As soon as the script for Living — a flick that focuses on a veteran civil servant who receives a medical diagnosis that inspires him to make the most out of his remaining days — came across Aimee Lou Wood‘s lap, she knew she had to be cast in it.
During lockdown, the actress was sent the script and later on, she did three tapes in total. “It seemed to come at the time I needed it most,” the 28-year-old exclusively tells GRAZIA USA. “I was so moved by it. I thought it was so beautiful and true. I couldn’t wait to act out the scenes. Sometimes you read something and you’re like, ‘How am I going to make this?’ You have to figure it out before you do it, but with this, I was so excited because I knew who Margaret Harris was.”
In the film — which is a remake of the 1952 Japanese film Ikiru, which translates to “To Live” — the blonde beauty takes on the role of Margaret, a spirited young woman who works alongside Mr. Williams (played by Bill Nighy) as he deals with his terminal cancer diagnosis. The two connect and begin a friendship that changes their lives. “I knew what the story was because it’s such amazing writing,” Wood gushes.
Then, when Wood found out Nighy would be playing Mr. Williams, she was adamant that this role was made for her. However, due to the pandemic, it took a long time until Wood and Nighy were on set together. “There was a big gap between getting the part and filming. I had a lot of time to sit with the story and the character, so by the time I got to it, I felt like I really knew her. I felt very familiar with her and the story.”
Of course, getting to be in the presence of Nighy, 73, is something the Sex Education star will never forget. “The first time we met was right before we started filming,” she recalls. “We all went out for lunch with the producer and director. The whole time I was like, ‘I cannot believe that is Bill Nighy.’ He’s sitting there telling these stories, and I took it all in. But then when we were acting together, he was so transformative in this role, which made me feel like I was so in the story. I would kind of forget that it was Bill. He’s the most charismatic, fun, cheeky man, and he’s so kind. I’ve adored him from afar since I was a kid. I have to say, it’s probably the most surreal thing thus far in my career.”
While filming, Wood was going through some personal things, and the British actor couldn’t have been more supportive. “He’s an amazing person. I love him so much. Every now and then I am like,’ Bill Nighy is my friend.’ It’s very cool,” she quips.
Along the way, Wood picked up some tips and tricks from Love Actually alum. “He barely talks about acting, which I find really refreshing,” she shares. “We spoke about life way more. He also knows everyone’s names on set — that’s a lot of people! I saw that as a good quality to have. He also doesn’t compromise his integrity while being extremely open and honest. He’s the kind of actor I want to be and the kind of person I want to be. He surpassed anything I could have expected.”
Not only is Wood excited for more people to see Living, but she’s found success with Netflix’s series Sex Education, even going on to be nominated for a BAFTA award for the second time for her performance as Aimee Gibbs (yes, she and her character have the same name.) “It’s quite mind-blowing,” she says of the show becoming a bonafide hit. “This sounds very cheesy, but the best part has been the people I’ve met and the connections I’ve made. We’ll always be connected because it was pretty much everyone’s first job and we went through this experience of it becoming so big. We all have deep friendships because of that.”
Season 4 of Sex Education is officially underway, but there are some changes, as four cast members — Patricia Allison (Ola), Rakhee Thakrar (Emily Sands), Tanya Reynolds (Lily), and Simone Ashley (Olivia) — revealed they will not be returning. “We really miss the people who have left, but it does feel very new, which isn’t a bad thing,” she says. “The characters are also feeling stretched because they’re at a new school — particularly Aimee because she doesn’t have a boyfriend for the first time ever, and her best friend Maeve Wiley (played by Emma Mackey) is in the U.S. She’s pretty much alone for the first time in a very, very, very long time, but she does have some realizations from that alone time which are really valuable. She’s always felt like the best friend or the girlfriend and was a little self-conscious about how her brain works differently than other people’s.”
“But Aimee has a unique brain, and this season is about her discovering that and realizing she’s got a s**tload to say,” she adds.
It’s unclear how much longer Sex Education will continue for, but Wood is grateful for getting to play Aimee. “This is the fourth year I’ve spent playing her, and it’s exciting to see where the story goes and what layers are going to be shown each season,” she explains. “As an actor, that’s very exciting because you get to go so deep on this character. That’s a joy as an actor.”
The cherry on top of it all is that Wood’s acting skills have been praised by many people in the industry, cementing her star status in Hollywood.
After getting the news she was nominated for her BAFTA, she says she “never expected” that to happen. “I won the first year and that was just unreal,” she notes, referring to taking home the award for Best Female Performance In A Comedy Programme at the 2021 BAFTAs. “I was like, ‘That’s done and will never happen again.’ Then when I got the second nomination, I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ I don’t want to overthink it, though, and I want to focus on telling the story. It’s a lovely accomplishment, but I am not taking it too seriously.”
In the meantime, Wood — who will also star with Nicola Coughlan and Lolly Adefope in the comedy Seize Them — is soaking up this glorious time in her life. “I am trying to take it all in, breathe, enjoy it,” she states. “I’m working on that. I’m also doing some writing and writing my own TV show and that’s really great. I originally wanted to be a writer, so that’s been wonderful — and I really want to go back on stage! I want to do theater.”
Sounds like sky is the limit!
Living will release in the U.S. on Friday, December 23.
