Julie Hesmondhalgh is an actor, writer and social activist. Perhaps best known for her portrayal of Hayley Cropper in Corrie, more leftfield audiences will recognise her from twisted comedy Inside No. 9 and queer drama Cucumber. She's also the co-founder of political theatre collective Take Back, the creator of fundraising group 500 Acts of Kindness and patron of numerous social movements.
Recently, we politely accosted Julie to discuss breakfast, steampunk and the importance of being creative (and found out she's a strong contender for the nicest northerner on TV). Hi Julie! Out of all the roles you've played on screen and stage, what's been your personal favourite? You've started with a really difficult one... there's been so many! I'd say one of my favourites is a recent one, where I played the lead in Anna Jordan's adaptation of Mother Courage. For many different reasons, but one of the things I loved was that it was totally steampunk - I got to stand on an ice cream van, singing and dancing (and I really can't do either of those!) Nice! Ok, here's an easier one - what's the best breakfast of all time? That's not an easy one! That's harder than the last question! I'd have to say, in general... a full veggie breakfast with a big mug of tea. Very solid answer. So you're currently here in Cornwall (filming Glass Houses) - what's the biggest difference between North and South? Now that is a very loaded question [laughs]! I don't want to offend anyone... both are great in different ways. I'm going to say that the biggest difference is warmth. We'll leave it there! Very diplomatic answer! So our last question is perhaps the most meaningful. Uncollective is a platform for emerging artists across the UK - what two words of advice would you give to anyone starting their journey in the creative industry? Two words? That's tricky! I'd probably say... make work. Don't worry too much what anyone else thinks, just make! Thanks Julie! Julie Hesmondhalgh: A Working Diary is out now via Methuen Drama. You can keep up with Take Back Theatre via their website, and join 500 Acts of Kindness via Facebook. This interview was written by Tom Stockley - a writer, performer, producer and semi-professional purveyor of nonsense based in Bristol. PINT PIECES is an open platform, publishing monthly articles from young writers who get paid £5 for each piece they write. Contact Uncollective to publish your article!
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PINT PIECESWe pay each author £5 for 500 words (roughly) on something creative - your favourite single, an exhibition you've been to, a new project or anything else you can think of! Feel free to include images. Send your PINT PIECE to [email protected] and we'll choose one per month. Archives
August 2019
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