We love watching Brit-star Ophelia Lovibond in BBC’s satire W1A, and cannot wait for her hilarious turn in this month’s rom-com ‘Man Up’ – opposite Lake Bell and Simon Pegg. Here’s what we learnt when we interviewed the rising actress…
She’s a total romantic… “I’m a sucker for a grand gesture – as long as it’s not too gooey. The most romantic thing someone did was surprise me at the airport, after being away for 3 months in Los Angeles. You always see people with signs and you’re like 'isn’t that lovely?’ and then you see your own name on one - that isn’t a taxi driver’s! I was very impressed.”
Unlike her character Jessica in Man Up, self-help books aren’t really her thing… “I’ve never read a self help book…the most self-help I’ve read is on a beer mat.”
She’s got the coolest birthday buddy… “Me and Benicio Del Toro [her Guardians of the Galaxy co-star] were sat waiting between takes when he turned to me and went, ‘Aquarius.’ I was like, ‘Yes?’ and he said ‘we share the same birthday you and I,' smiling and nodding. Like we were in some Aquarius club!”
Guess who was her career mentor… “I was revising for my A-levels at the same time as doing Nathan Barley with Ben Whishaw, and I didn’t know whether to go to drama school. He was like, ‘What’s your instinct telling you?’ I thought I’d rather study English at university – acting I can do until I pop my clogs.”
She’s gets most recognised for her role in... “Mr. Popper’s Penguins with Jim Carrey. He’s not the firecracker he is on screen; he’s calm and thoughtful. It was freezing in New York and he organised a truck serving hot waffles with chocolate sauce to keep everyone going.”
Man Up is in cinemas from 29th May. And W1A in on BBC2 on Thursdays at 9pm.