New Edinburgh Harry Potter-inspired shop House of MinaLima opened by the graphic design team behind the films

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565Visit Shots! nowA new Harry Potter-inspired shop has opened in Edinburgh, run by the graphic designers behind the smash-hit movies.Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima started working together in 2001 to imagine and create the graphic universe of the Harry Potter film series for Warner Brothers films. Sharing a common artistic vision, they crafted the entire graphic style of all the Harry Potter movies. Their latest design adventure is House of MinaLima, a gallery and store showcasing their entire treasury of graphic works. The gallery offers a narrative environment for the graphic designs of the Harry Potter franchise, as well as MinaLima’s other artwork and publications.Inside the House of MinaLima shop at Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, with pictures of the magical pair behind the new shop, Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, hanging on the walls, centre.

Her Restaurant Business Is Worth $100 Million — Here’s Her Unconventional Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Business News

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As owner of the vegan restaurant chain Slutty Vegan — and a former television producer — Pinky Cole knows the value of getting attention. After all, her restaurant’s menu includes items like “Slutty Fries” and a vegan “Fussy Hussy” burger.Cole’s authenticity and genuine connection with audiences have been instrumental to Slutty Vegan’s success. She believes that people aren’t just buying her meatless masterpieces — they’re buying into her story, personality and mission.”People can feel the genuineness, [and] that has given me a lot of success in my career,” Cole tells Shawn Walchef, host of Restaurant Influencers.Related: REVOLT Names Renowned Serial Entrepreneur Pinky Cole Hayes as the First-Ever Creative Visionary in ResidenceFrom Maury Show producer to founder of a buzzed-about restaurant brand, she has paved her own path and triumphed through adversity.”One thing I know how to do is merge people,” Cole says. “I know how to connect people. I know how to meet people where they are.”Cole’s road to entrepreneurial triumph was not without its hard turns and steep climbs, some seemingly insurmountable. Yet, she stands today at the top of a brand valued at $100 million.Related: He Was Once Head Writer of ‘The Simpsons.’ Now, He’s the Gordon Ramsay of Fast Food — Here’s How This TV Exec Found an Unlikely Career as an Influencer.I Hope You FailChallenges are one of the many reasons Cole released her second book, I Hope You Fail, in 2023. She stressed that embracing failures and things we can’t control can be a catalyst for growth.

“I hope you fail because it’s in those moments of failure that true growth and success can be found,” she says. “I want you to do that every day. I want you to fall on your face. I want you to hit the speed bump. I want you to get in a pickle. I want it to look like it’s not going to work out for you because what that does is it adds a layer of texture to the story that you’re writing in real-time.”Cole’s belief in the power of failure comes from her own experience: In 2016, her first restaurant, a Jamaican spot in New York, burned down.”I was devastated, man,” she says. “And I’ve never claimed depression in my life, but it felt like a depression… I felt like a failure. I’m not somebody that fails. I’m too ambitious for that. But losing a restaurant was out of my control, and anybody knows that when you’re an entrepreneur and don’t have control, it bothers you.”But you can’t fail when you don’t give up.In the aftermath of the blaze that turned so much hard work into ashes, Cole experienced a pivotal moment of clarity.”It was the best thing that could have happened to me because it really redirected my energy to focus on something else,” she says. “If it wasn’t for that fire, that probably would have never happened.”That was when Slutty Vegan came to be. Cole describes the inspiration as a “light bulb moment,” coming to her through a haze of weed smoke in her small apartment.”Now, here I am with one of the hottest concepts in the country, and I’m proud of that,” she says. “Has it been easy? No. There’s some days I’m not gonna lie to you, I’m like, I don’t want to do this no more. This is hard.”

