BECAUSE I FEEL ODDLY TIED TO WOMEN GETTING THE VOTED IN

UNITED STATES.

BECAUSE MY MOM WAS BORN TWO DAYS BEFORE WOMEN COULD FIRST VOTE IN

THE UNITED STATES.

>> WOW.

>> Stephen: AND SO IT'S WITHIN THE LIFETIME OF ONE I LOVED.

SO IT'S A VERY REAL THING TO ME. WHEN DID WOMEN GET THE VOTE

IN ENGLAND.

>> SO WOMEN, PROPERTY-OWNING WOMEN AND WOMEN OVER 30,

PRORTD-OWNING WOMEN, THEY HAD LOTS OF KAF YETS, THAT HAPPENED

AT THE END OF THE WAR, SO 1918 AND IT WAS 1928 WHERE ALL

WOMEN-- .

>> Stephen: DID YOU HAVE TO BE MARRIED?

>> YES, NO, I THINK WERE YOU MARRIED OR PROPERTY-OWNING.

>> Stephen: OKAY YOU COULD BE-- .

>> Stephen: BUT OVER 30.YEAH.

>> Stephen: BECAUSE BEFORE YOU KNOW, WOMEN ARE JUST CRAZY.

(LAUGHTER) >> I JUST TURNED 30 AND NOW I

FEEL LIKE I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.

I CAN HANDLE THE VOTE.

>> Stephen: YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME IS MAU DE AND A FICTIONALIZED CHARACTER BASED ON

A LOT OF DIFFERENT WOMEN.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: WHAT IS HER EXPERIENCE?

SHE'S NOT SORT OF A MONEYED WOMAN WHO IS DOING THIS AS A

GOOD DEED.

THIS IS I A VERY PERSONAL TO HER. WHAT IS HER LIFE.

>> SO SHE SAY WORKING CLASS WOMAN. SHE WORKS IN A LAUNDRY

IN LONDON, IN THE EAST END, A VERY POOR AREA OF TOWN BACK

THEN.

AND SHE IS PRETTY APATHETI KRRK IT WAS VERY CONVENTIONAL TO

BELIEVE THAT WOMEN HAD THEIR PLACE IN THE HOME AT THE TIME.

AND SHE WAS TRADITIONAL AND DOESN'T FEEL ENGAGED WITH THE

POLITICAL SYSTEM.

AND IS SORT OF LIVING WITH HER LOT, KIND OF GETTING BY.

AND SHE MEETS THESE WOMEN, THESE SUFFRAGETTE WOMEN WHO INSPIRE

HER TO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF A BETTER LIFE OUT

THERE FOR HER.

AND GAINING THE VOTE COULD GIVE HER THE POWER TO HAVE A BETTER

LIFE.

SO SHE GETS KIND OF SWEPT UP INTO THIS BIG MOVEMENT.

>> Stephen: AND THE MOVEMENT FACED ENORMOUS RESISTANCE.

IT'S NOT JUST YOU CAN'T HAVE IT.

THERE WAS ACTUALLY VIOLENCE AGAINST THESE WOMEN AND THEY

COMMITTED A LITTLE VIOLENCE IN RETURN.

>> YEAH.

SO WOMEN IN ENGLAND PROTESTED-- CAMPAIGNED FOR THE

VOTE VERY POLITELY FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS.

GOING TO THE GOVERNMENT AND PETITIONING FOR WOMEN TO HAVE

THE VOTE.

AND THAT WAS SORT OF SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET.

>> Stephen: WOULD IT BE ALL RIGHT IF WE GOT THE VOTE, WOULD THAT BE ALL RIGHT.

>> PLEASE, SIR.

SHALL WE HAVE THE VOTE?

AND THAT DIDN'T WORK.

AND SO EMILEN AND SUPPORTED BY OTHER PEOPLE, SOME MEN, SOME

POLITICIANS DECIDED THAT THE NEXT STEP WAS TO START OF-- SORT

OF START DOING STUFF.

AND THEY DID A LOT OF STUFF.

>> Stephen: AND THEY GOT IN A LOT OF TROUBLE.

>> THEY GOT IN A LOT OF TROUBLE.

AND THERE WERE LOTS OF FIGHTS WITH POLICE AND RIOTS AND BLOG

UP BUILDINGS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

>> Stephen: WOW, YOU DON'T THINK OF THESE WOMEN BLOG UP BUILDINGS TO GET A VOTE.

>> I HAVE AN IDEA OF A WOMAN POLITELY MARCHING THROUGH THE

STREETS.

>> Stephen: RIGHT, I LEARNED ABOUT SUFFRAGETTES FROM WATCHING MARY POPINS, YOU KNOW.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: VOTE FOR WOMEN, VOTE FOR WOMEN.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: AT ANY POINT IN THIS FILM DO YOU FLY?

NO DANCING PENGUINS.

>> I FOUGHT FOR A FLYING SCENE AND THEY SAID NO.

BUT I DO GET TO RUN AWAY FROM A BLOWED UP BUILDING.

>> Stephen: YOU DO THAT THING WHERE YOU JUST WALK TOWARD THE CAMERA LIKE THIS AND DON'T

LOOK BACK AND IT EXPLODES BEHIND YOU.

>> WE HAD A REAL EXPLOSION AND WE HAD A CAR AND A CAMERA.

WE WERE SORT OF RUNNING.

I NEVER GET TO DO STUFF LIKE THAT IN FILMS SO I WAS THRILLED.