Just call it the Olivia Awards!

Olivia+Colman+Press+Room+British+Television+5wr8c-bx41lxHer face may have been familiar. But before the runaway success of Broadchurch, you may not have known her name.

Last night, however, Olivia Colman changed all that when she picked up two awards at the Baftas – days after she revealed she thought she’d miss out on roles because she wasn’t ‘the archetypal looker’.

Indeed, the normally mild-mannered actress was so shocked at her win that she turned the air blue muttering ‘f***’ before quickly apologising.

Miss Colman, 39, won the award for best supporting actress for her performance in BBC1’s Accused (Mo’s Story) and for best female in a comedy for her part in BBC2 Olympics satire Twenty Twelve.

The star, who has two sons, topped off a successful year when she appeared alongside David Tennant in ITV1’s crime thriller Broadchurch, She has also starred as Margaret Thatcher’s daughter Carol in The Iron Lady.
But last night she was honoured for her portrayal of Sue Brown, the mother of the victim of a gangland killing in The Accused.

The actress, who looked glamorous in a purple dress, said: ‘I can’t believe it. I keep thinking it’s wrong. I feel very wobbly. I thought I might be in with a chance for Accused, because it is such a beautiful script. But Twenty Twelve, I didn’t think, because I was against such wonderful talents.’

She added: ‘Hollywood hasn’t called, unless they have got a digit wrong. Of course I would go if they asked. It’s warm and they pay better. I wouldn’t like to live there as I’ve got a family, but who wouldn’t go for a couple of years.’

In an interview last month she said: ‘I’m never cast as the love interest. I’m just not seen as that girl.  I’m just not the archetypal looker. You see a row of girls and go, “There’s the classic beauty”. And that was never me.  I never really minded and I’m grateful now because I think it’s so much harder for beautiful actresses to last in the business.’

And her shock was apparent each time she was welcomed back on stage by host Graham Norton After the second trophy for her role in Accused, Olivia told the crowd while looking clearly delighted: ‘Thank you to my agents… I love you and I’m never, ever leaving! Also to Mr Hands, my first drama teacher, thank you very much. To my husband and best friend.’She then quipped jokingly: ‘And my children, if you’re watching it looked like I said a bad word, I didn’t… oh and my parents for babysittting, thank you very much.’

But her shock was even more visible as her name was read out for the third time for her role in Twenty Twelve.

Appearing choked she said: ‘I’m really sorry – (other category nominees) Miranda, Jess and Julia, three girls who I just love. I really didn’t expect it. Thank you so much.’The 39-year-old actress told BANG Showbiz at the winner’s press conference: ‘I’m a bit wobbly. I just can’t believe I’ve won. I keep thinking it’s wrong and they’ve made a mistake.
‘I thought I might be in with a chance for the drama award because Accused is such a beautiful script. But the comedy award I didn’t think I would stand a chance against those girls.’

Source: dailymail.co.uk – Olivia Colman finally leading lady picks up trophies for BAFTAs

Broadchurch stars go teetotal

olivia_colman_5604329Olivia Colman says the cast of TV hit Broadchurch stayed away from alcohol while on the drama – in case it led them to accidentally give away the name of the killer.

The TV crime drama, which also starred David Tennant and has been recommissioned for a second series, was a huge hit for ITV, attracting 10 million viewers.

The Daily Mirror quoted Olivia, who played Det Sgt Miller, as saying: “We all stayed on the soft drinks at parties as nobody dared to cough up that information.

“You would have let down the team if it had come out.”

She said of Broadchurch’s success: “It was nice to remind ourselves that as a nation we are fairly intelligent viewers and we like intrigue.”

Source: hellomagazine.com – Broadchurch stars go teetotal

Olivia says she wont ask for pay rise for Broadchurch second series

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Olivia Colman has said that she won’t ask for an increased wage when she returns for Broadchurch’s second series.

Majorly hinting that her character DS Ellie Miller will be seen in the hit drama’s sophomore run next year, the star is quoted by today’s Sunday Mirror as insisting that she’s just happy to be in work.

