That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Emily Beecham

Episode Date: September 30, 2025

Gaby welcomes the brilliant actor Emily Beecham to the pod, to chat about her work and life and all things joy! They chat about her various roles on TV and Film, how her castings have changed over the years as she's gotten older - and how to approach doing nude scenes (ooooer). Emily is a real joy spreader, through her work - and through conversation - and absolutely loved having her on the podcast. Remember you can watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel - as well as accessing our extra nuggets of joy (our Show n Tell episodes) which are available every Friday! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Beecham, it's always so lovely to see you. It's a pleasure. Sip your decaf coffee while we chat, which is fabulous. There's so many things I want to talk to you about, obviously about something that I've read that you're going to be doing next, part of the DC world, but also shows that you've been in. Can we talk about right now, King and Conqueror? It's on BBC at the moment.

It's BBC. Okay, so last time I spoke to you, I had to use the four-letter word. and it's the word that it fits. I'm really sorry, but I'm going to use it again. It's epic. It is epic. Did you wonder what I was going to say? It's a lot of swearing for the show.

No, no, no. It would be the F word. No, but it is, it's massive. Yeah. And it was all James's idea. Yeah. James is amazing. He's amazing.

You're so driven. So talk me through you being a part of the show. And did James call you? and say, Emily. James actually texted me. I love that. We were actually in an episode of Blandings, like 10, 15 years ago, an episode each.

I played Ms. Young Lovely, and he played, like, some kind of ruddy kind of farmer called, like, I can't remember what his name was. But, yeah, many moons ago. And I remember him asking, because I'd left drama school a bit earlier than him, I remember him asking me about her going, tell me about America, what's it like?

I was like, well, basically giving him advice. No, look at him now. Sorry, I'm both of you. Well, look, both of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So what did the text say? It said, like, it was very lovely, and it just said,

you'd be such a lovely Edith and blah, blah, blah, and it's going to be so great, and we can work on these scenes together and, et cetera. And then I'd only have to be. the first four episodes and so myself and my agents are like well you need to know what the rest of the series is like um and then you said yeah it focuses a lot on their relationship and um so like okay um and um yeah that that yeah that was it really and and just being able to work with him was really great and um he's such a i've only interviewed him once and he just was such a sweet man

yeah he is he's very personable he's so easy to to do those scenes with because it's just like his natural go-to. He's just really good at connecting with people. I think that's such a gift for a scene partner. Actually, I mean, not everyone says this. I suppose not often always the case. You know, sometimes people are not as mature.

I mean, I've had to play a lot of lovers with a lot of people. A lot of very hunky men. Loads of co-scene partners. And everyone's different, but... Has there ever been? I don't tell, I don't want names because that's not. No, of course not. No, please don't know.

I'm not going to do that. But has there ever been somebody that you've walked away and just gone, oh, no. Yes, definitely. I was actually thinking about a funny story. I mean, I, yes, I did have a naked sex scene with somebody and I was topless and going rolling. And he just went, oh, your nose is so pointy. And then action. And then I was like, going through my head was like, I cannot believe you just said that to me.

I can't believe it just said that to me. And carry on, Emily, don't ruin the take. Don't ruin the take. He said that to you. He said that to me. No, I thought you meant that you said it to him. No, no, no. I was never to that.

You haven't got a point in nose. Well, anyway, but he... What's a very strange thing to say before? Well, you're topless. Topless in a room full of men. And then afterwards, I had to go and have a little cry. So just to kind of let it out. But I think afterwards it was like, so it's quite a negative way of start.

But I think it's just... But I think, as my friend was saying, you know, cream rises to the top. and like the good people who are great to work with. The longer and longer I do this, the more I work with just like total legends and lovely people. And James is one of those epic dudes who I just love. I can't. Sorry, the reason I laughed was I thought you said it to him to take your mind off the fact that you were topless about to have sex with him. He said it to you. That's not my bag.

Oh, my way. Take that laugh away. That's horrible. No, I love a team player. I'm a team player. I mean, I just, why would you not? And I think also shows like his router training. And, you know, it's really about collaboration.

And you're only as good as your scene partner. And if you can't connect with your scene partner, or you don't give them the room to like, you can't like, it's like chemistry. Well, chemistry. But you can't spark off each other. It's a combination of two people that that's what you're doing together. And that's what just the magic and the brilliant thing about acting is.

But it's also, I don't know, maybe you're okay about being topless in front of a room. No, I mean, it depends on the situation and the scene. I mean, not really. It's never ideal. Do they say beforehand, are you happy to do? Yeah, there's a nudity clause. That particular time was in Berlin and they, maybe they're a bit behind there with the, I'm not sure, with any intimacy coordinator.

