If you have yet to watch Industry, I have a few words of warning: do not watch if your anxiety levels are quick to rise, do not watch if you like your plots neat and characters tidy and absolutely do not watch with your parents. Which is to say that it is brilliant, blistering television; smart, spiky, shocking and scorching-hot appointment viewing.

The HBO/BBC show, which wraps its fourth season tonight, follows the plotting and scheming of a sprawling cast of characters in the world of finance. At the centre of it all is Marisa Abela as Yasmin Kara-Hanani, now the marvellously named Lady Muck following her marriage to Sir Henry Muck (played, brilliantly, by Kit Harrington). Damaged, ruthless, vicious and vulnerable, she is complex; a walking contradiction swaddled in expensive knitwear.

"She’s a provocateur. She likes to shake up a room," says Abela, over a coffee in East London before her Who What Wear UK cover shoot. Thoughtful, engaged and with a sparkling laugh, in person, Abela shares Yasmin's charisma, though none of her character’s snooty brusqueness. Saluting the "richness" of the character, Abela adds: "She has intense moments of darkness and intense moments of levity and humour. That keeps people guessing with her but also draws them in. ... She presents as a predator, but she is the ultimately well-evolved prey. She completely fits into her environment in order to survive."

An unknown 22-year-old when she got the part of Yasmin (Abela was still at drama school, RADA, when she auditioned), the role has not only won her plaudits, including Best Leading Actress at the 2025 BAFTA Television Awards, but catapulted her to being-stopped-in-the-street fame. There was also her turn as Amy Winehouse in Back to Black, and a part in Stephen Soderbergh’s espionage thriller Black Bag alongside Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. The day before our interview, she was doing a new play reading with James Norton, whilst she’s also currently filming action fantasy Highlander with Russell Crowe and Henry Cavill.

Given this schedule, downtime has been somewhat limited for Abela over the past few months. "I just went on my honeymoon. That was probably the last time I was like, phone down, whatever. My husband [actor Jamie Bogyo, whom she met at RADA] and I really love to travel. I train a lot, I read a lot." She loves that Highlander is a really physical job. "It’s a lot of training in a martial-arts-y-jujitsu way, which is really fun, and it takes the sort of 'I am exercising' thing out of it; you just realise after two hours that you are." Abela is also a big Real Housewives stan (New York, Beverly Hills and Salt Lake City are her jam, and she has hung out with Dorinda Medley in New York), so she's palpably buzzing over the just-announced news that the OG New York crew are getting back together for a TV return.

Although there are enough rumours and nastiness in any episode of Industry to make even the bitchiest Housewife blush, season 4 has a particular potent sting in its examination of issues around sexual exploitation and consent, highlighted by Yasmin’s boundary-busting relationship with young assistant Hayley, played superbly by Kiernan Shipka. Viewers have been quick to note parallels between Yasmin and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Abela says she understands the cultural fascination we have with "women that fill up spaces, that are so close to power—especially power that feels slightly sour", like the current White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt. Sometimes rightfully, sometimes not, there’s a deep distrust of these women, she says. "We’re like, how do you reconcile this to yourself? We don’t necessarily ask the same question of men. We might [ask], 'How do you sleep at night?', but we know how they sleep at night; they’re fine! It feels like women ought to have higher social [and] moral responsibility than men."

If Industry is unflinching in its exploration of the ugliness of ruthless ambition, off-camera is a different story. "It’s a really fun set. We really are all just best friends working together," says Abela. She loves working with Harrington ("We’re so fearless with one another."), and co-star Myha’la was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year.

Abela grew up in Rottingdean near Brighton with her brother and mother (she and Abela’s father, a director, divorced when Abela was young but remain close). To make ends meet, Abela’s mum, a TV and stage actress, took on extra jobs, including a call centre role. "I was really lucky to grow up in an incredibly creative household with a super-talented actress as a mother who [also] had to work other jobs. That did not look like failure to me; it looked like being an artist and making sacrifices for something she believed in."

Winning a place at the prestigious public school Roedean on a drama scholarship, Abela was introduced to the world of the 1% that Yasmin occupies. "I think it was really useful for [portraying] Yasmin in terms of understanding what privilege really looks like. No one who's entitled thinks they’re entitled," she says. "Those kids never walk into a room and think, 'How embarrassing I’m here,'" she notes, adding that she thinks everyone has a right to that kind of unshakeable self-confidence.

In a crinkled plaid shacket, loafers and a floor-length coat, in person, Abela reads more low-key cool girl than high-maintenance aristo. But, given all the premieres and award ceremonies, fashion is an important part of her off-screen work. "I really love it when it works. I feel like it’s all about trying to find your voice in your clothes," she says, acknowledging that the tone of different projects calls for a tailored approach. "It’s all about calibrating everything with intention. You can tell a bit of a story [with the clothes]."

Red carpets, however, are much more exposing for Abela than being on camera, even compared to a role like Yasmin that requires her to really go there without inhibition. "I think the worst I’ve ever felt about my body is when I was, like, 16, going to a party and [I] wanted a boy to fancy me. Even now, the hardest I’ve trained to be in a specific shape—other than Back to Black, which was a completely different thing—was for my wedding," she says. "I will train or eat or whatever in a different way if I’m going on holiday than I will if I’m doing a sex scene on Industry. I don’t feel that vain because I don’t feel [a] responsibility to an audience to look a certain way to be naked on camera."

In the early days of Industry, she remembers talking to Lena Dunham (who directed the pilot episode) about whether Yasmin is "one of those girls" who pushes food around her plate. And what did they decide? "I think Yasmin eats whatever the fuck she wants!" she laughs. "There’s no scarcity mindset when it comes to Yasmin; I think she has a high opinion of herself, I don’t think she suffers with self-confidence issues [or] what she looks like, and that’s so freeing to be able to play."

Photographer: Charlotte Hadden at Together Associates
Stylist: Sophie Cloarec
Hair Stylist: Gareth Bromell at AFrame Agency
Makeup Artist: Neil Young at AFrame Agency
Manicurist: Ami Streets
Editor-in-Chief: Jane McFarland
Managing Director: Hannah Almassi
Art Director: Natalia Sztyk
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Movement Director: Liam John
Writer: Laura Jordan
Video: Natasha Wilson
Photography Assistant: Lucy Rooney, Lily Sadin
Digital Technician: George Zenko
Styling Assistant: Layla Desjardins
Production: Town Productions

It’s cold outside, so Leigh-Anne Pinnock and I are comparing escape routes. It’s the day after her Who What Wear UK cover shoot, and she’s sitting, legs crossed, on the carpet of her walk-in wardrobe. We share travel tips on the respective Caribbean islands our fathers hail from, and I can practically feel the sunshine on my skin. “I’m making plans. I’d love to go to Grenada,” she nods. “But growing up, it had to be Jamaica every year for our holidays to visit my dad’s side of the family.” She gets a dreamy look in her eyes as she recalls summers spent eating ackee, green banana and mangoes picked straight from the trees in her grandparents’ back garden. “It’s just so beautiful and vibey there. There’s always music playing and a plate of food that feels good for the soul. I have really happy memories of being in Jamaica and listening to the lovers rock CDs my cousins would burn for me.”

And it’s in no way surprising that some of Pinnock’s formative memories revolve around music. From the moment she stepped into The X Factor spotlight at 19 through to her world-conquering years as a member of Little Mix, it’s clear that Pinnock has been intentional about keeping her heritage close. “Bringing Blackness to pop stages has always been important to me. Even experimenting with my hair is something I’ve always fought for,” she says. As I take in her off-duty look, with loose waves draped across her shoulders, I’m reminded of the sculptural braids and Louvre-worthy baby hairs she wore just the day before. “It’s so funny, the other day a fan said I should stick to a signature hairstyle so I’m more recognisable, and I was like, ‘Babe, I’m a Black woman. That is not going to happen.’”

Now 34, raising twin girls with her footballer husband Andre Gray, and gearing up to release her debut solo album My Ego Told Me To next month, Pinnock is far more interested in authenticity than other people’s opinions. The album’s reggae-inflected beats and dancehall attitude are clearly rooted in the sound of her childhood summers, and she’s never seemed more at home. “The looks [from the shoot] are very clean, very cool and very me. I am in quite a fierce era,” she says. Pinnock is warm and easy to spend time with, but there’s definitely a fire in her, stoked by a music industry she’s felt pigeonholed by for far too long.

“With everything I’ve experienced in this industry, and the toxicity I recently felt at my previous label, where I was trying to make a solo album and being told who I should be, I wanted to revive the Leigh-Anne who would stand up for herself,” she says. “When I was young, I knew exactly who I was. I would walk into a room, and no one could tell me anything; I had all the confidence that I would be a star. It’s interesting that when I actually got my dream, that started to trickle away.”

And it would be fair to say the “dream come true” moment that Pinnock speaks of refers to her Little Mix years. She genuinely lights up when she talks about her fellow bandmates, who went on hiatus in 2022 with five number-one singles, three BRIT Awards and millions of loyal fans under their belts. But spending her twenties in the world’s biggest girl group came with its challenges.

“When we first formed, social media was just coming around, and that was a shock to the system. I would sit and search ‘Black girl in Little Mix’, looking through all the hate.” I can’t help dropping my face into my hands at the thought of what that did to her. “I know, I know!” she wails. “It was so damaging, and it all comes from wanting validation. It’s annoyingly something I still battle with. Being in a girl group comes with so much comparison; you want to make sure you’re showing who you are and getting enough lines to sing and that you’re somebody’s favourite. I’m just grateful I was navigating it with amazing girls; we really had each other’s backs.”

But now, it’s time for Pinnock to do things solo, on her own terms, for the first time. From the take-no-prisoners power of “Dead and Gone” to the finger-snapping riot that is “Most Wanted”, every track on Leigh-Anne’s upcoming album speaks to the woman she’s become thanks to the self-belief of the girl she once was. But she’s quick to remind me that as a teenager, she didn’t have it all figured out, and that a lot of her confidence was a protective forcefield.

“I struggled with acne, and that gave me a bit of a complex relationship with my skin, which came with some shame. We have so much amazing skincare now, but back then all I knew was Clearasil and squeezing my spots,” she says, shaking her head. “I ended up trying Roaccutane, which I know is not for everyone, but it really worked for me.” Now, she explains she’s passionate about being kind to her skin from the inside out. “Recently, I’ve got into drinking cacao and mushroom-blend tea every night, which is specifically for skin, hair and nail health, and I’ve seen such a difference.”

But solidifying her self-image has been a lifelong journey; one that started where mine and so many others’ did, too: with a Dream Matte Mousse foundation that was completely the wrong shade. We laugh at the looks we tried to pull off with the limited beauty shelves of the late nineties and early noughties, from blue eye shadow to curls soaked to within an inch of their life in Luster’s Pink Oil Moisturiser—one of the very few Black hair products you could get in the UK back then. (“The smell!”, we both squeal at the same time.) Since then, she has spent years sitting in glam chairs, so what nuggets of beauty wisdom has she held onto? “I’ve been introduced to the power of a good eyebrow serum, because I’ve got really bushy brows that need a bit of hold,” she says. “I also swear by Jamaican castor oil for hair growth. When I’m having a dirty hair day, I just put it on, put my hair in a bun, go to bed and then wash it out the next morning.”

As she rehearses for her UK and Europe-wide tour in April, Pinnock tells me just how happy she is to be back where she belongs. “The stage is my home, so getting up there with all eyes on me and being able to tell my story feels so amazing,” she says. I mention how fun it’s been to see her own a fresh, grown-woman energy in the solo performances she’s given so far. “Obviously, when I was in the group, the way we were marketed was about appealing to everybody, including young children. It was a conscious decision not to be too sexy,” she says. “But I mean, I’m a 34-year-old woman now. We all have sex… I’ve got twins,” she laughs. “And I think it is an empowering thing to be sensual. It’s something I’ve enjoyed tapping into on this album and will continue to do going forward, even if some people come with their ‘But you’re a mother now!’ nonsense.” She rolls her eyes so hard her whole head moves with them.

There is such a certainty to Pinnock’s vision this year, and I get the sense that she feels in control for the first time in a long time. As our conversation draws to a close, I put one final question to her: when does she feel at her most powerful? “When I am in the creative process, building this world of music and dance and visuals that express who I am, and knowing it all flows from me,” she says without missing a beat. “But I also feel powerful when I’m with my family and my children, in a more grounding way.” She looks off into the distance, searching for the right words. “I think what I’ve realised is that I associate power with happiness now. When you feel like it’s been taken away from you, reclaiming power [is] the best kind of freedom.”

Photographer: Fabien Montique
Stylist: Sophie Watson
Hair Stylist: Ross Kwan at A-Frame
Makeup Artist: Hila Karmand at Arch
Manicurist: Stephanie Staunton using Magpie, Shiseido and Dadi'Oil
Managing Director: Hannah Almassi
Editor-in-Chief: Jane McFarland
Art Director: Natalia Szytk
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Beauty Director: Shannon Lawlor
Video Editor: Natasha Wilson
Photography Assistant: Guillaume Mercier, Benji Meredith-Hardy
Digital Technician: Aljaz Habjan
Hair Assistant: Kitty Katana
Makeup Assistant: Cassandra Scalia
Production: Town Productions

It's 2 p.m. when Elle Fanning breezes into the courtyard restaurant of legendary Los Angeles hotel Chateau Marmont. At 5'9" in black leather ballet flats, she carries herself with a swan-like confidence. Her skin (the subject of countless L'Oréal campaigns) is glowing, and her glossy blonde hair is pinned back in an elegant bun. She is wrapped in a chic camel trench coat over a striped green shirtdress from The Row.

The 27-year-old is remarkably well put-together for someone who was partying the night before with her older sister and fellow actor, Dakota Fanning, at one of the final shows of Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet Tour. I know this because it was all over the internet when the duo got "arrested" by Carpenter for being "too hot."

It didn't come as a complete surprise to the Fanning sisters when (following in the footsteps of Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, and Gigi Hadid at previous shows) the pink fluffy handcuffs headed their way. They were given prior warning, so they were able to dress accordingly, which they did in very Sabrina Carpenter–esque lingerie-style slip dresses. "We're gonna be on the screen, so … you want to look good!" laughs Fanning before glancing at the menu and quickly deciding on a Coke, Greek salad, and side of fries. "When I told Dakota I was gonna wear a slip dress, she was like, 'Okay, well, you're wearing that, so I need to wear something cute too!'"

Fanning feels very at home at Chateau Marmont. Having made her movie debut at age 2, playing a younger version of Dakota's character in the 2001 film I Am Sam, Fanning was "running through the halls" filming Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010) right here by the time she was 11. "There are so many people who still work here who are like, 'We knew you when you were this big!'" she smiles. "I feel cozy here."

Her breakout performance in the cult film, in which she starred opposite Stephen Dorff, paved the way for major roles to come, including in J.J. Abrams's 2011 sci-fi hit Super 8 and the Disney blockbuster Maleficent. In the last decade alone, Fanning has achieved what few stars manage in their entire career, gracefully treading the line between indie films, like art house horror The Neon Demon, and acclaimed TV series such as satirical comedy-drama The Great, which ran for three seasons on Hulu between 2020 and 2023.

For her performance in the latter—in which she played Catherine, the 18th-century empress of Russia—Fanning was nominated for a Golden Globe for three years running. This year, she's been recognized for a fourth time for her supporting role in Joachim Trier's poignant Norwegian family drama Sentimental Value.

Fanning has a relatively small but no less significant part in the film set in Oslo, Norway. The story follows the fractured relationship between an acclaimed but troubled film director, Gustav (played by Stellan Skarsgård), and his grown-up daughters after the death of their mother. Making a personal film about his complicated family history, Gustav tries to enlist his actress daughter (played by Renate Reinsve) to star in it. She refuses, and tension ensues when he casts glossy A-list American film star Rachel Kemp (played by Fanning) instead.

It's an understated but deeply memorable performance from Fanning, who was a huge fan of Trier's 2021 romantic comedy-drama The Worst Person in the World, which also starred Reinsve. "I was obsessed with it," she says, taking a sip of her Coke. "I would have wanted to be in any of his films, even if it was just, like, one line!"

There was just one thing standing in the way: Fanning's enviable but increasingly hectic schedule. Just as she was wrapping A Complete Unknown (the 2024 Bob Dylan biopic in which she starred opposite Timothée Chalamet), Fanning signed on to play the lead in the multimillion-dollar action movie Predator: Badlands and was due to start filming in New Zealand when she was offered the part in Sentimental Value.

What seemed like a logistical impossibility eventually worked out. Fanning was able to fly to Oslo for a week of rehearsals with Trier and then go to New Zealand for three months for Predator before flying straight back to Europe to film Sentimental Value.

It wasn't ideal, even for someone with Fanning's stamina. "I've never not had a day to process," she admits. "But I knew that both of them would work out. I never wavered in that."

When I ask if she ever worries when committing to a big project that she might miss out on another equally desirable opportunity, she muses, "I'm more like, 'What will be will be.' You have to love the project you're doing enough that if something else goes away, then it's okay. Otherwise, there would be this constant regret, and I really don't feel that way."

Fanning is grateful for the formative week in Oslo with Trier months before she began filming, as she has no doubt it hugely informed her performance of Rachel.

"That's kind of how he works," she explains. "We rehearse. He films all of the rehearsals that you do with each actor. And then you have long conversations with him and share stories, and it gets quite personal. He will mold the character to you and see what he needs to take out and what he needs to add."

