At a glance

‘ White Princess’ star captivated by acting

“The White Princess” is shown at 8 p.m. Sundays on Starz.

Acting for a living never occurred to Jodie Comer, yet the British actress knew at 13 that she loved pretending to be somebody else.

“I’d done acting at a local drama school on Saturdays,” she said during a recent interview. “I just enjoyed it. It never entered my mind that I could possibly do it for a career.”

She landed her first professional role in “The Tin Man,” a BBC radio play. Others in the production encouraged the teenager to pursue what she loved.

Now, at 24, Comer is a seasoned veteran, her talent reinforced by her current role as Princess Elizabeth of York in “The White Princess” on the premium-cable network Starz. (The drama is a prequel to “The White Queen.”)

The emotions she is able to emulate in her acting, Comer said, transfix her.

“Just being able to express myself through acting — I love that. And I think in everyday life you’re always trying to repress your emotions.”

She acknowledged feeling some intimidation in playing a role such as that of young Lizzie, who would become the mother of Henry VIII.

“You do have to challenge yourself,” the actress said. “I think scared is a good thing.”

Comer, who did well in school but grew impatient with it after she started acting, said her parents allowed her to make her own professional decisions.

“When I had to leave my old agent — I was maybe 15 — my dad was like: ‘Well, you know where the phone is. You ring her yourself. We’ll be here, but this is all yours.’ ”

Comer still lives at home with her dad, a sports therapist for a soccer club, and her mom, an office worker for Liverpool transport.