So I hadn't had someone there, which would have been a really useful time to have that. I personally, I know some people have mixed feelings about it, but I just personally love them because I've had so many situations when I was younger with those things and so many friends of mine too because people when they get nervous you never quite know how people behave of course

So I love them I find him empowering and they make me relaxed And it's funny old business That's a funny old job I know going hi knows me You're oh oh Like I go God I've always loved you

It is I mean it's something I know you You wanted to do from a young age because you have a UK and American citizenship. Yes, indeed. Work in both places. And you've done so many incredible things, so many films and TV shows.

And obviously, you can't help but think about all of those amazing films I've seen you. And Hail Caesar, Will and I, who works on this. We were just talking about it as well. But so many things that you've done. And then I love it that when I speak to actors, It was so, it is mad what I do, isn't it? And I love that you seem to look at it like that. This is crazy.

You love what you do, but isn't it mad? Yeah, it is. It's fun. It's like little kind of time capsules and just go to these random places, unexpected places. And everyone's really different. It's like a different personality because it also kind of follows suit. It trickles down from the people who are kind of directing it or managing it.

and also kind of the company that they put together. I think James did such a good job of putting together. All those cast members were just so great and so lovely with such a good bonding experience. So lovely. Are they going to be more? Are we going to see more? I don't know.

There was talks of that. I'm not sure. I did suggest Edith's revenge or just, you know, I'm a joke. I'm joking. I think they were talking about something perhaps with William. I have no idea. So I can't.

Well, congratulations on him. As I said, it's absolutely. epic and do send James our love I shall say congratulations as well I mean it really is it's a sort of huge TV show that we don't see the likes of on terrestrial television anymore it's very rare to see those

sort of shows something of that enormity but but also I did hint about something you're in the DC world now I am yes Supergirl Supergirl is it as extraordinary that world as

everybody else I've ever spoken to who's been in DC or the other one because you can't ever talk about the other one when you're talking DC and you can't talk about, you can't say the M word and when you're with, you can't say DC. But is it as bizarre as I imagine it to be quite strange because when the film comes out, it's going to be incredibly bizarre. I have no idea. The sort of the press thing, you know, a little bit.

I never know, I mean, you can never predict what something's, how something's going to, you know, the impact or what something's going to be like, you know, a tiny indie that does something big and a big show that doesn't get renewed. You know, it's like it's unpredictable. But it's sort of kind of a fun pleasure. It's very different to other projects, obviously. I mean, they're really high, you know, there's such a high scale of production. on those things and so many people. I mean, we were in the Warner Brothers studio,

and they look like football pictures. They are the size of football pitches, these studios. It's great studio. It's all kind of outdoors with these huge indoor studios that are like these covered, like the size of football pitches. And they're actually shooting. They were building the Harry Potter set at the time when I was there, so I was looking at all that at the Quidditchfield being built outside my trailer.

Yeah, so and there's obviously just giant departments for like the prosthetic departments where they're creating all these extraterrestrial humans and just so much design and it's really it's really good, it's just like fun. It just sort of plays into kind of, I guess people say like this sort of childish kind of excitement for it but it's all so beautifully designed and like everyone's meticulous about their job and what they're doing and so everything is just so beautifully done and

it's such a pleasure it's also such a pleasure especially I just love those costume fittings and you know and they're just so meticulous about every detail and you do you have like an hour's drive back and forth to kind of stand and put things on and then have a look at you and but it's

just so fun sometimes they're like oh gosh I'd love to do costume but it's also very demanding very very tiring So, I mean, you have done an incredible cross-section of things. When you left drama school and did you, is this sort of how you saw it all going? No, when I was graduating from Lambda, I started kind of, what is it, creating a CV so that I could try and get bar jobs and things like that. I think I was quite realistic about it, but I was very driven. I was like, I can't, I have no option, I have to, I have to be able to make this work

because I just have to. Because you loved it. Well, a mixture of reasons. I was like I trained for three years doing an acting diploma and I'm not skilled to do anything else. It was more like that really. It was like, well, I've got to. And also I did love it and I had a lot of kind of playful belief really. And I just kind of.

I think my heart was in the right place with it. Like I didn't feel affected by the outside part of it. And I felt like I just loved the inner work of it. And that really helped. And then I think I slightly regressed as the couple years went on because the business started being a bit, you know, the business is challenging. It's like you're put into boxes and you're like,

well, I could work really hard, but I don't look this way or that way. And then sort of you take a little step back and then have to challenge yourself and look at yourself a bit. and then refined that again. So it was a bit of a journey for myself in my 20s. And I think that's really normal. I think it's like I think also the way that you can survive in this industry and actually succeed.

