BBC Motherland star Joanna Lumley makes surprising confession about show
Joanna Lumley is all set to dazzle us once more in the Motherland spin-off Amandaland, even though she admits she "hardly ever saw" the original BBC hit series.
The beloved actress made a splash entering Motherland in its third season and describes her experience as "greatest fun", which naturally led to excitement at reprising her role as Felicity in the upcoming spin-off.
Premiering on February 5, we'll follow the adventures of Felicity's daughter Amanda—portrayed by Lucy Punch—as she navigates life post-divorce with her children Manus and Georgie stepping into secondary school.
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Despite being an absolute gem on our televisions, Dame Joanna Lumley isn't one to indulge in much screen time herself. With her residence in south London, she prefers spending her days in the garden or indoors embracing her creativity through crafts like découpage, meaning she hasn't really watched much of Motherland.
Nonetheless, she embraced the few episodes she did watch: "I hardly ever saw it, but what I did see, I adored," Joanna shared. She found the show sensational and couldn't resist its unique charm and outstanding performances.
On the radio scene, Joanna has been captivating audiences on Radio 4 with her sitcom 'Conversations From A Long Marriage', alongside co-star Roger Allam. They've already recorded five series, and fans are eager for even more of their delightful rapport.
Motherland wasn't new territory for her as she had already played the mother to Lucy's character in the Hollywood film, Ella Enchanted. Joanna couldn't be more delighted about their reunion.
"Lucy’s so, so talented," Joanna gushes. "Very beautiful, incredibly sweet-natured, and meticulous in her work. She challenges herself and is a true, serious actor with brilliant comedic timing."
The third Motherland alum joining the cast of Amandaland is Philippa Dunne, who'll portray Amanda’s ever-patient friend Anne. The lineup also welcomes new faces such as Samuel Anderson from Gavin And Stacey, as Mal the neighbour, Siobhán McSweeney of Derry Girls fame as the fresh acquaintance Della, and Peter Serafinowicz who steps into the role of Amanda’s new beau Johannes.
Joanna is over the moon with both the casting and the scripts, praising, "They’re lovely. Very well written, funny and full of charm. There are some wonderful characters as well, so there’s so much in it. I’m just an incidental part, really."
In the series, her character Felicity comes off as an ambitious socialite known for her sharp one-liners, which Joanna acknowledges: "She’s smart, well-connected, quite posh, and a bit snobbish. She’s amused and amusing, with a little bit of cattiness towards her daughter."
While Amanda and Felicity have a fraught dynamic, Joanna, who has a son aged 57 in real life, does reveal that beneath it all, there's genuine affection: "They do adore each other, even though they exasperate one another."
