Cush Jumbo is as magnetic, thoughtful, and affable as you’d imagine her to be.
That’s why it made perfect sense for the multi-talented artist to pour all that geniality and charisma into interviewing notable figures and dear friends in her new podcast series, Origins with Cush Jumbo.
For podcast lovers, Origins will suck you in with intimate, poignant conversations between Cush and everyone from Dame Anna Wintour and Bridgerton‘s Golda Rosheuvel to Michael Kors and Jumbo’s Criminal Record costar Peter Capaldi.
We had the absolute privilege of catching up with the lovely Cush Jumbo to discuss what inspired her to pursue podcasting and what’s upcoming in the highly anticipated second season of Apple TV+’s Criminal Record.
Check it out!
Finding Inspiration in Wanting to Reconnect
What inspired you to get into podcasting, and why this concept? I find it very fascinating!
Thank you, Jasmine!
It’s like most things that I end up doing. I never decide to get into it. It just kind of happens. [Laughs]
I’m a bit of a strange fish. I act quite a lot, obviously. And I write, direct, and make stuff.
During the strike and the pandemic, I noticed that I had become quite disconnected from my peers and the people I usually work with and see.
I also noticed that many of my conversations with people I work alongside or people in the business from different artistic areas are quite in-depth because you don’t see each other that much for quality time. You might only see them, like, twice a year.
And you end up being like, “Hi, how are you? I’m fine. I’m divorced.” “You are? Okay, bye.” And then, like, what’s the next thing?
I have been told many, many times that I am A, very nosy, and B, very chatty. But also, people tend to open up and tell me stuff. And they’re always like, “I can’t believe I just told you that. I’ve never told anybody that.”
I’m not pressurizing or anything. But I have noticed — I don’t know if it’s a result of being one of seven kids — that people seem to like talking to me. So, I had thought about recording some of these conversations.
It just so happened that I was talking to Sony about podcasting at the same time. It all came together, and I thought, “God, am I serious about this? I’m not a journalist or a broadcaster. Do I even know what I’m doing?”
But it’s been so interesting and amazing to spend quality time with all these people I know because we never get an hour together, like ever. So it’s been lovely.
Narrowing the Gap Between Celebrity Assumptions and Reality
I was going to ask you: Obviously, you’re a storyteller, which probably makes you adept at interviewing and asking the right questions.
Does being a storyteller through various mediums help you in the interview process?
That’s a good question. I listen to a lot of podcasts and also read a lot of books. I love short stories, actually.
I’m a big short story reader. I know what I wish somebody would say when they’re talking and what else I want to know about that thing.
I probably don’t curate these podcasts as much as some people usually do because, with the origin stories, I tend to drift off onto tangents with them, depending on what I’ve caught.
But I think, “Oh, that’s interesting. I’d like to know more about that,” or “Oh, that makes me remember a time I did this.”
But yeah, I’ve specifically only chosen or asked people I love and admire and think have a piece of themselves that you don’t, as the audience, know.
I suppose that does make a better story than just a career trajectory podcast or another podcast about how your life could be better if you were more like this person, which is not what I’m trying to do.
I’m actually trying to narrow the gap between who people think celebrities are and who people are. Because we’re all people, we’re all just people going through the same origins, you know?
Pulling from Experience for a Personal Touch
Yeah, that was something that instantly struck me about Origins.
It makes people who usually feel inaccessible to the average listener more accessible and relatable. Part of that is the structuring. I listened and felt like I was curled up on a couch, drinking tea and just listening in — an observer.
Yay! I love that. That’s exactly what it should be like.
So, that was something that you deliberately wanted to foster? It flowed naturally.
Oh, definitely. It’s not a snazzy studio I’ve got in London, but it’s a small room, and I wanted it to be cozy and comfortable.
But also, as I said, I’m from a massive family, and most of our entertainment growing up was sitting around catching jokes, sharing stories, or watching movies together. I have also had a really close, small group of girlfriends for over twenty years, and we do something very similar.
We can talk for hours about stuff. It’s the only way I think I can have a conversation. Otherwise, it feels like an interview or an interrogation of somebody. And I don’t need to do that. I don’t want to do that.
We’re friends. I want them to trust me. So yeah, I’m thrilled to hear you say that because that’s exactly the vibe I was going for.
Celebrating Life, Sharing Love, and Being Vulnerable
I love the intimacy of it. I also adore the personal notes at the end of each episode with someone, a loved one. It’s so important to celebrate people and give them their flowers while they’re here.
What prompted you to add that little touch? Is that something that’s going to like to continue?
As you said, we try to do them for every guest. Sometimes, we don’t because I’m trying to keep this trustworthy and personal. I won’t reach out to somebody I don’t know for a voice note.
I won’t just reach like a random other celebrity to talk to them. I’d rather it be someone with whom I know they have a connection. So if we don’t have the time or it doesn’t happen, I don’t do it.