One critical lesson Cole has learned is the importance of focusing on talent and building a strong team rather than just chasing money. She credits her two longest-serving employees, Angel and Miesha, as the “left brain and right brain” of her business. It’s not one person who runs a business; it takes a team.”Talent is so necessary to the growth and success of a business, and you should definitely get people who are smarter than you, who are as hungry, if not hungrier than you, and who have the same ethos and mindset as you. If you don’t have that, it will not work,” Cole says.In addition to her unwavering determination and willingness to take risks, Cole has also recognized the crucial role that media and public relations have played in her entrepreneurial success.”If you don’t have a publicist, you are going backward,” she says. “You need somebody that will be able to expose and amplify your brand. You need somebody that’s going to talk about all of the giving back that you do and the new menu items that you have.”

When the chain first came to Brooklyn in 2022, people camped outside to try it out. That could not have happened without spreading the word.”Media is my friend,” Cole says. “A lot of people don’t realize that a publicist can put you in…all the trade magazines so that the people who need to see it will see it.”Related: After Co-Founding a Successful Restaurant Group, He Turned to Tech to Simplify the Checkout ExperienceAbout Restaurant InfluencersRestaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

Small business owners brace for Trump’s proposed tariffs

Business News

Small businesses are bracing for stiff tariffs that President-elect Donald Trump has proposed as one of his first actions when he takes office. Trump has proposed importers pay a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. He previously floated a tariff of up to 20% on everything else the United States imports.This means small businesses may end up paying more for goods and services. Small business owners say they’re waiting to see what final form the tariffs take, but are bracing for higher costs that they may in turn need to pass on to consumers.Laurel Orley, cofounder and CEO of Nashville-based sprouted nut snack company Daily Crunch, said at first she didn’t think the tariffs would affect her business, because she doesn’t import very much. But she realized the tariffs will have a ripple effect. For example, she had planned on sourcing bags from China to save 5 cents a bag. But with the tariffs, she might need to scuttle that plan.

“That was one of our big initiatives for 2025, moving all our bags to China for 15 cents a bag,” she said. “And now I don’t know if we can save any money on the bags when the tariffs go into effect.”

Warehouse prices are going up because of the expected tariffs, too, Orley said. Her warehouse provider said demand has been increasing since the tariffs were announced.

“As many other companies are buying bulk inventory overseas to get ahead of tariffs, warehouse availability is becoming limited, which will increase costs for everyone,” she said.So, Orley is trying to lock in her warehouse contract for 2025 and find a third-party logistics provider for the year, “to get ahead of what’s to come and pre-planning as much as we can,” she said.Across the border in Canada, Julie Bednarski-Malik runs another snack company, Healthy Crunch, based in Mississauga, Ontario, that specializes in foods that are free of the top 11 major food allergens like peanut, tree nut and dairy as well as low in sugar.

She sells her products in both Canadian and U.S. retail stores, and said tariffs will affect consumers on both sides.“If you have a severe anaphylactic reaction to some type of dairy or soy and you can’t find a product in the U.S. because we’re the only ones that make it, it’s going to be a lot more expensive for U.S. consumers,” Bednarski-Malik said. ”So I think these tariffs are really not only going to be penalizing, you know, other countries such as Canada, but also U.S. consumers.”She’s holding off on making any major changes in her business until the tariffs are finalized, but expects to see higher prices.“Ultimately, the consumer is going to have to pay at the end of the day because our margins are so tight beginning with our food prices, (which) have been increasing dramatically over the last few years,” she said. “So there’s not much margin left to keep the same price and maintain that price while incurring a 25% extra tariff on our product.”

Nosferatu Called “One of the Year’s Finest Films” in First Reviews

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

The first reviews are in for Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, and the critics have heaped praise upon this haunting reimagining of a classic tale, scoring it at 93% from 57 reviews on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.Led by Lily-Rose Depp, Nosferatu twists Bram Stoker’s Dracula story just as F. W. Murnau’s original Nosferatu did in 1922, with Bill Skarsgård taking on the role of Count Orlok, a vampire whose infatuation with Ellen Hutter (Depp) causes untold horror.

Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen Hutter in director Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU, a Focus Features release.
Lily-Rose Depp stars as Ellen Hutter in director Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU, a Focus Features release.
Courtesy of Focus Feature
The film is set to hit theaters on Christmas Day, and the critics are saying it’s worth the trip, calling it “a beautiful gothic nightmare” (Rosa Parra, The Latino Slant) and “one of the year’s finest films” (Jeff Ewing, Collider).”It’s thrilling to experience a movie so assured in the way it builds and sustains fear,” says David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter, “so hypnotically scary as it grabs you by the throat and never lets go.”Eggers is known for his twisted tales, dazzling audiences in 2015 with The Witch and hypnotizing them again in 2019 with the Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson-led The Lighthouse.Ian Sandwell at Digital Spy says, “Nosferatu ends up being an excellent blend of the folk horror of The Witch and the grander scale of The Northman. In finally realising his passion project, Robert Eggers has treated us all to the best horror movie of the year.”Nosferatu is a multiple decades-long dream for Eggers, who has been trying to get his reimagining to the big screen for the length of his career.”As his own master of the horror genre who set out to achieve a decade-plus passion project,” says Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson, “Eggers unleashed his vision in an unshackled and uninhibited way only he could accomplish.”Only four negative reviews pepper the Rotten Tomatoes page right now, with Peter Debruge at Variety saying, “Nosferatu builds to a tragic finale, but is weighed down by pretentious dialogue, somnolent pacing and weak performances, especially that of Lily-Rose Depp as the doomed damsel.””It’s ultimately a tonal problem,” says Kevin Maher at Times (UK), “The film is so self-serious that it keeps stumbling into camp. It wants to be Murnau’s original but Mel Brooks’s Young Frankenstein is in the way.”However, the overarching narrative of the first reactions seems to be that Eggers has hit the mark with his passion project, and we should all be excited to uncover its secrets come December 25.

‘Wicked’ Star’s New Film Prompts Backlash

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

An upcoming film starring Wicked actor Jonathan Bailey has caused controversy online by claiming to use an AI host in a series of TikTok videos.In November a shopping channel called 4QTV launched on the video-sharing platform with a presenter named Hayley, who announced itself as “the UK’s First AI TV shopping channel host.” The faceless host, who only communicated through a speaker, said it “beat six human candidates to get this job.”The TikTok account racked up over half a million views in just over a week and caused controversy, with many commenters asking for it to be canceled as it was championing the use of AI to replace humans and plugging pointless products. However, those who have created the TikTok page have said that this pushback is exactly what they wanted.Award-nominated writer and director, Alastair Siddons, revealed the launch of 4QTV was actually a tool to highlight over-consumerism.It was also part of an attention-grabbing marketing scheme to help launch his new independent film Up the Catalogue, which further spotlights these issues.

A still of Lyndsey Marshal (L) as Hailey Cartin and Morgana Robinson (R) as Jamima Hoare in “Up the Catalogue.” The marketing ploy for the film received backlash online.
A still of Lyndsey Marshal (L) as Hailey Cartin and Morgana Robinson (R) as Jamima Hoare in “Up the Catalogue.” The marketing ploy for the film received backlash online.
4QTV Ltd
“Film launches are increasingly difficult these days and for independent filmmakers it is almost impossible to cut through, so we wanted to do something really different that was in keeping with the theme of Up the Catalogue,” Siddons said in an official statement.”We deliberately wanted the AI TV host replacing humans to spark reaction and debate—it all plays into this dystopian world we’re heading for, where extreme over-consumerism is out of control and toxic workplace culture still exists.”Alongside Bailey, the cast includes British actors Lyndsey Marshal, Morgana Robinson and John Macmillan. It was filmed in 11 days during the height of lockdown.Bailey is currently starring as Fiyero in Wicked, with the first installment of the two-part film series released on November 22. Wicked: Part Two is scheduled to premiere in theaters on November 21, 2025.When the channel was posting content, it plugged bizarre products like “Permanent Bread,” “Disposable TVs” and a drink called “Hole_Aid” leaving social media users puzzled and annoyed.
“Maybe cancel culture can be a good thing,” someone commented on one of the videos, with another writing: “I hope this is a joke.”A third person added: “Well isn’t this just vile.”Simmons has apologized for the outrage the channel caused but has encouraged people to watch the film.”We’re sorry, but we do hope social media quickly gets over our provocative film launch and gets out to watch Up the Catalogue and support independent filmmakers. 4QTV and products like Permanent Bread and Hole_Aid are all meant to speak to a world out of balance,” he said.”It’s a particularly poignant moment to release it when over-consumerism is in overdrive and we promise it’s a darkly humorous yet thought-provoking film worth watching at this time of year.”On one level it’s a simple story about female empowerment in the workplace, concerning an overworked employee being denied a lavatory break in a gaslit, hostile work environment. On a deeper level, the film intends to serve as a stark parody of consumer culture.”

