Jessica Gunning talks magical new role and fielding Baby Reindeer questions: "I do wash a lot!"
‘It changed my view of washing,’ says the Magic Faraway Tree star.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.
The clue is in the name, but what can you tell us about Dame Washalot?
She really is what she says on the tin! She washes all of the inhabitants of The Faraway Tree’s clothes. It’s a big performance! But you don’t want to go too big. I had to root it in the reality of a magical tree…
Do kids change the energy on set?
Yeah! Me and Dustin Demri-Burns, who plays Saucepan Man, would improvise a bit of flirting. He had this thing where one of the saucepans on his head spun around and I was like, “Hello, saucy!” and then you realise, “Oh hold on, this might not work because this is a kids movie!” The children were around and they were like, ‘Ew, gross!’
How did you find going from Baby Reindeer to a big colourful film like this?
I went from doing all of the Baby Reindeer promotion into this, so there was a bit of whiplash, but it was also magical. I had to do some interviews and the first question was, “Has playing this role changed how you feel about washing clothes?” I was like, “Wow, deep questions!”
Has Baby Reindeer’s success changed you?
I don’t think it’s changed me as a person. But it’s meant that I’m meeting more people and having opportunities like this come along that perhaps wouldn’t have if I hadn’t had Baby Reindeer.
A theme of this film is the impact screens have on kids. What are your thoughts?
It’s so easy to be like, “Oh, I wouldn’t give my kids screens” but I’ve looked after my friends’ kids who were having a meltdown and I’ve literally got my phone out straight away! Every child is different.
And finally… do you wash a lot?
I do wash a lot! It did change my view of washing clothes! Because on set, there were these soap flakes and you can use them in real life. So now I’ll pop some in the wash if I’m feeling daring.
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Authors
Stephen Kelly is a freelance culture and science journalist. He oversees BBC Science Focus's Popcorn Science feature, where every month we get an expert to weigh in on the plausibility of a newly released TV show or film. Beyond BBC Science Focus, he has written for such publications as The Guardian, The Telegraph, The I, BBC Culture, Wired, Total Film, Radio Times and Entertainment Weekly. He is a big fan of Studio Ghibli movies, the apparent football team Tottenham Hotspur and writing short biographies in the third person.