“It would be a bit much to go in and ask them to up my fee,” she said.

“I’m just grateful for a job. I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot.”

Broadchurch was a massive hit for ITV1 in March and April, with the final episode of the murder mystery attracting just under 10 million viewers.

The show, which saw Colman play alongside David Tennant as one of the main investigators on the case, has been renewed for a second “very different” run of episodes, due to air in 2014. Olivia, 39, says she’s seen what creator Chris Chibnall has in mind, and is very excited.

“It won’t be the same format again,” she said. “It sounds really, really exciting and I think it will be even better.”

The tabloid also quotes her as saying that her friends and family were annoyed with her for not telling them who the killer was first time around.

“My mum and dad were furious I wouldn’t tell but we’d signed so many confidentiality agreements,” she said.

Source:entertainmentwise.com – Olivia Coman wont ask for pay rise for Broadchurch series two

Broadchurch sensation Olivia Colman: ‘I’m never cast as the love interest’

She counts some of the hottest Brit actors among her co-stars – from David Tennant to Paddy Considine – but Broadchurch sensation Olivia Colman’s goal is longevity in the business, rather than being seen as ‘that girl!’

Within five minutes of meeting Olivia Colman at the London offices of ITV she has described herself, variously, as ‘no great beauty’ and ‘the kind of girl who had to laugh men into bed’.

Then again, part of her attractiveness is that she doesn’t rate herself in the looks department and seems unaware of her open, likable face.

To add to the appeal, the 39-year-old actress has a smile like the sun bursting through, a conspiratorial X-rated laugh, and a way of describing things comically with actions and sounds instead of words.

‘When I’m out with my husband Ed [Sinclair], who is gorgeous, I see people look at us and sort of go, “Urghh?”’ she laughs, conveying jaws dropping to the floor.

‘Because they can’t believe that we’re a couple. But, you know, Ed and I are the wind beneath each other’s wings. Neither of us would be any good without the other.’

 

When she talks, Olivia’s dark eyes host a gamut of emotions – one second they can well with happiness and mirth, the next with empathy or sadness.

No wonder she is currently confusing casting directors. After all, she came to fame in funny roles such as long-suffering Sophie in Peep Show and Alex Smallbone, the delightfully saucy vicar’s wife in Rev.

But since her harrowing performance as the battered wife in director Paddy Considine’s 2011 film Tyrannosaur she’s been as much in demand for grit and pathos as she was for pratfalls and laughter.

Her recent TV roles have included a mother whose son is killed in a gang-related stabbing in Accused (for which she was named best actress at the Royal Television Society awards), and a policewoman investigating a boy’s death in the critically acclaimed Broadchurch.

On the big screen she played Carol Thatcher to Meryl Streep’s Margaret in The Iron Lady, and the Queen Mother alongside Bill Murray in Hyde Park on Hudson.

She is working with Paddy Considine again, this time co-starring with him in the ITV period detective drama The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: The Murder in Angel Lane. Olivia plays a wealthy woman searching for her missing niece. Here she talks about swapping comedy for corsets, and why this is the happiest time of her life.

Tyrannosaur was my Kathy Burke, Nil by Mouth moment. Before, I was the girl who does ‘feed lines’ in comedies but Paddy gave me the chance to show I could do something else. I still love comedy, but I’m so fortunate not to be pigeonholed and to be able to do both now.Working with Paddy again was blissful. I admire him both as a director and actor and we’re friends, too. So it wasn’t hard to find the immediate trust that my character Susan Spencer has for the ex-police Inspector Jack Whicher, when she asks him to help her find her niece.The costumes were amazing – especially for someone who’s never done proper period drama before. I wore white fur hats and full-length cream satin gowns. It was so cold during filming that I also wore thermals and at one point I had a hot water bottle up my skirt. Even the corset was great because it corrected my tendency to slouch.

My character is strong but tragic. She has lost everyone she ever loved and now her adored niece goes missing too. Fortunately, they do find her niece’s newborn baby early on so she’s got him to love. But she’s a pretty sad and lonely figure.