Given she's playing an actor with celebrity status who was a former child star and is no stranger to big franchise movies, it's hard not to make a direct comparison between Fanning and her character. "She's not me—at all!—but there are some similarities," she says. "In your career, everything ebbs and flows. Rachel is at a point in her career where she doesn't feel like she has the power or agency over her choices. As an actor, you have to be given the meaty roles to be able to showcase [what you can do] and work with the directors who can pull that out of you."

Can she relate to that? "Yes, I've had that feeling before, but now, I'm at a place where I'm producing things. I have a production company with Dakota [Lewellen Pictures, which they founded in 2020], and I do feel like I have more power over my choices," she says.

I first met and interviewed Fanning in 2022 and found her to be smart, funny, and extraordinarily down-to-earth. It's thrilling to report, particularly when she has enjoyed so much success since, that she is exactly the same today.

"Oh, there's Alex!" she exclaims suddenly, having clocked Alexander Skarsgård walking into the restaurant. We watch as he sits down and try to figure out who he's having lunch with. "We'll find out!" she teases. "You always see someone at the Chateau." See? Elle Fanning enjoys a celeb spotting as much as the rest of us.

It's the week before Thanksgiving when we meet, and both Sentimental Value and Predator: Badlands are in movie theaters, having been released the same weekend at the beginning of November. The seventh movie in the sci-fi blockbuster franchise directed by Dan Trachtenberg won't get the award recognition of Sentimental Value (which has been nominated for eight Golden Globes) despite grossing a record-breaking $80 million globally in its opening weekend.

As the star of these two wildly different features, Fanning is frustrated by the fact that genre films are typically overlooked for prestigious awards. "To me, a film is a film," she says. "That's also how I approach picking projects. I don't feel like there should be this bias. That I don't understand. I hope that people can recognize those films more. I think it's important that we do. It's like, What does it mean to be an 'Oscar film,' you know? I don't know."

Fanning was approached for the dual role of Thia, a Weyland-Yutani Corporation android, and Thia's sister Tessa in Predator: Badlands by Trachtenberg, who was looking for someone with comedic chops and had seen her in The Great. Fanning, who appears opposite rising star Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, does have some funny one-liners in the film, so between that and getting to play two characters for the price of one ("I'd never done the 'Parent Trap Lindsay Lohan' thing before," she notes), it was a no-brainer.

It's hard to believe Predator: Badlands is Fanning's first action film. "I definitely got a taste for it," she says, enthusiastically going into detail about how she was hooked up to the rigs. "I would like to go down that path and really train for months and months and months for something. That could be really fun."

"I come from an athletic background, and I grew up doing dance, and I'm a very physical person. I'm quite strong, like I've never known my own strength," she says with a laugh. Stronger than Dakota, who is four years older than her? "Yes, I think so," she says. "She's so small. She'll probably beg to differ on that!"

The only daughters of a professional tennis player and a minor-league baseball player, the Fannings were born in Georgia but relocated to Los Angeles when Dakota's acting career took off. It's been home ever since. Dakota now owns a property around the corner from where their mother and grandmother live. Elle moved into her own place last year when her forthcoming TV project, Margo's Got Money Troubles, started filming in the city.

In the Apple TV+ series adaptation that arrives April 15, Fanning plays the lead opposite Nicole Kidman. It's being executive-produced by Lewellen Pictures, and Fanning is currently in the edit, which she describes as her favorite process. "I kind of fell in love with it on The Great [on which she also served as executive producer]. It's a real art," she says. "People always say that as an actress [you should] get close to your editor because they have your performance in their hands! They can change the whole performance through editing. That fascinates me."

Already, 2026 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for Fanning, who also features in the forthcoming Hunger Games prequel, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, as a young Effie Trinket (played by Elizabeth Banks in the original trilogy).

This spring, she'll begin filming the highly anticipated movie adaptation of Kristin Hannah's best-selling World War II novel The Nightingale. The Fanning sisters will produce and, more importantly, star opposite one another for the very first time.

"How many times has everyone reported this?" quips Fanning. The project was due to start filming right before the pandemic and lay dormant for a few years. "It's finally, finally happening! It's a big moment, but I'm actually glad that it's happening now. I think Dakota and I are ready," she continues.

That first day on set is going to be pretty magical. "I'm really excited about that electric feeling we're gonna have," she beams. "Whatever scene we film together for the first time is going to be so charged. … I'm gonna cry! We've been acting for so long, and you can't create that feeling—the first time doing something—again. So yeah, I'll be nervous and very emotional."

The Fannings' acting careers have been completely separate up to this point—deliberately so. "I mean, we've never even run lines together," she points out. "I guess we'll have to now!"

They've never been in a situation where they've both wanted the same role? "We get different opportunities. Honestly, we don't even think we look alike. It's never happened that we've gone for the same thing," she says.

"People would ask us a lot when we were younger to do films together, but we wanted to make sure that we were figuring out who we both were individually first," she explains. "We're so supportive of each other. It's the best thing in my life that I have her as this role model and we were able to carve out our own paths."

The sisters' dynamic continues to evolve as they get older. "Dakota 100% was, and still is, very much my protector, but also, now [that] I'm older, I can protect her more. She can call me for advice," she says.

Fanning can pinpoint exactly when things shifted. "You know, I remember it was actually on my 16th birthday. I was invited to go with her friends to their house afterward. It was like, 'Oh my god, she's seeing me as a person, not just a sister,'" she says.

Sharing the screen might be unchartered territory, but behind the camera, the Fannings have developed a successful working relationship as producers. Founded in the pandemic, Lewellen Pictures (named after their late childhood dog) has quite a roster, ranging from comedy and drama for TV (The Great, Margo's Got Money Troubles) to film (The Nightingale) and documentary (Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?).

"Like in our acting careers, if it's something that we are gravitated toward and feel passionate about, then we're up for it," explains Fanning, who likes finding articles and books that could be turned into something à la Reese Witherspoon, whereas true crime is more Dakota's domain.

They famously bought the rights to Paris Hilton's memoir, although the project is some way off. "We want to do it justice because obviously there are so many stories about her out there," she says. "But Paris is very much involved, and I love her, and she's been an amazing partner, and I've got to go to her house, which is everything you want it to be!"

While both Fanning and her sister are able to spot the potential of something—"what audiences want to watch and what they are gonna enjoy"—they ultimately make a great team because Elle gets excited and passionate about ideas and Dakota is able to interpret them. "She's like, 'Okay, she's really trying to say this,'" laughs Fanning. "Dakota should have been a lawyer. She's incredibly intelligent and knows how to argue her case. It can be to your benefit or your detriment, at times, for sure. I've lost many arguments with her!"

Lately, Fanning's been working on trying to be more present. "I'm thinking about, you know, just everything in the future. I'm thinking about kids that haven't even been born!" she admits. "It's like, 'What am I doing? This is way too many steps ahead.'"

It's not the only thing that keeps her awake at night. "I have 121,000 photos on my phone. … Where are all these photos gonna go?" she adds.

Fanning has been in a relationship with Rolling Stone CEO Gus Wenner since late 2023. They made their red carpet debut at the Golden Globes in January 2024, and she is—surprisingly for someone of her celebrity status—very open and affectionate about him on Instagram.

"He's the best," she gushes. "We want to be a part of each other's lives and share these fun times and experiences together. … Why hide? The future looks bright."

"I definitely do want kids. I've always wanted kids. I've known that since I was little," she adds.

The couple currently divide their time between Fanning's rental home in L.A. and New York, where Wenner lives. Fanning is obsessed with old houses and loves looking at homes on the online architecture, history, and property magazine Francis York.

"We've been going on Zillow and looking at the Upper West and Upper East Side and the potential there [for a renovation project]," she says. "Isn't that everyone's dream, to restore a house? But it takes years, so yeah, I don't know. That's why I haven't done it yet!"

She has plenty of time, I remind her, and she is trying to be more present, after all. This probably explains why she hasn't thought as far as what she'll wear this award season—although she will inevitably come up with some "mad ideas" with her stylist of 14 years, Samantha McMillen.

In fact, Fanning hasn't thought much further than tonight. "I am doing nothing," she says with a relieved smile when we get the check and say our goodbyes. "The world's my oyster, so I'm probably going to watch TV shows in bed. I love On Brand With Jimmy Fallon. I've seen a lot of films this year, but listen, I'm not highbrow. I'll watch any competition reality show!"

Well, it's not every day you're promoting two wildly different movies, editing a TV show, prepping for your next big film, and then being arrested in your lingerie at a Sabrina Carpenter show. I'd say she's earned a night off, wouldn't you?

Photographer & Creative Director: Szilveszter Makó
VP of Creative: Alexa Wiley
Stylist: Lauren Eggertsen
Hairstylist: Mark Townsend
Makeup Artist: Erin Ayanian Monroe
Manicurist: Queenie Nguyen
Set Designer: Nicholas Des Jardins
Vice President of Creative: Alexa Wiley
Entertainment Director: Jessica Baker
Producer: Luciana De La Fe
Photographer EP: Siyan Chen
Photo Line Producer: Huina Liu

It’s easy to assume Erin Kellyman would have a loud personality, owing to her striking hair and freckles that beg to be stared at. But she actually carries a calming presence that makes her beauty the least interesting thing about her. When we meet at 8 pm via Zoom on a Wednesday night, she sits fresh-faced with her hair in twists following a gruelling schedule of press junkets and photoshoots for two blockbuster films: Eleanor the Great and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, in both of which she stars as the lead actress. And whilst you’d expect her mind to be running at a million miles an hour, she simply reassures me that it’s just a busy week before some time off. It sets the tone for an hour of getting to know Kellyman, who possesses a grace that feels less like a personality trait and more like her foundation.

Partly out of my own fascination with identity, I ask Kellyman what it was like growing up with mixed Afro-Caribbean-Irish heritage and how this played a part in who she is today. "I think my identity has been a massive part of my life," she says, lingering on the thought a little longer. "I didn't see a lot of representation on screen." It’s clear that she's impassioned by a front-facing career to help bridge that gap. "I'm proud of myself, and I'm happy that I [can] maybe be a role model for mixed kids who don't feel like they fit in, whether in social situations or with different sides of their family."

Curious to understand her and how she grew up, I ask more about her childhood and whether she always knew she wanted to perform. "I still don't know if I want to perform," she admits. "I don't even feel like I do that. When I'm acting, it doesn't feel like performing. I was constantly watching people and observing how they interact. I was really, really quiet, so I would just watch people all the time."

Barely 10 minutes into our conversation, I have an early "aha" moment. "I’m not a huge movie buff," she admits, "which is again very contradictory to the industry that I'm in. I love to watch a good movie, but growing up, it was documentary after documentary, and hours on YouTube." It makes sense to me that Kellyman would be a documentary kid; from the outset, she seems curious, observant and attuned to people’s subtleties. It tracks perfectly with the quiet watchfulness she’s described. But I’m curious about the leap; if documentaries shaped her, why choose the fictional world? Why act rather than document?

She thinks about it for a moment before explaining that, as a child, fiction was her real home. Many of her memories are of playing pretend, stepping into characters she created. Teachers would describe her as "away with the fairies"; a gentle dismissal she now reframes. "I wasn’t really away with the fairies," she says. "I had a whole dialogue going on up here, like a four-part movie running in my head." Suddenly, it becomes obvious that documentaries fed her fascination with people, whilst fiction gave her permission to become them.

Her path into acting wasn’t linear. It was her older sister, the first in the family to try performing, who led her mother to the Nottingham Television Workshop, which Kellyman eventually joined at 13. Before then, she’d resisted it completely. "My mum would say, 'I’m taking your sister anyway, do you want to join?' and I couldn’t think of anything worse." She talks about her mum enrolling them in every class imaginable, and I feel a shared connection as we laugh about how we both grew up with mothers who saw activities as opportunities: ballet, swimming, dance—anything that might spark a passion.

Kellyman plays Jimmy Ink in the latest instalment of the 28 Days Later franchise, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, which is set to be released in January 2026. I explain how I found the character both likeable and unlikeable in equal measure, and she lights up, as she tells me she never wanted Jimmy to feel linear. As for choosing roles, she simply follows what moves her. "I just want to play people I’m excited by," she says. She credits Jack O'Connell, who plays alongside her in the blockbuster (and in the previous film in the series, 28 Years Later), as having helped shape her craft, not because of his profile, but because they share the same roots, both having trained at the Nottingham Television Workshop.

"That place is a masterclass," she says. "It strips everything back. It’s so real." Being on set with O'Connell reminded her of that rawness, that instinctive way of working that she grew up with. She continues with so much pride that her face beams. "That’s a workshopper," she says, smiling. And it's a title she holds with great pride. "If you get into TV Workshop, you’re officially a workshopper. No matter how big my career gets, I’ll always be a workshopper first."

It’s rare to hear someone speak about their training with that kind of devotion, almost like an alma mater, and it makes sense that the improvisation and instinct are baked into her. It's as if being a "workshopper" didn’t just teach her how to act; it made her the kind of actor she is.

When I ask what drew her to Eleanor the Great, she talks of her character Nina’s quietness, "I was such an anxious kid, I could barely hold a conversation with anybody, she shares, "But by the end of the film, [Nina] comes into her own, and I really related to that." I tell her how striking that parallel is: the girl who once couldn’t look people in the eye is now leading major movies and on the cover of magazines. We giggle together as she talks about how surreal it is to connect those dots.

She tells me she would have loved to play Villanelle in hit BBC series Killing Eve, portrayed by another of her 28 Years Later co-stars, Jodie Comer. Listening to her, I realise there’s a thread running through the roles she gravitates towards. She’s drawn to complicated people, the ones who don’t make sense at first glance. There’s something in her—the observer, the former documentary kid—that wants to understand them. It’s almost as if she chooses characters she can’t quite figure out, and the work becomes the process of decoding them.

She cites Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and Saoirse Ronan as actors she looks up to, then it dawns on me that both films she's currently promoting are directed by women. I ask her what feels different about working with female directors. "There's an unspoken energy that I think comes with being surrounded by women. You just feel inherently understood," she says. I smile in agreement as the director in me connects to her explanation. "It's like sipping a cup of tea after a long day—you just feel calm." I reply, “You exhale." "Exactly," she says.

As our chat draws to a close, we giggle at her newfound fashion status. How does it feel to be a cover star for a fashion title? Kellyman laughs. "It doesn’t feel real. I feel like I’ve snuck in and no one’s noticed." Her upbringing was anything but fashion-focused. "We got the odd new thing for Christmas, but mostly it was whatever was passed down," she tells me. Now, though, her relationship with fashion is growing, and her favourite designers—Miu Miu, Gucci, Simone Rocha—make perfect sense; labels that blend characteristics in playful, unexpected ways and are a little complicated and harder to define, exactly like the characters she loves.

She admits that she may be drawn to a bit of chaos, and that this shows up in her taste in fashion, in the colours, the contrasts, the unexpected pairings. On our shoot, it was the Gucci suit and red Simone Rocha dress that made her feel most herself. "I just felt good in them," she says, and it's fitting that the anxious kid in hand-me-downs is now standing fully inside looks that carry the same contradictions as she does.

I’m struck by how quietly expansive Kellyman is. Nothing about her is linear, not her characters, not her instincts, not even the way she sees herself. And at just 27, she carries a softness that’s constantly in dialogue with something deeper, stranger, more complicated. And yet, she wears it all lightly. There’s no performance, rather just a young woman figuring herself out in real time, pulling at the threads of curiosity she uncovers. I have a sense that whatever she does next, she’ll meet it the same way she meets everything; with instinct and the kind of emotional intelligence you can’t teach. She's a true workshopper at heart—still observing, still transforming and most of all, still becoming.

Photographer: Florence Mann
Stylist: Sophie Robyn Watson
Hair Stylist: Nicola Harrowell at Premier
Makeup Artist: Kenneth Soh at The Wall Group
Manicurist: Charly Avenell using Manucurist
Managing Director: Hannah Almassi
Art Director: Natalia Sztyk
Set Designer: Penny Mills
Set Assistant: Tilly-Rose Evans
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Editor: Basma Khalifa
Video: Natasha Wilson
Photography Assistant: Georgia Williams, Ruby Griffith
Digital Technician: Marija Vainilaviciute
Styling Assistant: Mariya Bhad
Production: Town Productions

When Olivia Cooke answers my call, she's on holiday with her mum. A stream of warm yellow light blazes through a small walnut-stained window onto the white clay wall and a subtle wash of sunblush casts over her nose and cheeks. She wears a purple vest top, the strap of which falls effortlessly off her shoulder. This look is a far cry from the layered faux fur coats, lashings of belts and green tights—''I bloody loved those tights,'' she tells me—that Cooke found herself wearing just days before on our Autumn Issue cover shoot.

Instead of switching off entirely, she's carved out time to talk about her work. That alone says something. Few people would take an hour out of a hard-earned holiday to slip back into promo mode, but Cooke, 31, does it with ease. Not because she takes herself seriously—quite the opposite—but because she takes her craft seriously. That distinction, I quickly learn, defines her: deeply committed, never self-important. It's a testament to the way she has moved through the industry thus far; whip smart, opinionated in the most refreshing sense and utterly unpretentious.

These attributes have quietly guided her through more than a decade of standout performances, from early BBC dramas to Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, to the force that is House of the Dragon. Now, with her latest role in Amazon Prime's new psychological thriller, The Girlfriend, Cooke once again proves herself an actor unwilling to be pigeonholed.

