FROM WALLFLOWER TO STEELY PROFESSIONAL
FOR A while, says fellow actress, comedian and writer Dawn French, theirs was an unequal friendship. She recalls: “Vic had a very big issue with trusting people and I certainly had to pass a lot of tests and I had to be persistent. It was a bit one- sided for quite a long time.” Gradually they formed a bond over shared anxieties about motherhood: “She was one of the few friends who absolutely admitted she didn’t know what she was up to. She listened for hours to me talking about my fears. She was discreet and understanding and quite wise and said things that were helpful.” It was a different story when they worked together on the Red Nose Day sketch in 1995. Dawn, who knew of Victoria’s shyness at social gatherings, was suddenly exposed to her steely professionalism: “She was absolutely directing it word for word. It wasn’t like a relaxed collaboration where we threw some ideas around.”