NEW: Jemima Interview with Express
Indian Summers actress Jemima West: Alice has to decide what she wants to do
Ask what Indian Summers star Jemima West misses most when she’s on location and the actress, who spends six months a year in the sweltering Malaysian heat, doesn’t hesitate.
“I miss fresh air, wearing a coat and feeling the breeze in the evening,” sighs London-based Jemima. “In Penang, the sun sets and rises at the same time every day, but I do miss the seasons. There’s something quite comforting about it.”
With the second series of the 1930s-set drama on our screens and Jemima now back in the UK, she admits she’s relishing the simple joys of home.
“I’m enjoying the cold and wearing multiple layers,” laughs the 28 year old. That said, Jemima is quick to lavish praise on the series and feels privileged to be a part of it.
“I feel incredibly lucky and I really hope it will be renewed for a third. I’d like to delve deeper into the character of my character, Alice Whelan – even if the heat doesn’t get any easier to handle!”
The toughest scene to shoot this time round was the finale where things between Alice and her husband Charlie Havistock (Blake Ritson) come to a dramatic head. Careful not to give any spoilers, she’s only at liberty to say that temperatures soared to 100-plus degrees and they were in a car which, true to the period, had no air conditioning.
“People in the crew were fainting because it was so hot, so I’m proud we got through that,” says Jemima, who has been acting professionally since the age of 12 and came to fame in The Borgias TV series and The Mortal Instruments movie.
The heat aside, she loves playing feisty Alice. In the first series, believing her husband to be dead, we saw her arrive in India with her young son in tow to start a new life. She fell for Parsi clerk Aafrin (Nikesh Patel) but her still-alive husband has now turned up and he’s up to all sorts of manipulative tricks.
So she’s trying to live her relationship as freely as possible while very much treading on eggshells,” Jemima explains of where we find Alice this weekend. “She’s constantly being spied upon by Charlie, or rather he’s paid the housemaid to spy on her.”
In tomorrow’s episode, Alice finally decides to take a stand against her abusive husband because, the actress explains, “She’s at a turning point where she has to decide what she wants to do, because this can’t go on much longer.”
This year has seen new additions to the cast like Muriel’s Wedding star Rachel Griffiths as the Maharaja’s mistress Sirene. Jemima is a fan of the Australian actress, though doesn’t get much screen time with her.
“But she seemed to be enjoying herself and it’s nice when you have actors come in who’ve seen the show and want to be a part of it. It makes you feel you’re involved in a fantastic piece of work and it’s flattering that others want to come on board.”
She does, however, have more scenes with Julie Walters, who is back as formidable British Club proprietor Cynthia Coffin. “You can tell she’s having fun and loves her job,” the younger star says of the multiple Bafta winner. “She’s uplifting to be around.”
Jemima is happy flitting between period and contemporary dramas. “I like doing contemporary stuff because I love wearing jeans,” she laughs. “But with period dramas you get to dive into a different world.”
INDIAN SUMMERS, SUNDAY, 9PM, CHANNEL 4
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