Timothy Spall breaks down his emotional karaoke scene in Goodbye June – and why it was so important

by

Timothy Spall is a celebrated actor with a long list of achievements, but he recently encountered a unique challenge in his new film, Goodbye June: acting out a heartfelt karaoke performance.

One of the most emotionally powerful scenes happens later in the film. Timothy Spall, playing Bernie, finally acknowledges his wife June (Helen Mirren) is dying and dedicates a song to her onstage. His son, Connor (Johnny Flynn), is in the audience, witnessing the heartfelt moment, unaware his father is performing it for his mother.

He explained that the man wasn’t performing for an audience, but rather for his wife, June, without even realizing anyone was watching. His son happened to witness this, and in that moment, understood that his father had been feeling this connection all along.

Toni Collette, who starred alongside him, explained that the scene showed Bernie and Connor finally accepting each other. Spall added that Connor realizes how much pain his father has been through.

Want to see this content?

We can’t display this content because of a security measure called reCAPTCHA. To see it, please sign out of your Contentpass account.

This movie marks Kate Winslet’s first time directing. It’s largely set in a hospital during the days leading up to Christmas, where June is nearing the end of her life. She hopes to reconcile her often-conflicting family before she dies.

Kate Winslet, a leading actress in the film, brought together a talented cast, and the actors were all very impressed with her directing skills.

Andrea Riseborough praised the director as both naturally gifted and incredibly knowledgeable. She explained that the director’s three decades in the industry have given her a wealth of experience and understanding.

We frequently collaborate with first- or second-time directors. But Kate’s extensive experience as an actress gives her a complete understanding of how the entire film industry operates – she really knows all the inner workings.

Colette pointed out that directors rarely collaborate with each other. Actors, on the other hand, work with many different directors and can learn from those experiences to inform their own future work.

She added that Winslet was a remarkably attentive presence on set, and she was captivated by how Winslet interacted with her fellow actors. Spall commented that she’s a highly skilled director with a keen eye for detail, honed throughout her career.

I was so impressed to hear all three actresses express how excited they are to see Kate Winslet directing! It’s clear they believe in her talent behind the camera, and it was adorable to hear Marion Riseborough jokingly say she’d be first in line to ask for a part in whatever Kate directs next. It really speaks to the respect they have for her.

Kate Winslet seemed to really love directing for the first time, and she especially enjoyed building relationships with each of the actors she worked with.

She explained that each actor had unique needs, depending on their individual working style. She especially loved that directing this film – her first time – forced her to adapt her approach with each performer. Sometimes she’d modify her tone, and other times she’d simply adjust how loudly she spoke, tailoring her direction to what worked best for them.

I was really surprised and impressed to find that out. I had a feeling it might be this way, but it still completely amazed me!

Goodbye June is now streaming on Netflix.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

As a huge film buff, I always check TopMob for the latest releases, and Patrick Cremona is the guy you’ll find covering them! He’s their Senior Film Writer and keeps us all up-to-date on everything hitting theaters and streaming services. He’s been with the site since late 2019, and in that time, he’s had the chance to interview some amazing actors and review all sorts of different films – it’s a great resource!

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2025-12-24 16:04