The former Misfits actress on her starring role in renamed Netflix comedy, Lovesick
British actress Antonia Thomas first shot to fame as Alisha in cult sci-fi drama Misfits. You may have also seen her in Channel 4 comedy Scrotal Recall. The sitcom tells the story of a guy called Dylan who finds out he has an STI and faces the humiliating task of telling all of his exes.
Now picked up by Netflix, the series is back for a second season and with a brand new name, Lovesick. We caught up with Antonia to find out more…
What do you think of the name change? ‘I was over the moon. I think Scrotal Recall very much miss-sold the show and the tone of it. And also, being able to talk about it! When being asked what you’re up to, you always take a deep breath before saying, “I’m in a show called Scrotal Recall.” It was just a bit cringe.’
How did you feel about the move from Channel 4 to Netflix? ‘So excited. When Netflix bought the first season and they aired it in The States and other countries, the reaction was great. It was almost more positive than it had been here. Now I keep getting messages from people saying, “I’ve eventually watched your show and its actually really good.”’
Are there any similarities between you and your character Evie? ‘She’s at a period in her life where she’s feeling like she doesn’t know what’s going on and I can definitely relate to that. When I was 15 I thought that by this time I’d be much more sorted, that I’d have bought a house and all of these things, but actually I don’t and none of my friends do. She’s very relatable and I hope it will resonate with a lot of my generation.’
What was it like on set? ‘We're all such good friends, it doesn't feel like work. There’s a fun episode where we’re all in fancy dress and had to pretend to be at a party. That can be awkward, and one of the things I like most is doing dialogue over party music, they’re not actually playing music so you’re just shouting over silence.’
Your breakout role was Alisha in Misfits… ‘Misfits was my first job after I left drama school and it was quite the opposite of what I thought I’d be doing. I never imagined I’d take on a role like Alisha, I thought I’d go into classical theatre. When the script came through it was clear it was brilliant, but nobody knew what a success it was going to be. It was amazing to be swept up in.’
What was the audition process like? ‘The first audition was like a cattle market. To get noticed, everyone was talking over each other and I remember halfway through thinking, ‘Oh my god, this is just not even worth it.’ Going back home to Bristol I told my dad it was a waste of time, then I got the call a few weeks later.’
When was the moment that you realised it had made it big? ‘When we won a BAFTA. We were all on stage going, ‘What?’ Even being nominated was amazing. I remember I’d taken my shoes off at the awards because none of us were expecting to win, so when they called our name I was like, “Shit, I’ve got to get my shoes on!”’
What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done through your job? ‘I’ve worked in Morocco and spent a lot of time in The States. I also absolutely adore Glasgow, where we filmed Lovesick. Culturally it’s so cool, it’s got a wicked art scene and stunning architecture. There are all these gorgeous properties with huge windows that you couldn’t even afford a corner of in London. The whole cast said if it was closer we could easily live there.’
LOVESICK is available on Netflix now