Zoe Boyle interview: 'When I go to the states it is ridiculous'
So, Breathless, Downton... what is the appeal of period dramas for you?
'I’ve always, always been a huge fan of period dramas ever since Pride and Prejudice on the BBC. I watched it religiously when I was a kid. I fell madly in love with Mr Darcy and was well into it.
'I really wanted to be Elizabeth Bennet, the whole thing. So it has always been a career ambition of mine. It didn’t really happen until Downton Abbey and then I was like wow. I loved it. I think particularly with Downton Abbey it is so beautiful. The house is stunning. The costumes are gorgeous.
'Also to play somebody from another time is always interesting because there are different restrictions on you. It is nice to have that to work against as a character. To have protocol and etiquette and also how you respond emotionally within that.'
What do you think is the continued appeal of period dramas?
'It feels to me as if we have always had a very loving relationship with period dramas and what I find interesting is how much period dramas are loved in the states. I mean the reaction to Downton Abbey is absolutely unbelievable. When I go over there it is ridiculous. I never get recognised over here but there it is crazy. There is a huge fever. They just adore it.
'Mr Selfridge is an export over there and that has done really well. Call the Midwife also. Breathless was sold to the states before we even finished shooting. I think there is this real appeal to them. I think for us it is an institution and there will always be an interest in it. Maybe in the states it is something more new and exotic.'
Are you a vintage fan? Or does it strictly apply to the roles you play?
'I am a bit of a lazy vintage lover. I wish I had the stamina to trail through markets and vintage shops and all the rest of it. But more often than not I sort of get a bit worn out. It is a bit of a mission. But I really admire people who can do it. I am actually at the moment doing up my flat and I am thinking I should really go to some antique fairs and, you know what, I just can’t be bothered.
'But I love that aesthetic. For ages I dressed like I was in Mad Men which is why when Breathless came along I was absolutely thrilled. At the moment I am channelling the 90’s a bit. Going back to my youth. I think that happens a lot in fashion.'
Do you have a favourite era?
'It is so funny; when I was a kid I had a real thing about Elizabeth I. A real thing. I loved going to Hampton Court Palace and the Tudors. That whole world. I was learning about it in school but it just caught I'm imagination. But it is definitely not a period I would want to live in. If I could go back in time I would like to go to late 60s early 70s NY. I have been reading Patti Smith’s Just Kids about that time and it's so evocative. The art and music. It sounds so exciting.'
You are lucky to have red hair. Have you ever been tempted to change it?
'No. Not at all. I went through a stage when I was a teenager of being a punk rocker and I thought I wanted to dye my hair black. I never had the guts to do it. As an adult I have never wanted to change my hair. For Breathless they made me more red. I was hesitant at first because I had never dyed my hair before. But when it came out I loved it. It is so much maintenance though. I would never be bothered to dye my hair permanently. It is such a pain.'
Do you still watch Downton?
'Oh God yes! I live with Sophie McShera [Daisy in Downton]. We watch it every week. We have a takeaway and watch Downton. It is going from strength to strength. I think the latest series is really fantastic.'
What has been your favourite thing about Breathless?
'The whole experience was fantastic. The people involved were all really cool, really fun and really nice and really good. So it was a very happy set. For me as an actor, I loved the role. It gave me a lot of scope. It was difficult to get the balance right. To get her ambition and her vulnerability.
'I think she is a great character and I loved playing her.'
Is there any role you just wouldn’t take on?
'24-hour plays. That is something I would never do. They're the most terrifying thing I can imagine.'
Do you have a dream role?
'I have always wanted to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet - though I might be a little bit old now! She is a fantastic character. I think she is the strength in that play. Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite films. And it really stands up 10 years later.'
Are you drawn more to TV or Theatre?
'I love the balance. I love being able to do all of it. I have been doing a bit more TV but I would like to do a bit more theatre. It is nice to have the mix. They are so different. The lovely thing about theatre is that it is social. You do the show and then you socialise with your friends who have come to see you in the show. It is a communal experience. Whereas filming is antisocial but the upshot of that is you go into a work bubble which is intense and satisfying.'