''I really, really dug the script,'' she says of the six-part series. ''I love anything that taps into the British class system—rich and poor—and how that sort of eats itself. And then to have it set with these two characters who are very much alike in many ways, save for their bank balances and their status, and play with all the complexities that relationship brings. I found when I was reading the scripts, I was really rooting for these two characters to be friends… but we live in a society that unfortunately pits women against each other still, which is just so fucking annoying and unfair.''

Cooke plays Cherry, a fiery estate agent with grit beneath the glamour, who begins a relationship with a man of means who has a very close yet complex connection with his family, in particular his formidable mother, Laura. Cherry is unapologetically ambitious, clawing her way to a place in a world that keeps threatening to shut her out. ''She is living in her overdraft and hoping to get a big break; sell a really high-end property to get that commission. So she is existing paycheck to paycheck, and something like caramel sauce spilling on a £400 dress she bought to impress her boyfriend's parents but had intended to return the next day is really fucking bad.''

That class tension—the sense of having everything to prove and nothing to fall back on—resonated deeply with Cooke. Born and raised in Oldham, Greater Manchester, she has spoken openly about her working-class roots and how her accent became an identifier of sorts in the industry. ''It was super cathartic,'' she says of channelling Cherry. ''All these sort of microaggressions you feel as someone [who] might be working-class—you often have to just bottle and swallow. For me, feeling that slight deficit, and also being a woman in an industry that's frankly easier to navigate when you went to Eton or another public school… it was freeing to play someone like Cherry who wears her emotions on the surface and isn't afraid to scream out her frustrations. Because of that, I got to address my own frustrations in a safe environment.''

Cherry's emotions aren't just written into dialogue—they burn through her costuming too. Cooke worked closely with the styling and hair departments to bring that vision to life. ''Her emotions are so on the surface, and there's a lot of fire within her,'' she explains. ''So all the reds she's in, all the various shades, felt emblematic of that. She's a bit of a siren; she's displaying herself in a way to attract, but she's also assimilating into this higher-class world. It had to have that 'va va voom'.''

The magnetism of The Girlfriend lies greatly in the sparring between Cherry and Laura, played by Robin Wright, who also directed the first three episodes of the series and served as producer. For Cooke, the chance to be opposite Wright was irresistible. ''I love her, I think she's fucking brilliant,'' she says plainly. Landing the part seemed serendipitous all round, too. ''We had a quick twenty-minute Zoom, and it was like, 'Yeah, I want to do this.' 'Yeah, I want you. Okay. Easy.'''

On set, Wright proved a revelation, living up to Cooke's expectations. ''She's doing the most nuanced, incredible, heartbreaking performance and then she just snaps right out of it and goes, 'What lens are we going to use? Okay, we've got that shot. Let's move on.' It takes me half an hour to come down from an emotional scene, and she's just there snapping right back into it. It was very inspiring to watch.''

Shifting perspectives is central to the show. Much of the drama is told through competing lenses: Cherry's truth, Laura's truth and the blurred space that exists between. So much so that some scenes were rewritten on the day to better serve these shifting points of view. ''We'd be filming and realise some of these points of view worked for the opposite character,'' Cooke recalls. ''So we should switch this, or rewrite the scene completely. It was tricky. And bless Robin, she also had the task of editing all that together.''

For an actor used to the rigidity of projects like House of the Dragon, where scripts are locked in months ahead, that spontaneity was invigorating. ''I quite like working a bit more 'run and gun,''' she says. ''It was a challenge, but you can feel how kinetic it is on screen.''

During our conversation, Cooke often returns to the idea of acting as a release. ''It's all that I think is in me,'' she admits. ''All those chips on Cherry's shoulders, all that defence, all the aspiration and striving. Those are themes I've had in my life at certain points. So it's easy to dial up and down.'' Yet she resists the idea of method acting as the necessary path to truth. ''I think method acting is for men usually,'' she says with a laugh. ''It's often men who feel that to do a more artistic job, [they] want to make it as painful for themselves as possible. They'd be so much happier if they didn't.''

Instead, Cooke emphasises balance, keeping things light between takes, grounding herself after heavy scenes and investing in therapy. ''You do portray all these emotions, and the body doesn't know it's not real,'' she explains. ''So I have to keep it light in between setups. I'm too sensitive to stay in that mode. Especially as I get older, things affect me a lot more than they used to. I thought I'd develop resilience, but that's not the case.''

She credits an intimacy coordinator she worked with earlier this year with helping her develop rituals of decompression, like stretching, moving and re-entering her own body after scenes that demanded more than everyday life. ''It's amazing. I had none of these skills in my early twenties, and I could have really used them back then as a young actor.'' Despite her impressive résumé, Cooke has largely managed to sidestep the trappings of celebrity, and she is grateful for it. ''I don't think I'd do well with über, über-fame,'' she admits. ''I'm really happy with my slow and steady progression, continuing to work, doing projects I believe in, being fulfilled in the meantime and then living my life in a very normal way.''

That normality suits her introverted streak. "People are so lovely, but I get so embarrassed when people come up to me and they're sort of awestruck. I'm like, 'No, you've got the wrong person.' It's energy better spent elsewhere.'' That said, there are still pinch-me moments: being directed by Spielberg at 24, or, indeed, spotting childhood TV idols in the wild. ''When I did The One Show, it was Matt from Blue Peter [hosting]. I'd grown up watching him, and he was one of my first loves. I was like, 'I can't talk to this person,'" she laughs.

Cooke blushes when I compliment her on her range. She's played everything from a troubled daughter to a gamer heroine and a politically fraught queen, and now, a plucky have-not with a dark past. What unites them, however, is complexity. ''A lot of the time it's story dependent,'' she says. ''But I suppose the characters I end up playing mirror a part of what is happening or has happened in my own life that needs some sort of exorcism. It's really curious. I end up learning so much about myself when I take on a role.''

That said, she doesn't buy into the myth of disappearing entirely into a character. ''It all comes from a prism [within] us. We dial things up or down, put on an accent or a wig. But I don't think you can fully throw away your personality and put on a new one, if you want to do [a role] truthfully.'' I ask her, if she were able to embody Alicent Hightower, her House of the Dragon persona, and rule for a day, what laws would she enforce? ''Oh god, so, so much,'' she says. ''The selling of arms, I would ban that. Dump all guns on Mars or something. I'd also release so many closed files, you have no idea. Then I'd make all world leaders women, just to see how things would change. Not to shit on all men, but, just for a generation, let's see what happens. And raise lovely boys who are respectful of women. It will be gorgeous.'' Show of hands for Cooke to become Queen of Everything as soon as humanly possible.

Cooke's path into acting, however, wasn’t set in stone. Growing up in Oldham, she attended after-school dance and acting workshops from the age of eight. ''I think I was always a bit of a show off; very 'daddy, daddy, look at me!'" But it wasn't until close friends began auditioning for drama schools that she realised the arts could be a viable career.

At 14, she auditioned for an agent in Manchester. Soon after, she landed on the agency's books. Then a casting director who worked next door began calling her in, and by 18, she had her first BBC job. ''Up until that point, I just couldn't ever see myself doing it in a proper professional capacity,'' she says. ''I'm not from an artistic background, and there was no reference point. But then I thought I'd better go for it.''

Her mum, supportive but pragmatic, worried when work didn't come quickly. "99% of actors are out of work 99% of the time. 'You need to get a job!' she told me. But I had the naivety of an 18-year-old to be like, 'No, the next job's going to come in.''' Today, Cooke still keeps a tight inner circle. ''I've got best mates [I've known] since I was 12, and a few really good girlfriends and guy friends. It's all gotten a bit coven and witchy, but it's so lovely. I do feel really held by them.''

Still, asking for help doesn't come easily. ''When I'm in despair and need help, I just don't. Sometimes it feels withholding, but really it's just not wanting an uncomfortable moment. I'm trying to get better at relinquishing myself to that.''

That humility, that sense of still figuring it out, makes her reflections on her younger self all the more poignant. If she could tell teenage Liv anything? ''All the things you're worrying about now will probably never come true. Stop exerting all that energy, fretting and making yourself ill over what-ifs. Try to live more in the moment. And ask someone if they know a really good therapist, because you need it.''

I can't help but see parallels between this sentiment and our autumn shoot; a celebration of frazzled elegance, of beauty found in imperfection. Cooke may admit to finding it hard to ask for help, but she's also disarmingly self-aware. She doesn't strive for flawlessness. Instead, she embraces the cracks and contradictions, and in doing so, reveals something far more compelling: her truth.

Stream The Girlfriend on Amazon Prime from 10 September 2025.

Photographer: Matt Healy
Stylist: Sophie Robyn Watson
Hair Stylist: Nao Kawamaki at The Wall Group
Makeup Artist: Lauren Reynolds at Bryant Artists
Manicurist: Saffron Goddard
Prop Stylist: Nicholas Rodgers
Editor-in-Chief: Hannah Almassi
Art Director: Natalia Sztyk
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Editor: Maxine Eggenberger
Video: Natasha Wilson
Photography Assistant: Cameron Jack, Leigh Skinner
Digital Technician: David English
Styling Assistant: Brittany Davy
Production: Town Productions

When my screen flickers to life on a grey Monday morning, actress Immy Waterhouse appears in soft focus, sitting cross-legged on her bed, her hair pulled back loosely, leaving a few strands to frame her makeup-free face. She's dressed in a printed white tee, a silver chain resting at her collarbone, and a stack of books in the background. I spot Intermezzo by Sally Rooney and smile. It feels like a fitting detail considering this paperback also sits atop the book pile next to my bed. This is my first proper introduction to Waterhouse, though she already feels familiar; that rare kind of person who gives you the full, unguarded shape of herself from the outset.

We are speaking just a few days ahead of our Who What Wear UK cover shoot, set to take place on the Eastbourne coastline. The weather, naturally, is forecasted to be the kind of damp, wind-whipped British summer reality we know all too well, but Waterhouse, in true form, isn't phased. "I'm actually really excited," she says. "You know, that kind of rain-and-romance [atmosphere] feels really true to what our summers are like here." When shoot day rolls around, the forecast delivers—overcast skies, relentless rain—but Waterhouse arrives calm and bright, easing everyone on set into the day with the same serene energy she brought to our call.

Waterhouse is often introduced in tandem with someone else, her sister, Suki, a model-turned-actor-turned-singer and fellow member of a family of creatives, but what strikes me most is how firmly rooted Waterhouse is in who she is; someone who has learned to tread their own path confidently, calmly and authentically.

Whilst she may be visibly relaxed now, she's no stranger to emotional intensity, particularly through her character, Jinny St. George, in The Buccaneers, which has since returned for its second season on Apple TV+. "I think it's a really good season," she tells me. "It takes the best bits of season one and runs with them. There's still the drama, and it's seductive and all of that, but there's also this groundedness. You get to go deeper with everyone."

Jinny, one of the show's American socialites navigating British high society, began as a girl chasing status and stability through marriage. But season two sees her living with the consequences of her choices. "She's had to flee everything she's ever known. She's isolated, with a baby, trying to survive—it's a lot," says Waterhouse, describing the arc with the kind of care actors often reserve for roles that have moved them. "There's this statistic that it takes a woman, like, seven times to leave an abusive husband, and I really held onto that when I was playing her. Because it's not always a clean break. There's so much guilt and confusion in that process."

It was important to Waterhouse that Jinny never feel like a caricature. "On the page, she could seem a bit bitchy or hard to root for. But I wanted to play her with empathy—like, here's this young woman who's been told her whole life that if she doesn’t get married and succeed in this very specific way, then she’s a failure. So when she loses that version of herself, she doesn’t know who she is anymore."

During our conversation, Waterhouse's clarity never veers into cliché. She talks about complex things plainly: difficult storylines, self-worth, female friendship, and yet never makes them feel weightless. There's a level of emotional attunement to her that makes it clear why The Buccaneers team handed her such a delicate storyline.

Filming season two also brought a geographical shift. Whilst the first was largely shot in Scotland (a treat, especially as I live just outside Edinburgh and most of the filming locations were within a 15-minute drive of my house), Jinny's escape took her—and Waterhouse—to Croatia, doubling as Italy. Needless to say, I can think of worse places to work. "It was just stunning. Colourful little towns, cobbled roads. It weirdly felt like a whole other project, almost like we were filming an indie." With fewer cast and crew around, she describes it as intimate, a rare moment of breathing space. "It was such a special experience. I'm really grateful I got to be in that part of the story."

And though the work is immersive, Waterhouse doesn't sugarcoat its emotional toll. "To get into Jinny's headspace, you kind of have to think her thoughts, and a lot of those thoughts are really self-critical. After a while, I'd finish the day and feel just… low. Your brain doesn't always know the difference between 'this is a character' and 'this is me.' It made me realise how powerful our internal monologues are and how important it is to be kind to ourselves. Because those thoughts stay somewhere."

It feels as though this mix of reflection and resilience sums Waterhouse up. She'll make space for the hard bits but won't stay stuck there. She also knows how to have fun. "I still do," she laughs when we talk about her twenties. "I just think I've let go of a lot of things that used to hold me back. And maybe that's just getting older, hitting 30 and realising everything's a bit calmer. You kind of stop caring about the wrong things."

Acting isn't the only string to Waterhouse's bow. She's stepped behind the camera, too, first directing three episodes of The Outpost (in which she also starred), then helming music videos for sister Suki, two of which younger sister Maddi, another impressive Waterhouse creative multihyphenate (DJ, photographer and model are just some of her credits) also worked on as an editor. "Directing was something I always wanted to do, but didn't quite see as an option for a long time," she says. "But then I started watching how directors work and began to tell myself, 'I can do this.'" With the support of a tight-knit crew she already knew well, her directorial debut unfolded as something both creatively fulfilling and confidence-building. "There was a moment where I was looking at the [monitor], and all these ideas I had were right there. It was surreal."

Now she's writing more, too, working on short films and dreaming of directing a feature or series down the line. "In this industry, especially as an actor, you don't always have control. So, creating something of my own, that keeps me sane."

Her creative drive doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's been shaped by the people closest to her. "Watching Suki succeed definitely gave me a boost," she says. "I saw her do it and thought I could too." The sisters, along with Maddi, collaborate often, even if just as sounding boards. "We're each other's first audience. When one of us finishes something, we'll send it to the group chat and ask, 'What do you think?' It's always met with honesty. Brutal, sometimes, but with love."

Her family unit keeps growing, too; Waterhouse is an auntie to Suki and her partner, fellow actor Robert Pattinson's, first child, a daughter who already has a slew of strong female role models around her. I ask Waterhouse what type of auntie she wants to be, and we share a laugh about the pressures of being a "cool aunt."

"It's hard, kids just know how to make you feel really uncool," she quips. "They bring you back down to earth. But I love being an aunt. It's amazing, and it only gets better as time goes on."

Sticking with the concept of sorority, our conversation shifts to include her friendships. When I ask what sisterhood means in her own life, given how central those themes are in The Buccaneers, she lights up. "It's everything," she says. "I've got friends I've known since I was a kid, and they've seen me grow into who I am now. When life gets messy—and it does—they're the ones who are there. You go off, do your thing, and when you come back, it's like nothing's changed. That kind of grounding is so precious."

A phrase Waterhouse uses during our chat sticks with me: "Following the fun vibe." It’s how she explains getting into acting in the first place; not through some grand career plan, but because it was always what felt most natural, the most "her" thing she could do. That spirit still guides her, whether she's directing, writing or just trying her hand at pottery or tennis (two current hobbies, she says, where the success rate varies but the joy remains high). "I'm all about balance," she says when I ask what this summer looks like for her. "Hopefully, a hike in the French Alps—though I've only ever really walked up Hampstead Heath—and definitely Glastonbury. So, you know, a bit of everything."

And fashion? "I'm probably due a style upgrade," she laughs. "I've been trying to wear fewer tracksuits out of the house. But I do have a Miu Miu bag I love—I've held onto that one." She's the first to admit that fashion didn't fully click for her until she started modelling, a part of her career many still associate her with, but that she sees as something of a past life. "I didn't grow up obsessing over magazines or designers. But once I started wearing those pieces and felt what they were about, I got it. I feel like I've closed my modelling chapter now, though."

Our shoot, however, is a far cry from her former modelling days. This time, she's not just the face, but the subject. "It feels more personal now. More creative. More me." It's a distinction that matters, because Waterhouse isn't just part of the cast; she's shaping the story. Her story.

When I ask her, finally, what she would tell her younger self if she could, she pauses, thoughtful. "I try to remind myself how proud she'd be of what I'm doing now. It's so easy to focus on what you haven't done yet. But this, all of this, was a dream once. You have to celebrate all the little stages because they’re all leading you somewhere. You don’t know where, but it’s somewhere."

Season two of The Buccaneers is now streaming on Apple TV+.

Photographer: Phil Dunlop
Stylist: Sophie Robyn Watson
Hair Stylist: Linnéa Nordberg
Makeup Artist: Eoin Whelan using Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Shine by Armani Beauty
Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi
Creative Director: Amy Armani
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Editor: Maxine Eggenberger
Video: Natasha Wilson
Photography Assistant: Gareth Williams, Luke Simmonds
Digital Technician: Jakub Gloser
Styling Assistant: Brittany Davy
Editorial Assistant: Grace Porter
With thanks to Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis

It's midday on a Tuesday when Leomie Anderson bounces onto our video call, fresh-faced and radiant between workout sessions. She apologises for her off-duty appearance and the gym-café backdrop, but with her post-exercise energy, I can already tell our conversation is going to be a good one.

