Brenda Blethyn has taken a swipe at difficult actors in the industry, joking those with bad habits are unlikely to last long in showbusiness.
The 80-year-old actress made the remark while speaking at a special screening and Q&A for Channel 4’s new drama A Woman of Substance, in which she plays the older version of Emma Harte.
Reflecting on her decades-long career, Ms Blethyn suggested that being easy to work with has been one of the keys to her longevity in the industry.
“I think I’m quite nice to work with,” she said.
Brenda Blethyn took a swipe at difficult actors in the industry
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“Who wants to work with someone horrible? You don’t.”
The Vera star went on to jokingly list some of the less appealing qualities actors might bring to a set.
“There could be equally talented people, but one might have halitosis, one might be a kleptomaniac, and one might turn up late,” she said.
“I’m none of those things. I turn up clean. I know my lines usually. And I’ve been lucky.”
The veteran actress said she believes she is easy to work with
|CHANNEL 4
Ms Blethyn was speaking as she promotes the upcoming eight-part adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s bestselling novel.
The drama follows Emma from her teenage years as a kitchen maid in Yorkshire to becoming one of the richest women in the world.
Jessica Reynolds plays the younger Emma, while Ms Blethyn portrays the character later in life as she oversees her vast business empire.
Ms Blethyn admitted she had never approached her own career with the same level of ambition as her character.
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Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds at the Channel 4 screening in London
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“Emma Harte had this plan with a capital P,” she explained.
“I’ve never had a plan. I’m devoid of ambition. I’ve always been fairly happy with my lot.”
Despite recently celebrating her 80th birthday, the actress also insisted she has no intention of slowing down any time soon.
“I love the job. I love working,” she said.
“I don’t even think about 80 as being anything in particular. People say, ‘How does it feel?’ Well, it just feels normal.”
Ms Blethyn also revealed she could personally relate to Emma’s story of overcoming hardship, as her own family experienced poverty growing up.
“My mum started life as a skivvy in a big house down in Kent,” she said.
“That’s where she met my dad — he was a chauffeur.
Brenda Blethyn on the set of A Woman of Substance
|CHANNEL 4
“She used to tell me loads of stories about how hard the work was, for very little pay. When she left she would work three or four jobs a day to make ends meet.”
Meanwhile Ms Reynolds admitted she almost didn’t audition for the role of Emma, initially doubting she was right for the part.
The Irish actress said she worried casting directors might not see her as the character, describing Emma as a “classic English rose”.
However, after reading the scripts more closely she changed her mind, saying the story felt far bigger than a typical period drama.