Working with a baby stirred my hormones. And even though I have two beautiful sons [Hal, seven, and Finn, five] I’m constantly broody. We got a gorgeous dog, Alf, to quell my yearning for another child but it hasn’t worked because, although I love him, he is a different species. My mum says, ‘These feelings go on well into your 60s.’ I’m starting to believe her.

My emotions have always been close to the surface. Watching weepy movies, I’ve always sobbed louder than anyone else. But since having children I seem to have no skin at all. As a result, I’m sure there are parts I’ve played since having my sons that I wouldn’t have done justice to before. But it’s awful in terms of life. I can’t watch Comic Relief without dialling in after every video. As for those fundraising guys in fluorescent bibs in shopping centres, I’m a total mug for them.

I’m good at putting roles to bed. And I’m not a method actress. I’m aware that acting is pretending and can’t imagine how it works with people’s heads if they struggle to leave the character behind.

I have a strong work ethic. It’s the way I was raised. My mum worked full time as a nurse and I grew up admiring her for doing an important job that she loved. What I do doesn’t matter nearly as much but I can see a little bit of that same pride in my kids.

Mum and Dad were feminists and I’m one too. Men and women have different lumps and bumps but we’re the same in the important ways. I’ve had lots of arguments about it.

I can’t stand girlie girls – women who think emptying the bin is a man’s job. I do love strong, independent, loyal, gutsy women, and I have lots as friends.

Ed is totally supportive. He started out acting but the work just dried up. And, actually, for him I think it was a bit of a relief because he’d always wanted to write and he’s brilliant at it. He is working on a novel now and he’s quite secretive about the process. Ed being at home also means that he can look after the children if I’m away, and he’s a far better parent than me. So, although I miss the kids terribly if I’m away working, I know our little boys are in the best possible hands. When I get back they go, ‘Oh no, she’s not going to cook is she? She’s bound to
burn something!’

It was love at first sight with Ed. He was studying law at Cambridge and I was at the teacher training college. We met doing drama at the Footlights [the university dramatic club]. He walked in and it was like a thunderbolt. I thought, ‘There’s the bloke I’m going to marry.’

Our marriage works for simple reasons. We’re incredibly proud, supportive and, most of all, nice to each other. Ed is my best friend and, although I’ve been with him since I was 20, I still totally fancy him. 

I was never attracted to bad boys. I always thought, ‘What’s appealing about that?’ I see women involved with horrible men and think, ‘Really? Why?’ But, then, as a child I was always made to feel totally worthy of love and I never tire of telling my kids how much I love them, either. I think it helps if you go into the world expecting to be loved. I’m never cast as the love interest. I’m just not seen as that girl. The closest I came was playing Sally Owen in the BBC2 series Twenty Twelve. I thought, well, she’s the single one who’s fallen in love with her boss, Hugh Bonneville’s character Ian Fletcher, and he sort of begrudgingly likes her back. It was enough, so I said yes to the part.I loved working with Bill Murray in Hyde Park on Hudson. He’s always been a hero and a legend, so I thought, ‘Oh, please be nice!’ I’d have hated him to be a disappointment, but he was fantastic. During filming he left me a phone message about hooking up for a drink at the Groucho. Sadly, the dates got messed up so I missed the chance of getting p***** with him. I kept the message for months until my phone automatically deleted it!

I’m sometimes mistaken for a comedian. So I’ve been invited on to comedy panel shows. But I’m an actress who makes other’s people’s lines funny and I’d be terrified without a script. I couldn’t write a funny line, either. Not with a gun to my head.

I did laugh Ed into bed, though. The same as I did with boys before him, because I’m just not the archetypal looker. You see a row of girls and go, ‘There’s the classic beauty.’ And that was never me. I never really minded and I’m grateful now because I think it’s so much harder for beautiful actresses to last in the business.

Longevity is my goal. And I admire actresses such as Judi Dench who’ve achieved it, because we can all name actresses who were loved but then slipped off the radar. That would break my heart because I love acting.