Although we've only met once before, years ago, we greet each other like old friends. "I remember your face," she says warmly. In an industry where people tend to blur and introductions are fleeting, it's a flattering surprise—but not entirely unexpected. As I recall, we had a bit of a moment; after some fangirling on my part, we kiki-ed and snapped some photos together. And though our first encounter was brief, it has stayed with me. As a Black woman in media, you don't always find someone in the room who talks like you, let alone looks like you.

Anderson started modelling young at 14, after being scouted on the streets of South London with burgundy hair. "It was a rinse, not a dye! I didn't want anything permanent," she clarifies, laughing at the memory. Since then, she has walked some of the world's most iconic catwalks—think Vivienne Westwood, Tom Ford and Burberry, to name just a few.

Comparisons to Naomi Campbell are inevitable—both are tall, Black, British models who command a room—but Anderson's path has always been distinctly her own. She's outspoken, elegantly confident and curious, with an impeccable track record for calling out industry faux pas and addressing diversity and inclusion in the fashion industry. These are the traits that saw her evolve from the girl from Wandsworth, who spent much of her time on the track as a young athlete, into the multi-hyphenate supermodel she is today. She has gone on to become a TV presenter—currently fronting the BBC's Glow Up, a reality competition series where aspiring makeup artists battle it out for a golden ticket to the world of professional makeup—a two-time TEDx Talk speaker and, most recently, a survivalist on Netflix's Bear Hunt. Throughout all of her achievements, it's her interest in beauty, propelled by her modelling heritage, that has become a firm passion point for Anderson.

"When I started, I didn't even think makeup was made for Black people," she says. "They couldn't match my shade. They'd say, 'Your skin's so nice, you don't need makeup.' I thought it was a compliment until I realised [they just didn't] have anything for me." This realisation sparked something in Anderson. She taught herself makeup basics, which led to her creating a YouTube video titled The Black Girl Survival Kit in 2016. She later joined Rihanna's groundbreaking Fenty Beauty campaign, which showcased the brand's 40-strong range of foundation shades. "It shook up the industry," she recalls. "It was a full-circle moment for me, being a part of that change, because it was something that I was very vocal about from the beginning of my career."

Despite the lack of diversity, often finding that she was a rare—or sometimes the only—Black model in the room, Anderson's positive relationship with her skin, hair and body has thankfully remained intact, which is a refreshing contrast for someone working in an industry notorious for unhealthy pressures and fostering feelings of insecurity.

Modelling throughout the 2010s gave her a front-row seat to an industry that desperately needed change. "[It has] come a long way," she acknowledges. "When I started, even mixed-race girls with curls were told to perm their hair [straight]. Now you see braids on runways—that wouldn't have happened back then." But she's not sugarcoating the reality. We talk about life post Black Lives Matter; the surge in diverse campaigns, panels and opportunities that came, only for it all to quietly fizzle away. "They gave us three, four good years of 'diversity and inclusion', then it was goodbye," she says. "Jobs I was getting through 2020 to 2022? Gone. It's back to how it was before."

This is why her TEDx Talks, where she's discussed everything from modelling's hidden struggles to racial inequity, matter so much and resonate so deeply. "I use humour to keep it real," she explains. "Some stuff I've been through is bad, but it's funny too—like, how did this even happen? I want people to see it's my lived experience, not just me complaining." Stepping into that space takes guts, especially for women who look like us. "If I can speak up on a stage to 500 people, maybe a young model will feel brave enough to advocate for herself, too."

Anderson is quick to add that she has also had positive experiences. Her time as a Victoria's Secret Angel is something she considers one of her proudest achievements. "I loved being a Victoria's Secret Angel; that was definitely a pinch-me moment," she beams. "[It] was a great time because they treated us really well." Quick to acknowledge the brand's rocky reputation—"Obviously, no brand is perfect"—it was the sisterhood that she cherished. "It was just all the girls and everybody there and the opportunities we had—I really enjoyed being a part of that." It's clear Anderson likes working with people, as her energy and grace on the set of her Who What Wear UK cover shoot attest. "I had an amazing day with the team," she tells me with pride.. "I think [the shots] came out so well."

I can't help but notice that her roomy zip-up hoodie offers a peek of a LAPP. sports bra; the athleisure brand she founded and led for eight years before pressing pause in 2024."Retail is brutal," she admits. "I faced every obstacle: crooked businessmen, broken promises and funding falling through after 10 months of talks. As a Black woman, it's harder to get support." She's right—a February 2024 report by the UK Government identified persistent funding disparities for Black female entrepreneurs, noting they received just 0.02% of total venture capital funding between 2009 and 2019.

Still, Anderson is not deterred. She's cooking up a new venture in the beauty space, set to launch later this summer. I try my luck with some speculative guesses, but she's only willing to spill lukewarm tea. "I'll say [that] it's not makeup or skincare—those are done to death. [But] I want to be the Rihanna of this lane, shake things up," she reveals. "We need to create our own tables, spaces we control."

As with anything, serendipity can play a role—and there's the beauty lottery, of course—but Anderson's journey has never been about "pretty privilege". She's welcomed the hard work and has remained outspoken and candid about her experiences, even when the stakes are high. She's not about giving up or quitting, but admits sometimes the best thing you can do is relinquish anything that no longer serves you. "Let things go," she says. "I used to think everything had a fix if I worked hard enough, but sometimes you need to step away. More will come."

As our chat winds down, she tells me she's worried about her missing passport ("I know it's in the house!"), but before she can look for it, she's committed to another gym class. "Today's been stressful," she confides, "but the sun's out and talking to you [has] helped." As a parting gift, she gives me her advice on navigating stress and an endless to-do list, "Honestly, on these types of days, accepting that [the] emotion is going to pass is the best thing to do. I try to remind myself that things are always going to be in balance. And today I might feel like the bad outweighs the good, but that's just how it feels [in the moment]. I analyse my life and the situation I'm in, and I'm like, 'Okay, I've been through much worse than this, so this is actually not that bad'. Better days are coming."

She's not wrong. Anderson has a lot of exciting things to look forward to, from the imminent release of Glow Up's seventh season on 24 April ("Trust me: you will not be able to predict who wins… I can't wait for it to come out," she teases) to diving into beauty entrepreneurship, where she's poised to bring about change in a space Black women have been overlooked. "I still feel like I'm just getting started," she says.

Photographer: Aaron Crossman
Stylist: Sophie Watson
Hair Stylist: Marvin’s World using MFA Hair, Color Wow and Schwarzkopf
Makeup Artist: Chelsea Uchenna
Manicurist: Shea Osei
Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi
Art Director: Natalia Szytk
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Beauty Director: Shannon Lawlor
Video: Jonathan Middleton
Video Editor: Natasha Wilson
Makeup Assistant: Ellie Durburdge
Styling Assistant: Brittany Davy

Spend just five minutes with Mia Regan and it becomes clear she's not someone easily summed up. Best known for her modelling career and unique fashion sense, Regan speaks with an openness that feels disarmingly unguarded. She's not here to perform a version of herself; she's here to keep evolving. "Confidence is something you learn," she says early in our conversation. And from where I sit now, it's clear she never wants to stop learning.

She's dialling in from her parents' home in Wiltshire, where she's spending the weekend catching up with family, though her backdrop—a raw chipboard wall, the kind you'd expect in an East London coffee shop—doesn't give much away. Her newly dark hair falls in soft, undone waves. She's wearing a royal blue hoodie and her nails are painted a rich burgundy. Her brother has been away, and now that he’s back, is the reason for her visit home. She smiles warmly when she tells me how close they are—"everyone jokes that we share a brain," she says, and I wonder if her family is her grounding force.

There's a calm air about 22-year-old Regan, a quiet thoughtfulness that isn't always expected of someone whose career so often places them at the centre of attention. But if you've followed her journey, you'll know she's never been one to do things as expected.

At 14, Regan was scouted whilst attending The Clothes Show in Birmingham with her mum. "I think it happens for a lot of girls there," she tells me. "When I look back, it's interesting because [modelling] really wasn't something I'd thought about—my life was all about netball (something Regan tells me she may have pursued professionally) and school. But I was very flattered. I'd always been interested in fashion, so there were no real reservations there. Even my parents were low-key about it; very 'let's see how it goes.'"

Together, they looked at a couple of agencies, but Storm Management seemed like the right fit for her. "It felt natural; everything just fell into place, to be honest, which I'm grateful for! I didn't really overthink it—my life goal wasn't set on modelling." Clearly, Regan has good instincts, as she's still with the agency eight years later.

Social media, once an afterthought, became something more, too. "At that time [of being scouted], content creation wasn't really a thing. However, the more it became [that way] the more passionate about posting on social media I was," she says. "I had always put a lot of effort into anything creative, like art, and it felt natural to move into that space, too, posting things I loved." At the time of writing, her Instagram account, @mimimoocher (a blend of two nicknames she had growing up), has a surplus of 597,000 followers. Needless to say, she knows what it feels like to be in the spotlight, something that was amplified during her relationship with Romeo Beckham, whom she dated for five years before they went their separate ways in 2024. I'm interested to know how she copes with this attention and what helps to keep her grounded.

"I've always stayed really, really close with all the girls that I went to school with and grew up with," she explains. "They are my closest people, they've known me forever and genuinely, nothing changed there. As for anyone who knows me from my work or my social media, they've all just been very sweet and encouraging. I've had a very positive experience."

Regan's creativity is something you can sense in everything she does—especially what she wears. "When I first started [on] social media and it gained a little bit of traction, [my style] was very colourful, very playful and graphic," she explains. "That was at the time when we were all locked down [because of COVID], and people were craving colour and a bit of fun. I definitely was, so I dressed that way."

She was particularly interested in championing small businesses and designers. "I feel like the independent brands I loved were being really playful at the time—everyone was very invested in that aesthetic," she remembers. "But then I think, the older you get, the more like your mum you become," she laughs. "It's funny, but it's true. My mum wears a lot of muted colours; her style is quite archival and classy—she's very chic. And I've started to [emulate] her—I've swayed towards really earthy, neutral, muted tones, and it's made me feel more comfortable in my own style."

As a model, Regan has worked with some of the biggest names in fashion, including Gucci, H&M, Puma and Victoria Beckham, but she's always been keen to keep her experience authentic. When I ask what expectations she had of the fashion industry when she first started, she pauses. "I genuinely didn't really have any expectations," she says. "I just loved fashion for what it was. That said, I learn so many things every day [about the] fashion world, especially when it comes to travelling. Whether it's Milan, Paris or all around the world, you learn things about life and about yourself.

"For anyone [who] thinks [fashion] will be one way or the other, you really take what is given—you take from it what you want and can block the rest out," she says. "I just love the creative side of it; being playful and having fun."

One of the most fulfilling aspects of Regan's recent career has been working closely with stylist Harry Lambert, who dresses the likes of Harry Styles and Emma Corrin. "Harry is great, he and his team are amazing," she says. "One of the main things I've taken from him is his work ethic—he gives 100% in every project he works on. And I think that's really important because there might be certain projects that you view as more important or whatever, but he is 100% invested in everything he takes on. He's inspiring to watch—his knowledge about the fashion world is really impressive."

Regan radiates when she talks about the shoots they've done together. "We've done a few now, and it's always exciting. I'm always like, 'Oh my god, this is happening—I can't wait to see what Harry puts me in next.' Everything we've worked on has been so fun—playing with the makeup, changing characters. Like the Who What Wear shoot; it was serious one minute and then fun the next, with people trying to make me laugh.” It's clear that for Regan, modelling allows her to express herself in myriad ways. "It really is like a dream—playing dress-up, getting to be different versions of myself. It's empowering."

But Regan's creative energy extends well beyond the lens. She recently took on an expanded role with sportswear brand On, directing and producing an entire campaign. "I've had a lot of fun working with On this year," she says. "It felt very special because of my sporting background; it felt like a very personal project because of that. To go from high-end fashion to something sporty has felt quite natural for me because [sport] is what I've been doing since I was young."

The campaign was a full-circle moment. "The [On] team has given me a lot of creative freedom on our projects—the campaign that's coming out soon, I art directed it [and] cast it and Grace [Roger, Regan's longtime manager] and I produced it," she says. "Being involved from start to finish, across the whole thing, was really the most valuable experience."

Regan describes the project as something of a professional turning point. "Genuinely, the whole thing was just a big learning curve. We'd never done it before, and we just kind of threw ourselves into the deep end. In hindsight, it's actually quite hilarious that [we] managed to pull that off," she says, with a laugh. "But I would say there was something really special about the casting process and meeting so many people and speaking with them about their passion for the project, too." And the biggest lesson? "Understanding what a project like this means to the people who work on it," she says. "I wouldn't change anything. It was hard, hard work, but that was part of the process."

I ask if creative direction is something Regan sees herself pursuing in the future. "Absolutely," she says. "The first creative-direction project I did was with Balmain years and years ago, and that really gave me a taste for it. Since then, it's always been something I wanted to do more of. Having just done [my project with] On, I do feel like it's something that comes naturally; I'm constantly looking for inspiration, being curious about things, so it seems to suit me."

I get the feeling that Regan is the sort of person who doesn't mind taking risks, that she's open to throwing herself into something and isn't afraid to work hard to make it work. I tell her as much. "I mean, thank you! I guess, yes, I would like to think that about myself. Work ethic and being prepared to work hard is something I learnt very early on [from] being so invested in sports. It really set me up for the future.

"Let's face it: [fashion and modelling] is a bit of a strange job and things can sometimes get a bit blurry professionally, but I always think it's best to put your all into everything you work on, because at the end of the day, this is a career. I find it cathartic putting my all into every project. And, like I was saying, seeing Harry [Lambert] do the same—showing up and doing your best in this industry goes a long way."

I ask how she reconnects with herself after pouring so much energy into her work. "I'm really lucky in that I haven't experienced severe burnout before," she says thoughtfully. "I know a lot of people who have. I try to see every day and every job as inspiration for the next. It helps that I have the support network I do. But I suppose you never really do 'switch off', [so]it's important for me to find moments of peace in my routine, which helps me to have that healthy balance. I'm quite an extrovert. I've come to the conclusion that I get a lot of my energy from other people. Though, it has to be the right kind of people. I also like having a little diary to put my thoughts to paper and to scribble. That's an easy way for me to offload anything internal I'm working through."

For being the age she is, Regan feels incredibly centred, though she’s quick to say this attribute doesn’t feel specific to her. “I would say, with my generation, people my age, we kind of have to be clued up. And I'm actually really impressed by the people in my generation—they are really articulate and can hold their own in a lot of conversations. Conversations are important."

When she's not working, though this seems like a rarity, Regan often finds herself in nature. "I enjoy going on really long walks and listening to podcasts with people speaking about anything they're passionate about," she says. "For me, going to the Brecon Beacons or anything like a proper hiking trip where you're stripped of anything comfortable is the ultimate reset."

Her love of trekking has taken her as far as Nepal, where, last year, she summited Mera Peak alongside her dad, brother, godfather and close family friends, including manager Grace Roger. She tells me the trip was transformative in ways she didn't fully expect. "It was just the most incredible experience," Regan says, her voice softening as she recalls it. "My dad and I hiked to Ama Dablam base camp the year before, which is right next to Everest, but Mera Peak was a completely different ball game. The altitude alone is really hard on the body—there's something like 30% oxygen and it was -34ºC. What your body goes through is unbelievable."

What surprised her, though, was how deeply connected she became to the people she met there, particularly their Sherpa, Tendi, whom she also trekked Ama Dablem with. "Tendi is just incredible," she says. "He's a mountaineering guide who's summited Everest something like 16 times. He's so calm, so kind, so eloquent. We kind of fell in love with him, to be honest. You couldn't not." It was through Tendi that Regan began to understand more about the risks that Sherpas face every time they guide a trek. "Many of the Sherpas lose their lives whilst working in the mountains, often leaving their families with very little support," she explains.

After returning from Nepal, Regan, Roger and her father felt compelled to do something more lasting. "Tendi had already set up the Tendi Sherpa Foundation, and once we came back from that trip, it just felt like the most natural thing to get involved," she explains. "Now, the three of us are joint chairs of the charity."

The foundation's mission is personal to all of them. "It's about supporting the Sherpa families who have lost loved ones whilst working as mountain guides," Regan explains. "The foundation raises funds for vital initiatives like education for children, building bridges to improve transport links in remote areas and making sure these communities are supported in really practical, meaningful ways."

The work has become a major focus for Regan, who is now looking at how to bring together her professional network to support the cause. "One of the things I really want to do is organise treks across Nepal and invite people from the fashion industry and creative fields to take part," she says. "I want them to see how beautiful Nepal is, but also to understand the vital work the foundation is doing."

For Regan, the foundation represents a way to honour the connection she's found to Nepal and its people—particularly Tendi. "Tendi's approach to life is beautiful," she says, with admiration. "He always says, 'It's not about the summit, it's about the whole journey.' And that's how I want to live my life, too."

Photographer: Toby Coulson
Stylist: Harry Lambert
Hair Stylist: Liz Taw
Makeup Artist: Celia Burton
Manicurist: Michelle Class
Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi
Art Director: Natalia Szytk
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Editor: Maxine Eggenberger
Video: Jonathan Middleton
Video Editor: Natasha Wilson
Photography Assistant: Ollo Weguelin
Styling Assistant: Naomi Phillips, Ella Bacon
With thanks to Storm Management.

