Carey Mulligan showed off her acting range in her latest film, The Ballad of Wallis Island, and proved she had quite the funny bone as she made her comedic debut.
The comedy-drama starring the Saltburn actress, 40, featured heavily at the British Independent Film Awards in London and was nominated for five gongs for its storyline, performances and in particular, its original music.
Sharing in the success of the evening, Carey’s husband of over 12 years, Marcus Mumford, of folk band Mumford & Sons, also played a huge role in the making of the film.
The couple teamed up and shared their talents and expertise with director James Griffiths, who explained how they worked together to bring the idea to life.
On the red carpet in Chalk Farm’s Roundhouse, the 54-year-old British director shared with HELLO! what it was like working with Carey on set: “She’s fantastic, Tom [Basden] and Tim [Key] have a very specific rhythm, so we needed someone to come in in that part who had their own voice – to come in and really complement what they do, and she was just straight in there.
“She brings so much gravitas, class and grace to the part – she did an amazing acting job, but also is just the warmest human you could meet.”
He continued: “She’s a wonderful person, and we had a great time making the film together. I’d work with her again in a heartbeat!”
James also revealed why he thought the She Said star initially accepted the role and gushed over the film’s music, explaining how Marcus gave them his “blessing” to record in his personal studio.
“That was a pinch me moment, we went and recorded the early sketches of what those songs would be at their studio in their farmhouse,” the director said.
He added: “Carey was there, and he [Marcus] was helping with all the harmonies – and then Adem [Ilhan] and Tom recorded the album at his recording studio, so we were very lucky, and we had his blessing.
“He’s a huge Tim Key nut. It was a very sweet moment when they both exchanged signed albums, and so we were very lucky that he was a big fan as well – he may have had something to do with Carey taking the part, I don’t know!”
What is The Ballad of Wallis Island about?
Written by Tim Key and Tom Basden, the film is based on their 2007 short film, The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025.
Their short film enjoyed success of its own, taking home the Best British Short award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival and it was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Short Film in 2008.
The storyline follows “an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island tries to make his fantasies come true by getting his favourite musicians to perform at his home,” according to its synopsis.
© Dave Benett/Getty ImagesCarey plays Nell Mortimer, a folk singer and former lover of Tom’s character Herb McGwyer. The pair reunite for the performance, but old tensions arise, and a storm traps them on the island, resulting in a night of musical chaos.
The film’s soundtrack features original songs that were written by Tom and performed by Carey, with contributions made by Marcus during their recording sessions in his studio.
At the BIFAs, it picked up three awards for Best Screenplay, Best Original Music, and Best Joint Lead Performance.
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