Ally’s very different to me – she’s much more sorted and grown up
AS BREEDERS RETURNS FOR A THIRD SERIES, COMPLETE WITH MORE TEARS, TRIUMPHS AND TANTRUMS, DANIELLE DE WOLFE SPEAKS TO STAR DAISY HAGGARD TO LEARN MORE
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SKY Original drama Breeders is a grounding experience.
A show that has become known for normalising the everyday stresses and strains of family life, the long-awaited third series is finally arriving on our screens.
Starring Daisy Haggard (Back To Life) and Bafta-winner Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) as parents Ally and Paul, the show’s depiction of life with two school-age children comes complete with in-fighting, friction and a generous sprinkling of laughter.
Ensuring audiences feel well and truly at home, series three sees a shake up in the script, with more emotional scenes than in earlier series – and that’s before it broaches the subject of the HRT medication shortage.
Daisy, 44, tells us more about the show’s new run.
What can we expect from Breeders heading into season three?
It goes on a bit of an extra roller coaster in this one, which is great to play.
I thought it was really interesting starting with them apart and watching, and working out how, and if, and when, and in what way or capacity, they were going to come back together as a family.
I was really glad they carried on with this story, because I felt like we hadn’t finished it yet.
And I’d be curious to know, if we did another season, whether they do a [time] jump now or not.
There are no time jumps this series, was that an interesting change?
I didn’t know – as you probably didn’t know, whether [time] was going to jump straight away. I got the vibe maybe it wasn’t.
I think it’s a lovely device for a show like this, because it’s just a really simple and effective way of sharing how families evolve and change – and how relationships change.
Does the fact your co-star Martin Freeman is an executive producer change the acting dynamic at all?
Because he’s not a writer, it’s slightly different, if that makes sense? But really, it just feels like I’m working with a brilliant actor. He’s always keeping me on my toes because he’s so good.
I didn’t know much ahead of time. I get the script when I get the script. So it unfolds for me in real time, which is lovely.
Were you able to explore another side of your character?
I have lots of big juicy stuff this season. And now, although there’s lots of crying and lots of drama – I think Ally’s given a rough ride, it is brilliant to play.
You get to really dig into big, emotional, chunky scenes and that’s just exciting. I love doing that.
I feel like it was good to see Ally put under more sort of strain. And she becomes, in a way this season, much more of a vocally angry, frustrated parent/partner.
Is this a prime example of parenthood getting harder rather than easier after the ‘terrible twos’?
Yes, absolutely. It’s something I’m really aware of, because I’ve got kids who are four and seven and everyone ahead of me goes ‘Nah, you think you’re [at] the hard bit...’
There are all these phases with parenthood which are emotionally challenging.
Suddenly you’ve got these grownup, evolved, complicated, intelligent, anxious creatures, you know?
Children that you have to protect and nurture and look after.
And it requires a whole different set of skills.
Some of you might be brilliant with a baby, but you might be terrible with a teenager.
Has the show and your character taught you anything as a parent?
Parenthood keeps you on your toes. And I think this show terrifies me, because it’s always ahead of me.
I’m like, ‘Oh, is that gonna happen?’. But Ally’s very different to me, she’s much more sorted and grown up than me, really.
But I think I parent with humour, like I think Ally parents with humour. But apart from that, we’re also super different.
I try to learn from her – and also,
It’s a series that tackles topical subject matters – like the HRT (hormone replacement therapy) shortage; was the timing of that intentional?
I don’t even know if that was actually happening at the time...
I think it pre-empted it. For women, you always feel like you want to be representing something that is underrepresented.
You want to be telling a story.
I’m always excited if
I’m in a play and do something where I’m like, ‘Oh, that’s good, finally, something about that!’
But yeah, I don’t think that had happened yet – the shortage – so that feels ridiculously timely and relevant right now.
In an age of airbrushing and social media, does it feel refreshing to be a part of a show that normalises family issues?
You know, when I first got the script, I got the scene of them being really tired and fighting about who’s going to get up and deal with the awake children. And I was like, ‘this is so bang on!’ because I was literally going through that at home.
It was so nice, because I was having that thing of looking on Instagram and seeing people going, ‘oh, look at me and my baby, and my hair is all done and I look amazing!’ And I was like ‘argh!’.
[At the time] I probably looked at it and thought, ‘oh, look, they’re doing so well – and they’ve got a six pack?!’
So, I think you’ve just got to switch those things off and do your best.
He’s always keeping me on my toes because he’s so good Daisy on co-star Martin Freeman
Breeders series three starts Wednesday on Sky Comedy at 10pm and NOW