I’m staring down the barrel of 40. I’m aware it can be a time when actresses are passed over for those with fewer wrinkles, but I’m OK with it. As a concession I’ve joined a gym; I’m determined to have a six-pack by my 40th birthday next January. My sister said, ‘Do you think that’s possible?!’ And I said, ‘F*** off! Of course it is.’

Olivia’s not my real name. It’s one I chose because there was already an actress registered at Equity with my birth name, Sarah. Not that anyone ever used it. To friends and family – including my parents – I’ve been Colly ever since I got the nickname at primary school.

I loved working with Meryl Streep on The Iron Lady. I was starstruck on day one, but I needn’t have been because she’s a lovely, normal woman with four kids and a life. She’d happily sit on the sofa and have a giggle with us now. I love that she called me ‘divinely gifted’ at the Baftas. Bribing her to say that was the best fiver I ever spent!

I’m defensive of my famous co-stars. Once, walking along the road with Tom Hollander, who plays Rev, a guy just stuck a camera in his face. I yelled, ‘This is a man! He is not a pigeon!’ Tom shuffled off, horrified. Same deal with David Tennant who drew crowds when we worked on Broadchurch. He’s amazing, of course, and I’d queue too for his autograph, but people forget he’s human. You need to remind them.

I’m from a family of jokers. We’ve always taken the p*** out of each other. Occasionally it could overstep the mark and end in tears, but mostly it was fun. It’s probably where my sense of humour comes from.

I loved working on Peep Show. David Mitchell and Robert Webb are my favourite people ever. We met in the Cambridge Footlights, aged 19, so we grew up together. We can’t believe we’re all earning money at the job we hoped to do. It still makes us giggle.

Neither Tyrannosaur nor Accused were my most glamorous moments. In fact, in the latter we had a no make-up policy. Anne-Marie Duff and I joked that we looked like total s*** in it, but neither of us really cared – if you do, you’re not doing your job properly.

I’d love to be in a big Hollywood movie. I’ve always imagined that you’d have to look like a higher level of human being, not the female equivalent of everyman, like me! If I got the call I’d go because it would be a real adventure for Ed, me and the kids. Would I worry about uprooting us for a while? Not at all. We are family and wherever we are together is home.

Source:dailymail.co.uk – Im never cast as the love interest

Olivia wouldnt say no to Broadchurch season two

Olivia+Colman+Iron+Lady+European+Premiere+3Zl_cwwqIFPl Olivia Colman’s DS Ellie Miller captured our imagination in ITV’s recent detective drama Broadchurch and ever since its dramatic conclusion last week, the public have speculated on what could possible be in store for the “very different” second series. Will Colman and her co-star David Tennant participate is the question on everybody’s lips, so imagine our excitement when we got the chance to pose it to the lady herself.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com at the Bafta nominations party, Colman revealed she’s definitely on board for Chris Chibnall’s follow up – as long as she’s asked back…

“Well obviously yes, but it depends,” she said. “I don’t know what they’ve decided. I won’t say no.”

And despite having the telly-viewing public on tenterhooks when the Broadchurch finale was broadcast last Monday, it turns out Olivia didn’t have the luxury of watching it go out live. “I had to wait. My husband was at boxing class so I had to watch it with a half hour delay which was really frustrating.”

We can imagine! But it turns out that although the cast didn’t know the identity of the killer until the final episode was filmed, a few of them had their money on Ellie’s suspiciously nice husband, Joe (played by Matthew Gravelle). “We had everybody’s pictures up in the make up man and everyone put a sticker underneath who they thought it was and I got one! I was thrilled to get one but [Joe] got a few. He was too nice. Isn’t that awful that someone’s too nice?”

But the 39-year-old actress – who is nominated twice at this year’s Bafta Television Awards (for best female comedy performance and best supporting actress) – doesn’t rate her chances of success too highly. “I think I probably won’t get it but it’s lovely to be nominated.”

