Halcyon days ahead for Williams

She has a Hollywood pedigree, but it’s her role in the ‘new Downton’ that will make Olivia Williams a household name, says

Jonathan Cake, but the engagement ended three weeks before the wedding. However, Williams remembers the ‘‘Cake years’’ with good humour. More than can be said for some of the unsuitable beaus of the ‘‘wilderness years’’ that followed.

‘‘Before Rhashan, my experience had been along the lines of the Zoe Wanamaker series, Love Hurts. I thought that, unless something was painful and dramatic, it couldn’t be love. But with Rhashan it was instantly, ‘I like you very much and I’ll be calling you next week’. That was a sea change. I finally learnt to be happy about being happy.’’

The couple married in doublequick time and swiftly had two daughters, Esme, now 12, and Roxana, 9.

‘‘When my daughters were born, it felt to me that the midwife was handing me my liver or my heart, an exterior vital organ. It was mind-blowing to think that we were now responsible for how this new life would turn out.

‘‘Eventually, of course, they stop being entirely dependent on you and they start being smart and hilarious in ways that have nothing to do with either of their parents. And, at that point, you realise you need them around just as much as they need you. My life has been so enriched by my children. I can’t conceive of not knowing them.’’

Williams’ continuing success has meant that she and her husband split the parenting 50-50. It’s a marriage, she says, not unlike that of her own parents. Her mother, Anna, was perhaps the more ambitious one – ‘‘women at the Bar had to be, to succeed. But the parenting was shared and both were incredible mentors and supporters.

‘‘If you have amazing parents, you look for them again in other people that you love. It’s not very rock’n’roll, but I amprepared to accept that much of what I fell for in Rhashan is what I admired in my father.’’

We’ll be seeing more of Williams in the coming weeks, not only in The Halcyon, but also in Stephen Frears’ film Victoria and Abdul. The ensemble cast includes veterans Sir Michael Gambon and Tim Pigott Smith, with Dame Judi Dench as the Queen who befriends a young Indian clerk.

She has never had a game plan when it comes to work: ‘‘Offer me an interesting role and I’ll snatch it up and deal with the consequences later.’’

Her only unresolved ambition would be for Strictly Come Dancing to call. ‘‘I’m the mother of two daughters who couldn’t be less interested in what I do, but if I said Strictly to them, they might look up from their e-readers.’’

In the meantime, if Lady Hamilton were to loosen up a little, she might get to lindyhop as others do in the hotel club.

‘‘Not sure if she’s ready to shake a tail feather yet,’’ Williams laughs. ‘‘Maybe series two?’’ – Telegraph Group

8.30pm, Thursdays from July 27, Prime.