That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Josette Simon OBE

Episode Date: September 12, 2022

This week, Gaby is joined by the incredible Josette Simon OBE, star of both stage and screen. They talk extensively about her life, her career and of course her dog Milo. Josette shares her experience of starring in Blake's 7, Wonder Woman and how exactly Josette prepares to undertake any role. A really candid, wholesome and inspiring chat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

and welcome to That Gabby Roslin podcast, part of the A-Cast Creator Network. This week, my guest, is the wonderful and superb actress Josette Simon. I cannot tell you what a joy it is to sit opposite her and just talk and chat. And we talked obviously about Blake Seven and Wonder Woman and her dog Milo. In fact, I think we should share a picture of her dog, Milo. Have a look and see what you can find. But here she is, the gorgeous... Josette Simon. Don't forget, you can keep up to date by following and subscribing, please,

to the podcast where a new episode is released every Monday. Leave us a rating on the Apple Podcast app. And whilst you're there, why not leave us a review? We love to hear your thoughts. Now, on with the show. Josette, because the sun is out, you are smiling. But I think you smile all the time. I don't think I've seen a photograph of you while I've been doing my research where you're not smiling. Yeah, I'm a bit of a smiler. Yeah, I'm quite. quite sort of, yeah, I'm a positive girl, I'd say, a glass half full. But I don't smile all the time. That would be inhuman, wouldn't it? That would be a bit weird. Yeah. But I know, but I am. I would say that generally, I'm a smiler. Were you like that as a child? No, absolutely not.

Really? No. So when did, okay, when did that happen? Because I was the annoying child who was like, hello, everybody. I was probably, I know, I was a really silent child. Very, very, very, very very, very quiet. I hardly spoke. And if you went into my classroom, I went to an all-girls grammar school in Leicester, because that's where I was born and brought up. And there were two or three girls there who went to tap and ballet in stuff on Saturday mornings and were very extrovert and outgoing. And if you went into that classroom and asked who in the future was going to be an actor, you'd have picked one of them. And you wouldn't have looked twice at the person right at the back of the class,

very studios, very academic, with a head down, extremely quiet, which was me. I'm not surprised because nearly every single performer, because in the podcast, or ever the seasons, there have been singers,

actors, comedians, so I'm going to say performers. I don't think there's one that said they weren't quiet. They weren't shy. I was insanely shy, a child. So I get that. The quiet child, now I look at my kids' classrooms, I think, right, you're probably going to end up performing because you're the quiet one. Yeah, because when

my daughter was at primary school, I'd have, you know, any number of parents who bounce up to me and tell me that Charlie or Susie or Lucy were probably going to be actors because they were, like, really outgoing and extroverts and they loved performing and they did a tap dance when the fridge light came on and everything. And they said, you know, can you give them some of the because they're going to be, I'm sure they're going to be wonderful actors. And they go to acting classes and everything else. So I would say to them, well, I think it's great they go to acting classes

because, you know, it's good for confidence and socialisation and having fun and everything else. But they might not necessarily be an actor. I didn't want to say that the extrovert thing doesn't actually lend itself very well. The thing about, you know, I've often wondered why myself and loads of other people that I've worked with do have been quite quiet people. And actually, even now, although we're sort of socially, you know, sort of socially extrovert, I would say, just so can just get on with people socially. At heart, actually, we're all quite introverted. And this goes completely against the public idea of actors because they think they go around flinging.

the arms wide and saying, oh, darling, and, you know, that kind of thing. But actually, most of the people I work with who are worth their salt are actually quite introverted. And I used to think, wonder about this. And I think that maybe it's partly to do the fact that when you're working, you put all your energy and focus into your work and trying to get it as good as you possibly can. and those people who are who kind of you know sing and dance and tap dance in the coffee bar expend all their energy you know that energy is outward it just goes off into the ether whereas if you really want to do something well acting wise you're so focused and I wonder if

you know there's something in that but it's it's quite it's quite interesting But what about those parents, though? Maybe that's about them as opposed to... Because your parents weren't supportive of you becoming an actor, were they? No, not at all. So, and yet they're those parents who're saying, oh, look at Tommy do his tap dance while the fridge is open. That's a very different mindset.

Yes, I think there's some of them around. You know, there's a mixture as ever. Yeah, you know. It was actually quite interesting, actually, when parents would come to me and say, little Tommy, Lucy, Susie, Jenny, you're wonderful. And the children weren't actually with them. Oh, see? There we go.

There we go. But also, everybody likes to have a little moment of celebrity friend. You know, they do. They do. And they would have seen you on television over the years and seen you in plays and seen you in all those amazing films you've been in. And they just, it's that, oh, well, Tommy, he's going to be an actor. and I've now heard from my friend who's an actress.

She's an award-winning actress. Tommy, you're going to be famous. It's that. It's passing it on. It's weird, though, isn't it? Isn't it a weird world that we encompass? Oh, it is. It is, yeah.

