The Herald - The Herald Magazine
5 MINUTES WITH... BREEDERS’ DAISY HAGGARD
Sky Original drama Breeders returns with a third series. Starring Daisy Haggard and Bafta-winning actor Martin Freeman 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. Danielle de Wolfe sits down with Haggard, 44, to learn more.
DOES MARTIN FREEMAN ACTING AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CHANGE THE ACTING DYNAMIC?
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 really, which is lovely.
WERE YOU ABLE TO EXPLORE ANOTHER SIDE OF YOUR CHARACTER?
I have lots of big juicy stuff this season. Although there’s lots of crying and 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 she becomes, in a way this season, much more of a vocally angry, frustrated parent-slash-partner.
IS THIS PARENTHOOD GETTING HARDER AFTER THE ‘TERRIBLE TWOS’?
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 grown-up, evolved, complicated, intelligent, anxious creatures. Children that you have to protect and nurture. And it requires a whole different set of skills. Some of you might be brilliant with a baby, but terrible with a teenager.
HAVE THE SHOW 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. But I think I parent with humour, like I think Ally parents with humour. I try to learn from her – and also, just teasing your kids and getting them to laugh at themselves. I think she’s quite good like that.
THE SERIES TACKLES THE HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY SHORTAGE?
I don’t even know if that was actually happening at the time... I think it pre-empted it. And for women, you always feel like you want to be representing something that is underrepresented. I don’t think that had happened yet – the shortage – so that feels ridiculously timely and relevant right now.
DOES IT FEEL GOOD TO BE A PART OF A SHOW THAT NORMALISES FAMILY ISSUES?
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 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 ‘AGH !!!!!! ’
Sky Original Breeders series 3 starts Wednesday July 13 on Sky Comedy and NOW