A still of actor Jonathan Bailey as Jeremy in the film “Up the Catalogue.” The movie was filmed in 11 days during the height of lockdown.
A still of actor Jonathan Bailey as Jeremy in the film “Up the Catalogue.” The movie was filmed in 11 days during the height of lockdown.
4QTV Ltd
The film summary on the Up the Catalogue website describes it as “a paradoxically parodoric study of consumerism” and “a story about a marketable dream.”According to Box Office Mojo, Wicked has joined the list of all-time-biggest box-office openings, ranking in the top 100. During the weekend of November 22 to 24, the film premiered with an estimated $114 million in domestic ticket sales, marking the highest opening weekend for a Broadway adaptation at the box office.As of press time, Wicked has earned the 63rd highest-grossing opening weekend of all time in the U.S., beating the opening weekend box-office hauls of such big screen hits as Toy Story 3, Shrek 2 and Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith.Up the Catalogue will premiere worldwide on December 13 via upthecatalogue.com.

Scientists reveal ‘neural tourniquet’ that can stop bleeding with nerve stimulation

Science and Health

Zapping the vagus nerve promotes blood clotting, new research suggests.These findings are the first evidence in humans of a “neural tourniquet,” or a brain-based pathway that could reduce bleeding, said study co-author Dr. Jared Huston, a trauma surgeon at the Firestein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health in New York.If a future clinical trial directly shows that the nerve stimulation decreases blood loss, the technique could be used before planned surgeries to protect patients from excessive bleeding, Huston told Live Science.Around 1.5% of surgeries are complicated by haemorrhaging, or excessive blood loss, and some degree of bleeding is associated with all surgeries. Surgeons currently rely on sutures, bandages and tourniquets — devices that stop blood from flowing to part of the body — to staunch bleeding.But Huston wondered whether making blood less likely to escape in the first place would make surgery safer. “Preventing a problem is always better than dealing with it after the fact,” he said.Related: How much blood is in the human body?Huston and his collaborators first wondered if the vagus nerve might promote blood clotting nearly 20 years ago, after the nerve was found to modulate inflammation. The vagus nerve, which originates in the brain and branches out to other organs, controls the parasympathetic nervous system — the rest-and-digest counterpart to the “fight-or-flight” sympathetic nervous system.Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter nowGet the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Initial experiments in mice and pigs showed that stimulating the vagus could, indeed, reduce blood loss following a small cut. “We then spent the better part of a decade trying to figure out exactly how it works,” Huston said.Last year, Huston’s team showed that vagus nerve stimulation activates a type of immune cell, called T cells, in the spleen, the organ that helps filter germs and old cells out of blood. These T cells then activate platelets in the spleen; platelets are the cell fragments that set off blood clot formation.Upon re-entering circulation, the primed platelets are better able to respond to injury-related cues. In mice with hemophilia, a disorder in which blood can’t clot properly, nerve stimulation reduced bleeding, the team found.To test whether the same mechanism existed in humans, Huston’s team collaborated with the Dallas-based biomedical company Five Liters to recruit healthy volunteers. They used an approved device to zap the auricular branch of vagus nerve, which runs behind the ear, for 30 minutes in each person. They collected blood samples before and after the treatment.Following vagus nerve stimulation, the volunteers’ blood contained higher levels of markers of blood platelet activation.These results, published Nov. 13 on the National Library of Medicine website ClinicalTrials.gov, showed for the first time “that there is a neural tourniquet pathway in humans,” Huston said. “And it appears that we can activate this neural tourniquet pathway non-invasively.”While the past study results in animals are “very intriguing,” more work needs to be done to show vagus nerve stimulation can actually stop bleeding in humans, Peder Olofsson, a professor of bioelectronic medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, told Live Science.”Ultimately, measurements of bleeding times, bleeding volumes, and patient outcomes will be key” to demonstrating the clinical value of activating the vagus nerve through the skin, said Olofsson, who was not involved in the study.Huston agreed. “The next study will have to be in an actual clinical disease where the patients are bleeding one way or another,” he said.Another issue is showing that the stimulators can produce consistent results, Olofsson noted. “Non-invasive stimulators” — while much quicker and easier to use than implanted stimulators — “often show less consistent physiological effects.”Vagus nerve stimulation is already widely used in epilepsy and depression, so the risk of side effects is likely low, Huston added. If his findings can be replicated and extended in larger trials, surgeons might use a brief period of vagus nerve stimulation prior to planned surgeries.”We administer antibiotics, so you don’t get an infection during surgery. We administer pain medications pre-emptively, so the pain is less,” Huston said. “What is missing is any way to take a normal, healthy person who’s undergoing surgery to try and prevent bleeding ahead of time. That’s an enormous unmet need.”Ever wonder why some people build muscle more easily than others or why freckles come out in the sun? Send us your questions about how the human body works to [email protected] with the subject line “Health Desk Q,” and you may see your question answered on the website!