Like many industries, is how you treat yourself and how you deal with yourself and making yourself a more robust. And your perspective, it's a constant kind of, constantly re-looking at your perspective. I love a good book or kind of, kind of redirecting yourself back there. I mean, it's interesting though, isn't it?

Because so many of my guests, that they love, I mean, we're all very lucky. You know, I love what I do. And you clearly love what you do. But it's such precarious job, but it's what we all need at the moment. We all need escapism. We really do.

And so you're all delivering our medicine. Yeah. We all need it. And even though, Sadly, you know, people going to the cinema is going down, but people are viewing voraciously now on every, you know, they've got their phones, they've got their iPads, they've got their screens, big screens, they, however they do it.

We need more. And so, do you feel quite hopeful about it? I think so. There's so much to watch. It's quite overwhelming on the, on the streamers. Yes, I think so. This year kind of bottlenecked slightly, but that would post. strikes in the LA fires.

So it's been a challenging year for pretty much everyone. For you as well? Yeah, for me too. It's just been a fallow period where you kind of wait in 2026 is when people say it's going to start. There's a huge backup of productions

apparently that have been put on pause and funders are too frightened to kind of, too nervous at the moment to put money towards things that either aren't remakes or don't have somebody very famous in it or somebody maybe be kind of, what's it called, clickbait kind of attracting, which is quite sad at moment. I think it's quite sad at the moment.

But unfortunate, but it's going to get better again. So it was just like, I think it was just that period. So again, that's a good moment to kind of go, what do you want and what are your kind of priorities and holding out on things that's been resilience, holding out. Good word. Yeah. Yeah. It's a good thing to have.

Yeah. We all need it. I'm going, I won't get anything from playing this wife. It's like, oh, where are you going? And, you know, or like, you're going to wait because they always say it's quality, not quantity. And also if you are busy doing something that doesn't really reach your potential or you're going to miss out on the other thing that does. And it's just so fulfilling working on those jobs. Oh, I'm so pleased.

For you, though, looking back on all of this, I mean, you know, the list is incredible and the awards, and I know you get really embarrassed. And I've done my research. You get very embarrassed about the awards. So you sort of, I love some of the interviews. You go, no, but no, anyway. Oh, no, do I really. I think I wasn't expecting it, so I wasn't prepared for it.

But isn't that the best way to get an award? The person that goes in there thinking, I'm going to get this. You know, that's a different thing. You know, the first award that you got, it's just such a lovely reaction and everything I've read about it. But how wonderful, though, because the awards do mean something, don't they?

People say, no, they don't mean anything. Of course they do. Well, they carry with you for life, and they kind of, I guess, they... It's fairly lucky. I mean, it's... I know, I'm not poop-pooing, but as in, like, the achievement.

But, you know, there's politics involved in it always, also, and timing. But, yeah, it's a lovely thing to carry with you and puts you in touch with brilliant people. And, yeah. Oh, how wonderful. Okay, so let's, if we may just pick a few. You could actually, you could pick one to talk about.

Would you like to pick one from the things that you've done to talk about? Well, anything. Anything. Yeah. Because I know which one. I mean, obviously, Hale Caesar was so huge. Crewella, just enjoyed it. Yeah, I know, I love to.

The same director who's doing Supergirl, he did Creella. Craig, he's very good. I'd say it was probably Daphne, because that was a big turning point for me. That was basically the catalyst, which changed my career, really. Yeah, and it was a tiny budget thing. At first we'd filmed a short film. I love this story because it's just like,

it did really well, And it was just anyway, we shot it on a tiny cannon. It cost nothing. And just like stumbling around London. She was quite a heavy alcoholic in the early, the character was an alcoholic in the early. Oh, it's wonderful. Early short film.

And extremely acerbic. And yeah, we shot that on, yeah, a tiny little short. And then later the director Peter Mackey Burns, who I love very much, were a good friend still. I keep joking. to put him on my gravestone and saying thank you very much. Peace, I owe you. My career now.

But, yeah, and then he said that Lizzie Frankie at the BFI thought that it was a really interesting character and they're going to develop it into something. He was like, do you want to play the character? I was like, yeah, okay. And then that was it, really. And then it just did really well and got lots of nominations and suddenly you're kind of visible

or people go like, huh, I didn't know that about you. I don't know, because I think my 20s, I'm not sure, well, I mean, it's just, it happens to all of us, you know, we're put in kind of a lot of girlfriend roles, a lot of polite role, you know, and so it was really nice to be able to break out of that. Yeah, yeah. I thought, should I change my hair? My hair's quite unusual.

