Kate O'Flynn on Everybody Else Burns, her "quiet year" and why awards "don't matter"

She has also appeared in three Mike Leigh films: Happy-Go-Lucky, Peterloo and Mr Turner.

How does it feel to be nominated?

I’m so thrilled! I got a call from my agent saying, “Have you heard the news?” And I was like, “What news?” It’s been a whirlwind.

Has your agent’s phone been ringing off the hook since?

Honestly, I have had such a quiet year of nothing. Then, I suddenly got a job in America. Then, I heard about this. It’s like, you wait ages on a bus and then two come at once. I’ll probably be at the next bus stop for a while, too. But I’ll enjoy the journey in between.

Your character, Fiona, in Everyone Else Burns is a wife, a mother, a puritanical Christian and potentially an apostate. Tell us about her.

Fiona’s been a subservient, repressed wife (to Simon Bird’s David) for almost 20 years, so when she starts questioning the Order that’s ruled her life there’s a lot simmering underneath for her. And in that world, the stakes are really high. It’s literally: are you going to burn in hell or are you going to be saved? That makes for a great magnifying glass for what are universal issues – and it’s all done with a lightness of touch and sharp, quick writing.

Do awards matter?

It’s lovely to get the nomination, and they’re lovely to win, but they don’t matter. Every actor wants it, and we’d be lying if we said we didn’t, but it’s not why we do it. Days like today are a cherry on top. I get to wear a fabulous gown, be made up, and chat to you. All of this is a gift.

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Everyone Else Burns is available to stream on Channel 4.

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