And also, I don't really want to know why I'm an actor, why I act. You know, it's so complex. You know, I was a late kind of road to Damascus about turn moment. I was on my way to university to do languages, French, German and English. And it happened very late for me that I... Through Alan Rickman, is that true? Well, not, wasn't through... There's wonderful twists and turns on the internet.

Alan Rickman is the reason that Josette Simon became an actor. Well, actually, the reason I became an actor was my friend at the time, who's still my friend. Sharon Hare, my name is my classmate, who was one of those people who, did go to tap and ballet and stuff. And we were 13 in Leicester, Leicester, mid-dock. And the Haymarket Theatre had advertised in the local paper for kids to come an audition for Joseph and his amazing technical car to dream coat, the children's, you know, choir. And she wanted to go and said, oh, I'm a bit nervous there.

Will you come with me? And I said, no, absolutely not. No, I can't think of anything worse. But she said, please, please, please come. And I said, no, I don't want to do that. No, no, no. And she went on and on at me. And so I did, I said, oh, right, all right.

So we went on Saturday morning and auditioned for this thing. And we got in. And it was very popular in Leicester and kept being revived all the time. And we were revived with it. And I actually really enjoyed it. I really enjoyed it. It was a great show, though, isn't it? Oh, it's a great show.

Do you know, I remember all the words and all the moves that we had to do in that quite. moves as well? I remember it. No. Honestly, I do. Oh, I love that. Ridiculous. Anyway, it's cut a long, long story short.

They then cast us in things like the panto and things like that. And then other directors started casting me in plays in the studio and other things. And it was all lovely after school, but I was never going to do it. And there were people around, like Alan, Alan Rickman, who was one of the brothers. And he said to me, you know, you're really good. because I'd done a couple of plays. You should think about being an actor, an actress. And I said, oh, no, no, no, no.

I mean, I really like, I actually really enjoy it after school and everything, but no, no, it's not for me. And this went on, and people kept saying this to me, including him. And then one day, on an ordinary Tuesday, not end of term or anything, I just had this flash, this eureka moment when I thought... Seriously? Yeah. It was like that.

Yeah, and I thought, no, actually I want to be now. That's what I want to do. That is what I want to do. And so I left. Wow. Is that, you know, it wasn't arrogance. It was that kind of youthful impetuousness where you think, oh, right, I know what I want to do. Yes.

Yeah, absolutely. In the depth of my soul, I knew the thing I really wanted to do was to act. And then I went and asked Alan people, which was the best drama school. And they said central school. So I wrote to them and got an audition when they were doing their rounds of auditions and got in. And, you know, I didn't know anything then. I didn't know that thousands auditioned and they only take 29. You know, it's that kind of youthful thing.

Oh, this is what I have to do. Oh, okay. I'll do that. How wonderful, though. And that was that. I love that because that's, it's very interesting that moment. I mean, you hear that people say whatever it is that they do, that they're, uncle gave them a guitar and they picked it up and they thought,

ah, this is what I want to do. Or their parents said, oh, you've got to, there's something that makes that moment, that flash. But for you, it literally was just standing there and it came to you. I think that's incredible. Yeah, I'd been, you know, by then I'd done, you know, a few things in theatre. I'd done a wonderful play called The Miracle Worker about Helen Keller, deaf and blind and Annie Sullivan, her teacher.

And I was playing Helen Keller's best friend. And I done a couple of serious things. I don't know. Something just clicked. Something just clicked. Well, I'm so pleased it did. It's very interesting because when we talked before, one of the things that I read, I love that you.

you've said that you hate labels and I hate labels you know it's when you're a TV presenter oh you can't do this when you're in plays oh you can't do musicals whatever it may be but also the black actress label you're an actress and you're a fine actress full stop but I didn't realize that you were the first black woman to play Shakespeare I mean that at the at the Royal Shakespeare Company's first that shocked me so much much, I don't understand why it didn't happen before. And I'm not sure how I coped with it when I read that. If that, does that make sense to you? I just sort of, I thought, we've moved on so much. I hope we've moved on so much. But there you are suddenly having that label. And that, so when

you're doing all your research on you, that always comes up. Well, the black actress, yeah. And that the first black actress to be in a Shakespeare play at the RSC. Yes. Now, that part of it, I don't mind, you know, because there's quite something to be the very first leading actress who's a black in the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company. You know that. But as you say, it is quite shocking.

And also at the time, it caused so much controversy. It was ridiculous. That's what I mean. I think that's probably all of that around it. Yeah, yeah. Why did it cause so much controversy? Well, because you had, not by the audience, I have to say, You're only one who, you know, went to see it, the things I did, all the various things.

