Ab Fab Joanna Lumley: ‘Rebel? Of course, darling’
She’s a convent-educated, totally British girl who admits to smoking, snogging movie stars, and a love of red lippie! Move over, Patsy Stone, and make way for Joanna Lumley...
The absolutely fabulous Joanna Lumley, 71, is to host this year’s BAFTA Awards, and we can’t think of a better star to follow Stephen Fry. But, when we catch up with the former model-turned-actress and presenter with those plummy English tones, Joanna confessed she’s really a rebel at heart…
Hi, Joanna! Are you excited about the upcoming BAFTAs?
Very! It’s hard to take over from Stephen Fry, as he is one of my dearest friends. And brilliant. I hope people won’t go, ‘Oh, what a shame!’ But I said ‘yes’ indecently quickly. I think we’ll all be in black [echoing the dress code adopted at the Golden Globe Awards last month, in support of the #MeToo campaign], but I would like to wear colour… I love flamboyance and I love our industry, and I want to celebrate it.
What about Absolutely Fabulous – do you and Jennifer Saunders have any plans for more?
Jennifer says she’ll never write another series, but she’s said [Patsy and Eddie] have not gone away, so… Sometimes you’re anxious about leaving behind [something] that people love so much. We have not put [those roles] back in their coffins. We can’t let them go. Wouldn’t it be nice if they did come back? Especially as we don’t care how old they are.
What do you love most about your character in Ab Fab, Patsy Stone?
She’s a cartoon character! She’s a chameleon and can turn into a man. She doesn’t have a border, and there’s something terribly free about that. She’ll sleep with anybody, like an alley cat. Playing Patsy only ever works when my hair is up. When I’ve got red lips, the hair and a smoke, I am Patsy. But people would always prefer Patsy to me in real life.
You’ve worked with some showbiz greats over the years, like Leonardo DiCaprio. How was he?
Ah, yes, The Wolf Of Wall Street… It wasn’t too painful kissing Leonardo! He was such a gentleman – and stupidly,
frighteningly beautiful. He was so… un-bratty. When you meet giants, they are mostly fabulous. It’s the semi-giants who are the b******s!
You’re not ‘starry’, either. Don’t you still use the London Underground?
Yes, I do. People may say something nice to me, or have a picture taken. When I started my career, I shared a flat with four girls in Earl’s Court, and I thought the Tube was the most thrilling and sophisticated thing in the world. I would wake with the sound of the Tube, and would put on my make-up and my false eyelashes by candlelight. I still go on the Tube!
And you adore M&S?
I love it so! I still go in there sometimes. But I’ve never shoplifted in my life. I’ve done all kinds of things that are illegal [ like a spot of pot in the 60s], but never shoplifting.
How do you feel about the ‘selfie’ culture?
Oh, I know people are going to take a picture [with me] and if you look horrible you’ll spoil their day, so I just try to look a bit better when I go out shopping! I don’t have a mobile phone – life is too short, and you can get along fine without one.
What would you still love to do in your career?
A musical, except I can’t sing! When you’re married to a musician [composer Stephen Barlow], you know when you can’t sing. I’d love to be a hoofer on stage – I’ve done enough gloomy plays.
How did your convent school shape you?
The nuns almost expelled me once when I was caught smoking, but they didn’t after all, because I was good at Latin! After that, I went to a sort of finishing school and would delight in wearing red lipstick. I just wanted to rebel. I did a lot of that!
Where would you like your next travel show to go?
What I really want to do on those shows is to say, ‘Look, we’re all very different, but we all want the same – a nice life, a laugh and a joke, to work and to look after our children, to know more.’ The world’s a wonderful place.
The BAFTAs will be shown on BBC One, Sunday 18 February, 9pm