Ashley Jensen Q&A - Radio Times, December 2005

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Ashley Jensen Q&A - Radio Times, December 2005

Benji Wilson chatted to the Extras actress ahead of the British Comedy Awards - she went on to win both her categories.

BW: Congratulations! You're up for two gongs at the British Comedy Awards - best TV comedy actress and best newcomer.

AJ: I know. How exciting is that?

Rewind a year - would you ever have expected it?

No! I was a huge fan of Ricky [Gervais], and so I feel I got the prize by getting the job, to be honest.

Have you been to many of these awards ceremonies before?

I've never been to anything. I'm imagining it's one big party, everybody loves each other and then somebody throws a handbag at somebody and gets drunk and throws champagne over somebody else. So I'm looking forward to watching a bit of that. But [puts on voice], "I'm just very happy to be nominated." I did the job, I'm doing a second series and anything else is a bonus.

Do you think Samuel L Jackson, Kate Winslet and Ben Stiller will turn up for support?

Maybe not. They'll be scared to be usurped by Ricky and me because they're not up for anything!

Losers. Who was the best megastar to work with?

It all felt a bit surreal. Especially with Samuel L Jackson, because that was our first day of shooting. Going in the car in the morning I thought 'I can't afford to think about the reality - but it's Samuel L Jackson'.

So - who's going to guest in the next series?

You know as much as I do! I did hear all the stuff about the G8, though.

What was that?

You know - at G8 in the summer. Did Madonna not come up to Ricky?… Do you know what I said? "The G8"! It was Live8! That was a Maggie-ism, wasn't it?

Which guests would you have on Extras if you could?

Someone like Robert De Niro. His career's taken a comedy turn like Dustin Hoffman's. To have these iconic actors would be cool.

Wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Well, they're all mates of Ben Stiller and he was in it. He was brilliant. He just flew with it. There was a point where Ricky and I were standing there dressed as Bosnians and we looked at each other and Ricky went to me, "That's Ben Stiller. What's he doing here?" I was the same. "Ben? Stiller?"

Will Maggie and Andy ever get it together?

I think it's nice that they haven't. It's almost expected that they will, but it's about a real friendship, and that's what makes it quite interesting.

Which in turn raises one final question: have you confronted the prospect that you might have to snog Ricky Gervais?

Ha ha ha ha! Well, I'd be quite happy - he's an iconic comedy hero.

He may be that, but he's no Brad Pitt.

Listen. It's not about looks. If a man can make you laugh…

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Read our Ashley Jensen interview - or take a look at our full Extras guide.

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