It was abundantly clear to actor-director Bradley Cooper that if “Is This Thing On?,” his comedy-drama set in New York’s stand-up scene, lacked authenticity, the film would fail. With the iconic Comedy Cellar at its heart, he found the key to unlocking that — by casting several of the real-life comedians who regularly take the stage there. Among them were two women at the top of their game right now with sold-out shows and substantial social media followings: Chloe Radcliffe and Jordan Jensen.
“Bradley fell in love with the Comedy Cellar and the relationships that go on there,” Jensen recalls.
“Is This Thing On?” is based on an anecdote from the life of British comedian John Bishop, whose career started when he stumbled into an open-mic night in Manchester, England, while temporarily separated from his wife. In the film, Will Arnett plays a fictionalized version of Bishop, Alex Novak, a finance guy, and the narrative shifts to New York.
“The idea was, ‘If we use people who aren’t comics to play comics, there’s not going to be a juxtaposition between Arnett and this super-tight group of people,’” Jensen says. “His character is this stuffy, bored guy, and he enters into this world of people who have day jobs just like him, but they step into this room, and it’s all dirty humor and busting each other’s balls.”
Radcliffe realized early on that Cooper, who also produced and co-wrote the film, understood the level of commitment required to portray the stand-up world realistically. She saw the first signs of him getting it when he screened 10 minutes of test footage for the comedians at his home, just a few blocks from the Greenwich Village club.
Comedian Chloe Radcliffe on stage as her character, Nina, in “Is This Thing On?”
(Jason McDonald / Searchlight Pictures)
“The second the test footage started, I immediately felt so confident that we are in the right hands,” she recalls. “Any lingering doubt or trepidation was totally washed away immediately, because Bradley just has such clarity of vision and taste. It was clear that he and Will had both embedded themselves deeply in the world of stand-up. Bradley wanted to capture what is real, and he was like, ‘If that means going off script, do it. If that means going to a weird place, do it.’”
Jensen adds, “I don’t think I said one actual line from the script. I would improvise something, and along the way, as I got the point across, it was OK. He might occasionally tell us to say a line, but it was in between 100% moments of improvisation, and he would be rolling camera.
“When I saw the movie, it was really moving. The way he showed it reintroduced me to it and made me be like, ‘Oh yeah, this place is f— magical.’”
Cooper wanted to capture what goes on offstage as well as on, and a significant part of that happened around a particular table at the Olive Tree Cafe, which sits above the underground comedy club. It’s where the acts gather before, after and in between their sets.
“We shot a scene around the comics’ table on the very first day,” Radcliffe says. “About a week or 10 days later, Bradley wanted to reshoot it because he looked at the footage and realized that it looked like a movie. He wanted to make something that looked like the real environment. I admire that so much. Not only is he willing to ask us for our input, but he’s also willing to go back and make new decisions based on new information.”
According to Jensen, in another scene in the cafe, the filmmaker asked whether the comedian’s coats, which PAs had removed from the shot, would be there, and when he was told they would, ordered them to be put back. The level of detail even extended to whether the comics would share fries from a single plate or have their own. It all mattered.
Comedian Jordan Jensen was used to riffing through her scenes on camera while playing her character, Jill, in “Is This Thing On?”
(Jason McDonald / Searchlight Pictures)
Radcliffe describes Cooper’s reverence for the Comedy Cellar and the comics as an appreciated display of “humility and willing” that extended to both the filmmaker and Arnett, asking for their input on techniques that would improve Novak’s set.
“We wound up chatting about things like where the funny idea is in a punch line, so you might rearrange the sentence so that the most surprising part of it comes at the end. That’s an unnatural way of delivering that sentence,” she reveals. “I would see Will running the set at the Cellar before the shoot, and he is so naturally funny that even if he went off script and started riffing, he instinctively hits punch lines. He has this natural sense of rhythm.”
