Born in Dublin, Philippa Dunne, 44, trained at the Gaiety School of Acting and co-founded a comedy group called Diet of Worms. Her TV work includes Derry Girls and This Is Going to Hurt. Since 2016, she has played Anne Flynn in the BBC sitcom Motherland and its spin-off, Amandaland, now in its second series; her performance won her a Bafta nomination this year. She is married with a daughter and lives in London.
Interview with Philippa Dunne
When were you happiest? Any time I’m in rehearsals.
What is your greatest fear? I’ve a phobia of statues. It does go back to childhood. My parents brought me to look at a French church late at night. Since then I can’t deal with them.
What is your earliest memory? Being about two and a half and drawing stick men on little wooden blocks with a blue marker. I thought this was the best idea and why hadn’t someone thought of doing it already.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself? Laziness.
What is the trait you most deplore in others? Narcissism.
Aside from property, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought? A wedding ring.
Describe yourself in three words Funny Irish woman.
What makes you unhappy? How cruel humans can be.
What do you most dislike about your appearance? I’m trying not to focus on disliking anything about my appearance.
What is your most unappealing habit? Negativity.
What scares you about getting older? Becoming invisible.
Who is your celebrity crush? Keanu Reeves for ever!
What did you want to be when you were growing up? An actor. I watched a lot of TV because we lived in the countryside and the weather was so bad.
What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you? Someone once saw me in a play and said that I was disgusting.
Would you choose fame or anonymity? Whatever the middle ground is.
What is your guiltiest pleasure? Reality TV.
To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why? My mother, because when I’m stressed, I can be really horrible to her.
What has been your biggest disappointment? I started my career not getting jobs, but then you learn that 95% of this job is not getting jobs, and you just have to make peace with it.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life? If I needed less sleep.
What has been your closest brush with the law? I am a very compliant personality, but I did get brought into the headteacher’s office in school for screaming because there was a bird in the classroom. That was my closest brush with “the law”.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you? You are your own greatest asset.
What happens when we die? You go home.
Tell us a secret I’m obsessed with cats – cat videos, talking to any cat I meet in the street. Asking people about cats: can I see a picture of your cat, do you want to see a picture of my cat? I like them a lot.
