Heida Reed

Would it be fair to say Poldark felt like a breakthrough moment for you?

In some ways I guess. If not, then at least a great stepping stone towards that moment.

“She always has to do the right thing, even when it’s not what’s in her heart.”

With Elizabeth, there’s a sense of duty pulling against emotion. Did you relate to that at all?

I can relate to the fact that she’s a bit of a slave to her own conscience. She seems to feel like she always has to do the right thing even though that might not necessarily be what’s in her heart. Not that I don’t follow my own heart, but I think a lot of her choices come down to the time she lives in. It was very different, especially for women.

You grew up in Iceland and then moved to the UK. How different did that feel culturally?

No. None. Maybe the weather sometimes. There’s a very different mentality and manner in British and Icelandic people — Brits are in general quite traditional and extremely polite, whereas Icelandic people can be incredibly fiery and blunt, and they don’t know how to queue.

“Icelandic people can be incredibly fiery and blunt.”

What first made you want to become an actress?

Telling stories. Captivating an audience. It is truly all about the audience. I just felt euphoric whenever I went to the theatre, and I wanted to be able to make someone feel the same one day, if possible.

Stage or screen — where do you feel most alive as an actor?

The two are so different it’s impossible to compare, but there’s nothing like being on stage and connecting with the audience and your fellow actors in the moment.

When Poldark became such a global success, did that surprise you at all?

Well, we knew we had definitely filmed something special, and there was a certain anticipation of it being a hit because of the previous adaptation in the 70s, but no one really dared let their imagination run too far before it came out. Personally, it managed to live up to mine, so I’m incredibly grateful.

“There’s nothing like being on stage and connecting with the audience.”

How do you keep positive with all the highs and lows of acting?

The love of the work, the self-belief that you possess the talent needed and that you deserve your place in this industry, the success of your peers, and stories from colleagues who have struggled for years before they found their place — all of these things and more keep you going, but mostly it’s faith, faith in yourself.

If you could give any career advice to someone struggling to break into acting right now, what would you say?

First of all be honest with yourself. You have to recognise your own skill, and then you have to listen to the professionals around you. If they recognise it too, you are on the right path. After that it comes down to how much you want it. If this is all you see yourself doing, you will prevail. In the meantime, remember why you got into it in the first place — because you love it. Read, write, take classes, and not for any benefit other than the joy of doing what you love.

“Mostly it’s faith in yourself.”

Do you believe in learning from everything, or do you ever look back with regret?

I never regret the things I’ve done, only the things I didn’t do. Mostly I’ve done things exactly because I know I’d regret it if I didn’t. No matter how it turns out, you will always learn from it in the end and you won’t be plagued with the thought of “what if”. I don’t know if everything we do is for a reason — sometimes it’s just an impulse — but I guess that’s reason enough.

Heida Reed is an Icelandic actress best known for her role as Elizabeth in Poldark.

---

Interview by Carl Marsh