Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and Lesley Nicol is proof of the fact that sometimes the tortoise – although slow off the mark and taking its own sweet time to build up a head of steam – can overtake the hare on the home straight to win the gold medal.
At the age of 66, the veteran actress is smashing it both personally and professionally.
She’s happily married to a ninja (true story, more of that later) and starring in both the upcoming Downton Abbey feature film, plus ITV’s sumptuous new series, Beecham House.
‘There’s no question that my life gets better with age,’ agrees Lesley.
‘I’ve always been a slow developer in every way, but thankfully a lot of great things have come along for me as I’ve got older.
'I’m blessed to be busy doing two great acting jobs at the same time, and to have found someone as special as my husband.
'My life has been transformed.’
Having recently finished filming Beecham House in India, Lesley is resplendent in a three-quarter-length green and blue coat, made in Jaipur from fine fabrics.
But she has a confession to make, ‘I actually bought it in Los Angeles, which is daft because I could have got it for a fraction of the cost in India.’
Quick to smile, friendly and endearingly honest, Lesley is savouring success in the autumn of her career, as she openly admits she was hamstrung by extreme introversion during her childhood and early adult years.
‘I was cripped with shyness,’ Lesley confides.
‘It was awful because I would dread any kind of situation where I had to mingle with other people.
'I was sent to an all-girls boarding school, which was soul-destroying and a kind of torment for me.
'I was just homesick the whole time.’
So how did she end up on TV?
‘I think I was destined to become an actor, not only because my mum Sue was on television in the north-west as a supporting artist, but also because drama was the only thing I was good at.
'Acting gave me permission to be someone else.’
Leaving Manchester, Lesley enrolled in the Guildhall School Of Music & Drama, where she was happy to find herself surrounded by like-minded misfits and quirky creatives.
After graduating, she slowly started to establish herself as a versatile performer on TV (The Practice, Heartbeat, The Bill), stage (Mamma Mia!) and in films (East Is East).
But Lesley had to wait until 2010 for the role that would finally catapult her to global fame – being cast as cook Beryl Patmore in Downton Abbey.
Lesley was a popular mainstay of the most successful British costume drama series this century for all 52 episodes.
‘Downton has been the best job of my life,’ she says.
‘And it came along at a time when many people were telling me I wouldn’t get any good acting roles at my age.’
The doomsayers were also adamant that Lesley had left it too late to find herself a nice chap to settle down with.
Needless to say, she once again silenced the Negative Nancys.
‘I was told I’d never meet anyone and that I was on the scrapheap,’ Lesley remembers.
‘But I was 51 when I met Da’aboth, who I’ve now been married to for 12 years.
'I’d never met anyone like him before.
'He’s a reiki master and a martial arts expert.
'Da’abs trained with a ninja master in Japan. We’ve got swords all over the place at home, and occasionally he wears a suit of armour!’
So what is the secret to their success?
‘We’re a team,’ she explains.
‘Da’abs makes me feel safe and is very laid-back, while I can sometimes be bossy and like to take the initiative – maybe that’s a female thing?
'We’re very different people, but we totally accept each other and he’s an absolute godsend to me.’
Downton’s enormous popularity in America has allowed Lesley the opportunity to live and work Stateside.
She has a home in Studio City, Los Angeles, which she shares with Da’aboth and their beloved dogs, Bertie the Tibetan terrier and Freddie the poodle.
‘When Downton was on TV I spent the winters in LA,’ Lesley says.
‘Little by little I picked up acting work there, so when Downton finished in 2015 we got our Green Cards.
'We’ve been living in California as resident aliens permanently for three years now.
'It’s been an adventure – we love walking our dogs on Malibu beach, having friends over for dinner, or even just sitting in the garden watching the hummingbirds peck at our feeders.’
Isn’t it a strain living between two countries, though?
‘There has been a lot of flying back and forth between London for the Downton movie, India for Beecham House and back home to LA.
'People ask if I get exhausted, but I can’t believe my luck to work on a primetime TV series and a feature film.
'What could be wrong with that, for God’s sake?
'It’s my idea of heaven.
'I’m a bit dependent on acting for my own happiness, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, but I just love my job and get miserable when I’m not working.’
When it comes to regrets, Lesley doesn’t have many and, typically, is already looking for exciting new challenges and ways to re-invent herself as she heads towards her 70s.
‘I’m sad that my mother didn’t live long enough to see my success, and my father Russell died the year before Downton started,’ she says.
‘I don’t have children, but I do have a maternal energy and I think Da’abs could have been a lovely dad.
'Maybe I’ll have kids in the next life.’
So what’s next?
‘I still have unfulfilled ambitions.
'I’m developing an autobiographical one-woman show, and I’d love to act in a contemporary drama.
'Can I be in Line Of Duty or Killing Eve , please?’
Frankly, only a fool would bet against her.
- Lesley stars in Beecham House, which starts tonight on ITV, 9pm
Beecham House - the new Downton Abbey
I
n Beecham House, Lesley plays Henrietta Beecham, an upper-middle class snob who’s fiercely protective of her rich trader son John (Tom Bateman).
The lavish period drama has already been labelled ‘Downton in India’.
‘People are comparing it, yes, because there’s a grand house with servants and people upstairs in both shows,’ Lesley concedes.
‘Another lovely link is that one of my co-stars, Bessie Carter, is the daughter of my dear friend Jim Carter, who of course plays Carson in Downton.’
How do you spend your Sunday?
■ What’s your favourite Sunday?
If I’m in California, my husband and I might drive out to Santa Barbara, hop on a boat and watch whales and dolphins swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Back in London my favourite thing is to meet friends for Sunday lunch.
■ Hungover or fresh as a daisy?
Hangovers get progressively worse with age. I do enjoy a glass of wine, but my days of getting wasted are long gone. I did Dry January for the first time this year and it was fine.
■ Up with the lark or lazy lie-in?
I don’t set the alarm clock for the early hours unless I’m working. I’m a pretty good sleeper, whereas my husband likes to get up early and take the dogs for a walk at 6am with all the other rise-and-shine people. I’ll only join him under duress – in fact, I think I’ve only ever been once!
■ Pub lunch or home-cooked roast?
I enjoy both, but would probably opt for a home-cooked dinner. I’m vegan, so Da’abs made me a delicious lentil loaf with gravy. I tried it myself a few weeks later and it was really rubbish! But I can bake a nice cake.
■ Movie night at the cinema or box set at home?
I get invited to a lot of film screenings in LA, so I go to watch more movies than ever before in my life. But I can’t bear people chatting during a movie – it fills me with rage.