The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled.

Technology

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September, the Labor Department said Tuesday. The increase suggests that job gains could pick up in the coming months. Still, the latest figure is down significantly from 8.7 million job postings a year ago.Last month, job openings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, managers, and accountants, as well as in the restaurant and hotel and information technology industries.The number of people quitting their jobs rose in October, a sign of confidence in the job market. And layoffs tumbled to just 1.6 million — below the lowest figures in the two decades that preceded the 2020 pandemic.

Taken as a whole, Tuesday’s figures suggest that the job market might be stabilizing at a modest level, with hiring moderate but layoffs uncommonly low. The unemployment rate is at a low 4.1%, even though job gains slowed sharply in October, according to the monthly jobs report. The slowdown in job growth last month reflected mainly the impact of hurricanes and a strike at Boeing.

“There’s a lot of cause for optimism,” said Cory Stahle, an economist at Indeed, the job listings website. “The fact that job openings ticked up is always an encouraging sign.”

Tuesday’s figures mean there are now 1.1 available jobs for each unemployed worker, a healthy figure. Before the pandemic there were usually more unemployed people than openings.Still, the latest ratio is down from a peak of roughly two job openings per unemployed person two years ago. Businesses have pulled back from the hiring frenzy that occurred as the economy emerged from the pandemic recession.

Tuesday’s report, known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed that overall hiring slowed in October. Total hiring slipped to 5.3 million from 5.6 million, though that decline reflected hurricane-related disruptions. The JOLTS report is separate from the monthly jobs figures, which will be released Friday. That report is forecast to show a net gain of nearly 210,000 jobs in November, up from an anemic 12,000 in October. Tuesday’s report also showed that the number of Americans who quit their jobs rebounded in October to 3.4 million, after having reached a four-year low in September. An increase in quitting is a good sign for the economy, because it suggests that people are confident enough to search for new job opportunities.The Federal Reserve is watching the jobs data closely. Any sign that hiring is sharply weakening could encourage Fed officials to cut their key interest rate more quickly, to try to bolster borrowing and spending and support the economy.

