FT_Weekend_Magazine_-_April_4-5_2020

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‘Eternaloptimism

hasgotme

through rather

thanambition’

INVENTORYDAISYHAGGARD

ACTORAND WRITER

FT.COM/MAGAZINE APRIL 4/ 52020

Stage,filmandtelevisionactor

DaisyHaggard,42,hasappeared

inproductionsincludingthe

BBC’sUncle,EpisodesandBackto

Life,whichsheco-wrote.

Whatwasyourchildhood

orearliestambition?

Apopstar,writer,vetandactor

–agymnast,aswell.IthoughtI

couldprobablymanagethemall.

Privateschoolorstateschool?

Universityorstraightintowork?

Stateschoolfirst,thenJamesAllen’s

Girls’School.Thenstraighttowork,

doinglotsofoddjobs,auditioning

desperatelyforpartsandnot

gettingthem,thenfinallydrama

schoolatLamda.

Whowasorstillisyourmentor?

Mydad[thedirectorPiersHaggard]

isthepersonI’vealwaystalkedto

aboutwork.Healwayssays:“Create

thecircumstancesinwhichyoucan

shinewithoutbeinganarsehole.”

And:“Hold.Your.Nerve,”inavery

deepvoice.IheariteverytimeIget

nervousorflustered.

Howphysicallyfitareyou?

Notfitenough.Ifluctuate,but

Ihavetwoyoungchildrenand

toomuchworkatthemoment.

EveryyearistheyearIwillget

thesupermodelbodyandbecome

addictedtoexercise.Itdoesn’t

happen.Itwill!

Ambitionortalent:which

mattersmoretosuccess?

Probablyambition,thinking

objectively.Lotsofpeoplewho

aren’tverygoodareverysuccessful.

I’mambitious,butnotovertly;I’ve

neverhadthatdriveandzeal,but

I’vealwaysbeenabletopickmyself

upifsomethinggoeswrong.Eternal

optimismhasgotmethrough

ratherthanambition.

Howpoliticallycommitted

areyou?

Increasingly.AsIhavechildren

andseetheworldthey’regoing

togrowupin,Iworryabouttheir

future.Ifelloffforafewyears,

butnowIfeelmoreengaged.

Whatwouldyouliketoownthat

youdon’tcurrentlypossess?

Aperfecttropicalislandwitha

beachshackandnomosquitoes.

What’syourbiggestextravagance?

ThethingsIspendmostofmy

moneyon,tomyshame,are

probablytaxisandfood.Mylife

extravagance:Iamknownas

Holidaisy.It’snotaboutspending

alotofmoney,butItakeasmany

breaksasIcanaffordtospendtime

withmyfamily.

Inwhatplaceareyouhappiest?

InGreece.Igotusintoabitof

financialtroublebybuyingalittle

ruininGreece,andslowly,slowly

scrubbeditupandsorteditout.

So,inthecourtyardwithaginand

tonic,whenthesun’ssettingandthe

kidsareplayingbarefootnearthe

bougainvillea.Everyonethought

Iwascrazybecausewecouldn’t

affordit–itwasamassiverisk.

Whatambitionsdoyoustillhave?

Formyfamilytobereallyhappy.

Withwork,todoafewthingsreally

well–writeacoupleoffilms,maybe

onedaydirectone,writesome

moreseries.

Whatdrivesyouon?

Loveofmygang.

Whatisthegreatestachievement

ofyourlifesofar?

Mychildrenandmyfamily.Atthe

moment,gettingwork-lifebalance

rightseemslikearealachievement

butIdon’tforasecondrestonmy

laurels.Youhavetokeepworkingat

allthosethings.Intheworksense,

writingandstarringinBacktoLife.

Iworkedonitforfouryears,had

justhadababyandthoughtIwas

onthewayout.

Whatdoyoufindmost

irritatinginotherpeople?

Ifindearnest,humourlessidiots

reallyirritating.

Ifyour20-year-oldselfcouldsee

younow,whatwouldshethink?

I’mhavingagoodyearsoIthink

shewouldbeabitrelieved.It’ssuch

afraughttime,yourtwenties.

Whichobjectthatyou’velostdo

youwishyoustillhad?

Ilosethingsallthetime,I’mso

scatty.IfIletitbothermeI’dnever

sleepatnight.

Whatisthegreatest

challengeofourtime?

Todealwithclimatechange

sothatwehaveafuture.

Doyoubelieveinanafterlife?

No.I’dloveto.Iliketheideaofit

butIdon’tbelieveit.

Ifyouhadtorateyoursatisfaction

withyourlifesofar,outof10,

whatwouldyouscore?

I’mgoingtosay10.Ican’tmoanand

lotsofpeoplereallyarestruggling.

Atanyminuteitcouldgodown

tooneandyouhavetoenjoythe

moment,sowhileI’mfeeling10,

I’llownit!

InterviewbyHesterLacey.

DaisyHaggardstarsin“Breeders”,

whichcontinuesonThursdays

at 10 pmonSkyOneand

streamingserviceNowTV