And they say acting is a glamorous profession! Do you ever wish you could just get the full hair and make-up treatment, rather than being covered in dust and grease?
It’s so funny – for the parts of the show that I get to be a little bit more glam [Shalom has a couple of notably more dressed-up scenes in the latter half of the series]. I was like, oh, this is so nice. Not having water thrown on you at 6:00 AM and the hair and make-up team putting dirt underneath your nails! I also worked on a fantasy series [US Netflix drama, Cursed], which involved a long, extravagant hair process with this braided hairstyle, and you’re staring at yourself in the mirror as it happens – it’s a nice way to get into character. Hopefully I get a bit more of that, one day!
You’re no stranger to unglamorous roles. Previously you played DC Chloe Bishop in Line of Duty, and Private Maisie Richards in Our Girl… is there something about these grittier parts that attracted you?
They were just the roles that came, to be completely honest. I’ve been really lucky. With The Tourist, the script was the thing that got me involved instantly. For me, the main thing is working with great teams and writers, like Harry & Jack Williams [the fraternal writing team behind The Tourist, together with The Missing, Baptiste and Liar], regardless of how big or small the role is. I’d rather have a tiny part with someone I wanted to work with, rather than a huge famous part with a team I don’t.
You and Jamie Dornan’s character form a romantic connection on the show. Was it daunting, filming sex scenes with a well-known Fifty Shades heartthrob?
It’s funny – I’ve been asked this before, what it’s like doing a sex scene with someone like Jamie because of the gaze that’s put on him, from the films that he’s been part of. But in a way I felt the least nervous to be doing the scene with him because he’s also partially naked. In a room full of other people who are fully dressed, you feel most supported by your other actor – and he went above and beyond to make me feel comfortable. Of course, it’s a strange experience. But everyone on the team was so professional – and we had an intimacy coordinator on set, which is such a good process to put in place. At the end of the day, we’re just portraying another part of these characters and, and how they interact. And so it didn’t really feel too different from any other scene – apart from the fact that you’re partially naked.
