'Miss Austin' star Synnøve Karlsen: "We need to celebrate sisterhood on screen"
When she first received the script for Miss Austen, Synnøve Karlsen admits she didn’t know a great deal about the literary icon Jane. She had, of course, read the books at school (Pride and Prejudice was her favourite), but the woman behind the classics remained somewhat of a mystery. However, her lack of knowledge around Austen’s life was no barrier to her becoming emotionally drawn to the script, seeing herself tearing up at some vital points in the plot.
“I just couldn’t stop reading it,” she tells me over Zoom. “I was so moved by the strength of the script, and the sisterhood between Jane and her Cassandra was so beautiful. I loved it.”
Having been so drawn to the words on the page, it’s little wonder that Karlsen effortlessly slipped into the role of a young Cassandra for the BBC’s latest period drama. An adaptation of Gill Hornby’s best-selling novel, Miss Austen takes the real-life mystery of why Cassandra destroyed younger sister Jane’s letters, and uses it as a compelling plot device. Scholars are divided on whether it was an act of familial love, or an act of ‘cultural vandalism’, but where does Karlsen stand on the issue?
“The story we chose to tell was that Cassy’s actions are that of sisterly love,” she says. “It feels like a total act of love and of protection. A modern equivalent is when there are some things you just choose not to put on social media because you think, actually, that deserves just staying here with me.
“It's like everything you need to know about Jane is in her writing. That's how her sister felt, and that's what we believe. I think that family members have the right to protect their loved ones’ legacies; they knew them the best.”
The sisterly love between Cassandra and Jane is palpable on- and off-screen; Miss Austen is a fiercely female production, with leads also including Keeley Hawes and Rose Leslie. At the press launch for the show, the genuine connections between the cast members was palpable, and Karlsen cherishes the close bonds she built while on set (Hawes even gifted Karlsen a pair of heated electric socks to battle the draughts during filming).
“It was down to Christine Langan, who is the executive producer,” Karlsen says. “She’s a real badass. She assembled the dreamiest team of women who are all so different and all had different takes on the script. It created this dynamic of honesty and being able to discuss and play around with things. It’s so rare that that happens, but it was incredible.
“Patsy [Ferran, who plays Jane] is such an incredible actress. I have so much respect for her. The whole cast built such a lovely rapport. When that happens, it’s such a blessing, because it makes your work on screen so much easier and just really enjoyable.”
Miss Austen is certainly an enjoyable romp through women’s lives and loves in the 18th century, and the ideal programme for Austen fans to start celebrating 250 years of the beloved author. But the anniversary comes in the midst of troubling times; the increasing influence and interest in openly misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate, as well as Donald Trump’s return to the White House, has left many women fearful for their future and the security of the autonomy over their bodies.
But for Karlsen, it’s more important than ever that these stories are told. “Jane and Cassy – I don't know if they had cats, but they were essentially the pinnacle of the ‘childless cat lady,’” she says. “And look what their legacy is. They didn't have kids, they didn't marry. I think it's so wonderful to see platonic love – whether that's friendship between women, whether that's sisterhood – explored on TV. Maybe it isn’t explored as much as it should be.”
Karlsen has never shied away from portraying both the strength or the complications of female friendship on screen. She rose to prominence in the BBC Three drama Clique, where she played the self-assured university student Holly McStay, who had to navigate her way through the elite clique of alpha women who secure a hotly contested internship. Karlsen was just a teenager when she took on the role, dropping out of drama school to lead the series.
Miss Austen - Gill Hornby
“I love to lose myself in roles – it’s so tempting when you’re young to throw yourself entirely into parts,” she says. “I threw myself entirely into Clique. I remember finishing the job; it was January, I was back in London, and I was like, ‘Who am I?’
“I had no understanding of taking care of myself. Now I'm better at setting boundaries and looking after myself – you’re better at acting if you’re happier and more cared for.”
With Miss Austen now about to premiere on BBC One, Karlsen is currently in theatre playing Julie in The House Party, Laura Lomas’ contemporary reimagining of August Strindberg‘s Miss Julie. It was working on Miss Austen that inspired Karlsen to take to the stage, having only ever appeared in school plays. However, her next project is worlds away from the genteel period drama – quite literally; in Apple TV +’s Foundations, Karlsen plays the intergalactic influencer Beta, who she describes as ‘Kim Kardashian from outer space’. “She wears the most outrageous clothing and has so much fun, but it's a really brilliant series, so I'm excited,” she says.
But Karlsen has enjoyed her foray into period drama, and says she isn’t surprised that both actors and viewers are constantly hungry for more. “We live in a country that’s so old, we’re so proud of our history,” she says. “You can look at a period of time and see it as so archaic, but when you get down into it, people were the same. People fell in love and had affairs.
“But I think there's something that people like about seeing that happen when people are in bonnets and petticoats, and we haven’t had a rich Austen drama in a while. I hope Miss Austen is received as a great period drama.”
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