But we’ve done it more often than not with most people.
I did it because — I’m not sure if this will sound strange — but as people who work a lot like we do, are self-employed, and jump from job to job and people to people, we see our friends and family less than usual.
And a lot of the time, in life, just all of us as humans, exactly like you said, we don’t tell each other enough what we think of each other until we’re dead.
We don’t say enough. For example, “I just want to say today that you’re a great friend,” or “I want to tell my mum — my mum knows I love her. My mum knows she’s really helpful, but Mum, you’re so helpful.” We don’t say these things.
And strangely enough, you hear it even less when you’re an immensely successful, busy person, like all these people I’m interviewing.
The other day, I told someone that it’s weird reading in magazines and reviews about yourself and people being like, “You’re so brilliant.” Because, a lot of the time, no one actually tells me that in person.
My mum and dad will say, “Oh, that was really good, or I liked it.”
But more often than not, nobody tells them because everybody thinks someone else is doing it.
On Creating an Intimate and Authentic Experience
Yeah, yeah.
And I thought that was interesting. How often did they get a note? How often did Anna get a note from Bea?
The question is, why do you love this person so much, and what makes them special in the world? And you don’t often get asked that until it’s too late.
Of course!
You interviewed Dame Anna Wintour. I love that one because, on the topic of inaccessibility, the general public has this idea of her being this extraordinary, untouchable superhuman, majestic, you know? And I loved hearing about her down-to-earthness via your podcast.
Your rapport is just really great, and that interview perfectly encapsulated Origins, in my opinion.
Oh great, yeah!
Do you have a pre-existing relationship with everyone you’ve interviewed?
So far, and the ones that are coming,. I haven’t asked anybody I don’t know. But obviously, at some point, I’m going to run out of people to interview. [Laughs]
But literally, if I meet a new person or I haven’t worked with somebody before, in this world, you do so many jobs that you actually do make really strong links with people.
You don’t get to see them very often, so it will be a while before we run out of people, which is good. Sometimes, you might have somebody with whom you’ve admired each other from afar for quite a long time.
You may have only said hello at an award ceremony, but you know you’d be friends — you just know you’d be friends. And it’s a great opportunity for me to have my first friendship date with them.
Why People Are Inspired by Origins
My initial thoughts about Origins are that you have the voice for a podcast — it’s very soothing and relaxing — and that you’re magnetic enough to probably get anyone to speak with you on your podcast and spill their guts out.
Thank you!
When interviewing someone, how do you pinpoint which “origins” to focus on? Why do you think people respond well to hearing about people’s past and beginnings more so than where they are now?
Generally speaking, the audience for audio and podcasting is actually a section of life that’s expanded quite a lot now. We’re all living longer, and our world has changed in that the thing you went to school to do might not be the thing you do forever, and you can have many chapters in your life.
It’s quite encouraging and soothing that an origin can start somewhere, and somebody can get to that point, but there is still so much life to do. Quite often, what a lot of people say is, “I’ve done this, and I’ve done this, and I’ve done that, but for me, I feel like I’ve got so much further to go.”
And people find that quite life-affirming whenever they feel like, is this it? You know, is the choice I made the choice I’m making now? So maybe that’s why, yeah.
Teasing Criminal Record Season 2
Switching over to Criminal Record. It’s getting a second season. Can you tease anything about that? What’s upcoming? Just any details?
Yes. So we start shooting at the end of January. We’re very excited.
We’ve been waiting a long time to start. Obviously, the strike put us behind. So we’re very excited to do it.
What I’m allowed to say, or I think I’m allowed to say as an exec, is that in the first season, we tried really hard to get into the gray area of what that police system is, how it affects people, and what the generational difference is. And this season, that continues.
It’s weird…
Do you know how sometimes things get written, and you’re like, “Shit, this is in the news now. How is this happening?” Well, that’s kind of happened to us.
So it’s going to be very current. And literally, accidentally, it’s just a kismet. It’s just what’s happened.
And it’s going to be very exciting. And I’m pretty sure I’ll still be being beaten up at some point.
I know you take such a beating, but I love it. You guys have cornered the market on police dramas. We don’t even come close in America to them.
Thank you, Jasmine. I’ve got to say, I absolutely love it. I love it.
I take it very seriously. When you’re doing anything about injustice, you need to do it in the most justified way. And there’s a big responsibility there because it’s not just entertainment.
It needs to be entertaining, but you’re literally holding many people’s stories in your hands. So I’m really proud of it. And I can’t wait to do it again.
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You can find Origins with Cush Jumbo on all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Tune in for intimate conversations with Dame Anna Wintour, Michael Kors, David Schwimmer, Kate Nash, Peter Capaldi, Poppy Delevingne, Julianna Margulies and Golda Rosheuvel.
You can stream the first season of Criminal Record on Apple TV+.
