It had felt like I'd been on the film for a lot longer, do you know what I mean? It
was chaotically mad but it was fantastic and it was reminiscent of the film itself.
So, it really seems, Yakira, a world away from Marina and Bridgerton. I don't think
you could find two completely polar opposite characters and different
circumstances but do you think that there is anything that connects them as a pair?
Is there anything that you think there's a similarity?
Definitely. I think that both characters are fiery. I think both characters have a
rebellious streak in them and they're both coming of age as well, and becoming women.
So, they share quite a lot of similar things.
Are you drawn to that rebellion then in a character? Do you-, do you enjoy being a
feisty character in your performance?
Always because I'm a feisty person.
I hope you can forgive us.
Where is my sister?
It's a 1980s glacier blue five series BMW.
Everybody just calm down.
Turn left.
Why did you do it? What on earth were you thinking of?
Come here. That's always when I wake up.
So, I've, I've heard when I listened to an interview with the, the film's director,
Ed Morris, that you took a method acting approach on the film. I wondered whether
that was something that you followed for all your roles and if so, how does that
work in something like Bridgerton where the circumstances are quite different?
I did do method on, on both of those jobs but I really feel like when I-, when I
watch Marina back, she feels like a real person, you know? She doesn't feel like a
character in any way, she feels like you're just watching a girl moving through
this world and she's being affected by all of this stuff. However, the one thing I
would say is that you've got to-, you've got to be able to figure out a way to be
able to do method acting safely because I didn't go to drama school, you see, so I
was sort of-, I'd, I'd taken everything that I'd learned at school and then I was
just putting my soul into my work 'cause that's all I knew how to do.
Great. What was the, the moment then that you, you decided that you wanted to be an
actor?
Well, I got into the LSE to study international relations and I thought I
was gonna go down that path but I'd done a little bit of travelling and a bit of self
discovery and I just decided and I knew that life is too short not to give it a go
and not to follow your dreams. So, I decided I wasn't gonna go to university
and I was just gonna get theatre experience locally and work my way up and
see what happened.
What would you say is the, the film that's had the biggest impact on your life?
What's the film that changed the, kind of, way that you, you think about the world?
There's so many but Blood Diamond really affected me when I first saw that film. I
really saw the power of cinema and the importance of cinema. I'd love to do a
film like that.
I was very impressed particularly in your performance, the moment that your
character dives through a car window and smashes a, a log into someone's face. I,
I-, when I looked through the credits I couldn't find a stunt performer. Was that
a stunt that you perfected yourself?
Yes, it is. I did that myself.
How, how was that process? Were you, kind of, able to just-, did you throw yourself
into it? How was the, the process of, kind of (talking over each other 03.25)?
I just threw myself-, I went running down that hill, do you know what I mean? I just
threw myself into it. It was so much fun to shoot, it was one of my favourite
moments in the whole film. I didn't hurt myself while doing that stunt, it was just
great.
It was just straight through the car window, straight-,
Yeah, and the shot that we actually used did actually hit Shin (ph 03.46) in the
face.
It's me.
How can I be of assistance?
How do I get out of this mess?
Why are you letting him do this? Yakira? Kelly, Kelly.
So, the film-, the film was shot in ten days, I believe. That must have been a
really intense process, making it, especially when it deals with quite
challenging subject matter. How did it feel when you got to the other side?
Oh my God, it was amazing. I couldn't believe it had been ten-, I couldn't
believe it had been ten days. It had felt like I'd been on the film for a lot longer
than that, you know, because we got so much done in a very short period of time.
We were literally picking up stuff and running to the next set up, do you know
what I mean? It was chaotically mad but it was fantastic and it was reminiscent of
the film itself, you know?
Yeah, that, that, kind of, chaos and tension and intensity does certainly come
across. You've become very-, a very recognisable face recently after
Bridgerton came out and now your first film is being released but that's all
happened in lockdown. How has that experience been for you, kind of, having
such great career advancement when you're just stuck at home?
Do you know what, I, I think I'm quite thankful to it because it's quite
overwhelming, everything that's happened in a very short period of time and being
in lockdown at home as just allowed me to maintain my normal day to day anonymity.
It's allowed me to come to terms with what my life now is in my own time throughout
lockdown, you know? So, I'm-, I've been really lucky.
It's, it's, it's good that there can at least be a, a small silver lining, kind
of, out of hard circumstances. Well, it's been a pleasure to speak to you Ruby.
Thank you very much for your time. Again, you know-,
And you.
Really liked the film, it's been great to talk to you.
Thank you Noah.