However, neither the actor nor the director, who also plays Novak’s best friend, Balls, rested on their laurels. To gauge real audiences’ reactions to the material, they ran it multiple times in rooms for months before filming started. It’s something Jensen calls “the ballsiest thing I’ve ever seen a person do.”
“I would be on a show months before the movie was happening,” she says. “They’d be like, ‘Here’s Alex Novak,’ and I was like, ‘Who is that?’ I would see that it was Will Arnett and then I’d be like, ‘F—, he’s bombing. Oh, this is the movie.’”
However, the bombing was intentional, and things would change as the set progressed. She continues, “What I realized is they had written it so that the first chunk in the movie, he doesn’t do so great, the second chunk he does a little better, and the last chunk he does the best, which is how comedy works. I can’t imagine in a million years doing that and not breaking at some point, and being like, ‘Hey, by the way, I’m actually doing this for a movie.’”
While Arnett was on stage, Cooper would stand in the back of the room, taking notes, making changes and doing research. However, Jensen says watching Arnett tank, even on purpose, was “brutal.”
Will Arnett with director Bradley Cooper on the set of “Is This Thing On?”
(Jason McDonald / Searchlight Pictures)
“These were not open mic nights; they were real shows. It was Will Arnett’s reputation, and he was bombing on purpose, but it totally worked out in the long run. He was operating like a real comic up there.”
There were also little things that Arnett did, sometimes by accident, that made his delivery next-level. One example is when he breathes into the microphone.
“It was totally an improvised thing,” Jensen enthuses. “It was this moment of awkwardness that is so authentic that it makes you immediately empathize with him. You’re like, ‘Oh, man, I know that feeling of the air leaving your mouth, hitting the mic, and now everybody has heard that you’ve let out a sigh of grief.’”
Radcliffe, who plays Nina, and Jensen, who plays Jill, are close friends in real life and read for each other’s roles. Aside from being able to take Cooper and Arnett behind the curtain of the comedy scene, their relationship added an extra level of authenticity to the film and to each other’s performances.
“We’ve been really close since pre-pandemic, and she and I have a lot of similar energies,” Radcliffe muses. “We can both be trashy little gremlins. She has a level of aggression that I don’t quite step into, and I think I have a level of exasperation that she doesn’t quite step into. We play off each other really well. She’s so subversive and transgressive, and she’s got such a magnetism in where she is willing to go on stage that I think is unmatched in a lot of other comics working right now.”
Jensen, who is a big fan of Cooper’s work, recalls being starstruck when he first opened the door to his home when the cast came over to read the script for the film. “He opened the door and said, ‘Hi, I’m Bradley.’ I just looked at Chloe over his shoulder, beelined right to her, and snuggled up next to her on the couch, because I was so intimidated,” she said. “It would have still been great if she weren’t there, but having her there was the best. It’s one of those things where when I’m really old, I’ll tell people, and they won’t believe me.”
Fergus McCann and Ann Budge played a major role in turning round the financial fortunes of their respective Scottish Premiership clubs, Celtic and Hearts
Former Celtic chief executive Fergus McCann and ex-Hearts chair Ann Budge have been named in the New Year Honours.
Lisbon Lion Jim Craig, New Seekers singer Eve Graham, leading forensic scientist Prof Lorna Dawson and former UK defence minister Adam Ingram are also among those who have been recognised.
They have been joined by others including the chief executive of the Royal Edinburgh Botanic Garden, the chief constable of Police Scotland, a heritage kiltmaker and the founders of an island college.
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander congratulated the recipients and said the annual list was “packed with local heroes”.
Fergus McCann, who has been made an CBE for services to the economy and to charity, had a controlling stake in Celtic for five years from 1994.
The Parkhead team were hours from bankruptcy when the Stirling-born Canadian businessman paid off its debts.
He later oversaw the rebuilding of Celtic Park, funded in part by a share issue, and stabilised the Glasgow club’s finances.
In 2016 he told BBC Scotland: “I had a responsibility to the supporters to make sure their money wasn’t wasted.”