Small Business Saturday: Farías honored 3 Bronx-based businesses

Business News

Majority Leader Amanda Farías recognized family-owned coffee shop, The Way Cafe in Castle Hills for its outstanding contributions to the community and the local economy. Courtesy of Council Member Amanda Farías Office

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Majority Leader Amanda Farías celebrated three standout Bronx businesses in the Castle Hill and Westchester Square Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30. Businesses honored this year included The Way Cafe and Lulu’s Coffee Shop in Castle Hills and McDermott’s Pub in Westchester Square.

Council Member Farías highlighted how each of the businesses contribute to a thriving business community within the Bronx.
“Today we celebrate the heart and soul of our community—local businesses that serve up not just delicious food and drinks, but a welcoming spirit that makes every visit special,” Farías said. “Small Business Saturday is a time for us to show appreciation for the places that bring us together—one meal, one coffee, one conversation at a time.”
Castle Hill Spotlight: The Way Cafe and Lulu’s Coffee Shop
Located on Castle Hill Avenue, The Way Cafe is a family-owned business rooted in faith and dedicated to creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere. Known for its coffee drinks, loose-leaf teas, acai bowls, and all-day breakfast options, the cafe has become a favorite for locals—and for Farías herself.
“You can often catch me here getting a latte or having a meeting,” Farías said. “It is the perfect example of a small business creating space for community connections.”
Nearby, Lulu’s Coffee Shop has been a cornerstone of the Castle Hill BID for nearly 40 years. This Latino-owned diner offers a mix of American classics and Tex-Mex dishes, like nachos and fajitas, all at affordable prices. Farías presented the owners with a plaque in recognition of their longstanding service.
Majority Leader Amanda Farías honored the owners of Lulu’s Coffee Shop on Castle Hills Avenue with a plaque on Small Business Saturday for its role in the community for nearly 40 years. Courtesy of Council Member Amanda Farías Office
Westchester Square: McDermott’s Pub
McDermott’s Pub in Westchester Square has served the community for 15 years. The Irish-owned pub features standard pub fare as well as an extensive list of daily specials updated through its social media page. McDermott’s also hosts community events like friendsgiving, toy drives and an upcoming ugly sweater party on December 6. Farías recognized McDermott’s owner as an anchor to the community.
Council Member Amanda Farías presented the owner of McDermott’s Pub in Westchester Square with a plaque recognizing its efforts to creating a thriving local economy in the Bronx. Courtesy of Council Member Amanda Farías Office
“Mike, the owner, has been instrumental in keeping the Westchester Square BID strong through his leadership and commitment to our local economy,” Farías said.
Small Business Saturday champions locally owned businesses and encourages buyers to keep their community’s economies strong by supporting their neighbors and shopping small.

