Zoë Wanamaker: Questions and Answers
December 2005

Zoë kindly agreed to answer my short questionnaire for an article originally produced for a student magazine.

What's your earliest memory?
A donkey called Eeaw.

Is it true that you considered becoming a nun?
When I was ten I liked the costume.

You trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama – what were you like as a student?
Bolshie!

How did you get your first acting job?
I was seen at Central.

Did your father's enthusiasm for the playwright encourage you to act in Shakespeare's plays or did you wish to avoid them?
My father had nothing to do with it.  All I wanted to do was new writing.  Then I got hooked.

What do you know now that you wish you'd known at twenty-one?
Piano practice.

Is rehearsal or performance more enjoyable?
Performance.

Do you have any pre-performance rituals?
Yes but I can't tell you what they are.

In 2001, you gave an acting masterclass at the Theatre Royal Haymarket – what's your advice for any students thinking of treading the boards?
You've got to really want to do it.

Can you recognise yourself in any of the characters you've played?
There's always a part of yourself in every character you play.  There has to be by definition.

What's the best part of your job?  And the worst?
Getting it.  Failing.

What projects have you been working on recently?  Do you have anything exciting in the pipeline?
My Family series 6.  Awake and Sing! on Broadway.

You've headlined shows both on Broadway and in the West End – how do American and British theatre audiences compare?
American audiences seem more enthusiastic.

Do you read your reviews or watch the programmes in which you star?
Hardly ever.

How important is theatre in contemporary society?
Very.

For your role as a journalist in His Girl Friday you spoke two hundred and fifty words a minute – how difficult was it to learn the lines?
Very difficult to learn.

Have you ever considered directing or writing?
Considered it and that's it.

In 2000, you were awarded the CBE for services to drama – what did this mean to you?
A lot.

Approximately how many autographs do you sign each year?
Never counted.  I try not to do too many.

Do you cope well with public attention?
Depends on my mood.

Who are your heroes?  Have you ever been star-struck?
Nelson Mandella, and yes.

What are your virtues?
Not for me to say.

What are your vices?
I'm not telling you.

What's your biggest indulgence?
My husband.

Is the glass half empty or half full?
Depends on my mood.

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