Breathless is out now on DVD. Click here to buy it.
'I’ve always, always been a huge fan of period dramas ever since Pride and Prejudice on the BBC. I watched it religiously when I was a kid. I fell madly in love with Mr Darcy and was well into it.
'I really wanted to be Elizabeth Bennet, the whole thing. So it has always been a career ambition of mine. It didn’t really happen until Downton Abbey and then I was like wow. I loved it. I think particularly with Downton Abbey it is so beautiful. The house is stunning. The costumes are gorgeous.
'Also to play somebody from another time is always interesting because there are different restrictions on you. It is nice to have that to work against as a character. To have protocol and etiquette and also how you respond emotionally within that.'
What do you think is the continued appeal of period dramas?
'It feels to me as if we have always had a very loving relationship with period dramas and what I find interesting is how much period dramas are loved in the states. I mean the reaction to Downton Abbey is absolutely unbelievable. When I go over there it is ridiculous. I never get recognised over here but there it is crazy. There is a huge fever. They just adore it.
'Mr Selfridge is an export over there and that has done really well. Call the Midwife also. Breathless was sold to the states before we even finished shooting. I think there is this real appeal to them. I think for us it is an institution and there will always be an interest in it. Maybe in the states it is something more new and exotic.'
Are you a vintage fan? Or does it strictly apply to the roles you play?
'I am a bit of a lazy vintage lover. I wish I had the stamina to trail through markets and vintage shops and all the rest of it. But more often than not I sort of get a bit worn out. It is a bit of a mission. But I really admire people who can do it. I am actually at the moment doing up my flat and I am thinking I should really go to some antique fairs and, you know what, I just can’t be bothered.
'But I love that aesthetic. For ages I dressed like I was in Mad Men which is why when Breathless came along I was absolutely thrilled. At the moment I am channelling the 90’s a bit. Going back to my youth. I think that happens a lot in fashion.'
Do you have a favourite era?
'It is so funny; when I was a kid I had a real thing about Elizabeth I. A real thing. I loved going to Hampton Court Palace and the Tudors. That whole world. I was learning about it in school but it just caught I'm imagination. But it is definitely not a period I would want to live in. If I could go back in time I would like to go to late 60s early 70s NY. I have been reading Patti Smith’s Just Kids about that time and it's so evocative. The art and music. It sounds so exciting.'
You are lucky to have red hair. Have you ever been tempted to change it?
'No. Not at all. I went through a stage when I was a teenager of being a punk rocker and I thought I wanted to dye my hair black. I never had the guts to do it. As an adult I have never wanted to change my hair. For Breathless they made me more red. I was hesitant at first because I had never dyed my hair before. But when it came out I loved it. It is so much maintenance though. I would never be bothered to dye my hair permanently. It is such a pain.'
Do you still watch Downton?
'Oh God yes! I live with Sophie McShera [Daisy in Downton]. We watch it every week. We have a takeaway and watch Downton. It is going from strength to strength. I think the latest series is really fantastic.'
What has been your favourite thing about Breathless?
'The whole experience was fantastic. The people involved were all really cool, really fun and really nice and really good. So it was a very happy set. For me as an actor, I loved the role. It gave me a lot of scope. It was difficult to get the balance right. To get her ambition and her vulnerability.
'I think she is a great character and I loved playing her.'
Is there any role you just wouldn’t take on?
'24-hour plays. That is something I would never do. They're the most terrifying thing I can imagine.'
Do you have a dream role?
'I have always wanted to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet - though I might be a little bit old now! She is a fantastic character. I think she is the strength in that play. Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo and Juliet is one of my favourite films. And it really stands up 10 years later.'
Are you drawn more to TV or Theatre?
'I love the balance. I love being able to do all of it. I have been doing a bit more TV but I would like to do a bit more theatre. It is nice to have the mix. They are so different. The lovely thing about theatre is that it is social. You do the show and then you socialise with your friends who have come to see you in the show. It is a communal experience. Whereas filming is antisocial but the upshot of that is you go into a work bubble which is intense and satisfying.'
Breathless is out now on DVD. Click here to buy it.