Kate Winslet shares Andy Samberg's 'sweet' reaction to landing first drama role

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Kate Winslet has shared the "sweet" reaction Andy Samberg had to landing his first serious acting role, telling why the part meant so much to him. Titanic star Winslet stars in and produced her latest film, Lee, about war photographer Lee Miller and cast Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Samberg as her character's colleague, photographer David E. Scherman.

She told The One Show what it had been like offering him the role, and the touching moment she told him the good news.

What, how, and why?

Kate Winslet has landed more than a few high-profile film roles herself, but as the star and producer of new movie Lee she got to cast some of the other characters.

The Mare of Easttown star told The One Show that she had loved being able to call Saturday Night Live and Brooklyn Nine-Nine comedy actor Andy Samberg with the good news that he had landed his first ever dramatic role as Jewish war photographer David E. Scherman.

She said: "As a Jewish man himself, he really wanted this part. He put himself out there, he auditioned and he really went for it.

"I was the lucky one asked to make that call and say we'd love you to play this role. The first thing he said was, 'my mum's going to be so proud'. Isn't that sweet?

"It meant so much to him and he's absolutely brilliant in the film. It's the first serious role he's ever played, he's known for comedy, but he was just incredible and an amazing partner for me, I was very lucky to have him."

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Winslet told how she had been inspired to make the film about war photographer Lee Miller, who took pictures from the frontline of World War II for Vogue magazine, after buying a table that had belonged to Miller from her friends' auction house in Cornwall.

She said that Miller's friends including Max Ernst, Man Ray and Pablo Picasso had joined the photographer at the table as visitors to her home and added: "I got the table, it is a beautiful table and I sat down at this table and thought, my god Lee Miller sat at this table, wow. Why hasn't anyone made a film about her?

"Cut to nine years later, nine years it took me and we did it. The pride I feel in myself and all of us who came together to bring it to life, because it was a real journey, it was a fight, it was a long development process.

"It's very hard to make films as a woman about women but you have to do it as girls you just have to keep going and not give up. That's what Lee did and how we made the film really reflects who she was as a spirit."

What else happened on The One Show?

Pointless host Alexander Armstrong also appeared on The One Show, where he told how his friend and co-star Richard Osman had helped him in a surprising way with his debut novel.

Armstrong has written children's thriller The Golden Linnet and naturally turned to Thursday Murder Club author Osman for advice.

But the tips Osman offered him might not have been what he was expecting as he said: "I chatted a lot with Richard. I haven't asked him so much about the writing bit. Admin. He's really good on admin, this is how you want to go about doing stuff."

The TV and radio presenter added that Osman had been full of handy hints about speaking to publishers as he prepares for his own books to be adapted for the big screen.

Meanwhile, Armstrong has been recording an audiobook of his novel but admitted: "There's one kid in the book who's such a star and I just couldn't find the right voice for him. He sounds like Kathy Burke in Kevin and Perry."

The One Show airs on BBC One at 7pm on weekdays.