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Jim Craig was a member of the Celtic team which became the first British side to lift the European Cup
Budge, who becomes an OBE, performed a similar rescue act at Hearts.
But working alongside the Foundation of Hearts she put up £2.5m of her own money and has since made it the largest fan-owned club in the UK.
The businesswoman, who also delivered a new main stand and introduced a living wage for staff, stood down as chair earlier this month with Hearts top of the Scottish Premiership.
Jim Craig, who becomes an OBE, is best known as a member of the legendary 1967 Celtic team which became the first British side to lift the European Cup.
The defender – who later enjoyed a career as a dentist – also won seven league titles, four Scottish Cups and three league cups.
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Eve Graham (left) with fellow members of The New Seekers in August 1971 (left to right) Lyn Paul, Marty Kristian, Peter Doyle and Paul Layton
Eve Graham – who has also been awarded an OBE – and the New Seekers enjoyed international success with tracks like I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing.
The band also represented Britain at the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest.
At the height of the band’s success, the Perth and Kinross-based singer toured Europe and the US.
She even performed at President Richard Nixon’s inauguration ball in 1973.
PA
During the course of her career, Prof Lorna Dawson has advised on more than 150 cases and written more than 100 expert witness reports, both in the UK and abroad
Prof Lorna Dawson, head of the Centre for Forensic Soil Science at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, said she was “delighted and humbled” to be given a damehood.
The expert has spent more than three decades researching soil and plant interactions with a particular interest in how this can be used in the criminal justice system.
Prof Dawson has given evidence in some of Scotland’s highest-profile murder cases.
The mother-of-three said: “This honour recognises the power of scientific innovation, partnership, and how forensic soil science can support justice on a national and global scale.
“I thank in particular my family for supporting me, and the many people in organisations I have worked with to help establish forensic soil science as an accepted and invaluable discipline across the world.”
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh /PA Wire
Simon Milne is the second regius keeper to be awarded a knighthood in the 355-year history of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Meanwhile, the Royal Edinburgh Botanic Garden’s chief executive said it was an “immense honour” to have been awarded a knighthood as he prepares to retire.
Simon Milne, whose formal title is regius keeper, has been recognised for his services to botany, conservation and horticulture.
In January the former Royal Marine Commando told BBC Scotland he was “devastated” after Storm Éowyn felled the tallest tree in Edinburgh – 166 years after it was planted during a visit by Queen Victoria’s eldest son, Albert.
Sir Simon said his interest in plants dates to the 1970s when his uncle brought back seeds from the Far East and he volunteered on a local nature reserve.
He said: “On reflection, these early experiences inspired my lifelong curiosity in nature and commitment to conservation.
“Receiving this award as I prepare to retire from such an extraordinary community is deeply meaningful.”
The only other regius keeper to have received a knighthood since the garden’s inception in 1670 was Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour.
He was named in the 1920 civilian war honours list for “services in connection with the war”.
This included persuading the War Office of the benefits of using sphagnum moss for wound dressings.
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Former UK government minister Adam Ingram was a Labour MP from 1987 to 2010
Elsewhere, Adam Ingram, former Labour MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow, received a knighthood for parliamentary and political service.
Sir Adam served as Northern Ireland security minister from 1997-2001 and as armed forces minister from 2001-2007.
When he stood down from that post in 2007, he had been the longest-serving defence minister in the history of the Ministry of Defence.
Labour MP for Oxford East, Dr Anneliese Dodds, has also been recognised.
The Aberdeen-born politician has been made a dame.
Other Scots honoured in the list include Lady Rae, a senior judge and lawyer, who has been made a CBE for services to the law, charity and education in Scotland.
Prof Sue Rigby, principal of Edinburgh Napier University, becomes a CBE for services to higher education.
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Jo Farrell has led Police Scotland – which replaced the country’s old eight-force model – since October 2023
Scotland’s top police officer said she was “honoured and grateful” to receive the King’s Police Medal (KPM).
Chief Constable Jo Farrell, a former head of Durham Constabulary, has led Police Scotland since 2023.