It's quite feminine. I'm just, oh, it's quite, I don't know, yeah, you go through phases of playing different types of characters. Like at a phase of paying murderers. Then out of a phase of playing really supportive girlfriends. Then I had a phase of playing. And then Daphne kind of changed things. And then it was more, what was more kind of really more multifaceted kind of, well, leading female roles.

And also I wonder if that's entering a different era as well, like a different age bracket. it. So a lot of people said, you know, you might get more success when you're older. They used to say you're a bit of an old soul. So I'd go in for these roles and I'd be like, gosh, how do I be kind of fled and seductive and kind of? Because, you know, you had to work. So you had to audition for them and be like, gosh, yeah, they're, I don't know. I said to that time, I didn't know how to not be complex in a role. Like, as in like that was what I loved and what I loved watching. And, I was like, I've got to get that away, I've got to take that away if I want to get this job. I've got to be like, I said this before and I kind of regret it because it was put in a title in a little article about it and it just sounded quite like a big statement.

I thought, at the time in my 20s just thought, my job is to be, well, fuckable really, to the employers. And it just is not, you know, not, what I don't really know how to and also it's just a bit alien so you're going from Lambda where you're doing these just super juicy gorgeous plays and great roles

and then in your 20s you'd get the job a lot or you'd be like am I are they shocked am I attractive enough and you hear these horror stories where people get sacked at their readthroughs a friend of mine got sacked

but a lot of things are saying is about how you look how you look I think in your 20s and at that particular time I think things have changed. But yeah, now I'm in a different age bracket, which is great. And I think it might hopefully just get easier in that regard. But also you've done so many.

Yeah. Such a variety of things. Yes. And such huge successes. Yes, we're past then. And you are a superb actress. So because you've proved yourself now. Yeah.

You know, and, you know, it's interesting, as I was doing all my research and going through, and I thought, oh, goodness, of course she was in that. Oh, wow, she was in that because it's such a good actress that it is a case of, oh, oh, my word, yeah. But that's, I presume that's what every actor wants. Yeah, yeah. Don't you? Yeah, yeah.

Just to do a lot of things that keep going. So your life away, it's very interesting, you talk about clickbait, and your life away from doing your films, your private life and everything, you keep that very private and I think that's important as well. I like a bit of mystery. I sort of feel like, I mean, sometimes celebrities get hired because they're celebrities, and people were interested in their lives and they've got a lot of followers.

But I think actually the, I'd, Personally, just, yeah, I think that the mystery is a powerful tool. Because, yeah, you can be anyone. You want some, yeah, you want to be able to be transformative. Carry on being mysterious. Thank you, thank you. Congratulations on King and Conqueror. Thank you very much.

Can you tell us any more about Supergirl? Are you allowed to say anything? Because it comes out next year, doesn't it? 26. Yes, well, there's a lot of gorgeous little aliens. Millie's amazing in it. She is a great. actress. And...

This means I can't tell you anything, but I'm going to tell you that everybody's lovely. Yeah, yeah, it's funny. It's funny. I mean, of course, I mean, Craig's really good at comedy and spontaneity. He made I-Tonia and... Brilliant film. Pam and Tommy and Lars and The Realgo and Corella. Which were all great. there's a lot of really gorgeous looking aliens and there's also a theme of quite a lot vomiting as well but

gorgeous aliens and vomiting right you've got us all there we're all going to the cinema and also the aliens are kind of computerized they're like with um I don't know what there's basically loads of electronics inside these beautifully made alien heads so they're like huge and they're

controlled by um well, a computer, and they're moving in the most incredible way. So do you have to act with them? I actually didn't have any scenes. No aliens with you? No, I was predominantly on Argo, which is a very sophisticated planet. If you're a Superman Supergirl fan, you know where Argo is. I absolutely loved the new Superman.

Yeah, it was fun. I've got James Gunn and Craig Gilliespie are really different like tonally like they're super I think it's going to be really different but fun as well Oh well good luck with that and I'm sure we'll be seeing you at all of the No I love that that it's gorgeous aliens and vomit That's what I'm going to take before I go and see it Great

Can we go and see it? Yeah you'll be like watch out of the vomit And they're beautiful aliens Emily thank you very much indeed it's always a pleasure Yeah.