Born in Somerset, Indira Varma, 50, studied at Rada and made her screen debut in Mira Nair’s 1996 film Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. Her television work includes Rome, Game of Thrones, Patrick Melrose, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Obsession. On stage she has appeared in Twelfth Night, The Seagull and Present Laughter for which she won an Olivier Award in 2020. She recently starred with Ralph Fiennes in Macbeth in London; the production is now running in Washington DC. Her new film The Trouble with Jessica is in cinemas. She lives in London with her husband, actor Colin Tierney and their daughter.
What is your greatest fear?
Slugs. And planetary annihilation.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Maxi-multitasking.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
People who abuse their power to subjugate others.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Wearing 90s ripped-at-the-crotch jeans at Rada during an unarmed combat session and showing everyone more than they bargained for.
Describe yourself in three words
Competitive, curious, silly.
What would your superpower be?
A photographic memory for line learning and names.
What makes you unhappy?
Growing inequality.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
It used to be my big nose, but I’m growing into it.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Handwritten letter writing.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Catherine O’Hara.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Finishing off other people’s sentences.
Which book are you ashamed not to have read?
This year, I was asked to be a judge for the Women’s prize for fiction and I’ve read 75 books in six months, so I’m parking shame for the time being.
What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
Go back to where you came from.
What does love feel like?
A hot sauna and then an icy dip.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Where are my glasses?
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What is the worst job you’ve done?
Being a cocktail waitress and having to wear a compromising dress in an unwoke 1990s world.
How often do you have sex?
Not enough.
What would you like to leave your children?
As little rubbish to sort through as possible.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Ultimately, a bigger hallway.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Having a family and still loving each other.
What keeps you awake at night?
Menopause.
How would you like to be remembered?
Through rose-tinted spectacles.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
To have the courage to fail.
Tell us a joke
What’s the best advice you can give a worm? Sleep late.