Well, I should hope not the audience. Because audiences, especially in the theatre, you know, you kind of accept stuff. You know, it's, you suspend disbelief on all kinds of levels, you know. And so someone with my colour walking around on the stage doing Shakespeare and Elizabeth in England is not going to, as some people seem to think, make the audience riot and say, what the hell is she doing there? People said that. But, no, they, it was implied. in, but mostly

sort of commentators, you know, art commentators, critics, you know, that kind of thing. It wasn't from, excuse me, it wasn't from, you know, anybody watching. It was, and also it was before it happened, it was once it was announced, it was just all this speculation about,

you know, will people accept this brown face in supposedly, you know, Elizabeth in England and Shakespeare and all that. And it was ridiculous. And there was so much noise that I remember I'm thinking, because it's hard enough to do something really well, do you know what I mean? Yeah, of course.

Without having this gigantic spotlight shone on you. And it was almost like if it had failed, if I had failed, it would have been, well, you see, actors who are black actors can't do Shakespeare or something. So there was an enormous load on my shoulders. And I remember thinking I could actually fall to pieces with this. or I could try and tune it out somehow and just try and focus on what I'm trying to do

which is to make this thing the best I could and I somehow managed to do that I don't know how but I managed to do that and try not to listen to that's amazing or read any stuff or just let them sort of make all the noise and thankfully it was you know went well but you know one of the things you have to do

I think creatively whether you're on the theatre or TV or film or whatever, is you should be allowed to fail because if you don't risk anything, you don't gain anything, you don't make progress. You've got to be allowed to fail because then you risk. So I think having this thing hanging over me where if it had failed, then it would be like, I see, that was wrong.

Oh, isn't that crazy? So it was, yeah. And then for years afterwards, thankfully not now, but for years afterwards, if I did anything, It was always like, this, I don't read reviews anymore actually, but at that time I did. Well, they're all marvellous about you, of course. Yeah, I don't read. Good or bad, actually.

It's not so much to do with, if they're terrible. Yeah, it's like if you do a scene and someone said, oh, in that scene, she was absolutely wonderful when she did blah, blah, blah. It means that when you get to that scene, you'll be reminded that, oh, that was a scene where they said it. And that means that you're not thinking about what you should be thinking. So it's good or bad. But at that time, I did read them. And for years...

I used to have this thing where I'd say, this part's played by Anthony Scher or whatever, and that played by the black Josette Simon, as if there was a white one knocking around somewhere. It didn't say, oh, isn't that ridiculous? No, this was all that, the black Josette, the black, you know. And then I once got pilloried for saying in an interview that I hate the term black actor.

I absolutely hate the term black actor or black actress. Because people have more emphasis on the first word than the second. And the thing is, I'm an actor. Yes. And I happen to be black, which I'm very proud of my colour. I have no problem with my colour at all. But I'm an actor and I'm black. That's the way round it is.

I'm not a black actor. I don't know what a black actor means. What is a black actor? You're an actor. It's ridiculous. You don't say a white actor. But they also, the other thing that they do is they will always put somebody's age. If it's a woman, so if you're a black actor and your age,

if you're a woman. They don't often say it about men. Anyway, you just carry on being a wonderful actor. And that's, no, that's what you are. Can we go through some of the things? We have to, you know what I'm going to say. Do I? We have to talk about Blake Seven.

Oh, yes. Because if I don't, I'd be, I'd be strong up. I mean, so Blake Seven, it's a real, there's still such a cult feeling about it. Huge. And there are meetings. They have meetings still, right? Yeah. Convention.

People gather together, you know, either in a sort of separate place or on each other's houses or, you know, people dress up and they watch, you know, endless episodes and they have replicas of your costume and stuff. I remember it. I remember it so well. And it was great. It was wonderful. Stuck together with cellotape. I don't remember it silver. That's what if you think about Blake 7, it was all silver.

Everything was silver. What year was it? Oh. A few years ago. A few years ago. Yes. Back in the adults. Yeah, a few years ago.

My daughter says when she's joking, you know, was that in medieval times, mom? Thanks. Your daughter, the cellist. Is she a cellist? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. How lovely.

Yeah. Chello. I wish I could play an instrument. Me too. Hold on. I was about to go through your TV thing. You're saying me too. You're still learning because isn't it true as an adult you've learned French?

and then you've learnt British sign language. Yeah. See, I love that. You're forever learning. But you know what's interesting about that, which occurred to me a few years ago, was that I gave up languages, you know, to go to drum school. Because of Alan Rickman, of course, because of course.

And I didn't mind so much losing the German, but it always used to bother me. Because I did use to love, I loved French. And my old French teacher came to, Every single thing I ever did. No. My French teacher. Yeah, because I was very good at French.

I was like I started. I know. Everything I did, Mrs. Minnie Hain. Mrs. Minnie Hane. And she'd come around afterwards. I'd say, come around. And she'd say, I'm going to be in the audience today. I was going to be in the audience today.

And you know that thing where, honestly, I was so touched by her. Every single thing I ever did. She only stopped when she got older. So she supported you where your parents didn't? You had Mrs. Minnie Hain. Always. Yeah.