Sophie Wilde spends a lot of time in the air. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, the 26-year-old actor is still technically based in the sun-soaked coastal city. However, her jam-packed international schedule often presents a different reality, braving the 24-hour odyssey to jet to Europe and back with daunting frequency. Thankfully, for the moment, we’ve found ourselves in the same time zone mere miles apart: Wilde in East London and myself in South. "I’ve been here for two weeks," she tells me. "Then we’re off to Venice, then back home to Syd, then I come back for Paris Fashion Week and then back to Oz and then back here again," she lists off with a laugh. When I ask if the choice to stay in her hometown is intentional, perhaps one with grounding benefits, she replies, "I mean, it’s totally impractical. It’s getting to the point now where I’m like, you simply must move… but there is something nice about the comfortability of slipping back into a group of people who know you and not really having to exert yourself socially when you have to do that so much for work."

It’s hard to believe Wilde only graduated from drama school in 2020. In the handful of years since she took her first steps into the industry, and in the midst of a global pandemic, she’s already helmed her own Netflix show with Everything Now and starred in one of A24’s highest-ever grossing films with Talk to Me. This year alone, she’s been nominated for the EE BAFTA Rising Star Award, anointed as one of two Trophée Chopard recipients at the Cannes Film Festival, won an AACTA (the Australian equivalent to the BAFTAs) for Best Acress, and a Logie. Plus, she's been named a Loewe darling. "I think my younger self would just be like… what? I haven’t even processed it in a lot of ways, it’s been so surreal," she admits.

Starry-eyed in the most literal sense, Wilde is a striking and effortlessly editorial presence both on and off-screen, but deeper than that, she brims with a rawness and sensitivity. Whether she’s embodying the most extreme of scream queens or intensely vulnerable of teenagers, her ability to bring humanity and heart to her roles has made her a thrilling new face to watch. Over Zoom though, she’s disarmingly laid-back; not extroverted but comfortable and warm, with a casual smattering of swear words tumbling out in that distinctly Aussie way.

Wilde's love affair with film is a pretty storybook one, beginning with an Audrey Hepburn VHS box set and a dream. "I watched Roman Holiday and there was something about the feelings it evoked in me, that final scene. I was just so mesmerised." From that point on, she had a one-track mind, taking up acting classes from the age of five and modelling gigs as a teen, before attending a performing arts high school in her hometown of Newtown and then studying acting at Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art. "I was very, very shy when I was younger, but I was always liberated in acting; it was almost like that was where [my] extroverted side could flourish."

A self-proclaimed lifelong bookworm, if there were a fictional character she’d love to play, it would probably be Elizabeth from Pride and Prejudice. "I don’t know, I was a weird kid, I was really into classical shit," she laughs. We take a moment to gush about the iconic "Mr Darcy hand flex" in the 2005 film adaptation, a moment filled with so much physical tension that it has a dedicated subreddit. Wilde growls, "Oh… my… god… the hand! My best friend just went through a breakup and we watched it, I think, maybe fifteen times."

Many figures Wilde considers formative come from these often wistful and sometimes chaste worlds of period dramas and glittering Hollywood tales. She also cites My Fair Lady and Jane Eyre as huge early inspirations. But in her own work, Wilde is at the epicentre of a new wave of leading ladies, challenging and redefining modern girlhood and identity with their refreshingly complex depictions.

Everything Now finds her character Mia in the first moments of reintegration into society after a nine-month stint in a rehab facility for an eating disorder. Created by Ripley Parker, the 23-year-old daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton and screenwriter Ol Parker, the show cut through a saturated stream of ensemble coming-of-age dramas with a true young, unrepentant voice. Throughout the first season, Wilde hits every colour on the emotional spectrum with razor-sharp precision as its imperfect heroine.

Mia resonated so heavily with her audience precisely because of her contradictions: she’s angry and she’s loving, she’s in pain but she’s also charismatic, she’s irreverent yet insecure, she’s destructive but she’s trying. It’s a visceral yet deeply humanising portrait of what has long been deemed untouchable subject matter.

Right before our call, Wilde was at lunch with co-star Niamh McCormack who plays Allison. She tells me that it was the first time they had seen each other since news broke that the show would not be renewed. She pulls a quick emoji-level pout but says, "It’s such a beautiful show and we really became such a close family making it, so it’s always disappointing when you want to come back together and work on something magical and you don’t get the opportunity. But I understand these things happen."

Her first feature role in Talk to Me centred around a similarly nuanced character, funnily enough also named Mia, but her arc sat at a different extreme. This time Wilde played a grieving teenager who looks directly to hell for consolation and suffers brutal consequences. It’s hard to reconcile the charming, giggly woman in front of me with the feverish wild card that is the lead in this horror; a writhing and uncontainable force. But that’s all part of the beauty for Wilde. "I think [acting] affords [the] experience [of] intense emotions you might not be allowed to experience in your everyday life. There’s something cathartic about that," she says.

Admittedly, she was not an avid watcher of the genre herself. "I… hate horror films," she says, guiltily. "I mean, I love them but I can’t watch them. I have an overactive imagination so I genuinely believe that I’m being possessed or haunted." It’s a skill that clearly came in handy when shooting the film though. I pull up a fan comment on one of her Instagram posts about the indie horror, a review that raved, "This movie was so good, we had to pray afterwards," and Wilde bursts out laughing. "I never realised how communal it is," she says of attending Talk to Me's screenings and premieres, filled with screams and laughter. "Having that sort of intense emotional experience with other people, we don’t necessarily get that in life very often. It’s like a beautiful sense of camaraderie."

With her latest project, A24’s erotic thriller Babygirl, Wilde fortunately gets to look on at someone else’s bad decisions for once, as executive assistant to Nicole Kidman’s high-powered exec, whose world unravels as the result of a spicy affair with a company intern played by Harris Dickinson. Though it’s not inherently romantic, the relationship between PA and boss comes with its own unique intimacy and imbalances. To nail this rhythm, Wilde took to studying the closest real-life case study she could find. "I really liked to watch our director [Halina Reijn] and her PA. A lot of the time I’d be sitting in the corner sort of observing their dynamic, like a total creep," she laughs.

First-look trailers for the film have already created a huge buzz, sending people almost feral in anticipation with glimpses of a feature that explores and exposes some of the thornier, unspoken aspects of sexuality and power dynamics. "I genuinely think that Halina has crafted a really important film—I’m obsessed with it," Wilde gushes. "It’s a really interesting interrogation into what it means to be a woman, how we relate to our sexuality and how we take autonomy over our sexual journeys, desires, wants and needs in a relationship." She rounds off by adding, "Fuck, man, Nicole was just incredible. I’m so excited for people to see it."

Shooting for the first time in the U.S. across from an acting titan (and fellow Australian), the gravity of this moment has not been lost on Wilde, who admits her perfectionist tendencies contributed to some "big job" jitters. "But I had a really beautiful conversation with my mum. She was like, 'Why don’t you just take it off yourself and take it as a learning experience? Watch these people who you really admire, see what they do and how they do it,'" she says. "That was the greatest advice ever because I felt like I really did that, and I genuinely learnt so much from them. It was a masterclass."

With such a rapid ascent follows a hypervisibility that's been present pretty much since Wilde's first appearances on screen. Grappling with that many eyes on you can come with pressure to be beyond perfect, or worse, imposter syndrome—both of which Wilde names as challenges she’s trying to overcome. "It’s so interesting when you think about musicians or painters and the ideas of failure, it’s like they're allowed to fail because they're working on their craft," she says. "Whereas with acting, maybe there's something about it being so immediate and so in the general public that the idea of failing is so scary. But it's so important!"

If Hepburn made her fall in love with acting in theory, what made her fall in love with it in practice? "I think it's the play of it all. You're really connecting with your inner child. And it's silly, it's so silly. I'm inherently a very unserious person, and maybe not everyone, but [amongst] all my actor and drama school friends, there's this sort of goofiness to us all and this childlike playfulness," she says. Being able to reframe work as not just a service to be delivered flawlessly but as a rich space for play and experimentation—to return to the whimsy of being a student of the craft—has been a crucial shift in entering this next stage of her career.

She says she's not always there but she can feel herself moving towards it, inch by inch, not unlike many of her roles. "I feel like [with] a lot of the characters I’ve played, there's a general theme of coming into oneself. It's taught me a lot to learn that and to appreciate the parts of myself that I didn't like or felt insecure about. "It's a strange journey of self-discovery, doing this job. You get to experience so much life… so it's nice to walk onto a set or into a rehearsal room and be like, it's okay, you belong. You’re just here to play and have fun."

Photographer: Claire Rothstein
Hair Stylist: Kieron Lavine
Makeup Artist: Bari Khalique
Manicurist: Rebecca Jade Wilson
Stylist: Remy Farrell
Styling Assistant: Brittany Davy
Photography Assistant: Karina Barberis
Digital Technician: Michael Furlonger
Prop Stylist: Nicholas Rogers
Art Director: Natalia Szytk
Editor-in-Chief: Hannah Almassi
Editor: Natty Kasambala
Copy Editor: Georgia Seago
Video: Emily Shannon
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Production: Town Productions

Mabel recently played a gig in Paris that she describes as a "hot mess”. Just a day earlier, the 28-year-old R&B and pop singer-songwriter decided she wanted to accompany herself on piano. “It's the first time I'm ever doing this,” she’d told fans at the intimate soirée. “But I'm really glad that you're here.” Today, as we chat in the sun-drenched kitchen of her stylish London home—all extravagant skylights and monochrome tiling—she laughs wryly. “Turns out you definitely need to practice to do that!”

Relaxed, chatty and informal—she answered the door barefoot and immediately offered me a Diet Coke —Mabel is more comfortable with herself than she’s felt in a long time, that much is clear. What’s harder to work out is the journey she’s taken to get there. In 2017, the Swedish-English musician made a splash with her debut single “Finders Keepers”, a seductive afro-bashment banger that delivered her first UK Singles Chart Top Ten ranking. Then came the certified platinum debut album High Expectations, featuring the world-conquering earworm “Don’t Call Me Up”. A year later, she won Best Female Artist at the prestigious BRIT Awards. Her second record, 2022’s clubland-inspired About Last Night…, was her highest-charting album yet. In the music video for its lead single, “Let Them Know”, Mabel appears every inch the bona fide pop star, strutting around in a Big Bird yellow fur coat and outrageous heels.

The reality behind the scenes of the video was quite different. “I hadn't told anyone that I was really struggling still,” Mabel recalls, her naturally chirpy voice slowing during our chat. “It was my first time post a really heavy depression being back on set.” She slipped up repeatedly during a choreographed dance routine and something snapped. “I grabbed my water bottle and threw it and it smashed into a thousand pieces.” She takes a deep breath. “It was a really painful moment.”

In many ways, Mabel was quite literally born to be a pop star. She’s the daughter of Neneh Cherry, the trailblazing Swedish rapper and singer behind the ‘80s kiss-off anthem “Buffalo Stance”, and producer Cameron McVey, who worked with legendary British acts Massive Attack and Portishead. Mabel’s earliest material was created by “me and my brother”—(the songwriter slash producer Marlon Roudette, with whom she co-wrote “Finders Keepers”). “People are like, ‘Oh, nepo baby warning!’” Mabel tells me. “If my parents were doctors and I decided I was going to be a surgeon, nobody would really bat an eyelid.” She grew up surrounded by music; her first steps as a toddler took place on a tour bus.

Cherry and McVey, however, were not thrilled when Mabel landed her first record deal at the age of 19. “My parents were like, ‘Whoa, just wait a minute. Let's help you really figure out who you are and what you want to do…’ I was like, ‘I don't want to work shitty jobs, I want to live off my music… Fuck you!" she laughs ruefully. “You could never tell me when I was little, ‘Don't touch the fire!’ I had to touch the candle and get burnt.” She gets their caution now, she says. “As a parent, all you want to do is protect your kid, right?”

Life accelerated to an almost unbearable speed. At her first BRITs performance, Mabel found herself performing alongside dozens of dancers for the first time—one of many deep ends she was hurled into as a young artist. She embarked on a whirlwind tour across the UK, Europe and North America, dealing with the white-hot glare of public scrutiny whilst trying to knock out new music at a workaholic pace. “I hardly saw my family,” she recalls. “It was quite lonely.” Her inner people-pleasing perfectionist kicked in even as she grew increasingly depressed. “You get in this mindset of: ‘I have to deliver something in the next 12 weeks,” she sighs. “I just don't know where the pressure cooker came from.” The industry, she explains, teaches musicians that they’re only good if they rack up the views or win awards, “but I've had those things and I don't think I was particularly happy,” she tells me.

Lockdown, in some ways, provided a perfect emergency exit. Mabel moved back in with her parents and tried to cultivate a life outside of music “that just means that I'm not the job, I'm not the character,” she says. She got pets—her two Italian greyhounds, Imani and Tahini, are currently padding around us in the kitchen—and started riding horses. Monetising her love of music was partly what got her into this mess, she explains. “When your hobby becomes your job, you need more hobbies, because it just changes the relationship to your creativity. I stopped playing and writing [music] just for fun.”

About Last Night… was envisioned as a post-lockdown love letter to clubs and big nights out. In interviews at the time, she situated her anxiety and depression very much in the rearview mirror—the message was that she was making her triumphant return to chart-busting stadium pop. “I thought, ‘I'm better. I'm totally healed.’” Her voice wobbles. “But then I got into this thing of… still trying to people please. Trying to be like, ‘I’m gonna do what I want to do’ but still thinking I wanted Top 20s and Top 10s.” Whilst the record did well, none of its singles cracked the charts in the same way as its predecessors. “I was so upset with myself because if I'd actually just been 100% true to myself then it wouldn't have mattered.”

Then came the bottle-smashing incident. In the grand scheme of diva antics, it barely registers—but it was seismic for Mabel. “This is the first time I ever broke down like that in front of people,” she says. “It still took me months to realise that actually what happened was because I wasn't communicating well and I wasn't able to be honest with myself. It wasn't me being a horrible person. I just wasn't well.”

According to the Musicians Union, artists suffer more mental ill health than the general population, but the demands placed on them are enormous, particularly for young women. Face-game on point, body snatched—these are the kind of YouTube comments people expect to see on every female pop star’s page. It seems so punishing for the industry to expect creative people to create great art but put them on a schedule that you wouldn’t inflict on an investment banker, I say.

“Decisions that I made for myself,” Mabel adds. “I wanted to dance in the video. But where did those things come from? It comes from a larger pressure on women in the industry to be a triple threat.” After the release of About Last Night…, Mabel was, she says, “at the total edge”. What she once considered the most pleasurable activity in her life—making music—had become a source of despair. She considered quitting completely.

What helped? “Therapy!” she shouts, breaking out into belly laughs. She began unpacking her identity in the counselling room. “I have insomnia, I have GAD [generalised anxiety disorder], I have chronic depression, seasonal depression,” she says, ticking off the list with good-natured humour. “All these things I actually just accept now.” She drew her family closer and began writing songs with her brother again, trying to get back to that younger version of herself who made music for the instinctive pleasure of it. “I placed so much of my value in my physical appearance and what people were saying about my weight and whether I looked pretty,” she explains. “Actually, how I look is the least interesting thing about me. It really is. I write songs. I read loads, I ride horses. I think I'm a good friend.”

And rather than being embarrassed, she realised that she should embrace her musical lineage. “My mum is such an icon,” Mabel emphasises. “She was always just like, ‘Middle finger up, I'm just going to do whatever the fuck I want.’” Mother and daughter recently visited the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation in Paris, where the fabric from Cherry’s Alaïa wedding dress is now protected by law as an artifact of historical importance. Mabel found herself bursting with pride.

These days, the singer tries to be kinder to herself. “The reason I love music so much is because it's something that can't be controlled. It's like the closest thing to magic that I know. Some days it happens and sometimes it doesn't.” Her latest tracks—including the sultry Toni Braxton-esque “Female Intuition” and Shygirl collab “Look at My Body Pt. II”, with its sexy R&B stomp and pro-woman message—all tease a newer and more intriguing direction for someone who was once hailed as the inheritor of Dua Lipa’s straightforwardly pop throne.

On the Goldfinger-inspired shoot for “Female Intuition”, Mabel co-directed herself for the first time. She asked to be painted all gold, and, in the black-and-white music video, she positively gleams. She hasn’t even bothered to look at the number of views on her new videos. “If 10 people listen to them, I'm gassed, that's great,” she says. Another North American tour beckons, and she’s releasing a song with ​​Ty Dolla $ign this autumn. Mabel is taking all of this on her own terms, getting a feel for the joy of it again, and if she makes mistakes—piano-related or otherwise—she’ll learn from them. “I'm proud of what I'm doing,” she smiles. “I don't need to disassociate and I don't need to wear a mask. Creatively, it's been really fun to experience for the first time—looking at myself on camera and being like, ‘Oh, that's the person I am at home. That's the woman my boyfriend knows and the girl my parents know.’”

Photographer: Jeff Hahn
Hair Stylist: Shamara Roper
Makeup Artist: Hila Karmand
Manicurist: Lotte Clark
Stylist: Remy Farrell
Styling Assistant: Brittany Davy
Photography Assistant: Torgeir Rorvik, Rami Hassen
Digital Technician: Lucas Bullens
Art Director: Natalia Szytk
Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi
Editor: Zing Tsjeng
Video: Jonathan Middleton
Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker
Copy Editor: Georgia Seago

Daisy Edgar-Jones is sitting across from me in the garden of the hip rooftop hotel she's staying at in downtown Los Angeles. She looks effortlessly chic, but she is trying to convince me otherwise. "When I pack for L.A., I try to pack my coolest outfits. It's a lot of pressure! I wish I was this cool regularly," the British actress admits when I compliment the white Anine Bing shirt she's wearing with black high-rise, wide-leg jeans and Wales Bonner x Adidas sneakers.

