[Editor’s note: This interview was recorded prior to the SAG strike.]

The Big Picture

Haunted Mansion stars Tiffany Haddish and Jamie Lee Curtis discuss what they learned about what it takes to be a medium. Jamie Lee Curtis reveals what she thinks Madame Leota does during her downtime while trapped in her crystal ball. Haddish and Curtis both share “filmmaking firsts” they experienced on the Haunted Mansion set.

Justin Simien’s Haunted Mansion is a big screen fun-loving spooky adventure. But, one can’t help but wonder, how much of what we see on screen is actually possible?

Tiffany Haddish and Jamie Lee Curtis both play mediums in the film. Haddish’s Harriet is called in to help rid Gabbie’s (Rosario Dawson) new mansion of its 999 spirits, one of which is Curtis’ Madame Leota, a medium trapped inside her own crystal ball.

Back in June, I got the opportunity to chat with Haddish and Curtis about working on the movie so opted to ask the pair what they learned about what it means to be a medium while preparing for the film. Hear Haddish’s A+ answer and get Curtis’ take on what Madame Leota does during her downtime in her crystal ball in the video at the top of this article or in transcript form below.

Disney’s Haunted Mansion is now playing in theaters nationwide.

Image via Disney

PERRI NEMIROFF: I am fascinated by mediums, so can you each tell me something you learned about that skill or profession that blew your mind and totally surprised you?

JAMIE LEE CURTIS: You need Febreze inside the crystal ball. [Laughs] That’s what I learned.

That’s the thing! That’s what I’m doing wrong!

CURTIS: That’s all I needed to learn. The Ocean Fresh one. [Laughs] Sorry.

TIFFANY HADDISH: I learned that’s it really important to listen to your first thought.

CURTIS: Oh, great answer!

HADDISH: If you’re doing a reading or something like that, or even just in communication in general, whatever that first thought is, that’s the right one. And if you’re doubting that, that’s the devil. That ain’t no good. That’s fake news.

That feels like a good life lesson.

HADDISH: Well, it works.

I like that.

Image via Disney

Tiffany, there’s a great quote from Justin about you in our production notes. He was talking about how you nail everything you do. He said, “Whether she’s flubbing a line or she’s saying something that’s off-script or doing something you don’t expect, it’s always perfect, authentic and real.” So I want an example of a time on set when you thought you flubbed something, but found some unexpected magic in it and now we can see it in the final cut.

HADDISH: Oh, okay! So there’s a part where Harriet comes back to the house and the script said something completely different than what ended up in the movie. So I’m talking to Owen [Wilson’s] character and I’m going off on him, and in the script it says that I’m just like, “I can’t believe you would do this! Why would you do this to somebody?” And I decided to say, “Your mama would be ashamed of you! I can’t believe …” I go off talking about his mama and stuff, and when it ended I was like, “Oh, I’m sorry, guys! I just felt like …” He was like, “No, no, no! Go ahead, try it again.” Then I did the lines and then they gave me one more chance, and then I talked about his mama again, and his grandmama and his ancestors and everybody, and that’s in the movie.

A lot of things in this movie, pitch-perfect. You nail it!

Jamie, we get a little line about this in the film, the idea of what it’s like for her living in the crystal ball, but now I need to know more about it. What do you think the day-to-day is like for Madame Leota in her crystal ball? What does she do during her downtime?

CURTIS: I think she’s watching Real Housewives of all of the cities. [Laughs] You know, Beverly Hills, New York, Atlanta. I think she’s binging. I think she’s a bit of a binger. I mean, I’m fine on my own for a minute, but she’s in there for a hundred years. I think reality TV is her jam.

HADDISH: You don’t think she’s playing Spades? [Laughs]

CURTIS: No, no, no.

Now I just picture her watching reality TV in a very fresh, lovely-smelling crystal ball. I feel like that’s all she needs.

CURTIS: Yes.

Image via Walt Disney Studios

A bigger, broader question for both of you because you both have filmographies that are down to the floor …

CURTIS: Mine is longer because I’m older.

And now your filmography includes an Oscar win.

CURTIS: Yes it does!

I will say and celebrate that every opportunity I get!

CURTIS: Thank you.

What is something you both do in this movie that made even you think, “Damn, I’ve never done this before and now I have a new tool in my acting tool kit,” so to speak?

HADDISH: I did a lot of my stunts! I’ve done my own stunts before, but I have never rode on a barrel in the sky on a harness and then landed on my feet.

CURTIS: Oh, right, right, right!

HADDISH: I’ve never done that before!

CURTIS: I’ve never done motion capture. I had to learn a lot of dialogue and then have a neck brace holding my head still and a ton of dots on my face to capture my expressions, which then they animate. I’ve never done any sort of motion capture stuff at all.

HADDISH: You did the 360 camera, too?

CURTIS: I did the 360 camera thing.

HADDISH: I’ve never had so many cameras taking a picture of me at one time!

CURTIS: I’ve done obviously green screen/blue screen. I’ve done that work before so that wasn’t new, but I’d never done the motion capture. I didn’t have to wear the suit, by the way. Whenever I see the behind-the-scenes of Avatar and the emotional work that these people are doing, and they’re just wearing suits with cameras all over them, it’s astonishing to me.

It’s a technology that fascinates me to no end.

CURTIS: It’s fascinating to me.

I’m in awe of it on every level. On the visual effects level, and also the performance element of it.

CURTIS: The visual effects level is all technology and once you know how to do that, it’s science. The performing part is not science, which is why AI will never work because emotions are real and they come from human beings. They don’t come from machines. And so to watch beautiful actors do that kind of work under those circumstances is something very impressive to me.

HADDISH: I also became an understudy of the AD. I was AD 1.5, so when they would say cut I’d be like, “Alright, first team out, second team in! Bring in the spheres! Spheres. Bring the balls in.”

CURTIS: The balls. A lot of balls.

HADDISH: Lot of balls.

CURTIS: I’ve done movies with balls now. [To camera] And not just those.

HADDISH: They hold the silver sphere, this ball, and then they hold this color card next to it. It’s cool!

No matter what your craft is it cannot be replaced by technology.

CURTIS: No.

For every single department in this industry, that should be out the window, not an option.

Image via Disney

Personal question inspired by the movie; I love the idea of a “ghost wink” and I’m convinced that they really happen, so have either of you ever experienced a ghost wink, and if so, what happened?

HADDISH: When my grandma passed away last year, my friend told me that my grandma would reach out to me, every time I saw a white feather that that would be her saying that she’s there for me, right? So maybe a few days later, I’m in my house, I come out of my bedroom, and I walk into the living room, there are feathers everywhere! There’s a dead bird in the middle of the floor, and my cat’s sitting there like, “Hey, you like it?” And I was like, “Grandma, why would you do this? You’re messing up my house! You wouldn’t want me to do this to your house, Grandma! Do not come to me like this anymore. I do not like this.” And so she’s been showing up in my dreams ever since, every night.

CURTIS: I think a ghost wink is every time I look at my dog. Every time he looks at me, and really looks at me, I feel like all of the people I’ve loved are looking back at me. As my people will all tell you, I’m a little obsessed with my dog. [Laughs] Because you look at each other, but then when you really lock in, I feel like I’m getting a message from people that I love that they’re right there and that they’re with me.

Looking for more Haunted Mansion conversations? Catch my chat with director Justin Simien below: