THE GRITTY GO-GETTER

Saffron Hocking, 28, appeared in the TV series White Gold and London

Kills. She plays Lauryn in the Netflix series Top Boy

At the end of season three of

Top Boy, your character was fleeing for her life. Did you have to keep her return a secret?

Yes, we had to keep the news I’d be back under wraps for a long time. Before Top Boy, the worst problems any of my characters had were cheeky affairs; with this I really had to dig deep. Before a scene I’d lock myself away and listen to really sad music – no Rihanna! My mum’s Nigerian, my dad’s Cornish and I was brought up in London, so Top Boy [set on an estate in Hackney] reflects the diverse London I know.

Did you always want to act?

I asked my mum this recently and she said, ‘Yes. You never shut up!’

What’s one thing that might surprise people about you?

I nursed a fox back to health. He approached me in the garden looking very malnourished. I started feeding him and bought him a hut for when it got cold.

What are you up to now?

I’m filming an ITV drama called Riches. It’s the UK’s answer to Succession.