Exclusive: Anna Maxwell Martin reveals what it takes to make a successful drama

Anna Maxwell Martin on what makes a good dramaThe Independent

Transcript

00:00What TV programme are you watching at the moment that you aren't really enjoying?

00:05Ooh, I watch Adolescence, and obviously it was incredible. I was in awe of what they created,

00:11everybody, all the creatives on that show. I think it was such an incredibly important and powerful drama.

00:18And I'm travelling a lot at the moment, so all I watch obsessively, because it's my favourite programme,

00:25is Silent Witness, old Silent Witnesses. I've watched nearly every episode of Silent Witness.

00:31I'm currently on season 18, but I've done the new ones as well. That's my favourite prog.

00:39If you could choose any actor or actress to work with in the future, who would you choose?

00:45Oh my god. I love Julia Davis, I love all her work, I think she's incredible.

00:51I love Jared Harris. I've just worked with a gorgeous actor who I love called Bobby Schofield,

00:56who's got a show, we've got a show coming out soon. It's really Bobby's show, he's amazing.

01:02What I love about the community of actors is, invariably, everybody is lovely and funny and sweet and kind.

01:07I'm part of a really lovely community of people, so it's really lovely for me to go to work,

01:14you know, it's not even like a job.

01:16Obviously you've worked on so many different programmes, you've got them to kill you, Motherland,

01:22you could get much different. Is there a particular genre that you love working on more than the other,

01:27or is any more challenging?

01:29No, I think I'm happiest when all the genres mix together in one show.

01:32I think we can't make a drama that's devoid of jokes, I think it should all be one thing.

01:37So I'm sort of happiest when we're open to all things.

01:46.