Today's ensemble—perfected by a sprinkling of gold jewelry and her signature Gucci handbag (she is a brand ambassador)—is the result of her playing around on Pinterest. "It's changed my life. I find an outfit on there and go, 'What do I have in my wardrobe that could maybe re-create this?!'" she says. While she could have simply rolled out of her hotel room in her sweatpants and no makeup for our mid-morning interview, there is something endearing about Edgar-Jones, 26, going through the effort of putting an outfit together and admitting to it. It makes me warm to her immediately.

But maybe she has good reason. Edgar-Jones was practically unknown when the TV series Normal People—the absorbing, universally acclaimed adaptation of Irish author Sally Rooney's 2018 novel—was released and subsequently viewed 62 million times in 2020. "The next day, I was on the front of a newspaper, papped for the first time," she recalls of her overnight fame. "I remember going, 'What?! That's me! I wish I'd worn a better outfit.'" This was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, so her and co-star Paul Mescal's press appearances were all conducted over Zoom. "I was like, 'Yeah, I'll just wear this old, mangy shirt I've had for five years,'" she cringes, taking a sip of her espresso cacao smoothie. "If I'd known it was going to live on the internet forever… I just had no concept!"

Edgar-Jones has enjoyed more success in the last four years than some actors do in their entire careers. Her heartbreakingly vulnerable performance as Marianne to Mescal's Connell earned her a Golden Globe nomination and paved the way for starring roles in a flurry of high-profile projects, including horror thriller Fresh (produced by Adam McKay), the Hello Sunshine–produced adaptation of Delia Owens's best seller Where the Crawdads Sing, and Dustin Lance Black's Under the Banner of Heaven, which earned her a second Golden Globe nomination.

Such a meteoric rise has made Edgar-Jones a rare phenomenon. She's a household name who means something to people but who doesn't know it herself. When I tell friends I'm interviewing her, her name elicits the sort of response usually reserved for someone who's been around for as long as, say, Beyoncé—"OMG, she's so cool. Bangs icon!" (More on those bangs later.) Edgar-Jones is somebody who can carry an entire blockbuster—as she does with her latest release Twisters, the big-budget storm-chasing action movie of the summer—and is still pinching themselves over the fact that they got the part.

It's a couple of days before her Who What Wear photo shoot when we meet, and if Edgar-Jones is excited about promoting the much-anticipated standalone sequel to the 1996 cult classic Twister, she is equally buzzed about her befitting "Daisy goes West!" cover story. "Sometimes in photo shoots, I can feel a little shy," she admits. "I'm not a model, and I never was someone who took photos of themselves—I hated getting my school photo taken!—but I'm starting to enjoy it more." This is especially true when it's a character or theme she can get behind. "My granddad was a huge country music fan," she enthuses. "I watched a lot of Westerns and listened to a lot of country music as a kid, so this whole world is very fun for me."

That and the "idea of being in a massive classic disaster movie" were obvious incentives for Edgar-Jones wanting to be a part of Twisters, but the real clincher was being directed by Lee Isaac Chung, who had long been on her wish list of directors she hoped to work with one day. "His films [including the 2020 semi-autobiographical Golden Globe–winning Minari] are very quiet and character driven but have a respect and love of the natural world," she explains. "The idea of him tackling this felt really exciting and interesting."

In January 2023, while on the set of On Swift Horses (a forthcoming historical drama in which she stars opposite Jacob Elordi), Edgar-Jones wrote Chung a letter telling him as much. The feeling was mutual. There was no audition required to win her the part of Kate Carter, a former storm chaser haunted by a devastating encounter with a tornado as a college student. All it took was a meeting of minds. "I think it was on the second or third time we met. Isaac was talking, and in his lovely, gentle way, [he] just went, 'I'd love for you to do it,'" recalls Edgar-Jones. "I went home and called my agent, and I was like, 'I think he just offered it to me?!'"

Stepping out of their respective comfort zones to enter the high-stakes world of a Hollywood blockbuster franchise, it's no wonder the pair quickly bonded. "[He wants] to do everything, and I was very inspired by that," she says. "I tend to prefer things that are character driven and quite insular, but I also want to feel like I can play in every sandbox and look back at a career and go, 'Look at all the random, cool stuff I've done!'"

Edgar-Jones can add running lessons to the list of cool stuff she's done. Her personal trainer Matt Bevan, who worked with Lily James on Pam & Tommy and Daisy Ridley on Star Wars, hired a professional running teacher to prepare her for running away from tornados. "I have a bit of a weird run," she confesses. "It's something I was teased about at school. My PE teacher said I was born to hurdle because my legs flick out quite a bit." I tell her I'm picturing that scene in Friends when Rachel goes running with Phoebe and discovers she has a run "that's a cross between Kermit the Frog and the Six Million Dollar Man." "That's me!" she laughs. "I'll never be able to play Lara Croft; it's not in my gambit. There is a lot of running in this, so I was like, 'I need to look cool.'"

By May 2023—the height of tornado season, no less—Edgar-Jones was in Oklahoma filming with a stellar ensemble cast, including Kiernan Shipka, Hamilton star Anthony Ramos, and man of the moment Glen Powell. "We'd be re-creating wind and rain, and then actual wind and rain and lightning would come in, and we'd have to shut down filming," she reveals. I ask her if there were any particularly gnarly moments, and she leans over to show me a video on her iPhone. "We were in the middle of filming this scene where me and Glen are sitting on top of a truck eating sandwiches and looking up at the sky," she explains. "We must have looked like really bad storm chasers because there was this massive mesocyclone cloud forming behind us!" Filming was shut down that day, as the cloud became a tornado. But Powell and Edgar-Jones were undeterred. In fact, as recently as last month, the pair went storm chasing for real with some of the other cast members and one of the consultants on the film. "It was like in the movie. The consultant was like [adopts Midwestern accent], 'There's a crazy storm coming in. Come check it out!'" she says.

At the heart of Twisters is a fun, "opposites attract" dynamic between Kate and Tyler (Powell), a reckless social media–famous storm chaser. "Tyler's gregarious, childlike way of experiencing the chase is something Kate used to have in spades," explains Edgar-Jones. "I love that he's able to find that in her again." What about Edgar-Jones's own dynamic with Powell? "He's so great," she nods. "He is genuinely such a nice person and has a great sense of humor."

When it comes to male co-stars, Edgar-Jones has had her pick of Hollywood's most sought-after men, from Elordi (On Swift Horses) to Sebastian Stan (Fresh). But no pairing has inspired the level of interest as her and Mescal thanks to the popularity of Normal People. Recently, the former co-stars—whose tender portrayal of young lovers who just can't seem to make it work resonated around the world during the pandemic—managed to break the internet with a selfie and the caption, "We've got some news to share!! Watch this space." We're all eagerly awaiting a second season, aren't we? But the only news Edgar-Jones and Mescal had to share was that they were, well, reuniting for a charity screening of Normal People in London...

"Oops!" Edgar-Jones responds when I bring it up. "It really set off a storm. Pardon the pun." She finds it remarkable that a selfie of the two of them would cause such excitement from fans, who are still heavily invested in their characters' love story four years after the show was released. "I think I'm still processing it, really," she says softly. "It changed my life."

Sudden fame can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate. Mescal became "the internet's boyfriend," while Edgar-Jones inspired copycat haircuts. This was baffling for the actress, as the bangs weren't even her signature style. "I got my bangs as the result of not getting a part in Poldark! It was like a break-up haircut," she quips. "I really do think it got me [the part of] Marianne because I looked a bit like Sally Rooney." Edgar-Jones and "completely down-to-earth" Mescal have stuck together throughout. "It's nice to have someone who really gets it," she says. "It's hilarious because people are always sending me articles of 'Will they reunite?' I'm like, 'How many times can we reunite?!' We actually just hang out all the time. He's one of my best friends." A couple of months ago, they did, in fact, reunite at the Gucci cruise 2025 show in London. A clip of them exchanging glances back and forth on the front row went viral because of its rom-com vibes and because Solange Knowles is sitting between them, blissfully unaware. "That was hilarious. Poor Solange," recalls Edgar-Jones. "She is one of my favorite artists ever, so I don't know why he was staring at me. I'm like, 'Hi, mate!' And everyone is like, 'What?!' It's so funny."

After Normal People, Edgar-Jones—who grew up in North London and attended the National Youth Theatre before winning her first substantial role at 17 in popular British comedy drama Cold Feet—found herself in serious demand. In 2021, she filmed Fresh in Vancouver, Where the Crawdads Sing in New Orleans, and Under the Banner of Heaven in Calgary back-to-back. For the most seasoned actor, that would be a bit much, and Edgar-Jones spent just 10 days at home in London that entire year. Despite or perhaps because of this, she promptly bought her own apartment 10 minutes from her parents' house in Muswell Hill, where she grew up an only child. "I was on my own a lot [that year], and I realized that the thing I missed the most was my family and friends," she explains. "I really wanted to have solid roots."

For Edgar-Jones, "friends are like family." She has a tight friendship group from Normal People that, in addition to Mescal, includes Fionn O'Shea and India Mullen. She counts her Cold Feet co-stars Ella Hunt and Sylvie Briggs as best friends. "They really help me stay grounded," she explains. "They're such kind friends, so seeing them is the best thing for me." She is also close to Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor. "She's a really good friend of mine," she says. "I'm seeing her tonight actually." Sometimes, they work out together, and Edgar-Jones is currently reading a book (Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn) Dynevor gave her. "She was like, 'I think you'd really like this.' I'm such a romantic, so anything that explores love, I'm like, 'Yes,' and I gobble it up," she adds.

Edgar-Jones, who is currently dating photographer Pip (Ben Seed), continues to make new friends wherever she goes. It's simply in her nature. "Every job I've done, I've collected a gem of a friend," she says. "I try to be the person who is like, 'I'm going to connect us all.' Hosting is my favorite thing. I like curating the night. I love arranging different groups of friends to hang out and go to the pub." She also enjoys music festivals and gigs. She recently went to see The Japanese House at iconic Camden venue The Roundhouse. "I'm a big live-music fan. I'm going to Glastonbury soon, so I'm so excited," she says. She adds, as she is wont to do, "Are you gonna come?"

You don't have to be a psychologist to make the link between being an only child and longing to connect with other people. "In some ways, it's an amazing skill you have to learn. I had long stretches of childhood playing on my own in my own imaginary world," she recalls. "You have to become very adept at making new connections quickly. Otherwise, you'll just be playing on your own." Hers was an idyllic-sounding childhood spent between London; Northern Ireland, where her mother, a former drama film editor, is from; and Scotland, where her father, the current head of entertainment for Sky, was born. "My dad is such a source of inspiration," she says of her father, who was an executive producer on the British version of groundbreaking reality show Big Brother in the early 2000s. "If I ever meet anyone he's ever worked with, they always say, 'Your dad is the nicest man in telly.' He's such a generous leader. You get the best out of people that way."

It's made her think about her own sense of responsibility now that she's, more often than not, number one on the call sheet. "Now, I've had the luck of being able to play the lead. I think you do set the example with your behavior and how you navigate set," she ponders. "It's a nice goal to create an environment where people feel encouraged, and it's a joyful rather than stressful experience."

I'm curious how the last four years and the level of success she has achieved have impacted Edgar-Jones's future ambitions. She thinks carefully. "I'm really hungry to keep expanding and learning and getting better, but I'm also in a position, which I never dreamt I could be, where I have some semblance of choice," she explains. "I'm becoming a lot more aligned with what I truly want to do and what fills my cup."

Theater is something she is keen to explore alongside developing her own projects and continuing to seek out the filmmakers, like Chung, who most interest her. As Edgar-Jones has tackled an impressive number of complicated, isolated characters on some pretty dark journeys (Kate being no exception), I wonder if she is keen to try something completely different. "I'd love to play someone really cheerful for my nervous system," she laughs. "I need to be in a light comedy. I'd love to do that. One of the joys of filmmaking is your ability to display an inner life on-screen. As an actor, I'm quite detailed. Maybe that's why those characters tend to come my way, but I definitely want to expand on what I can do."

Perhaps the biggest luxury success has afforded Edgar-Jones is the ability to turn down parts. "At the moment, I'm saying no to quite a lot of stuff, which is great, but also, you go, 'Argh!'" she says. "I know how much you give to working on something, so I think I'm just really holding out for the thing that makes me go, 'That's it.'"

On the horizon is reuniting with Under the Banner of Heaven co-star Andrew Garfield for Voyagers, a space-age love story about the astronomer Carl Sagan. The film is still in development, but Edgar-Jones is attached to play Garfield's love interest. "He's so lovely," she tells me. "We were on set in Calgary, and we rode electric scooters all over, and I remember him scooting around and people going, 'Is that Spiderman?!' He just lived his life. He's so normal." Edgar-Jones didn't know it at the time, but it would be one of those moments that would stick in her mind—one of the more valuable lessons, like the gems of friends, she has carried with her from job to job. "You realize that, in part, it's an attitude," she muses. "For certain people, it's harder, and they have less choice, but certainly for me, I do think the more you're just normal, the more other people are too."

After 90 minutes, we part ways with a warm hug. She has a fitting with her stylist Dani Michelle, who also works with Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner, to get to next—hence her thoughtfully curated outfit of the day. "I always try to dress as fashionably as possible for meeting Dani," she admits. So far, so normal. Daisy Edgar-Jones, please don't ever change.

Photographer: Amber Asaly

Stylist: Lauren Eggertsen

Hairstylist: Cervando Maldonado

Makeup Artist: Jo Baker at Forward Artists

Manicurist: Queenie Nguyen

Creative Director: Alexa Wiley

Executive Director of Entertainment: Jessica Baker

Director of Video: Samuel Schultz

DP: Samuel Miron

AC: Marques Mallare

Film Operator: Brook Lee Karner

Producer: Kellie Scott

Copy Editor: Jaree Campbell

Editor’s Note: This interview mentions eating disorders. If you need help or support, please click here for helplines and an online service directory.

I remember the first time I met Charli Howard. In fact, Charli Howard remembers the first time I met Charli Howard. The fashion industry is smaller than you’d think, and being in the business for as long as we both have, it came as no surprise to either of us when we realised our paths had already crossed. It's only with hindsight, however, that we can see more clearly the impact of that day and how integral it is to Howard's story.

We "meet” for the second time via Zoom. It's an afternoon in early August and it's hot. Her career as a fashion model means that Howard is rarely in one place for long, something which I'll learn is a common theme running through the course of her life. Today, however, I know she’s dialling in from London (she'll go on to shoot Who What Wear UK’s autumn cover later that week). She flashes up on my screen all smiles and "hello”s, as warm as I recall from the first time around. Her deep brown hair is tied into a low, loosely thrown-together bun. She's wearing a white T-shirt with the words "good culture" (the name of her talent agency) emblazoned in black across the front. I can see that she’s sitting on a bed, and she tells me she's currently at her parents' house, where she’s been staying since she began a massive renovation of her first-ever home earlier in the year. It’s clear that this project is something Howard is immensely proud of, which, in and of itself, is hardly a groundbreaking observation—who wouldn’t be?—but as our conversation begins, I realise just how important this milestone is for her. 

Howard's childhood was marked by a unique blend of experiences. Whilst born in London, she spent a significant part of her early years in an armed-forces family, moving not just from city to city, but country to country. "I've lost count of the amount of houses we had growing up—we moved at least every two years," she explains. This somewhat nomadic lifestyle, whilst offering a broad perspective on the world, came with its own set of challenges and an omnipresent feeling of being uprooted. "It's a feeling I’ve become so used to, that sometimes, I get a bit anxious when things are quiet," she says. Although there is a sense of appreciation that this way of living made her more worldly (she speaks German fluently), it was far from easy. "Looking back, it was really difficult. Just as [I] started making connections or friends, we'd move to the next place, and then on to the next. It was relentless. School was not a very happy time." When Howard turned 12, she began attending boarding school. "It was an attempt from my parents to make me feel more grounded, I suppose, and the idea that I would have friends until I was 18. But I genuinely never settled there, never really made proper connections. I'd been quite badly bullied before that and it really had a knock-on effect for the rest of my education. It was very difficult for me to trust people."

Charli Howard is a force, and I'm struck by her resilience. That doesn’t mean, however, that she’s not in touch with her emotions. She faces them head on and works through them. "I feel very, very independent, but sometimes a little too independent. I'm also quite a shy person. If you were to look at me on social media, you’d probably think I was very ‘out there’ and loved to party. I'm actually very quiet." Quiet doesn’t equate to low confidence, not in Howard’s case, anyway. Her formative years could have made her turn inward. Instead, they instilled a sense of fearlessness. "I definitely have more confidence to do things that other people don't have the confidence or allow themselves to do. That was something that I really noticed when I left home. I'd be like, 'Right, I'm going to move to New York now!'. To a lot of people that's very scary, and rightly so. For me, it was just exciting. I guess it's true; moving around a lot really helped when I got into modelling. You have to be super independent and be okay being thrown onto a plane and just getting on with it."