And she'd come dressing me and have a chat and everything. And I couldn't call, she's forever telling me to call her Barbara. And I said, I can't. You know that thing. Yes, yeah, yeah. You know, you're an adult. I couldn't call her Barbara. I had to call her Mrs. Minnie Hane.

And she's older now and she's sadly not able to do things like that. Oh, she's still with her. So are you still in touch with her? Yeah, sometimes, yeah. Oh. Yeah. Mrs. Minnehane, I hope you're listening to this. Yeah, but the language thing, no, but clearly I have a love of language in some way because Shakespeare.

No, I mean, I don't just love Shakespeare. I love lots of things, but I re-learned my French because I used to go to France and couldn't string two words together, and it really annoyed me. So some years ago, I found a French teacher near where I live, and then I'd go back and fall to France, and I'd have the French station in my house all the time. Oh, lots a good thing. And I learned and learned to learn to learn. It became fluid. And I'm fluent now.

And yes. And then British Sign Language, you know. The thing about languages, I think, is something that's in me. That I had when I was at school and I've come full circle to it. But I love learning, yes. I learned in lockdown, I learned the ukulele. Did you? Yeah.

Well, then you can play an instrument. Oh, well, yeah. I didn't say I was very good at it. Okay. All right. I bet you're not bad at it though knowing you. I don't know. As a child you were focused, as an adult you're focused.

I bet you. She's probably you and your daughter. I'm very curious. You know, I've got a sort of childlike wonder of the world still. And I think that's a very good thing to have. Oh, yeah. Always hold on to me. My daughter's always quite proud of me because I'll have a go at stuff.

I'll have a go. Like, and I'm now, I've learnt paddleboarding. That's my new question. Isn't that? Do you stand or do you kneel? I stand. See, I can't do the stand. I fall.

Every time I stand up and I giggle too much. I think it's probably because I'm giggling that I can't manage it. Have you done zip wiring yet? I did it quite a few years ago on holiday once my daughter. Yeah, I love things like that. Yeah. Bunchied? No, I don't think I'll do that.

I have to say, I draw the line. Indoor skydiving? No, but I'd love to do that. Oh, that's fantastic. Yeah. Right, they're about to open an outdoor indoor style. So it's outside and it's a wind tunnel that you can float above the trees. I've seen it. Yes.

And I will definitely. you'd be going for that. Yes, same year. Maybe we're together. Oh, that would be bad. That's it. Yes, we're going to do it. So let's just talk about other TV shows before we go on to the films then.

So Anatomy of a scandal, as you know, I loved it. Absolutely loved it on Netflix. It was one of my favorite books. I was obsessed with a book. But as a TV show, I loved the way it was crafted. I loved the way it was directed. And the cliffhangers were so clever, the falling. So everyone's seen it now, but we won't give the ending away because it's always available.

because it's always available there on Netflix. And it did massively well around the world. Yeah, massively well. Number one in practically every country, including the States. Yeah, huge. So Netflix is very powerful. And it's the amount of very fine actors. Because I'm going to put you in that category

and I know you're not going to like it but I'm going to. But who now go to do television. People were very snobby years ago. I'm not saying you were. But people were snobby about doing TV. Oh, yeah. Back in the day. And now everyone does the TV shows.

Do you think all of that has really changed? Do you think cinemas on the decrease, on the decline? Well, I think, well, obviously, you know, the virus has had a major effect on cinema. I think before then it was doing, you know, it was doing quite well. Still, it was healthy, healthy attendance. But things go straight to streaming. Things go straight to streaming. I mean, I have to say, I absolutely love the cinema.

I've never grown out of the whole Pearl and Dean music thing of popcorn. Yeah, I've never grown out with the excitement. And one of my favourite things is to go to the cinema. Absolutely love it. And there are certain films that you think, I have to see that on the big screen. Cry Freedom. Cry freedom. Yeah.

Have to be a big screen. But I think that, yeah, I think things have to be a big screen. change. I think the quality of television work has changed and that's why I think it's attracted in subsequent years it's attracted people who may not have done telly before

or and has got rid of that snotty snobbish thing because I think that there are certain TVs became the quality of it became better certain aspects of it became almost cinematic

and I think that you know, the scripts got better and better and then attracted people who didn't do TV before. And then, of course, once people see that, they think, oh, God, they're really good and they're doing TV. So that kind of shame, not shame, but that kind of negative thing drops away. And I think that the same has happened with commercials.

Back in the day. Dame Judy Dench does a commercial now. Yeah, absolutely. So I think that it's good. I'm glad that it's changed because, you know, it's ridiculous. But, yeah, I think there's a definite crossover now from people who would never do TV, who would be theatre or film. And I think the crossover from film, people who primarily film actors who now also do TV is a very good thing. And I think that whole stigma has disappeared. I hope so. It's funny, though, the audience,

because if you say to, I did a poll on something I was doing recently, and we said, play or musical, simple as that, we just wondered what people would pick. And there were a lot of people who said, oh, a play, I wouldn't watch a play. So then I, okay, so would you watch a drama on television? Oh, I love that.

