Jessica Brown Findlay
Jessica Brown Findlay
Jessica Rose Brown Findlay is an English actress, best known for playing Lady Sybil Crawley in the ITV series Downton Abbey and Emelia Conan Doyle in the British comedy-drama film Albatross. In 2014, she starred as Beverly Penn in the film adaptation of the Mark Helprin novel Winter's Tale. The following year, she co-starred in Paul McGuigan's Victor Frankenstein...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionActress
Date of Birth14 September 1989
ballet break dancer fell love mum trained
I trained as a ballet dancer and fell in love with Rudolf Nureyev; I thought him the most beautiful creature. My mum had to break it to me that not only was he gay, but he was dead.
episodes roles series
The first episodes I actually read for 'Downton,' Sybil was really intimidated and hadn't come into her own. So it's only in Series Two that she's become so headstrong. In general, I find it exciting to play strong, female roles because they're shocking.
ballet both close dancer love meant till trained
I trained as a ballet dancer till I was 18, so I would really like to get back to it. I'd love it if there was a part that meant I could do both acting and ballet, as they're both so close to my heart.
africa experience extreme half lots months mud south sword work
We filmed 'Labyrinth' in South Africa for two and a half months and it was just the most unbelievable experience. Lots of sword fighting, mud in hair and lots of weeping! It's very different from 'Downton' because I was going to work and having mud put in my hair - it's the other extreme of the look!
righteous ifs knows
I don't know if I'm so righteous.
ankles three problem
Unfortunately I had an ankle problem and underwent three operations.
strong roles female
I'm really into strong, female roles - but they don't have to necessarily be loud - I'm just as interested in introverts too.
two eight dancer
I trained as a ballet dancer - well, I started when I was two and a half, and was serious about it from when I was eight until I was 18.
ipods kind endless
I have endless playlists on my iPod so will throw on, say, Bruce Springsteen or The Smiths, depending on what kind of day I'm going to have.
acting emotion adore
The thing I adore about acting is that it's not me: you get to experience all these emotions, but essentially it's not you.
book laughing stories
Ever since I was young, I've read Austen and the Brontes. My friends laugh, but those books are always so tragic and wonderful - those stories, they're just incredible.
numbers three goes-on
Before I go on stage, I knock three times. Three is my lucky number; I once went into an audition and was number 333 and got the best part ever.
jobs character work-out
On the surface, it's really easy to dismiss certain characters, but sometimes you find that the most interesting parts are disappointingly shallow. It's your job as an actress to pull that person apart, and work out why they act the way that they do.
jobs attitude thinking
I just really think every job I do, I get this gypsy attitude to money.