Amandaland's Lucy Punch's life off-screen from losing out on TV role to children
Amandaland, featuring Amanda (portrayed by Lucy Punch) as a recently divorced mother navigating her new life and raising her teenage children, is set to air on BBC One at 9pm on February 5. .
Born in Hammersmith, London, 47 year old Lucy's parents ran a market research company. She attended private school and briefly studied at University College London before deciding to pursue acting.
Lucy made her acting debut in 1998 with an episode of The New Adventures of Robin Hood, later appearing in Doc Martin and Are You Ready For Love?. She was initially cast as Deena Pilgrim, the female lead in the TV pilot Powers, but was eventually replaced.
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Susan Heyward ended up playing the role. Originally intended for FX, the pilot became the first original television series for the PlayStation Network.
After the network change led to several main roles being recast, including Lucy's, she landed the role of Amanda in Motherland.
She was known to have been in a relationship with actor and film director James D'Arcy for several years after they met on the set of the TV movie Come Together in 2002.
In 2015, she welcomed her first child, a son named Rex, and shared the story behind his name during a chat with Conan O'Brien.
She revealed: "It took 10 days to come up with that little name. I didn't name my baby for 10 days. I took my time and then I gave my baby the name I realised was very similar to my dog's name - Asterix.
"I often call the baby Asterix," she quipped. "Little baby puppy. " She confessed she was "not prepared" for a newborn and was extremely "disorganised" during her pregnancy.
Lucy relocated to LA in 2006 and following the recent devastating fires there, she has considered moving back to the UK. Speaking to the Daily Mail, she expressed her difficulty in settling down in one place: "I’ve always got one foot out the door, wherever I am.
"I never got round to getting a green card. I’m on these rolling visas, which is ridiculous: I have a home there and I have two American children. "But I can’t commit to anywhere. I get itchy feet.
"I like being a little bit here and a little bit there."
She had relocated to LA for a TV show, The Class, but after its cancellation, work opportunities began to dwindle.
Lucy was considering quitting acting, with her mother even suggesting a career as a chiropodist. However, when Nicole Kidman withdrew from Woody Allen’s 2010 film You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Lucy secured her scene-stealing role.
Amandaland will be broadcast on BBC One at 9pm on February 5.
