Lesley Sharp speaks!

What drew you to Red Eye?

Aside from the fact that I thought [my character] Delaney was really compelling, the script was a real page turner, so I was intrigued by what was going to happen next. I thought it was really audacious – individuals in mortal terror, unable to escape because they’re 30,000 feet above ground.

Are you fascinated by the security services, like so many of us?

Yes, absolutely. Every time I drive over Vauxhall Bridge, I have a look at that MI6 building and I wonder what’s going on in there. I love John le Carré’s Smiley books, Slow Horses on Apple TV – I’m really heavily invested in that genre. I was super-happy to be asked to play the head of MI5.

Is it fun to play a woman who seems so utterly capable and in control?

Totally. It is amazing to play people who have exactly the right riposte at the right moment, or make the right decision, or even just manage to take a breath before they respond. Don’t we all wish that we could be like that?

What were the biggest challenges for you in making this drama?

I think, after the read-through, it was difficult to say goodbye to all the colleagues who were going off to shoot the plane sequences. We then had a very concentrated period later on where we shot all of the MI5 scenes back to back. Eventually, the characters do all come together, so I did actually get to spend time with Jing [Lusi] and Richard [Armitage].

What inspires you about new projects at this point of your career – are you looking for strong female characters like Delaney to play?

I think the optimum place for any actor is that they get offered a full range of characters to investigate. I think describing female characters as “strong” is kind of outdated now – and I don’t really know what that means. I prefer the prefix “three-dimensional” or “complex”.