10 QUESTIONS WITH…AIMEE KELLY @aimeemkelly

Aimée Kelly is best known for playing Maddy Smith in the phenomenally popular CBBC’s children’s drama Wolfblood. She made her screen debut aged 16 playing the lead in feature film SKET which premiered as part of the 55th BFI London Film Festival, a performance which won her a Best British Newcomer nomination at the LFF Awards.

We caught up with Aimée for a round of 10 questions with… 

I’m a huge worrier, I worry on a daily basis about EVERYTHING

When did you realise you wanted to be a professional actor?

I watched the movie Once Upon A Time In America (when I was way too young to watch it) but it has stuck with me ever since. I then watched Reservoir Dogs (way too young again) and went straight to school on Monday morning and forced my friends into recreating the scenes with me as Mr White/the director. I’m still friends with them and they haven’t forgot it!

What’s your proudest career moment/Job?

Proudest moment has to be my BAFTA nomination at the children’s Baftas in 2013 and my nomination for Best British Newcomer for my role in Sket at the BFI 55th London film festival awards!

What’s the hardest thing about working on a TV/Film set?

Hardest thing for sure is making relationships with people and working on something where it becomes part of your everyday routine where you get attached to the character/cast/crew then you wrap and have to start all over!

What’s the best piece of advice someone has ever given you?

‘You meet the same people on the way up as what you do coming down’ – my grandad always tells me that. My agent is pretty good at giving me advice too, whenever I need a telling or a kick up the butt or an opinion on what not to wear, she’s usually the one giving me it.

Do you watch the shows you’ve appeared in? 

With films you can’t not watch yourself since you have to attend the screenings and premiers but for sure it can be weird! With TV less so since I shoot something and then it’s so long before it airs on that you actually forget and by that time are onto something else.

What’s it like watching yourself back?

I guess it’s good I don’t watch it really because I’d probably be too self critical and get annoyed like ‘I could have done that better‘ or ‘why on earth am I doing that‘ then get annoyed at the screen haha! Once it’s out there you can’t change it so it’s best to just be militant about it!

How do you approach learning lines?

When I’m emailed new material I always try and resist the temptation to open the character sides first and read the script first then go into the sides – otherwise I’ll read the sides and then later learn something in the script that would provoke my character to say it in a different way. Once I’ve read the script and made notes/research then I highlight the hell out of my sides because for some reason it just doesn’t go in without the fluorescent colours, my brain is always looking for them. Then I learn the feelings rather than the lines, then I just resort to old school pen and paper.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Enjoy every opportunity/job and don’t worry!! I’m a huge worrier, I worry on a daily basis about EVERYTHING from global warming to if I remembered to lock my front door to how many times the seats on the Northern Line get washed.

If you had to choose between Theatre or TV/Film for the rest of your life, what would you choose? Why?

There’s no way I can choose! I’ve had some of the best experiences of my life on set but I started in theatre at school and I’m currently doing a play at the moment, it’s hard to describe the feeling you get on stage and then being able to do it over and over again. Then my love for the movies and the art of cinema… I just could never choose.

What have you got coming up?

I’m currently in the play Hyem it opens 30th August at Theatre 503, London.

To book tickets or for more info follow this link: THEATRE503