Modelling. It's the dream job, right? That's what Howard thought. "I grew up quite insecure, especially as a teenager, as many of us did. I was obsessed with magazines. At the time, it was the only way of gaining that fashion knowledge, wasn't it? We didn't have social media or the internet in the way that we do now. And I just became obsessed with [fashion]. Looking back, I saw modelling as a way out; a way of seeing the world and being glamorous. I decided that this was the path I wanted to take. I'm one of those people who, if I get an idea in my head, I have to make it happen." So, that's what she did. Howard was 15 when she first began her pursuit of a modelling career. "My dad lived in Pimlico at the time, and I remember he gave me an Oyster card and I just set out and walked around London, hoping to be scouted. I was set—hellbent on leaving school at 16." Over the next few years, Howard would get scouted. A lot. But, in her words, "I was always too big."

"I'd go to these agencies and they’d say, 'We love you… but we'll only sign you when you get down to this size'. And of course, the only person that can make that happen is you. I felt a huge pressure to lose weight. Size zero was the size to be at the time. I remember thinking to myself, 'If I don't get down to this size, I'm never going to be happy. I’m not going to make my dreams happen'. If you didn't fit the mould, you weren't going to be taken seriously as a model." Eventually, Howard did get signed after she and a friend embarked on a mass photo send-out to every modelling agency in the city, but the pressure only mounted. "It was weird, because [even though they'd signed me] they'd still say things like, 'You look fine as a normal girl, but for a model, you have to be thinner'."

Those who already follow Howard on social media or have read her brilliant book Misfit (more on that later) will know that she has spent the best part of career speaking openly about eating disorders and her personal battle with them, which, she says, felt inescapable at times. "As a teenager, I really struggled. I think a lot of that was boarding school, being insecure and feeling the pressure from magazines. But then you start hearing it from outside voices, as well; model agents telling you that you need to lose weight. So I felt massive, massive pressure, basically, to do it. There are a lot of people who would say, 'No one is forcing [you] to be a model', but I genuinely thought it was a stepping stone to bigger things." 

It was in the early stages of Howard's career when we first met. I had recently moved to London and had landed my first fashion job at a weekly magazine, one which I'd read long before I worked for the title. Focusing primarily on high-street fashion, this magazine felt attainable and provided a safe space on the newsstand for this young and impressionable millennial. As an assistant, I'd support on all of our shoots, and during one of these shoots, we photographed Charli Howard. When I remind her of this, I can tell something clicks. "This is actually so weird," she laughs, before she begins to reflect. "I remember that—it was a gym shoot, and it was one of the best [photoshoots] in my early career. I was a UK 8 at the time, and I remember someone on the team being like, 'It’s so great that we've got a curvier model'." This sounds ridiculous—that's because it is—but compared to the "standard" model size at the time, this was a step in the right direction. "I know that, over time, [that was] one of the first magazines to really embrace the plus-size movement that was happening, so I really do remember that."

The human desire to fit in, whatever that may unfortunately mean, is natural, but for lots of people and especially women, it can feel all but impossible, as Howard elaborates. "As women, we're damned if we do, damned if we don't. If you want to use your looks to your advantage, you're criticised. If you decide to focus on your studies then it's like, ‘Why aren't you being more sexy?'. Women literally can't win. I definitely felt a lot of pressure to go to university and be seen as intelligent, too. It's just [a] really weird battle. I was trying to prove myself constantly for an industry that kept saying I was almost good enough. That’s really become a trigger. But I think now, it's wonderful, because there are a lot of great role models and social-media platforms that allow people—girls, women, to have a voice, an opinion. You're encouraged to stand for something. And I think that's wonderful, especially for young girls to see." 

Howard isn’t referring to herself here, but the "role model" accolade definitely applies to her. This part of her story begins on social media, with one now-iconic Facebook post. Howard had just been dropped by her model agent, which, after years of being conditioned to believe she was fortunate to be signed in first place, must have been all the more devastating. Reeling and raw, she took to Facebook (the social-media platform of choice at the time), and candidly lifted the lid on what she'd been experiencing and how it made her feel. "I really struggled to make sense of it," she says. "[My] agency called me and they were like, ‘We appreciate how much you work out, but you're just never going to be a model’. I felt deflated by this point, because I think I'd been [modelling] for about five years, not including the five years before that when I was trying to get signed in the first place. I'd really given absolutely everything that I could." This coincided with the peak of Howard’s eating disorder, but thankfully, it was also the moment her recovery began. "I wrote a Facebook post, and it went viral. And this was at a time when things didn't really go 'viral'. This is when I realised I could use my voice for good. I wanted to prove to girls that you can have a voice and that being size zero isn't the epitome of beauty, because it's not! Later, I got a call from a New York agency and they said they wanted to meet with me over there. I'd always been told that [I was] never going to make it in New York so I was apprehensive. But then I thought, ‘I'm never going to have this opportunity again, I might as well just take it and run with it and see what happens’. Initially it was difficult, but suddenly I started getting booked for jobs and no one was telling me I had to change how I looked. That was the real turning point when I thought, ‘I'm really glad that I didn't give up’."

Since that Facebook post, Howard has just been vocal with her thoughts about the fashion industry; she’s been a driving force in making it more inclusive with her ongoing advocacy, and has dreams about unionising the modelling sector, for example. And whilst the industry as a whole has made huge strides towards being more body diverse, there is still so much work to be done. I asked Howard what she believes needs to happen to push the body-diversity and inclusivity movement forwards. She didn’t falter. "I think one of the reasons why we aren't seeing much diversity [right now] is because, yet again, people follow trends. The Y2K trend is now the ‘thing’, and so you see all these models from then being idolised, but Gen Z don't realise that many of these models had eating disorders. I've fought a very long time for this because beauty isn't one size or one colour. I would hate to go back to that. I think in order to change it, people of our generation; the people working at the magazines, the editors, the people who really went through that—whether it was lack of colour diversity, lack of size diversity, whatever—they really need to stand up and make sure that we don't regress. There are still people who are working in the industry who are still making decisions based on those old, toxic mindsets. We can't have that anymore. It is down to a collective of people—model agents, casting teams, magazine editors. I also think models who can should speak up about their experiences. I cannot even begin to tell you the things I've heard. It really is about coming together and using our voices, because change doesn't just happen. Whether you like to believe it or not, fashion is really influential. I'm not saying it's curing cancer, because of course it's not, but it does create a lot of jobs, generates billions of pounds a year, and it definitely influences people. We need to use that influence for good."

Given the trajectory of our conversation, I was curious to find out what advice Howard would give to someone who wants to work in the fashion industry or be a model—a career she still holds today. "Okay, fashion industry? This might sound bad to people that are paying for courses right now, but I would really highly go against going to university to study fashion degrees. I should know; I did it myself and I got absolutely nowhere. I see people spending thousands of pounds and getting into debt to study makeup. If you want to be a makeup artist, assist someone, learn on the job. If you can, intern and work your way up. A lot of these universities take advantage of people who have similar dreams to mine, and I hate it. Modelling-wise, I get asked this a lot actually—I even received a couple of messages just this morning that asked, 'How can I get into modelling?'. It's very different. Fashion is an industry that favours the privileged. That's why it's so important that if you want to get into modelling, you have a job on the side or you study, do something on the side. You cannot put all your eggs in one basket, because unfortunately, the likelihood of you becoming Bella Hadid or Kendall Jenner—again, people who come from privilege—is so, so small."

It’s this, Howard’s courage of conviction, that made her book Misfit such a compelling read. She has written two books: Splash, a piece of young-adult fiction released in 2018 that teaches children about body positivity and how some people respond to problems differently to others, and Misfit, Howard’s memoir, also released in 2018. I ask her if it was a cathartic experience, something akin to the relief she felt typing that Facebook post years earlier. "Yes, it was," she confirms. "But, I mean, it's frustrating, because now I feel like I've got even more to say. I really wish that I could do something like it again; I feel like so many things have changed since then, and it's really not even that long ago. But yes, it was massively cathartic. I love writing, I journal all the time. I'll show you my diary. It's really important to me to get all my thoughts and emotions out."

The term "multi-hyphenate" runs the risk of being overused, but it’s accurate when referring to Howard—a model, role model, activist and author. Oh, and businesswoman. She has her own beauty brand, Squish, and with all this to her name, if she wasn’t so charming, I’d feel intimidated by her. "I have lots of ambitions but I always wanted to set up a beauty line. I was getting really bored of seeing skincare brands just using models with perfect skin, perfect bodies, because those aren't the people buying the products. I’ve had really bad acne, so I know how bad [adverts] can make you feel. So I really wanted to create products that made people feel good." Our beauty editor tells me Squish’s Cheeky Cherry Eye and Cheek Masks are a must-try. "There have been big learning curves, too; we launched a moisturiser that didn't do as well. I just don't think it was for the right market. I’ve learned that when it comes to business, so much of it is learning and making mistakes, and you can't be afraid to gamble. You have to be a risk taker. You can't rely on other people to make your dreams happen."

Determined. This is an adjective I'd use to describe Howard. Hard-working is another. But Howard credits her successes to her intuition. "I'm a big believer in following your gut, listening to yourself and being open to opportunities. There’s no harm in doing a meeting. There’s nothing wrong with asking someone for lunch or reaching out for advice. That's how you're going to make things happen. I've met so many fascinating women who make stuff happen for themselves. Like, yes, you go girl!" Be it intuition, hard graft or a combination of the two, I wonder how Howard manages to keep up. "The problem I have is switching off," she says, without the slightest hint of smugness. "Sometimes I get very focused on things and then can't seem to let [them] go. I found out I have ADHD not too long ago. It's kind of a superpower, but it does mean you can burn out easily. I’m learning that I need to take time for myself, and I do love a self-care moment. I love face masks and having a nice bath. I need to realise that having an evening or a couple of days off is not going to be the end of the world." However, it’s clear that Howard still has work to do on that front, as she’s just been unveiled as the face of both Christian Louboutin and Coco de Mer—brands which many would describe as sexy, a word that continues to be divisive even today. So, what does "sexy" mean to her? "I love the word ‘sexy’. And, like we talked about earlier, women are damned if they do, damned if they don’t. If you embrace your sexuality, you're shamed for it. If you don't, then you're not sexy enough."

Her campaign with luxury lingerie brand Coco de Mer was photographed by none other than supermodel Helena Christensen, which Howard attests was a dream come true. "Helena is one of my favourite supermodels of all time. She is genuinely one of the nicest women ever. Coco de Mer lingerie is stunning, and it just makes you feel very empowered. What I love about [the] brand is that it's so female focused. [It's] always shot by female photographers and it's completely different to when a man shoots you. The energy [with a female photographer] feels a lot softer and more sensual, but not sexual. I'm not saying that all these [male] photographers are weird. That's not the case at all. But the male gaze versus the female gaze is such an interesting and different conversation. There's that fine line between sensuality and sexuality. I try to differentiate that in my own photos that I take [of] myself—I don't see them as sexual, I see them as being sensual and embracing my femininity. It's so weird, when a woman takes control of her autonomy or her sexuality, the way that people demonise that."

Another notion that has become contentious over the last few years is that of the "It girl”. How does Howard feel about being labelled as one? "I guess the idea of an It girl has really changed. It used to be those society party girls, didn't it?. An It girl for me now would be someone who really knows herself, stays true to who she is and doesn't follow the crowd. But also, they get shit done. It's more than just looking pretty and partying. And I really embrace that. I'd rather have It girls who stand up for something and have a voice and who are really clever and smart and beautiful. I wish I'd had role models like that growing up."

Even in the 40 minutes we've spent together, it's clear to me that Howard's story has been, and continues to be, one of empowerment. I ask her, knowing what she knows now, if she could go back and tell a young Charli anything, what would it be? "Honestly? I'd tell her to tell more people to fuck off, have her own back more and stand up for herself. I'm still trying to do that."

Photographer: Petra Kleis @petra_kleis

Hair Stylist: Wilson Fok @wilsonhorweifok

Makeup Artist: Mona Leanne @monaleannemakeup

Manicurist: Emily Rose Lansley @emilyroselansley

Stylist: Remy Farrell @remyfarrell

Styling Assistant: Florrie Alexander @florriealexander

Photography Assistant: Oscar Eckel @oscar.eckel

VP of Creative: Alexa Wiley @awiley_creative

Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi @hannahalmassi

Producer: Samantha Obalim @samie_obalim

Editor: Maxine Eggenberger @maxineeggenberger

Video: Phill Taylor @philltaylormade

Video Editor: Collin Hughart @collinhughart

Executive Director, Entertainment: Jessica Baker @jbake21

It’s not every day you interview a member of the royal family, but Lady Amelia Windsor isn’t your run-of-the-mill royal, as I quickly find out when she joins me over Zoom from her family home in Cambridge.

Windsor enters the chat with her hair pulled back in a carefree fashion, wearing a simple oversized grey knit taken from her treasured sweater drawer. Windsor calls her jumpers "old friends” ("At different times, they’ve come to your rescue”) and painstakingly protects her pals from the threat of moths by putting orange peel in her drawers, a tip she took from a market-stall trader on Portobello Road. 

Many of us have come to assume that royal protocol protects its members against being too, well, human, but everyone who encounters Windsor instantly discovers an absolute darling. The 27-year-old is affable, ultra polite and clearly smart. She is engaged with the world and passionate about the environment, and she lists gardening as her favourite pastime. For someone who has been working in the rather conspicuous and loud realm of fashion for some time now, she is surprisingly shy, and it is endearing. During our chat, Windsor apologises continuously for the royally bad wi-fi as well as her answers and the fact that she likes to take time to think about them.

Well, let’s start at the very beginning with what’s been on her agenda today. "Jury duty,” Windsor replies, once again delivering something unexpected. "On my lunch break, I wandered around the streets of Cambridge. I’ve never lived anywhere else [with my family], but I walked down streets I’ve never been on, which was quite nice.” As someone who spent much of their teenage years in Cambridge frequenting the small pool of nightclubs on rotation, I start listing off the after-dark highlights…

"I’ve never actually gone out in Cambridge,” she confesses, much to my clear horror at the absence of this rite of passage. "It’s really sad because I walk around Cambridge and see people my age and think, ‘Oh, I wish!’ I just don’t really have any friends here sadly. I look at them, [and] I’m like, ‘Is it weird to go up to you and ask if we can be friends?’” By this point, we are precisely one minute and 38 seconds into the interview, and we make (what I imagine are faux) plans to go out out. "Let’s go!” she laughs. 

Windsor, as an extended member of the royal family, is 42nd in line to the throne through her paternal grandfather, the Duke of Kent, and despite her status and title, she prefers to be called Mel. "I am very happy for anyone to call me Mel,” she says. "It’s a nice way of breaking down [barriers] when you meet someone. … You’re automatically just on a nice, friendly basis with everyone you meet. I’m not really someone who thinks that only my favourite people can call me my [shortened] name.”

Having previously been dubbed by the UK media as the "royal family’s first influencer” thanks to her fashion sense and presence in the industry, Windsor has carved out a modelling career that has seen her grace the covers of Tatler, Vogue Japan and now Who What Wear; take the lead in campaigns for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and Illamasqua; and become a front-row attendee at shows for brands such as Dior. As Windsor has been a model with Storm for six years—an agency that also represents Cindy Bruna, Behati Prinsloo and Alek Wek—I wonder whether her experience has been a confidence boost. "[Storm has] given me a lot of confidence, and they’ve always been there. So much guidance, patience, and I’ve learned a lot,” she tells me.

When I ask how modelling has shaped her relationship with beauty and her own self-worth, her demeanour shifts a bit. It’s obvious Windsor becomes nervous and slightly reluctant when more personal questions arise. It’s understandable, given the media’s unquenchable thirst for any information about the world’s most famous family. "Okay,” she says, taking a breath and preparing herself to go back in. "It’s important to just take a step back, just realise what actually matters and not be too self-critical of what your appearance looks like because that’s not what matters at the end of the day. Everyone is beautiful in their own unique way.”

"At first when I started [modelling], it could be a bit nerve-racking,” she adds. "You do feel a bit nervous and lack the self-confidence to really feel like you can be yourself. With time, it is amazing because you find yourself in situations where you might not know anyone, but that’s such good life training because it just shows you to just go for it. Just as long as you’re kind, friendly and open to people, then you're not doing anything wrong. People can always not accept you, but that’s fine as long as you’re a good person.” She concludes with, "I feel like I’m not totally making sense,” questioning what was a perfectly constructed answer.

Windsor and I revel in the fact that being pushed out of your comfort zone is often a rewarding experience. "Yeah! It’s really good for you, and it allows you to learn who you are as a person as well, meeting new people,” she says. "That’s what I love the most about [modelling] is that you meet people you might never have the luck and the privilege to meet. It’s such a joy listening to lots of different stories, and that’s the best part—the people aspect of it all. That’s what we’re meant to do as humans. We’re meant to communicate with one another.”

It’s that work ethic and enthusiasm for the industry that has led Windsor to her next exciting project: a collaboration with the iconic luxury footwear brand Pretty Ballerinas that arrived this month. A year or so in the making, Amelia Windsor x Pretty Ballerinas is a super-cute range of summer shoes inspired by a childhood holiday to Menorca, where the Spanish footwear brand has been creating its wares since 1918. Windsor, by all accounts, has been heavily involved in the line from start to finish, visiting the family-run factory and its 60 artisans in Menorca and pushing for the collection to be as sustainable as possible, which has resulted in the use of organic cotton and recycled soles.

Featuring naïve illustrations on dolly-ish silhouettes, the heart-emblazoned ballet flats, fun slides and lip-printed low-heel pumps achieve what Windsor truly wanted from the project, which was to "give people joy, happiness and a sense of being uplifted.” I was intrigued to understand how the prettiness of these pumps matched up to Windsor, a self-proclaimed bit of a tomboy that you’d normally find in baggy jeans and T-shirts. She explains that the range highlights that she’s "probably a bit silly and [doesn’t] really have a style.” "Every day, I wear a different style. It’s quite nice being able to just wake up in the morning and see what character you feel like being that day. Depending on what you need, your clothes can give you different strengths,” she adds. 

