Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs' new film, The Salt Path is a glorious, heart-warming film that showcases the power of human resilience, love and the healing power of nature. Based on the remarkable true story and bestselling book of the same name by Raynor Winn, the film stars Gillian and Jason playing the lead roles of married couple Raynor and Moth Winn.
In 2016, Raynor and Moth face a series of devastating events: they lose their home and livelihood due to a dodgy investment gone wrong, and Moth is diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration, a rare and terminal neurological condition. With hardly any money, no home, Moth’s failing health and only a book to guide them, they embark on a journey along the South West Coast Path from Somerset through Devon, Cornwall to Dorset - carrying only essential supplies and relying on wild camping. The trip sees them battle storms, almost lose their remaining possession and home - a tent - and encounter acts of human kindness from strangers along the way. Both Gillian and Jason give utterly superb performances in a film that I hope will be a quiet summer time box office hit. Just take your tissues to the cinema. GLAMOUR caught up with Gillian and Jason (fresh from his The White Lotus glory) last month for one of our series of Friendship Tests where we learned about Jason’s prolific friendship group (and ability to talk), Gillian’s power as an entrepreneur and their shared passion for Pot Noodles!
Gillian what were your first impressions of Jason?
Gillian: My first impressions were that he's a very good storyteller.
Jason: Very shy and quiet you didn't think?
Gillian: Definitely not shy and quiet. No, he likes to talk.
And after you worked together, what was the most surprising thing you learnt about Jason?
Gillian: That he likes to talk! [laughing]
Jason: That still surprised you after all that time?
Gillian: No, no, no. [That] he has so many friends.
Jason: I know a lot of people.
Gillian:... so many friends. I know about five people and he knows about 5,000.
Jason: Our social circles overlap.
And what about you, Jason?
Jason: I was surprised to find and impressed and slightly intimidated to find one or two things. One, how much Gillian likes quiet and wants to be alone and quiet and dark. But also that she's an entrepreneur. Not that she was bright, that didn't surprise me, but she used those energies to be building different fields and work in different areas and books and book clubs and products and stuff, her G Spot Drinks. And it made me feel like I have less than a single string to my bow.
Gillian talks empowerment, entrepreneurship and the power of Sex Education.
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And who do you think would cope better in a tent in a storm with the tide coming in [as Raynor and Moth did]?
Jason: Neither of us.
Gillian: Neither of us.
Jason: We'd be rubbish. We'd call for help immediately. I wouldn't be in a tent.
What was the standout memory from set from filming for you?
Giilian: There's a scene in the film where Ray lies down and Moth brings her a cup of tea. But on that particular day that we were filming in that particular spot, it was so gorgeous and the sun was shining. And I remember leaning back and completely feeling immersed as Ray would in that moment of joy. And the simplicity of nature and the sun and the flowers and the sounds and the ocean and everything.
And is there an embarrassing moment that stands out from filming?
Jason: Well, the safe one to make public is that we had to have a scene where we ate Pot Noodles. So we made these Pot Noodles and…
Gillian: [They] put in lots of scenes where we ate Pot Noodles.
Jason: Yeah. But the first time [they gave them to us], I said, "I'm so sorry, chicken Pot Noodles. I'm vegan." They went, "It's all right. All Pot Noodles are vegan." I went, "But it says chicken." "Yeah, they don't actually have any meat inside." So we cooked them and we ate them and the director went, "Cut. You guys look like you're enjoying them." And we went, "Well, they're delicious."
Gillian: It's the best thing we've ever had in our lives.
Jason: They're amazing. He said, “Let's do it again.”
Jason: "And maybe don't look like enjoying so much." And then the props guy went, “They’ve finished them.”
Gillian: He said: “We don't have anymore.”
Jason: They're delicious. We're not on a cut, I promise you! [laughing]
Jason, what is Gillian's pet peeve?
Jason: Well, me playing music in the morning when she wants quiet. I have music in the makeup trailer. And you wouldn't say anything. You'd just come in and just wince slightly. Turn it right, right down so it was like someone playing at 100 yards away.
Gillian, is Jason a hardened cynic or a hopeless romantic?
Gillian: Oh, probably a hopeless romantic. Does that sound right?
Jason: I wish. That's so lovely you think that. No, the opposite. I'm such a catastrophist, such a cynic.
Who would you say is funnier out of the two of you?
Gillian: Me. No, no, no, no. I'm joking. He is very funny.
Jason: I'm from Liverpool, so everyone tries to be a stand-up every time they open their mouth. Even if they've given you news that your dog's just died, they try and dress it up. It's a disease.
Have you ever given each other a gift?
Gillian: Wait. He gave the whole crew a gift of chilli. You know, the one you eat.
Jason: Hot Ones. The Hot Ones sauces.
Gillian: The Hot Ones. The tents, on the last day, the entire crew was doing the Hot Ones from one to 10, from the mildest to the hottest. It was a really bonding thing, actually.
Jason: It was a bonding thing. So all of them were fun until the very last one when we were about to do the last take. And suddenly all the joy was sucked out of the world because it's much too hot. The nurse started crying. Someone else started vomiting
Gillian: And she suddenly died. [joking]
“As women, we know that sex is about more than just sex. But so many of us don’t talk about it.”
Jason: Someone locked themselves in the toilet. That's right. Someone died [joking].
Gillian: It was amazing how many of the crew actually joined in. Lots of people who I wouldn't guess would go to 10. But it's 10, which said a lot about them.
Jason: I'm sure everybody regrets it now. The last one was like a chemical weapon. It was a bomb. Don't do it.
Out of the pair of you, who is most likely to forget to respond to a WhatsApp or leave it on read.
Jason: I'm rubbish. I'm rubbish. Because I always think I want to write a more heartfelt response or a proper answer. So I leave it till the end of the day and I don't do it.
Gillian: I give one word answers... willy nilly.
Jason: You know what? That's the sign of a successful business person. It is because the most successful people get back to you, short answers. And I wait and I respond to one in 50 with a long paragraph. And the rest, 49 people hate me.
And finally, Jason, what's one thing you love about Gillian?
Gillian: Aww.
Jason: Oh my God. Many things. She's funny. Whatever she says. She's actually funny.
And Gillian, what's one thing you love about Jason?
Jason: Yeah, she's got nothing. Moving on.
Gillian: Gosh, that's hard.
Jason: Let's call my wife?
Gillian: I'm joking. No, he's really lovely. He's a very caring human being. And despite everything, he's a really, really caring, lovely human being.
The Salt Path is out in cinemas now