That's a play. Oh, I never thought that it was, yes, because it doesn't have music. And it's funny how people think about, I love theatre, I love cinema, but live theatre. I don't think there's anything quite, I was very lucky because as a child, my parents took me to live theatre from a very small age. They wanted me to be complete, they love the arts. So I'm very lucky, I know that. But a lot of people now, I think, are more open to live theatre because they've now, drama into their lives, as in some of the really fine dramas, like Anatomy of the Scandal,

many other things, of course, that you've done, the split, which I love it, that they now feel more open to plays. Does that make sense to you? Yes, it's kind of. I mean, I hadn't really realised that, I think sometimes people think, people may have thought in the past the same way they think about some people think about art. They think, well, I get it. You know, and I don't know, they kind of ascribe something to plays that was kind of serious high art.

So they sort of avoided it and, you know, would rather go to a musical. Not that a musical, I mean, it's an amazing musicals. It's not that musicals are lower in any sense at all. But it's just that people would avoid, you know, if they said they were going to the theatre, they, you know, very really meant going to see a musical and sort of steered away from plays.

And I, yeah, and I think they may have thought they would be dull or boring or serious or I don't know what, but I think that, yeah, there are many more, there's much more of a crossover now with plays because, as you rightly say, some great dramas and people watch a drama on telly. And they realize how that can affect them. And I think they start to realize that great drama is uplifting, absorbing,

absolutely. Elevating. And I think that that draws more people who may not have necessarily gone to lots of plays in the theatre to go to see a play. Oh, I love theatre. Do you love being in theatre? Yeah, I love being in theatre. I love all of them. I mean, I think...

I'm not going to make you choose. No, no, no, no. No, no. It's not like a child. No, no. Choose your favourite. Acting, a play. Television, film, yeah.

It was just that thing when you were earlier talking about labels. You know, I hate this thing that came in some years ago where people get labelled a theatre actor, a TV actor, a film actor. You know, the fact is you're an actor, actor, actor, actor. And hopefully you want to move around all of those things because they all have completely different disciplines which you want to be, you know, exercising. So I love doing film, I love doing TV, I love radio, actually.

I love creating a character solely with your voice. So I love radio. But theatre, yes. Of course, theatre has an aspect that none of those things have. And that is, when the curtain goes up, you are on a roller coaster until it goes down. So if anything goes wrong, you have to get out of it without the audience noticing. You know, you can't say, oh, sorry, can I just do that? You know, you can't do that.

So the fritton of live theatre, and the fact is that it's happening there on the moment, it will never be the same again. You know, tomorrow it will be different. It may look the same, but everyone's experiencing this extraordinary event in the now, here and now, live in the theatre. It's alive, it's fully alive. And the audience and the actors are in this world watching this narrative and these living, breathing, fully formed humans, you know, in front of them.

It's, it's, oh, I mean, it's so exciting. I have to tell you, though. Yeah. I have to tell you that I've been, you know, actually for a long time, and I've done a lot of theatre, never cease. I never cease to be absolutely terrified. Really? Yeah.

And it doesn't matter if I've done 100 performances of the same thing. And it doesn't matter if you're doing eight performances a week, whatever, each time before I go down the stairs or wherever I'm going to the wings, I'm in and out of the bathroom. I feel sick. Wow. My heart pounds. I'm absolutely... And I stand there sometimes, I think, you know, what is this? This is so masochistic.

It's off the scale. You know, why do you put yourself through this? Why? Once I'm on there, I've got things to get on with, do you know what I mean? But the lead-up to the performance, every single performance. That's fascinating. Because you do, a lot of people get nervous or they get excited or they call nurse-sighted or whatever anybody wants to call it. And then they use that.

Yeah, you use it. But do you think that it's something you, even though you feel sick and you get nervous, it's something you couldn't live without? I have to do it. I don't know. And, you know, again, right to the beginning of our talk, I said that I don't want to know why. You know, I don't want to know the ins and outs of why I'm an actor. Not because it's sinister or anything, but it's just, I don't know.

This is something you want to share. But if you'd like to, checks bad for knives or axes. No, nothing like that. You know, it's because, you know, you do put yourself through it. You put yourself through it in order to create the best piece of work, you possibly can. And it doesn't change really. And you wonder why you would do that to yourself. Really. Maybe don't think about it too much. The interesting thing is that everybody, I mean, because I'm an interviewer, but also people will interview me and there'll always be a time of

saying, why did you want to be a TV presenter when you were a child? I don't really know. And I can't break it down, but I knew it was something I wanted to do. And if you go too deep into it, oh, I don't want, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. We just do what we do. Yeah. And we love what we do. And we're very lucky to do what we do. Very lucky. That's the other thing. And we sort of know, and we know that we want to do it. Now, why that is, I don't know. Yeah. And I don't want to know. Exactly. I was going to say, yeah, you know, and you don't want to. I have enough of a job trying to do things really well. Because even on the, you know, the last performance, say, in the theatre, very last performance of run or whatever it is.

