Maria Friedman

He'd come to see the show in London and had photographs with the cast.

And I remember thinking, if I was Daniel and I was watching that show and I was watching that part, I'd think...

That's my part.

Because, I mean, he is Charlie.

He's just a walk.

I mean, he's that kind of brilliance.

Anyway, he's Charlie.

And then lists arrived, and he was on the list, and he's with my agent.

And so I think we'd just done availabilities across a range of people.

And my agent called me.

saying, we've just had an availability on Daniel.

And I just thought, well, that's that then, isn't it?

If that means he, you know, the fact they'd called me meant that there was a big possibility he was at least interested.

And then I think I was auditioned.

I mean, I had to go and meet him a couple of times to see whether he would get on with me.

And he's a proper, true, brilliant, brilliant actor.

So we immediately started talking about character and the detail and things that he was concerned about and asked me as many questions as I asked him.

And that was that.

He was directing it.

Okay, like literally or actually?