Source and to see the full interview: Radiotimes.com – Olivia Colman wont say no to Broadchurch series two

Olivia Colman and Sheridan Smith are love rivals in new drama

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Sheridan Smith and Olivia Colman are to play rivals for the affections of David Morrissey in a new BBC One drama.

Broadchurch star Colman will play the wife of Morrissey’s character in The 7.39, a two-part romantic drama written by One Day author David Nicholls.

Olivier awards co-host Smith will play a commuter with whom Morrissey, of The Walking Dead fame, begins an affair.

BBC One has also confirmed a second series of its Sunday night rural drama The Village will air next year.

Writer Peter Moffat said he was “thrilled” to have the opportunity to continue telling the story of one English village across the whole of the 20th Century.

His sentiments were echoed by Starter For Ten author Nicholls, who said he was “delighted to be writing for the BBC again”.

Nicholls previously adapted Much Ado About Nothing for the BBC’s 2005 ShakespeaRe-Told season and, in 2008, adapted Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

The 7.39, he went on, was “a love story for grown-ups” and “the sort of drama that has not been seen on television for a while”.

Colman was recently named best actress for her work on the BBC courtroom drama Accused at the Royal Television Society awards, and is Bafta-nominated for the same role for best supporting actress.

Smith is also in the running at the Baftas for leading actress for Mrs Biggs.

The 7.39 – described as “brilliantly British” by BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson – is one of a raft of new commissions announced by the corporation’s flagship channel.

Last week, BBC One revealed it was working on an adaptation of David Walliams’ children’s book Gangsta Granny, to air later this year.

The comedy drama, which the Little Britain star will co-write, tells of a schoolboy who discovers his grandmother was once an international jewel thief.

Walliams, whose novel Mr Stink was dramatised by the BBC last year, said the 60-minute film “should make for exciting family viewing at Christmas”.

Source:bbc.co.uk – Olivia Colman and Sheridan Smith are love rivals in new drama

Broadchurch Star Olivia Colman Teases Season Two As She Reveals It Was ‘Awful’ Finding Out Killer’s Identity

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Olivia Colman was undoubtedly the stand out star of ITV’s smash hit drama Broadchurch which came to an end this week. And now with the killer’s identity finally out in the open, the actress has revealed just how “awful” if was to learn who was behind Danny Latimer’s murder.

Colman played police detective Ellie Miller in the crime series which followed a seaside community in the aftermath of the murder of a young boy. In Monday night’s explosive finale, Olivia’s character discovered the killer was her nice as pie husband Joe, with the actress confessing it was incredibly hard to deal with the plot twist.

“Most people, I think, kind of had an inkling as they were watching, ‘he’s too nice, we haven’t heard about him’ but it didn’t really matter that you’d made that leap, by the time it ended it was a whydoneit, howdoneit”, Olivia tells Digital Spy, “but finding out it was him was awful, he was lovely. I was really sad!”

Olivia Colman was undoubtedly the stand out star of ITV’s smash hit drama Broadchurch which came to an end this week. And now with the killer’s identity finally out in the open, the actress has revealed just how “awful” if was to learn who was behind Danny Latimer’s murder.

Colman played police detective Ellie Miller in the crime series which followed a seaside community in the aftermath of the murder of a young boy. In Monday night’s explosive finale, Olivia’s character discovered the killer was her nice as pie husband Joe, with the actress confessing it was incredibly hard to deal with the plot twist.

“Most people, I think, kind of had an inkling as they were watching, ‘he’s too nice, we haven’t heard about him’ but it didn’t really matter that you’d made that leap, by the time it ended it was a whydoneit, howdoneit”, Olivia tells Digital Spy, “but finding out it was him was awful, he was lovely. I was really sad!”

Source: entertainmentwise.com – Broadchurch star Olivia Colman reveals it was awful finding out the killers identity he was so lovely

Olivia Colman fears her career could be killed off as she gets older

Olivia+Colman+Iron+Lady+European+Premiere+3Zl_cwwqIFPl Worried Broadchurch star Olivia Colman is ­facing another cliffhanger – over fears her ­acting work will dry up as she gets older.

