look at you both now! In regard to doing the voice over work, I’m guessing your voice itself can only take your performance so far. So, there is going to be a certain amount of physicality behind the voice acting. What does that look like in the recording booth for you both when you’re voicing ducks?

Elizabeth Banks: Well, I’m barefoot, fore sure. I like to take my shoes off. I like to feel the ground, and I need to be able to move around a lot. You know, literally when my character is flying, I flap my arms around like a crazy person! I’m sure I look insane in the booth!

But I do think it’s a requirement of making these movies. It feeds your imagination, because that’s what is happening here – a massive act of imagination. We are looking at nothing but a booth. It looks just like this room. And so, being told you’re flying through the sky, you’re a duckling in the clouds, you have to imagine all this, and I think putting the physicality into it is kind of the only way to do it at its best level.

Kumail Nanjiani: It’s the same for me. If you’re flying, you have to move your arms. You really have to pretend like you’re there and physically try and do as much as you can. I don’t take my shoes off! But I think that’s a great idea! I’ve actually done that on set once where I felt really disconnected. Like, the scene wasn’t going well, and I felt like I was inside of myself. And I just took my shoes off and I almost started crying because I suddenly felt so reconnected to my body.

Nick: I’m going to wrap up with this question because I’m very curious about this from a performers perspective. You’ve both done fantastic work in comedy, but you’ve both done brilliant work in drama, too. I think of films like The Big Sick or Call Jane. As actors, what is more difficult – making an audience laugh, or making an audience cry? And what do you find more satisfying as a performer?

Kumail Nanjiani: I find comedy to be easier, just because I feel safe in that. And for me, I sort of have the internal gauge of whether something is funny because I’ve spent so much time on stage doing it. So, when you say it, you’re never surprised by an audience’s reaction. If they don’t laugh, I know why they didn’t laugh. And if they laugh, I knew they were gonna laugh.

With drama, I had to sort of have that internal gauge and really trust it. If it feels real to you, and you really felt like you were there, that’s all you have to go by. So I find that a little more challenging for me. You know, as a guy, you have to be okay with being in touch with your emotions. And that’s not something that’s prioritised for boys growing up.

Elizabeth Banks: I kind of have the exact opposite answer! Only in that, you know, because I don’t do stand up, I don’t have that reaction from the audience. I mean, I can go and sort of charm people. I know I have good timing, and I love to do improv. But I find being on set and being funny, and trusting the edit to go with whatever is going to work, that people are actually going to laugh.

And I make things too! I’m trying to create momentum into a joke, and you know, build the punch line or the moment you release where you want people to laugh. And I personally think comedy gets short shrift in how difficult it is to create genuine funny, and sustain it for two hours. It’s why we revere things that are truly great and funny.

Kumail Nanjiani: I do think making a comedy movie is harder than going on stage and being funny. There are absolute morons who go on stage and make people laugh. But to make a comedy movie, you kind of have to be a genius.

Elizabeth Banks: Yeah, I agree. You’re in like a weird vacuum where you’re not getting that feedback immediately. So you’re not also sure if things are working until it’s all put together.

Nick: That’s so fascinating! I really appreciate you both taking the time to chat today. Wet Hot American Summer was mentioned earlier, and I have to tell you Elizabeth that it’s one of my all-time favourite comedies. I’ve been lucky enough to chat with Michael Showalter and Joe Lo Truglio this year, so this was another dream interview for me! And Kumail, I’m such a big fan of Silicon Valley and The Big Sick, so this was an absolute pleasure of me to chat with you both today!

Elizabeth Banks: Thank you so much!

Kumail Nanjiani: Ah, thank you for that. Take care.

Thank you very much to Elizabeth and Kumail for their time, and to Universal Pictures for organising the interview. Migration is in Australian cinemas Boxing Day.

However, if you want a chance to see a 40ft inflatable version of Gwen (a young duckling from the film), then head down to Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour on Sunday the 17^th of December and witness the BIG special guest as she floats from Glebe Island, passing the Harbour Bridge before arriving outside the IMAX theatre before the Sydney Premiere! Full details outlined below!