I am still, the last word, the last breath, the last full stop. I'm still trying to make it better. You know, I mean? I've still got parts of it. I think, oh, I can. Because people say to you, you know, if you're doing a play, how can you do that every night? Don't you get bored or something?

And I say, absolutely not. Because it's always things you're trying to make better. And also, you put yourself back into it as if it's the first time you've done it. You listen to what someone is saying to you. Because you don't know. I don't know what you're, you, Gabby Roslin, going to say to me next.

You don't know what's coming out. You have to go back to a new day. It's a new day. You didn't do it yesterday. It's a new day. There are all kinds of things that you're trying to improve on or take a risk on we'll try that.

At the very last performance, you're still doing it. It's very interesting because before we started recording, you were saying about living in the moment and the way you're talking and everything you said, I just get that from you, that you really, you don't look back, you don't necessarily think about what's going to happen in the weather. You just, you live for the moment.

And I'm sure you do that in your performances as well. Yeah, absolutely. 100%. Yeah. If I'm opposite someone and so, you know, who's talking to me as a character, I absolutely, I mean, in this, maybe comes through experience, I don't know, but I'm able to completely clear my mind so that I don't know what they're going to say to me. That's incredible talent. That's very difficult. So that my response, it depends on how what they say to me hits me.

Wow. So my response tonight during the thing might be quite different. to yesterday because of because of what they say to me, and that I don't know. I'm in a state where I don't know. Of course I know, but I can get to a stage where I completely forget that I know

and just try to listen on that moment when they say something to me. And then I respond. That's the best thing. So I don't churn out the same old performance that I did yesterday. Every day is in. day. Every moment is a new moment. How is it going to be tonight? I don't know. But my ears are

open, proper listening. And also, before I speak, I try to, you know, to feel like we do now, which is, I don't know what I'm going to say to you in the next sentence. Yeah. That's the best advice you could give any actor, up-and-coming actor, whatever age they are, when they say, oh, it's the listening. Listening is so important. Yeah. You've got to, and you know, that's It's the same in life. Yeah, of course. Because whether you're acting or whether you're in real life, you have to listen and you don't not wait to speak.

A lot of people are waiting to speak when someone's talking to them and they're not listening. That's interesting. Do you know what I mean? Yes, I do know exactly what you mean. So whether you're acting in someone is, you're saying something to another character and you can see that their face is fixed. sometimes, you know, ready to deliver their line.

Yeah. They're not actually listening to you. Yeah. They're waiting to speak their line. And then sometimes in life, someone is talking to another person and that person isn't actually listening to them. They're waiting to respond.

They're waiting to speak. I mean, I, you know, it's going to sound a bit morbid, but I've had friends, I'm sure you have to, I've had friends through life who have had cancer or, you know, some life-threatening illness or some terrible dilemma of some sort. And maybe a few of us are gone out or talking, you know, in a cafe together, just having a chat.

And sometimes you observe that that person may start talking in a particular way, person who's ill. And sometimes people aren't listening. They're waiting to offer a solution. Or, it comes from a good place. But the thing of actively listening is something you have to commit to. You don't, not waiting to jump in or whilst they're talking to you, formulating your response whilst they're talking to you. Because that's, not listening. When you're not there in the moment, you're not taking it in.

No. That's very interesting because I've always said that my father was a broadcaster as well. He's still with us. He was a broadcaster. And he used to say, never plan an interview

because what happens if you thought that person is mad about lions and you go on about, oh, I've heard you love lions. And they say, I used to, but now I love giraffes. And your next question was going to be, tell me about how you love lions.

Well, don't, you just, just have to listen. Otherwise, you're not going to, you're not going to have a conversation. A conversation is about two people, however many people, but it's about always listening. And we have to listen to ourselves and we have to listen to others. I completely agree, 100%. But you do, I can tell, you're very, you're so in the moment. You've got the most incredible energy. You really have. Incredible energy. I love, I also read that you do therapy, pets for therapy.

Oh, yes. With my dog. See, that's another one of those. You're very giving of time. I can feel it of you. Tell me about that because my cousin has just started doing it with her dog and she said it's one of the greatest gifts. Well, my dog, my beloved dog, Milo. Everybody who knows me knows Milo.

Who's always with me except for today. He's not here today. No, he's not here today. I would be so unprofessional. Although, I have to tell you, he is the calmest dog and he would just be sitting here calm. Now that's because as a puppy, he was a total nightmare. I'd never had a dog before, we got him.

And I'd said to my daughter, it's going to be your responsibility, right? You know, because she had gone on and on about it. So after three years, we said, okay, you can, we'll get that. In three years' time when you're responsible. So I did all the research about what it means to have a dog, what will I have to do? blah, everything. And then when he arrived, he was very sweet. But, you know, it's a puppy.