The Sunday People can report that the 39-year-old TV favourite revealed: “It’s harder to get roles as you get older.”

And now, after celebrating nominations for two TV gongs last week, Olivia has ­demanded ­attitudes MUST evolve.

She said: “I have a lot of friends that should be working and aren’t and that’s a real ­mystery and needs to change.”

But canny Olivia has a secret weapon – she revealed last month she lands good parts because she’s NOT a pin-up.

Olivia said: “I feel fortunate I’m not a classic beauty.

“I feel it is harder for girls who are like that. There are fewer parts,” she added.

And she certainly doesn’t have to worry about her future yet.

The mum of two, who shot to fame in cult comedy Peep Show, is nominated at next month’s Bafta TV awards for gritty legal drama Accused and Olympics send-up Twenty Twelve.

She is now one of TV’s most ­in-demand actresses and is likely to be back for a second series of ITV whodunnit Broadchurch.

She plays DS Ellie Miller – wife of child killer Joe – opposite former Doctor Who David Tennant, 42, as DI Alec Hardy.

She said: “The writer Chris Chibnall phoned up all the cast recently to tell us about it. It does sound really, really exciting.

“I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say whether everyone is back on board. Let’s put it this way I will definitely say yes if they ask me.”

She added: “I thought this series was so great maybe it was best to leave well alone but then Chris ­explained his idea and I knew it would be good.”

Broadchurch – which regularly pulled in more than seven million viewers – was filmed in Bridport, Dorset and Bristol.

Some of the new series is likely to be shot in London.

Olivia said: “It was quite ­intense to film and most of us have families so there’s talk of doing the indoor scenes in London which would make a huge amount of difference.”

Source: mirror.co.uk – Broadchurch star Olivia Colman fears her career could be killed off as she gets older

Broadchurch gets a second season

OCO Acclaimed murder mystery Broadchurch finished on a series high of nearly 9 million viewers as ITV confirmed it would return for a second series.

The David Tennant and Olivia Colman drama ended its eight-part run with 8.7 million viewers, a 33.4% share of the audience, between 9pm and 10pm on Tuesday.

It was its highest overnight audience to date, eclipsing the 7.6 million (32%) who tuned into episode three.

The finale’s consolidated figure is likely to top 10 million (the previous highest consolidated audience was also episode three, with 9.6 million).

Written and created by Chris Chibnall, a second series will go into production next year, although it remains to be seen whether its biggest stars will return.

With the identity of Danny Latimer’s killer revealed, both Tennant and Colman’s characters appeared to be leaving Broadchurch at the end of series one.

Chibnall said: “The whole Broadchurch team has been delighted and properly gobsmacked by the response from ITV viewers.

“When I first talked to [ITV director of television] Peter Fincham and Laura Mackie, ITV’s director of drama about Broadchurch, I mentioned that if people liked it, there was another very different story we could tell afterwards.

“I’m really thrilled we’re going to tell that story too.”

Broadchurch, produced by Kudos Film and Television and Imaginary Friends Productions, launched with an overnight audience of 6.8 million on 4 March and averaged 7.1 million across the course of its eight-week run.

Last night, it predictably had the better of BBC1 documentary The Prisoners, watched by 2.8 million viewers, a 10.7% share, also between 9pm and 10pm.

With a double helping of Coronation Street watched by 8.7 million (38.1%) and 8.4 million (33.6%) at 7.30pm and 8.30pm respectively, ITV had a 27.7% share of the peaktime audience between 6pm and 10.30pm, comfortably ahead of BBC1’s 19.1%.

Elsewhere, new Channel 5 documentary series Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild, began with 1.2 million viewers, a 4.5% share, between 9pm and 10pm.

Paul Hollywood’s Bread came to the end of its six-part run on BBC2 with 2 million viewers, an 8.3% share, between 8.30pm and 9pm.

Source: guardian.co.uk – Broadchurch to return for second series after nearly 9m see killer revealed