How California crime film ‘Lake George’ ensnared Carrie Coon and Shea Whigham

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

Carrie Coon and Shea Whigham met in the police department of “Fargo,” where both strived to uphold the law in that crime series’ third season. They connected instantly together, becoming “fast friends” as Whigam says, and always wanted to work together again. Both have established themselves as go-to ensemble actors on TV, with Coon appearing in “The Leftovers” and “The Gilded Age” and Whigham in “Boardwalk Empire,” “Homecoming” and “Perry Mason.” Their movie roles have been plentiful but usually smaller, although Coon recently gained attention as one of the three co-stars, along with Natasha Lyonne and Elizabeth Olsen in “His Three Daughters.”Now they’ve finally found a vehicle to share the screen together, but this time, they’re not faces in the crowd but the two stars. “Lake George,” directed by Jeffrey Reiner, is essentially a two-hander in which Don (Whigham), a claims adjuster who took the fall for a mobster, has just emerged from prison and wants what he’s owed. Instead, said mobster (Glenn Fleshler) says he wants his disloyal ex, Phyllis (Coon), dead and assigns the task to the hapless Don. Unable to pull the trigger on the brazen and impetuous Phyllis, the staid Don falls under her spell and the two wind their way from Glendale and Goleta up through Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, trying to get what they think is coming to them. Whigham and Coon recently spoke by video about their own journey together. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.Q: Carrie, in a recent interview you discussed being a character actor and you said, “I’m always going to be part of the ensemble.” And yet, here you are as a leading lady. Coon: Nobody offers me, or Shea, leading roles, even though they should. We do love being part of an ensemble but these are the roles we both have to fight for. Whigham: Carrie has charisma off the charts. She’s a whirling dervish, a hurricane. She’s going to do leading roles from here on out. You can feel it with some people – Michael Shannon had this same thing.Coon: Oh, people have been saying that for years.Q: Phyllis’ moxie and assertiveness propels the story forward. How much did you relate to her?Coon: There are ways in which Phyllis is closer to me than anything I’ve played. I often play emotional, serious, hyperverbal and high-strung women. But that’s actually not the way I move through the world. So it was really fun because I was more myself in this than I have been in any other work.Whigham: When I gave her the script, I knew she’d love it. She called me within an hour and said, “Let’s do it.” Don has a lot of me too – he doesn’t say a lot but he does have a lot to say. One theme of the film is about guilt, which Don feels; at the end, he doesn’t get what he wants but he gets what he needs and gets done what he needs to take care of. Q: Have Phyllis or Don stayed inside you since filming ended?Coon: She is relentlessly positive and if something happens, she immediately pivots. I’m not inclined that way. I’m a lot more cynical than Phyllis, so I should probably be leaning into her traits in these troubled times.Whigham: I’ve seen the film several times and each time I get something different out of it but Don has definitely stayed with me. Q: Carrie, when I interviewed you in 2016, you talked about preparing for your characters in great depth, even before auditioning for a role. How did each of you find your character for “Lake George”?Coon:  It’s interesting to reflect back on that. My tendency was always to read and do research and all those delightful things you do before you have a family. Now I do have a family, and I don’t have time to do anything to prepare. Now hopefully I have my lines memorized. And then it’s really about just being in the moment with the other person, which seems simple, but in acting, you always return to those first principles. The most important thing you’re doing is listening. And if you’re listening, that means you’re breathing. And then hopefully something accidental and spontaneous happens inside of the structure.Whigham: Early on, you learn each role is different but you do the same type of preparation, whether it’s for this or “Mission Impossible.” I want the script in my hand so I can daydream on it and go take walks on it and let things come to you. I don’t force things. When you’re young, you might force things.There’s a scene where our characters are walking in the forest and connecting but we didn’t want to go the cliché route. I said, “We need something here but I don’t know what it is.”And Carrie said, “Watch this.” And they called action and she did a cartwheel right in front of me. That’s not in the script, but it’s happening between these two people and you want to allow for that to come in with all the work that you do on the script.Q: This film was shot in places like Glendale, Mammoth Lakes and Bishop, which aren’t typical spots for Hollywood movies. What did that bring to the film?Whigham: This was a personal movie for Jeffrey – we used his house and his sister’s house and his car. Coon: I destroyed his transmission.Whigham: Beforehand, I said to Carrie, “I know you don’t like coming out to Los Angeles. I get it. We all started in New York or Chicago. But we’re going to take you on a trip all the way through and it’s a love letter to Southern California.”Coon: It was such a gift to do a California movie. And I had never gone north. I’d never been to Lake George, I’d never been to the hills where all those great westerns have been shot. In my free time, I got to walk around in the hills and sort of reflect back on all that film history and just the breathtaking beauty. This is a noir movie but it’s also a road picture, and it’s a buddy movie, and it’s a love letter to all of those genres. And I just love that it took place where all of those were born, which is in California. And it was a real education for me about the contours of that place. Whigham: And it was hard for Carrie because she’s very proud so when we were filming up there I said, “Do you like it now?” She said, “It’s OK.” But she loved it.