Sex Education's Emma Mackey reveals her "bananas" scenes with Hollywood legend and "magical" Simpsons icon in new political film

Since Sex Education wrapped up its final season in 2023, Emma Mackey has been building a pretty eclectic CV.

In addition to landing big roles in Greta Gerwig's upcoming Narnia adaptation and an original JJ Abrams fantasy film, the former BAFTA Rising Star winner has been seen in three very different new movies this year.

First there was enigmatic drama Hot Milk alongside Fiona Shaw and Vicky Krieps, then came a small part in French body horror flick Alpha from Raw auteur Julia Ducournau, and now she takes on the lead role in political comedy-drama Ella McCay (you'll be hard-pressed to find a film who's title so close matches the name of it's main star).

The film is the first feature from veteran writer-director James L Brooks in 15 years, with Mackey starring as a political hopeful who becomes the governor of her (unnamed) state just as she's dealing with a number of small crises in her personal life.

"I think I idealised her a lot in the beginning, when I first got the part," Mackey explained of the character during an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com.

"I sort of put her on this pedestal. And she is an idealist. She's someone who fights day in day out for things that she really believes in and cares about. There's something quite noble about that, I think, and simple."

Mackey added that Ella also has "her flaws and her foibles" and "is stuck in patterns that she probably shouldn't be stuck in still" but that ultimately she was just "trying her best to navigate life."

"She just has this great spirit and this great motivation to try and do something bigger than just herself," she continued. "She cares about something bigger than herself and that's a great mission to have in life.

"So it was about finding the grounded-ness in that, and in her real job, and understanding where she comes from and how much she studied to get where she is, essentially, and all the experience that it takes. But also finding the levity and the humour and the clumsiness as well, in the moments of grief and sadness that seemed to happen quite a lot in her life."

One scene in the film – which appears in the trailer – sees Ella attempt to navigate one of these aforementioned moments of grief and sadness by screaming at the top of her lungs with her Aunt Helen, played by Hollywood legend Jamie Lee Curtis. It looks like a cathartic scene, and Mackey clearly enjoyed sharing such a "bananas" moment with the iconic Halloween star.

"It was hilarious," she said. "It was a great thing. It wasn't planned originally. It wasn't scripted. It was something that was added later on in the process. And it just felt right. It felt like the scene or that moment in the story kind of warrants it. You need this release.

"Because where does all of that go? Where does all of this tension go? She just absorbs so much this whole film, and what does she do? What is she gonna do with all this? So it was great. It was very cathartic. And it did dispel a lot of the bad juju that she went through. And so fun to do with Jamie, obviously, who's just pretty good at that stuff."

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Curtis is just one of many big names in the starry supporting cast of the film. The impressive ensemble also includes the likes of Slow Horses star Jack Lowden and The Bear's Ayo Edeberi, in addition to Woody Harrelson, Albert Brooks and Kumail Nanjiani.

But one co-star whom Mackey particularly relished sharing scenes with was Julie Kavner, who plays Ella's secretary and also serves as the film's narrator. Kavner is best known as perhaps one of the most iconic voices in film and TV history – having played Marge Simpson for over 35 years – but she's seen relatively infrequently on-screen herself.

"I love her so much, I'm so glad you brought her up," Mackey said. "She's just so wonderful. She's very charismatic and very funny, and sees you – like, really sees you. She one of those people [where] you're like, 'Oh my God, you're seeing into my soul.'

"And just amazing. A great brain, and she's so sharp, and she's so witty and it was just a joy. And that voice! I mean, that voice, is really something. [It's] pretty magical to be around that voice!"

Ella McCay is now showing in UK cinemas.

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