A conversation with Jenna Coleman
You have a unique style and also work with well-known brands and magazines. How important is fashion to you and the opportunity to express your personality through it?
I wouldn't say fashion is important to me, but I would say it's the opportunity to express yourself and explore, be creative and above all playful. I love admiring fashion from afar, the art, on a catwalk or in a photograph, the reinvention. And really, the theater. Just like how it can change how you feel when you wear it.
Do you have a current fashion trend or a particular outfit that you love?
Silver boots. Silver shoes. Somehow a kind of Bowie phase seems to come over me. Oversized striped shirts for everyday wear. I still have a thing for big, ugly 70s glasses. And lace tights. Who would have thought?
If you could choose one actor to star in a film with, dead or alive, who would it be and what kind of film would you want to make?
I'd like to be in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" be inserted. Elizabeth Taylor - what an achievement. And given the tightness of the apartment, I would see it up close and pristine.
You have already achieved a lot at such a young age. Are there still things you want to achieve or that are on your bucket list?
There is still so much in my personal life. I want to travel more. Not for professional reasons, but to explore other cultures. I always threaten to set up a haberdashery and collect antique jewellery boxes, but for now I'll stick to acting. I'm still trying to learn French!
How do you deal with the pressure of being in the spotlight and constantly being in the public eye?
The strange thing is, it doesn't feel like it. It's intermittent. There are times when it feels public and you're promoting something. Recently I was at the Venice Film Festival for Fashion Week. The chaos and craziness of things can be both amazing and, at times, anxiety provoking. But I think you should take it as it is. Try to enjoy the crazy energy and then go home, step back and focus on the actual work and remember what's important and why you want to do it.
What challenges have you overcome in your career and how have they influenced you as a person?
I think putting all your eggs in one basket early in life felt incredibly scary. Always push your luck, take risks and be brave enough to say “no”. I think there were times when I had to deal with stage fright. The more I get to know myself and discover myself as a person, the more it opens me up as an actor. And sometimes vice versa.
What does the term “success” mean to you and how do you define it?
You can have temporary successes. It's a very heavy word to cover everything. You can make a hard boiled egg, that's a success. I think walking away knowing you did your best is a success.
How do you successfully navigate such a competitive industry and stay motivated?
I just feel alive when I work. And I feel that on set. It generates energy. Of course there are days and moments when self-doubt comes into play. You just have to keep going. Ride the waves.
What message or values do you want to convey through your work and why are they important to you?
Truth. Always the truth. I recently went to the Marina Abramovic exhibition at the Royal Academy and it was so captivating. She always looks for the pure human truth of a moment. And I think that's all it is for me. You want to truly exist in every moment and there is no right or wrong.
If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?
Enjoy the moment. Proceed carefully. Everything will be good. Express your opinions. Trust your instincts. Don't use self-tanner. Leave your eyebrows alone.
