{"id":20233,"date":"2022-08-13T10:00:47","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T08:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1693563"},"modified":"2022-08-13T10:34:15","modified_gmt":"2022-08-13T08:34:15","slug":"laura-carmichael-on-moving-from-downton-abbey-to-the-secrets-she-keeps","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/laura-carmichael-on-moving-from-downton-abbey-to-the-secrets-she-keeps\/","title":{"rendered":"Laura Carmichael on moving from Downton Abbey to The Secrets She Keeps"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Kelly Anne Taylor\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 13 August 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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This interview was originally published in Radio Times magazine<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Laura Carmichael\u2019s latest BBC thriller is a far cry from Downton Abbey<\/a>, with opulent period costume and pristine lacquered curls exchanged for modern-day dress and an unkempt bob. Gone are the backdrops of English stately homes, replaced by an Australian suburb. Carmichael plays Agatha \u2013 a complicated 30-something who strikes up an unlikely friendship with yummy-mummy influencer Meghan (Jessica De Gouw).<\/p>\n

In series 1, the pair bond over their pregnancies \u2013 but, as the title forebodingly suggests, a dark secret turns their relationship on its head. The series culminates with Agatha behind bars, charged with the abduction of Meghan\u2019s newborn.<\/p>\n

The much-anticipated second series picks up several months later, centring on Agatha\u2019s trial, while Meghan and her family are still navigating the repercussions of the kidnapping.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a world away from the crinolines and canape\u0301s of Downton Abbey, where Carmichael\u2019s role of Lady Edith Crawley has cemented her as a star of British TV, and more recently on the big screen in the franchise\u2019s two hit films. After such a career-defining role, has she found it difficult to escape the clutches of typecasting?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t control what other people think of you,\u201d she says. \u201cI enjoy a challenge and I\u2019m keen to try on different hats. When you do something for a long time, things become comfortable \u2013 you want to push yourself. I\u2019m also conscious that if people have enjoyed watching you in something, that\u2019s a complete privilege. It\u2019s been such a gift being in Downton. It\u2019s opened so many doors. If another period drama came across my desk\u2026 if I loved the script, I wouldn\u2019t be too nervous of entering that world. But at the moment I\u2019m drawn to things that feel different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hence The Secrets She Keeps<\/a>, with its troubled but resourceful protagonist Agatha keeping audiences guessing right through the first series and now its follow-up.<\/p>\n

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Laura Carmichael and Jessica De Gouw in The Secrets She Keeps<\/span><\/figcaption> BBC\/Lingo Pictures Pty Ltd\/Create NSW\/Screen Australia<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

\u201cAgatha is a very complicated character,\u201d says Carmichael. \u201cThere was the opportunity to play with the fun of a thriller \u2013 for an audience, not knowing where their allegiances should lie or who to sympathise with. For me, the most important thing is feeling like this is a world or context or character that is 3D. It felt like something that I could dive deep into.\u201d<\/p>\n

The series taps into a televisual zeitgeist \u2013 dark thrillers and true crime are on the up. Perhaps the aspect that most distinguishes The Secrets She Keeps is that it\u2019s led by two women, both grappling with the relationship between womanhood and motherhood.<\/p>\n

It also highlights the gap between lives: glossy public versus complicated private. \u201cThe series works around themes that are universal,\u201d agrees Carmichael. \u201cWomen presenting as perfect, then having their worlds crashing down.\u201d<\/p>\n