Puppie's all extremely hard work. Yes. And I didn't know that because I didn't have a dog. But eventually, I realised that training would be good. So I went often to puppy training classes to learn what to do. Yeah, were you trained and was he trained? Well, both of you were trained. Well, the puppy training classes, this is a mistake people make, you see.

They think that the puppy training classes is the training. But it isn't. It's for you to learn what you then need to go off and do, right? So, because I'm mistress of research and commitment, I learned it. And I did all the training with him. And it was really stressful, very, very stressful. But I stuck at it. I stuck at it.

And I made sure everybody else in the household did the same thing because there's no point you doing it in someone. And it paid off. It's paid off 100%. He's the most amazing dog. So about three years ago, five years ago, one of my friends who I said to you, you know, that had hacked cancer, eventually was in a hospice.

And I promised her that I would be with her all the way to the end, which I was. And so we would go and visit her in the hospice. And because she loved Milo, dogs were allowed to be brought in. So Milo would go in with me. And sometimes we'd be there four or five. I'd break it up with little walks and things, but we'd be there.

And he'd curl up on the bed and be really, really calm and she would stroke him. And then in her final days when she was in and out of consciousness, I would get her hand and I'd put it on his tummy so she could feel it going up and down. And he was an absolute star. And then a year or so after, I thought, you know, he was so good. I wonder if he'd be. So I contacted Pets as therapy. and they brought him in for these assessments,

which are really tough because they've got to be able to cope with any situation. It's not just about being calm and lovely. And if he'd failed one of them, he'd have failed the whole thing. But wonderful little boy, he passed. So from then on, when I'm free, I contact them or things get sent to you to see if you're free to go to... We've been to hospital. We've been to children's hospice near us.

Mental health. We've been to university with anxious students. All kinds of things. And he's got his little jacket that says, Working Pets are Sarah. And I have my uniform, which is blue and yellow. And I look as if I'm about to do a shift to IKEA. There's no word of a lie.

Anyway, yeah, so we're a little team. So when I'm not working, That's one of the things I do. That's very special. That's very special for your friend as well. Dogs, I wish I could have a dog. I had dogs all my life. Why do you have a dog now?

My husband's allergic to the spit of dogs. He's very allergic and he loves dogs. So we literally, whenever there's a dog around and the girls and I, we're all like that. And David just stands up. Oh, that's such a shame. I've never heard that one of spit. I mean, I know that the hair, because my life, for instance, doesn't shed. So he's...

What is he? Lots of people. He's a havanese. Every time you say, people say, what is he? And I say, have an ease. Every single person goes, including people who know dogs, go, what's that? Yes, I was about to. What's a havinese?

I want to see a picture of a havinese. I'm going to have a look. They're very like Laster Apsos, if you've heard of words. Oh, yes. Oh, lovely. Yeah. Oh, my goodness me. But they've probably looking at picture where the fur is straight down to the ground.

Yeah, but there's also a short one. That's what they do when they... That one. Yes, so that's what they do when they say are showing them or something. But that upkeep of that fur, that coat is ridiculous. And my friends are going to actually be amazed that I've said he's a have an ease because I usually lie. You lie? Why do you lie about your dog?

Because everyone says, where I... Where I live is the cockapoo capital of the world. Everyone's got cockapoo's. And when I first got him, and I've lived where I've lived for 40 years in my area. When I first got to him, everyone would say, oh, God, what is he? And I'd say, he's to have any ease. And people go, I want one of the, oh, I want one, just like him. I want one, I want one, I want one.

And eventually I thought, do you know what, I don't want, I don't want the cockapoo. situation happening with Havon. So I decided that when people asked me, I'd say he was a last episode. I'm confessing here. I love that. And so when anyone asks me, I usually say,

Lassar. How do you do, how do you cope with having a dog and doing theatre and doing filming all day for various Netflix things and Witcher and all of those things that you've done?

How do you do all about? Well, most of the time, if you're filming in London, He comes with me. And he's in my trailer. And when I'm on the set, there's always a long queue of people saying, Oh, perfect. Can I go and see my, Logan?

Because there was always people who are dog-friendly, the producers and people, more and more and more. So there's often a dog around anyway. Makeup might have a dog. And theatre? They're right with it in theatre. In my dressing room. Oh, perfect.

Absolutely. No, I am. I'm now I'm hurt. You didn't bring him. And again, well, I wouldn't do that without asking. So you, so you and Milo and your daughter go off on adventures in your camper van. You take the cello and the ukulele too, because this now sounds like the most incredible family. You know, the all, all musical, traveling around the country.

Have the therapy dog. There's more than us too. There's more than us too, but I'm deeply private. I don't ever talk about it. No, I know. And that's your business. Yeah. But I tell you what we do, because she plays the cello, she taught herself quite a while ago to be completely, you know, fine at the piano and the guitar. She taught herself.

She's like her mom then. Through being, you know, very good at the cell. She took, because she's musically minded. You can't fit the piano in the camper. No, but she gives a guitar. Oh, okay. That's right. That's what that was leading on to.

