Over the past fifteen years, Lesley Manville has evolved from a respected character actor into a widely celebrated star. She currently returns to television as a stylish detective who drives a sporty car, though she humorously admits she lacks the skill for solving murder mysteries. Despite battling hay fever and high summer temperatures, the actress remains energetic while enjoying a break after six months of continuous work on Broadway’s Oedipus and the National Theatre’s Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
Manville keeps her Tony Award for playing Jocasta displayed prominently on a shelf beside her Laurence Olivier Award for the same role. When asked about accolades, she noted that while actors do not enter performances expecting prizes, she acknowledges the satisfaction of winning. “You don’t go into a job thinking about awards,” she said with a smile. “But yes, you like to win!”
The interview also addresses broader industry trends, including the growing frequency of sex scenes involving performers over the age of fifty, a shift that Manville has both observed and participated in throughout her career.
Lesley Manville is wonderful! Though I’m still not sure why we need more sex scenes for people over fifty.
Wow, I never realized how much the industry is pushing mature actors in explicit roles. That is a fascinating shift!