Whilst Windsor is expressing herself through design, she is still sketching out her true path. "I’ve just been going with the flow and seeing where life takes me and just being constantly grateful for the wonderful opportunities and the people I’ve met along the way,” she says. "I don’t think I’ve fully figured out who I am. We’re constantly evolving. We’re never one thing.”

What she does know, however, is that the next big plan involves getting her hands dirty. "What I’m reading about at the moment is gardening. I absolutely love it. I don’t do it enough myself—I have done some volunteer gardening, but I’m a fraud of a gardener because I don’t do it enough. I just love reading about it and try to do it as much as I can,” she says.

Slightly surprised by her admission, I wonder, why gardening? "It makes you so happy. It’s so good for you,” Windsor says. "You are outside all the time. The soil gives you amazing bacteria, gives you serotonin. It’s a way to meet different people if you do volunteer gardening. I’ve met some of the nicest people, and if it’s done sustainably, it can be a great thing for the planet. So it’s a win-win situation.” In fact, it turns out that this grounding hobby is a metaphor for her own life. "It’s just so therapeutic and peaceful, and it’s also just a way of accepting that you just go with the seasons. If something doesn’t work in your garden, it’s like, ‘It’s all right. I’ll try again next time.’ And realising it’s just a part of nature that things might not grow or something might eat them, you just go with it and just carry on. It teaches you to go with the flow,” she says. 

I look out of my window at my dying plants, and I turn to Windsor as my new gardening guru—my millennial Alan Titchmarsh, if you will—and ask her if talking to the plants might resurrect them. "I actually do it with my houseplants a little bit,” she admits, letting me know they are called Geraldine and Esmerelda. 

As our chat wraps up, our previous plan of a night out turns to Windsor volunteering to come over to help me with my plants. Always expect the unexpected from this lady.

Amelia Windsor x Pretty Ballerinas is now available.

Photographer: Suleika Mueller 

Photography Assistants: Harry Burner and Ana Margarita Flores 

Stylist: Remy Farrell 

Styling Assistant: Florrie Alexander 

Hairstylist: Lewis Stanford at Eighteen Management using Oribe

Makeup Artist: Lans Nguyen-Grealis at Eighteen Management using Victoria Beckham Beauty

Manicurist: Chisato Yamamoto at Caren using OPI

Creative Director: Alexa Wiley

Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi 

Entertainment Director: Jessica Baker

Producer: Samantha Obalim 

"I think I was quite obnoxious,” says Rose Williams when I ask her about her early days of getting into the world of acting. It’s hard to imagine the person I encountered on the set of our exclusive cover shoot as anything close to obnoxious. On what was possibly the hottest day of the year, she was utterly charming, even while wearing latex opera gloves that required four staff members and at least 20 minutes of strategic pulling to get on. She was incredibly polite to everyone on set and visibly thrilled to be there. She was confident in front of the camera yet entirely prepared to take direction—the sign of a true professional. Then there’s the face! Oh, her face. She was wide-eyed and cherubic. If ever a person could be obnoxious and get away with it thanks to a "butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth” exterior, it’d be her. But the truth is the 28-year-old actress is calm, centered and wise beyond her years. Despite what she dubs a "gobby” start to her career, it became clear to me that Williams works hard consistently to grow, improve, connect and be grateful. One can instantly tell she is an old soul trapped in a young body, and there’s something innately spiritual about her. If you cut through the cheeky London accent and the fancy costumes we’re accustomed to seeing her in thanks to her starring role in the ITV period drama Sanditon, there’s a hippy close to the surface who should probably be in Sri Lanka, not South London. I could see her shrouded in something similar to the metallic crochet Ganni dress with peekaboo underwear that she’s wearing today, only with strings of beaded necklaces and perhaps a few more tattoos—but more on those later.

What Williams refers to when she references her "obnoxious” behaviour is her naïve and somewhat snap decision to simply just "be an actress.” Aged 17, Williams—who grew up in an incredibly creative household—was originally set on attending art school and potentially entering the fashion world. She dropped out of her A levels and secured a job that any fashion-conscious teenager would still dream of today: working on the shop floor of the legendary London boutique Dover Street Market. For the uninitiated, this is the epicentre of cool and the blueprint for modern luxury shopping. The inimitable staff are instantly recognisable in their black swathes of Comme des Garçons and Junya Watanabe, leaving a signature trail of Escentric Molecules fragrance behind them. "I think being at Dover Street shaped me massively. The old-school cats there are so special, are all very artistic, and they all are quite like magical unicorns. And being around that energy and people that did their own thing on the side of working at Dover Street was so inspiring,” she says. So perhaps it was no surprise that the in-house polymath mentality spilled over into Williams’s psyche quickly. When she took days off here and there to help her costume-designing mother on set and watch the action of show business unfold in front of her, she suddenly knew where she wanted to be.

"I have such a strong memory of a certain position that I was [in] by the monitor, watching on set. It was a scene with Joe Gilgun and Karla Crome [in Misfits]. And I just felt like I wanna have a go at that. But I’ve never seen that. I’ve never thought about that. I want to have a go at that. I think that I can do it,” recalls Williams. "I had no idea how the industry worked. I just got headshots [and] joined all the casting websites online. [I] met a young director by chance, and I said, ‘I wanna be an actress!’ And he said, ‘Oh, well, I’m casting for a short film. Do you want to come along to see what an audition is like? You’re the right look and the right age,’ and I got the part.” A four-day shoot later, the indie film Sunroof was born. It got into South by Southwest—major, right? "I was like, ‘What the fuck is South by Southwest?’ So I was completely clueless and very bold,” Williams adds.

Perhaps it was that "clueless and very bold” attitude that actually facilitated Williams’s speedy trajectory. She had no pre-existing notions of how tough the industry is to break into, and the barriers of etiquette weren’t in place to stop her from firing off a ballsy email to that big-shot director. She wasn’t afraid to walk out of the one acting class she succumbed to after the intense Meisner exercises got too weird—a class that the tutors apparently claim no one has ever walked out of before. And it wasn’t long after she announced to her parents that she was going to be an actress ("I remember my dad being like, ‘You can’t just be an actress. It doesn’t work like that. You have to go to drama school—you’re deluded.’”) that Williams secured her first recurring role on the Netflix show Reign. "I think there was an inherent need to explore at all costs or … just dive into life in the biggest way that I could,” says Williams of her late teenage years. The role of Princess Claude lifted her out of London and into Toronto to live a completely different life for three seasons.

"I look back and laugh out loud at my performance on that show. I really didn’t know what I was doing,” says Williams. "I had the sensibility for the character, but acting-wise, as we’ve already established, I hadn’t trained. And I hadn’t really had the opportunity to really explore and try it. So I just learned everything on that show.” From understanding how to hit her mark (that’s where you need to physically be in a scene’s frame) to the dynamics of the different departments to memorising lines quickly, her role on Reign—and the episodes she watched back to look at where she was going wrong and what she could improve upon next—was Williams’s own self-made version of "drama school.” It was training that clearly worked just fine: In 2019, Williams was named one of Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow.

The time in Canada was a boost for Williams’s acting chops, but it did quash her fashion spirit for a minute. This break in her personal style came because of a presumption that she needed to dress "more like an actress,” she says. But what exactly does an actress dress like? Well, out went Williams’s incredible collection of eclectic vintage pieces, and in came beige tops and black trousers—a serious, thesp-y wardrobe, if you will. The phase didn’t last long, and Williams soon reverted to thrifting and more unique looks once she settled in Toronto and subsequently Los Angeles before returning to London. Fashion, for her, is emotional. It’s a visual representation of how good she may or may not feel at the time. "I look back on pictures from when I’ve gone to events, and I can track how I felt within myself,” she explains of the few occasions when she’s been in the public eye wearing something that she knew deep down wasn’t "really [her].”

Williams has a keen interest in and understanding of fashion (she did, after all, spend one of her first acting pay cheques on a classic Alaïa fit-and-flare dress after falling in love with the iconic brand during her Dover Street Market tenure), so it’s no surprise that wardrobe plays a significant role in how she gets into character. In the forthcoming feel-good film Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (based on Paul Gallico’s novel about a cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls in love with an haute couture dress by Christian Dior), Williams is starring opposite of Lesley Manville as Pamela Penrose, a character whose personality became a reality when she started the fitting process alongside legendary costume designer Jenny Beavan (Mad Max: Fury Road, Cruella). "The costume fitting always nails in the character, always more than the read-through. It’s like, ‘Oh, I know how this person feels physically now,’” she says. So with Beavan’s vision of Pamela being mismatched and chaotic in her dress sense, Williams could start to piece together the physicality of Pamela throwing on that jaunty scarf or click-clacking in those shoes. Williams’s Regency-era empire-line gowns and opera gloves in Sanditon are nothing short of darling, and in That Dirty Black Bag (a Western-inspired TV series, which is out now on AMC+ and features Douglas Booth and Dominic Cooper), Williams once again has great looks—think Victorian saloon girl. Something about her attracts fantastic clothes.

Williams’s track record and the way she presents today certainly speaks to her confidence, but when I ask about self-assuredness, she’s quick to qualify that, like many of us, there are often two mental streams at play. "There are my thoughts which are not confident and are very insecure and are very like ‘you’re shit’ or the classic ego mind of ‘you’re not good enough,’” she says. On the other hand, she feels herself pulling the steering wheel consciously in the opposite direction. She references an old proverb about two wolves and choosing which one you feed and says she practices daily to be conscious of which wolf is getting all the attention. 

A butterfly tattoo on her wrist was a lockdown investment and is a constant reminder of how the last few years have prompted deep transformation. It is how she ensures that specific time will not be forgotten. On one of her fingers is a depiction of the eye of Horus—an ancient Egyptian symbol that represents healing and well-being. Another small inking on her wrist says "gratitude,” yet another reminder to be present and consider how to connect, enjoy and help others to thrive in the moment. "I’m so grateful to be here,” Williams says of the Who What Wear UK shoot. "I get to work with beautiful, creative people, and their talent comes through in a specific way. There’s an alchemy to this, and I am privileged to be in this position.” To Williams, spirituality is everything, but not in a "I practice yoga and carry a crystal” kind of way. It is woven into the very essence of everything she does—it’s a mindset rather than a transient layer on top of a busy life. "I am by no means perfect. I am a constant student in everything. But I’ve been very blessed to meet people on the way that have taught me kind techniques or just [about] bringing it back to purpose, I suppose,” she says. No supposing about it—this actress is on the right path.

Sanditon series 2 launches in August on ITV. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris will be released in cinemas nationwide in September.

Photographer: Tom O'Neill 

Photography Assistant: Alessandro de Besi

Stylist: Gemma Hayward

Styling Assistant: Charlotte Malley

Hairstylist: Bjorn Krischker at The Wall Group using Oribe

Makeup Artist: James O'Riley at Premier 

Nails: Julia Babbage at Frank Agency

Creative Director: Alexa Wiley 

Editor in Chief: Hannah Almassi 

Producer: Samantha Obalim 

Videographer: Remi Afolabi 

How does it feel when you’re on the cusp of becoming famous? I couldn’t answer that question, but Lou Llobell might be able to. Today marks a potentially life-altering tipping point for the as-yet-unknown actress, as Apple’s epic new show Foundation launches, and she is the star. Apple has recently dedicated $1 billion to its streaming service, and a big chunk of that has been given to adapting this blockbuster series created by showrunner David Goyer (Blade, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight films). It sees Llobell not only in the lead but also in her first-ever role, meaning this 26-year-old talent is quite literally being thrust into the limelight from relative darkness. Without bit parts behind her or a steady, drawn-out entry into superstardom, one can only imagine the intense anticipation of it all. "Of course, you don’t know until it happens, but I’m both excited and shitting myself,” she admits when we talk over Zoom just a few weeks ahead of this moment.

Based on the iconic books of the same name by author Isaac Asimov, Foundation is preordained to hit the big time. The sci-fi series follows Llobell’s character Gaal and the fall of the Empire, the fictional ruling force across the galaxy. Her mentor Hari Seldon (played by the brilliant Jared Harris) has devised a mathematical method called psychohistory—essentially, a complex formula that predicts the future—which tells him the Empire is about to fall and that civilization would take 30,000 years to recover. However, with Seldon’s plan, the results can be mitigated to just 1000 years. Seldon’s strategy is to create the Foundation to rebuild civilization, and Gaal is the one who will help him do that. While it might sound quite involved, make no mistake that this book series, which was written in the ’40s and ’50s, has a strong fan base and is often cited as one of the inspirations for Star Wars. It already has a built-in cult following, the Reddit mega-threads are running wild, and the YouTube trailer alone has four million views, so it’s only a matter of time until Llobell’s name and face reach household status.

As sudden as it might seem, Llobell, a Zimbabwean Spanish actress based in London, has actually had a while to acclimate to the prospect. As with so many productions in TV and film, Foundation took longer to complete due to COVID-19. Additionally, the journey to securing her position as Gaal was a lengthy and arduous one: "I had three auditions. I had the first one with the casting director. The second was a recall with David Goyer and Rupert Sanders, who directed the first episode. And then, we had a five-day test week. It was five days of auditions every day—me and five other girls going up for my role. It was pretty intense, but it was a really wonderful thing to see because we’re all young actresses of colour, which I think you don’t get to see or be around very often. As intense as it was, it was also pretty beautiful to be amongst all those women,” Llobell says. From start to finish, the process has taken around two years, which is more than enough time to wait and ruminate. "As much as, obviously, I’m not prepared for what’s coming, I think I’m ready for everyone to see it. And hopefully, there’ll be positive feedback,” she adds.

I have a feeling that behind Llobell’s trepidation is the fact that this is technically her first acting job, which is clearly a big deal because it’s Apple and because there’s a huge budget behind it, plus plenty of hype, and a complicated narrative for viewers to get to grips with. So to say there’s a lot riding on her performance would be an understatement. Despite this big responsibility, Llobell comes across as being very chilled out about it all. When we chat, she’s sitting in what looks to be her kitchen and wearing a Foundation sweatshirt. She’s not at the full glam-squad-and-designer-togs pre-interview part of showbiz yet, and it’s refreshing. More than that, she appears quietly confident and sure in what she says, which makes me think she'll be just fine once fame, inevitably, hits. I think this is why she doesn’t seem too daunted by the prospect of suddenly appearing everywhere. "I think it’ll only hit me when I see a poster or a photo—I don’t know—on a bus or something,” she says. "I think the day that happens I’ll be like, ‘Wow.’ I think it’ll really hit me the day that someone comes up to me and goes, ‘Hi, I know you. You’re Lou Llobell from that show. Can I take a photo?’”

So how does Llobell feel about the incoming fans? "I think there are going to be the fans of the books who have been waiting for the books to become a series or something visual, which I think is dependent on how they take an adaptation version rather than expecting [it] to be the same. I don’t think you can do it exactly the same, especially as the books were written in the ’40s, and the world now does not reflect what the world was like then. For example, my character. I’m a lead role, and my character was a man, presumably a white man in the book, but you assume it is because of when it was written. So I think you have to be able to be open to the adaptation and the change because of the world we live in,” she says.

Along with starring in a big adaptation comes the red carpets and press tours, which also means the chance to dress up—something few of us have done much of over the past 18 months. But it seems like Llobell already enjoys what she’s experienced so far. I’m speaking to her less than a week after our shoot, and I want to know which outfit she loved the most. She was surprised that she loved the pink checked jacket from cult NYC brand Area, as she confesses her own personal style is usually much more minimalist and full of "basic things.” "I put it on, and it was so beautifully structured and was super gorgeous, and [I loved it] with the heart diamanté-encrusted jeans,” she says. "It was funny because all the looks were different, but they all had links with each other. I just felt like it all came together really well, and it was one of the most fun days I’ve had.”

During the shoot (aside from a clear penchant for platforms to elevate her 5’1” stature), Llobell was very clear in her desire to use her hair as an accessory, and she works closely with a hairstylist, and now good friend, Kieron Lavine (who was responsible for her hair on Foundation) to make this a reality. When I ask her about this, she cites Solange and Yara Shahidi as being fashion inspirations, especially the latter, as Shahidi often uses her hair as part of her look: "I think [it] is super important as a person of colour, where I’ve been fighting about loving the way that I look and my hair being the texture it is [and] not knowing how to deal with it, how to comb it or style it but finally getting to a point where I’m so comfortable with it that I want to show it off. As soon as you figure out how your hair works and how you feel comfortable doing it, that’s really like a coming-of-age moment.”

Speaking of age, I want to probe her about being Gen Z. How does she feel about belonging to the generation that’s all about acceptance? While she reckons she’s still more of a young millennial, she does say that, thanks to changes over the past 10 years, she’s been able to accept herself more, especially when it comes to hair. Llobell tells me that she’s lived all over the world, from South Africa to Spain to Birmingham and London, so she’s used to adapting to different places. However, she says that, right now, she’s the happiest she’s ever been. "I’m the most confident I have ever been in myself. Not just with the way I look but who I am as a person,” she adds.

Photographer: Phill Taylor 

Photography Assistant: Chris Turner

Stylist: Grace Wright 

Styling Assistant: Molly Robinson 

Hairstylist: Kieron Lavine at Nylon Artists using Bouclème 

Makeup Artist: Michelle Leandra using Armani Beauty