Okay. Yeah, she brings a guitar. I don't bring my... I mean, I might do. I've got to get a bit better at it, you know. No, I think it's time. Campavan. But when we go off, it's like Cliff Richard on summer holiday.

Honestly, the music's on, the arms are waving. Oh, is it really like that? I promise you, we're singing at top of our voices. Oh, how perfect. And whoever else is there, I bet they're singing along too. We're all singing. And there was a program when you and I were little called Departridge Family. I have a picture of that.

Do you remember the outfits they used to wear? That's right. I had a huge crush on David Cassidy. No, I was Donny Osmond. No, no, no. No, I didn't like the Donnie. I didn't like the people that liked David Cassidy because I was Donnie. I was seven years old and I was going to marry Donny Osmond.

No, Donny Osmond. I liked his songs. But he was a bit too toothy for me, I think. Oh, no. He's one of those people that I've interviewed so many times. and if the little girl at me who had him on, honestly he was on my walls, if I'd known then

that I was going to do host TV shows with him and interview him, I think I would have I would have just cried and weed there. You know, that sort of, you know, where every bit of you just goes, no, I can't handle this. Do you know what? It's the opposite now, though, actually. I like Donny Osmond.

I think I'd feel slightly the same, you know, sort of, whereas David Cassidy. Did you meet him? No, I didn't know, no. But I would be more drawn to Donny Osmond than I was. There we go. You see, it comes around in the end.

So you meeting Donnie Osmond would have been the same as those kids who loved you in Blake 7 would be. It's that thing. Because you were posted. I mean lots of people who's, because Blake 7 is still a cult. But there were posters of you everywhere. Yes, I know. I get sensed. I mean, I still get lots of letters.

No. I still have signed things. Oh, yeah, all the time. It's a, it's a big cult. Oh, my goodness. And then in the, in the, in public, people, you know, they come up to. Oh, Dana! They go.

Oh, my goodness. And if I'm doing anything in the theatre, in instance, there's, you know, there's there's always, there's people that stay job because of the play, but there's always a contingent with their. Oh, I love that. Yeah. I love that. That's great. I've got to.

clear something up while I'm here and while we're on Blake 7. Yeah, because I'm not on social media. And, but I do know that from time to time there are, because people tell me, there are sort of remarks about me and Blake 7 along the lines of I'm ashamed of it and I don't go to convention. Oh, I haven't read that. Yeah. Well, apparently, because, you know, there've been conventions over the years and things that

all the others went to, but I don't go. and there seems to be some belief that I don't want to talk about Blake 7 even or go to these conventions. And the fact of the matter is that I love talking about Blake 7. You know, it was great fun. And I don't go to conventions because I went to one right at the beginning or couple. And they just aren't for me. It's as simple as that, really.

You don't have to go. There we go. I'm granting you that way. that you don't have to go. Thank you. I don't go. Do you know, the other thing, though, I just want to end on this

is that I was looking that it's just been announced a few days ago about your next job. And it said, Wonder Woman's. So they called you Wonder Woman's, Josette Simon. And it's funny how, I'm going back to the label thing, but it's quite a nice label that one, Wonder Woman.

Oh, yeah. That's a nice one. Yeah, when I talk about label, the thing is, just to go back, When I was talking about labels. No, I know. I'm sort of just a theatre thing and the film is the thing. You know, but labels like Wonder Woman's.

Yeah, absolutely. That's quite a fun one. I've never seen my daughter and her young women pals. So cocker hoop about any film than when they went to see that. No, no, they absolutely loved Wonder Woman. You know, it really appealed to them that independent, vibrant, powerful, young woman and they responded to it. Suddenly your daughter's like,

Mom, there's something. Hey, look, you're in Wonder Woman. My mom is in Wonder Woman. Yeah, there's got to be one of those. But those sort of labels, they don't bother me. You know, they don't bother me. Okay, well, I'm delighted. You're right, that is a good one.

That's a good one. Yeah. It's very funny because I said to my youngest daughter who I was interviewing today and I was saying, because she knows you from the Witcher. And witches as well.

And then we were talking about cry freedom. And then I said, Wonder Woman, honestly she went, oh, no, mom, it was lovely reaction. So from everybody, it is a great reaction. Thank you so much. It's a real, it's such a joy to be with you because you have, like I said, this amazing energy. And may you forever be a multi-award winning actor. You are the enough of this person. Thank you so much.

Thank you. My guest next week is the incredible Ella Mills, who you will know as deliciously Ella. And she talks more openly and more candidly about her life, about failures, about successes, and about how she really feels about living a plant-based diet. Honestly, it's one of those interviews that you will not believe you're listening to. And at the end, you'll say, wow. That Gabby Roslyn podcast is proudly presented to you by Cameo Production. with music by Beth McCari.

If you wouldn't mind, could you give us a like, a fallen, a subscribe, and please leave a review? We read them all and love to see what you've got to say. See you next week.