Keith-Roach. Florence

Thetwo-timeSAGAward-nominatedactress,FlorenceKeith-Roach, sits down with VIEWTIES to discuss her returning as the scheming Tatyana on Hulu’s racy royal dramaTheGreat,currentlyairingonChannel4.

As someone who's really into appreciating the actors' individualities, I found a sense of smartness in Florence, the way she plays her roles feels so unique. She and I conversate in-depth about the process of playing Tatyana and the enjoyable experienceofshootingaparticularscene.Thetalentedactressalsoremembersoneof her earlyish roles in a tiny play at school and describes the feelings that the performanceevokedinheratonly9.

As well to acting, Florence is an award-winning writer and director working across film,TVandtheatre.Sheexplainshowactinghelpedhertowriteanddirect,andthe storiesshe’skeentotell.

V: Before we dig into your performance in The Great, I would like you to take us back in time and tell us about the moment you performed for the first time. What do you remember feeling the first time you acted?

FLORENCE:WowIhavequiteabadlong-term memory, so I can’t remember the first time I acted, but rather various earlyish moments. I feellikeIwasactingallthetimeasakid,dressing up in my grandma’s clothes and performing weird little one woman shows to anyone in my family unlucky enough to be nearby But I do remember really working hard at a part in a tiny school play. I was only about 9, and the character was an American radio journalist. I remember it being hard to get her rhythm and intonation but when I did and performed it, I remember feeling this rush of adrenaline and joyatbeingabletochannelthisperson’senergy andheartheaudiencerespondtothat.

V: As well as acting, you are an award-winning writer and director working across film, TV and theatre. Which are the elements you think you add to the screen that comes from your discipline in these practices?

FLORENCE: Acting helped me write, no doubt about it. As I began just by writing dialogue that I wanted to say, relishing it. Writing words that I then acted out with friends, seeking the authenticityofthecharacters’voicesinthesamewayIdo asanactorwhenIrehearse Actingalsohelpedme direct, as I could talk to actors in a way that I felt would be helpful and clear. Directing a short film reallyhelpedmeact,aswhenyousitinanedityou realise how much flexibility you need to cut togetherthestory Somuchchangesinthe>>>

<<< edit, and it reminded me not to be too precious about my performance and to always try different things and give the director options. I findthisreallyfreeingasanactor.

V: What inspires you as a writer and director, and which are the stories you are keen to tell and explore in your writing, on-screen and as a performer?

FLORENCE: I think narrative fiction, particularly tv,isauniquespaceinwhichpeoplecanzoneinto a story and potentially see a point of view they weren’t aware of, have their minds changed, or opinions challenged, their empathy piqued or feel seenbyanothercharacter’ssharedexperience.Ina world with a lot of click bait reactivity, nuanced narrative feels very important right now, and it is whyIloveworkinginthismedium.

V: Was it hard to trust the process at the beginning of your career? Did you ever experience self-expectations or other people's expectations of you? How do you look after yourself when it comes to these negative aspects of the job?

FLORENCE: At the beginning there were many timesthatIhavethought,GodIamgoingtohave to do something else, this is too hard and I definitely felt the pressures of external ideas of what successlookslikeandwhenitshouldcomeetc.But I have lots of inspiring friends around me doing amazing things on their own terms, in their own timelines, and that helps. I think it’s really important to surround yourself with people who nourish that mindset. I have to always remind myselfthatgoodthingstaketimeandtobepatient andenjoywhereyouareat

V: In terms of acting style, I was thinking about the actors to admire and the influences that can be taken from them. How did you shape your identity to stay as authentic as possible? Do you step aside your colleagues’ methods or unify them with your style?

FLORENCE: I feel like my acting style has developed from so many influences. I’m always learningfromeveryoneIworkwith.Myfirstever professionalfilmrolewasatinypartoppositeJudi

Dench A casting director saw a play I was in and castme.IwassoexcitedIpracticedmythreelines overandover.Anditwasreallyamazingtowatch her work up close, and see how contained her performancewas,howperfectlypitcheditwasfor thecamera Ithinkanactorisalwayslearningand developingandIhopetobeluckyenoughtokeep learningandactingmywholelife.

V: Let’s talk about The Great now. What was it like to get back on set and reconnect with your character, Tatyana?

FLORENCE: Tatyana is a mean girl of 18th century Russia. She is bitchy, vain and flirtatious anditisatotaldelighttoplayher.Itwasamazing to be able to come back to a character and go deeper with her. To get to settle more into the unique tone of this show, relish the brilliant dialogueandactwithsuchanamazingcastagain.

V: What did you find fascinating to explore about her journey going on this season?

FLORENCE:Tatyanapresentsasabitbitchy,vacuousandvain.>>>

<<<Butinthisseason,youseeglimpsesofhowthis is a role she plays to survive in the mad and dangerousworldtheylive.in.Thisissointerestingto play, as women have been dumbing themselves downandplayingrolestosurviveinthepatriarchy forever Tatyana sides with terrible men in a desperate attempt to save herself and her family, whichcouldnotbemorerelevanttopoliticstoday, whenyoulookatthevotingstatsofelections.

V: You have already created this character, but I was thinking, did you need to do more research and study to get back into her head?

FLORENCE: Tony Mcnamara’s writing is incrediblyspecificandclearandthebestthingIcan do is commit to what is written on the page and play that wholeheartedly. I am always adding to Tatyana’s backstory, as I learn new information from the scripts, which are written while we are filming So, the process is more about being flexible,playfulandinventive.

V: Can you tell us about a scene you found hard to tackle or that you needed to pay more attention to do right?

FLORENCE:Lotsofscenesspringtomind.Wedo a lot of “mad” things in this show, but obviously this is the normal, “mad” world in which our characters exist so it has to be played straight. I have to kill someone with a saw in this season, so you know, making sure I really understood how Tatyana feels about this and how she would approach doing something like this, was a very enjoyableprocess.

V: In what ways would you say The Great has helped you as an artist?

FLORENCE: In many many ways. The cast on this show are incredible. I was a fan of their worklongbeforeworkingwiththem.So,getting to act opposite them and play off their inventiveness is such a joy and teaches me so much The scripts are brilliant, and that just elevates everything and everyone and teaches me what greatdialoguecandoandhowtobestservethat. TheGreatisalsoahugeandfastpacedshowand ithastaughtmehowtobringyourbestworkto this kind of environment. As an artist it’s a very invigoratingwaytowork,youhavetobenimble, playfulandfocussed.

V: Before we wrap this interview, I want to ask you something that’s been in my mind lately that I feel some actors struggle with; I’m talking about respect. In your opinion, what is to be respected as an actor?

FLORENCE:Ithinkrespectasanactorformeis being made to feel like your opinion on your character, their journey, matters. Actors have so many great insights about the parts they play and though ultimately it is the writer/ director/ show runner’s vision, feeling like your voice is being heardisawonderfulthing.

V: This last question is a little bit personal to me, as my nationality is Argentinian; I like to ask the people I interview what they know about the country, you know, its art and culture. So, I was wondering, have you ever seen or experienced any type of art/ culture from Argentina?

FLORENCE:IreallylovedWildTalesbyDamián Szifron.