In the new Netflix movie “The Christmas Chronicles 2”, you pretty much get what you’d expect from a big holiday movie, along with Kurt Russell as the best Santa Claus ever. And of course, his longtime real-life partner, Goldie Hawn, plays the lady.

But it might surprise you to know that Claus, for Goldie and Kurt, is more than just mythical.

“I love the way you approach these characters, because you take them very seriously,” said reporter Tracy Smith. “This is not a cartoon, or a cartoon.”

Russell said, “You have to remember, he’s a real human.” “He’s not a comic book character. He’s not made up, he’s not made up. He was a bishop. He was a man. The question, of course, through myth, myth and so forth, how does he still exist? How is that possible?”

To watch a trailer for “The Christmas Chronicles 2”, click on the video player below:

But no matter how Saint Nicholas, also known as Santa, still exists, or how he and the Lady ended up together, Kurt and Goldie’s real-life story has a certain charm of its own.

Their first meeting, if you can call it, occurred on Disney’s 1968 musical set, “The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band.”

So, was there a first impression? “I don’t know,” said Russell.

“I think for me, it was too young for me,” said Hawn. “I was, like, dating older men, right? You were, 20?”

“I was only 15 years old,” Russell said. “I didn’t even have a car. I didn’t have a license.”

Hawn was a dancer without much of a speaking role (her role was “Giggly Girl”) – and what’s more, the producer didn’t like her name.

“He called me and said to me, ‘You know, I know this is a delicate matter, but your name actually sounds like it’s stripping. “My mother gave me that name! That was my aunt’s name, Goldie. And I said,” Oh, I’m not changing my name. I’m sorry. ”I said,“ My middle name is Jin. What about Goldie Jin Hoon? Does that suit you? ”And he went,“ Well, I think it will have to work. ”And I said, ‘Gee, I think it is!’

Russell asked, “Have you been paid this way again?”

She replied, “No.” “That was it, Goldie Jin Hoon.”

“This is where we met!” Russell said.

But by the 1980s, it was Goldie Hawn’s name: Academy Award winner (for “Cactus Flower”), who could produce and star in a hit movie as well (“Private Benjamin”).

Watch a scene with Goldie Hawn with Eileen Brennan and Hall Williams in “Private Benjamin”:

Smith said, “You were producing / directing / acting at a time when not many women were doing it. How many times have you heard, ‘No’?”

“Not much,” said Hawn. “Unh-uh. But the problem wasn’t a” no, “the problem was the fear, really, of other male directors who wanted to work with me, because they thought I wanted to take charge.

For his part, Kurt Russell had ditched his Disney sound for something a little more bleak, like the snake in Escape From New York. And when he met Hoon again while he auditioned for Swing Shift in 1984, they were both divorced, and neither was looking for love.

“In fact, when I met Goldie, I was at a time in my life and a period of my life in which I would definitely present my worst when it came to any kind of relationship, or the possibility of having,” he said. “I put my foot down the worst. If I can handle that, chances are there is some reality together.”

“You put your worst forward? I can barely say that,” said Hawn. “I would say if you did that to me, I wouldn’t be with you today.”

“Well, I think I did, but … me Act. I kinda did. “

How is that? “Well, the first time I met her, I was wandering terribly. You know, that’s not a good progress forward.”

“But it’s kind of fun worst straight ahead? “

Well, I didn’t Attempt To give my best, because it’s hard to keep going. You know, once you’ve done that, you’ve now created something – you’ve set a bar that you can’t stay in, and you can’t keep it. “

“Like, you’re really confusing me now,” said Hawn. “This is like a group therapy session!”

In the four decades since the encounter, Russell and Hawn have created some unusual characters, but each one on its own: two very separate jobs under one roof.

Watch Kurt Russell with Samuel L. Jackson and Jennifer Jason Leigh on The Hateful Eight:

Smith asked, “Are you guiding each other regarding the roles you’ve chosen? Do you talk about them before saying yes or no?”

“Very rarely,” said Hawn. “He was never wrong about what he decided to do, ever. But it was never bad. Not at all. And so on even the films I didn’t like …”

Russell laughed. “You’ll get a big boost for that!”

“No, you were never bad!”

“I agree with you – I don’t think I was bad at all!” Russell laughed.

“I’ve been bad in other ways, you know?” Hawn said. “But as an actor, I mean, I think you’re amazing.”

Of course, Hawn didn’t make all of these professional mistakes either.

And when they’re not working, they split their time between homes in Aspen and Los Angeles.

They say they’re proud of their mixed family – four children among them, six grandchildren, and it seems like there is enough love to wander around.

Smith asked, “I’m sure you asked this question. What’s the secret, if you can boil it?”

“There is no secret,” said Hawn. “And I love you for asking this question, because it’s a normal question. But there are two things, to me, anyway. They are you two wanting to be together. I mean, you should be together. As long as you are … Why are you laughing?“

Russell said. “Just because, you’re right. It’s up and down, it’s my side, it’s whatever. At the end of the day, how do you explain that? I don’t know!” Guess It’s as simple as saying, it’s to me the same as what you say. I call this love. “

“But you can actually survive in a relationship in a way that when you get older,” Hawn said, “Oh, I’m so happy that I’ve been through any period of time.” Do you know what I mean? Because relationships go through periods, and sometimes really difficult times. But there’s nothing sweeter than starting a family, and it’s all worth it. “

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A story produced by John de Amelio. Editor: Lauren Parnello.

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