The force’s Chief Supt Stevie Dolan and retired Assistant Chief Constable Andy Freeburn will also receive the KPM.
Farrell said: “These honours are recognition of the skill and hard work of officers and staff who deliver for communities and keep Scotland safe.”
Marion Foster, founder of the College of Master Kilt Tailors, has been made an MBE for services to Scottish craftsmanship.
She said: “When I received the letter, I was stunned, it brought tears to my eyes, and I kept re-reading it.
“It was confidential so I have had to keep the news to myself.”
Macaulay College
Roland Engebretsen and Rebecca Lindsay have been awarded MBEs
Roland Engebretsen and Rebecca Lindsay, the co-founders of Macaulay College, near Stornoway in Lewis, have both been awarded MBEs for services to education, social inclusion and to people with additional support needs.
The artists and educators set up their college on Mr Engebretsen’s grandfather’s farm in 2010.
Adults with additional support needs are offered the chance to work on the farm and look after animals including goats, sheep, ponies and chickens.
Engebretsen said he was initially suspicious of the letter informing him of his honour when it dropped through the letterbox.
“It was a very official looking letter. I assumed I was in trouble,” he said.
“I’m glad it wasn’t. It was a lovely surprise.”
Rebecca Lindsay she was “totally overwhelmed” to find out.
The 50-year-old has opened up about her impressive transformation
Alison Hammond(Image: Kate Green, Getty Images for the NTA’s)
Alison Hammond has worked hard to lose weight after being given some scary health news. The TV presenter made two huge lifestyle swaps, which led to remarkable results both inside and outside her body, helping her discover ‘new love’.
Aside from losing an impressive 11 stone, the beloved TV host known for her work on programmes like ITV’s This Morning and Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off also managed to ‘reverse’ her prediabetic condition through dedication and determination.
The 50-year-old first earned public fame during a brief appearance on Big Brother back in 2002. Alison stepped into the famous house at just 22 years old, and her brief fifteen days on the reality show led to a successful TV career that has spanned decades.
In recent years, the presenter has slimmed down and achieved an incredible 11 stone loss with the help of a personal trainer. However, alongside her fitness regime, she cut out two key items from her diet after receiving a prediabetic diagnosis.
Speaking to Women’s Health, she said: “My mum had Type 2 diabetes and she was worried for me, so when I then found out that I was pre-diabetic, that was frightening. I thought ‘I have to be an adult about this’. The sweets had to stop, and the fatty foods.”
Alison, who weighed 28 stone at her heaviest, maintains her fitness by working with her personal trainer twice weekly and keeps weights in her bedroom for additional workouts. She said: “I try to vary it so it’s not the same every day.
“If I miss a session or two with my trainer, I notice it. That kick you get out of the way you feel is so good.” Following a complete lifestyle transformation, according to a previous report by Surrey Live, the TV star revealed she’s no longer prediabetic.
She said: “Because my body’s working properly, I can allow myself a bit of sugar here and there. I love my new shape and although I still have areas I’m conscious of, such as my arms and tummy, it’s great being able to wear things I would never have been able to before. I mean, look at me, I’m a bombshell.”
What is prediabetes?
Diabetes UK reports that people may be classed as being pre-diabetic if their blood sugars are “higher than usual, but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes”. It added that, for those who catch this condition before it gets over the limit, people can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes, and it may be possible to prevent or delay the condition from developing.
Prediabetes doesn’t have any symptoms. If you start to have any of the symptoms of type 2 diabetes, it means you have probably already developed it. Diabetes UK shared a list of signs people may want to look out for, including:
going to the toilet more often, especially at night
feeling more tired than usual
losing weight without trying
genital itching or thrush
cuts and wounds taking longer to heal
blurred vision
feeling extremely thirsty
Diabetes UK claimed that there are an estimated 6.3 million people at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK based on blood sugar levels. Specialists believe that 1.3 million people are currently living with type 2 diabetes but are yet to be diagnosed
