On this week's show (10th December), Graham welcomes Hollywood star Keanu Reeves, Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, British actor and singer Cynthia Erivo, top comedian and actor Jack Whitehall, and singer songwriter Rag ‘n’ Bone Man.

Keanu joins Graham from the US to chat about returning to his greatest sci-fi role in The Matrix Resurrections.

Talking about the much-anticipated movie, he says, “Hopefully people will enjoy it – it’s very exciting, and it was an extraordinary experience to make it.”

Answering the biggest question of all, Keanu explains how after dying 18 years ago, his character Neo is alive in the new film, “I had the same question – when the director asked me what I thought about doing another Matrix film I said ‘What? That sounds amazing but I’m dead.’ She was like, ‘Are you?’  and I said, ‘Do tell!’  She wrote a beautiful story, and I love playing the character. How I am alive will all be explained.”

Jack, who is a huge fan of his Keanu’s films, asks the actor why he turned down Speed 2.   Keanu says, “At the time I didn’t respond to the script.  I really wanted to work with Sandra Bullock, I loved playing Jack Traven, and I loved Speed, but an ocean liner?  I had nothing against the artists involved, but at that time I had the feeling it just wasn’t right.”

Olivia, talking about her role in the acclaimed real-life murder drama Landscapers, which was written by her husband Ed Sinclair, says, “Ed got to know them (Chris and Susan Edwards) by writing to them – it was odd knowing that double murderers knew our home address!”

Revealing what it was like working with her husband for the first time, she says, “We now know that I do my thing and he does his, and we are not allowed to talk about it – he tried to give me a note once which went down like a cup of cold sick!”

Asked if she had thought about turning it down, she says, “No, can you imagine if I’d said no to Ed’s six years of work?  I really wanted to do it and would have kicked up a storm if it had gone to anyone else.”

Talking briefly about her new film The Lost Daughter, she says, “We filmed it in Greece and the whole island was a bubble, so we had an amazing time when the world was having a terrible one.  It was heaven.”  

Cynthia, talking about her stint as a judge on Strictly, says, “It was so much fun – everyone was really, really lovely.  Being on it was a random surprise – I was working on something else when I got the call.  It shoots on a Saturday, and I found out on the Wednesday.  I decided I would just be honest and nice, and everyone was so brilliant it was easy to give good scores.”

Jack interjects, “My dad was asked to be on it, but he turned it down because he was worried about the Strictly curse.  I said, ‘I think you will be safe!’”

Asked about being in the screen version of Wicked, and whether she knows all her lines, Cynthia says, “I have known them for so long – I have been ready for this role since I was 23!”

Talking about playing Aretha Franklin, Cynthia gives an amazing impromptu performance as the great American singer.

Jack, who stars in new film Clifford The Big Red Dog jokes about his very good American accent, “What a lot of actors do is go for one region of America and commit to a single accent, but I decided that I would take a tour of all fifty states – sometimes in the same scene – why do just do one when you can show off them all – it was all over the place!”

Asked if he is under pressure to get into shape now he is working in Hollywood, he says, “My American agent said, ‘You’re going to have to get buff if you want a Marvel part’ and I am like, ‘Can I make sure I am getting the film first?  I am not going to get in shape and then not get a Marvel film.  I need the contract signed and delivered, the flight booked, and then at that point I might lift something in the gym. But until that point, no way!’”

Rag 'n' Bone Man performs Fall in Love Again live in the studio before joining Graham for a chat.

Talking about his new single, he says, “We don’t normally drink when we write songs because they turn out rubbish and go in the bin, but we were drinking white wine in the afternoon and that song came out of that.”

Asked about his tattoos, he says, “My mum doesn’t like the ones on my face.  The new one is for my little boy – it says ‘Oh no daddy’”

The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday 10th December, 10.30pm and available on BBC iPlayer.

Next week (17th December) Graham’s guests include Stanley Tucci, Jamie Oliver, Romesh Ranganathan, and Lil Nas X.

Graham Norton picture: BBC/So Television/Christopher Baines