The Bridgerton actor on working as a waitress in a cocktail bar, impatience, and an embarrassing video

Head shot of actor Phoebe Dynevor in orange jacket against pink background

Born in Greater Manchester, Phoebe Dynevor, 28, landed a role in the BBC drama Waterloo Road in 2009, at the age of 14. She appeared in period dramas The Village (2014) and Dickensian (2015) before being cast in the American series Younger and moving to the US. She returned to the UK to play the female lead in Bridgerton. Her films include The Colour Room, Bank of Dave and Fair Play. Her next project is the upcoming spy thriller Inheritance, and she is one of Bafta’s EE rising star nominees for 2024. She lives in London.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?
My mum [the actor, Sally Dynevor] in so many ways. She is the real definition of a superwoman to me.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I wish I could be more patient. I always want things to get done or happen now.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
When I was 17, my friends and I threw a fashion show for a breast cancer charity. Breast cancer is something my mum went through when I was 14, so prevention is very close to my heart. Our singer, who was performing during the fashion show, dropped out at the last minute so I had to step in. It’s on video, and my sister always brings it up.

What is the worst job you’ve done?
Working as a waitress in a cocktail bar in Shoreditch, London.

If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
Taylor Swift.

What is your most treasured possession?
I have a little drawing that my grandma, my dad’s mum, drew of me. She passed away last year and it’s on my bedside table. She was an actor and then later in life she painted, so I have lots of lovely watercolours of hers in my house, which I treasure.

Describe yourself in three words
Silly, loving and, as an Aries, passionate.

What makes you unhappy?
Miserable weather.

Which book are you ashamed not to have read?
Moby-Dick.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Not cooking enough: I need to stop eating out or getting takeouts. Right now, my guilty pleasure is a lack of a home-cooked meal.

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?
My housemate, because I keep shrinking his jumpers in the wash.

What does love feel like?
When you’re younger you confuse love with chaos and passion and, as I’ve gotten older, I realise that love is the opposite: it’s peace and it feels safe, like home.

When did you last cry, and why?
The last time I really sobbed was watching Daniel Radcliffe’s documentary about his stuntman on the Harry Potter movies [David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived].

What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Every time I go on a plane I feel awful about it. So for me, and everyone in the world, being able to board an electric plane would be really cool.

What keeps you awake at night?
So many things. Every headline in the newspaper, global warming … the list goes on.

Tell us a secret
I really love baths.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
That everything happens for a reason.