‘It’s sad that years after I swam naked in Walkabout, my nudity was exploited on the internet’: Inside the head of... Jenny Agutter
Risqué limericks from John Gielgud, boating with orcas, and being mistaken for Mary Whitehouse.... the Call The Midwife star’s life is full of dramas
'I did most of my acting in the holidays and then I was back at school... Like any child I was spoiled by the attention and, at school, I was full of it. But I soon realised that nobody wanted to know,' said Jenny Agutter
What is your earliest memory?
I was born in Taunton, Somerset, but when I was three we moved to Singapore to live on an army base because my father Derek was an officer in the British Army. I remember the intense heat and the sweet smell from the frangipani flowers. I can recall learning to swim at an army swimming club. The first time I actually swam across the pool, I was given a doll by my parents. I called it Penny.
What sort of child were you?
I was pretty outgoing. When I was six, I came back from Singapore and I was a boarder at the Elmhurst Ballet school in Surrey. At 11 I was cast in Disney’s Ballerina. I did most of my acting in the holidays and then I was back at school. By 14, I had landed the role of Bobbie in the TV series The Railway Children (1968) and I did a number of films and TV before Walkabout, which I filmed when I was 16. Like any child I was spoiled by the attention and, at school, I was full of it. But I soon realised that nobody wanted to know.
'I have always had problems with my nose. When I was in The Railway Children someone referred to me as a ‘snub-nosed’ actress. I wish it were more refined and aquiline,' said Jenny
When did you last feel really happy?
Every year I go sailing in Lofoten in Norway. It’s an amazing and beautiful place with the rocks rising spectacularly from the sea. On our boat we got really close to a group of orcas. We turned the engine off and drifted towards them and watched them round up the fish in the midnight sun.
What has been your biggest achievement?
At the age of 21, I got the part of Miranda in The Tempest with Sir John Gielgud. I was over the moon as everyone else my age had come out of drama schools like Rada and I had come up via the child actress route. We performed the play at the National Theatre and Gielgud was so supportive. If I ever forgot my lines he would say, ‘Don’t worry dear, if I see you are sinking, I will throw you a line.’ Before the curtain went up every night he would recite these rather risqué limericks which were very funny.
'In the film Walkabout, there was a sequence in which I swam naked... It was a scene about innocence. It’s sad that years later shots were put on the internet ignoring the context and exploiting the nudity,' said Jenny
What frightens you?
Dying either painfully or over a long period of time. I carry the cystic fibrosis gene. My mother had rheumatoid arthritis and it affected her very badly. For the last 20 years of her life, she was in a wheelchair and that was ghastly for her because she was very active and it was awful to see so much taken away from her.
What or who do you dream about?
I had a strange dream about Miranda Hart recently. We were on the set of Call The Midwife and for some reason she was stark naked! I said to her, ‘I’ll go to the costume department back at base and find you some clothes.’ So I went off, and then found myself on the streets of Italy. I was trying to ask people the way back to the set but they were speaking in Italian to me. I was getting worried as I knew Miranda was waiting for me with nothing on.
What is your most unappealing habit? 'I am terribly disorganised. I live in a state of clutter,' said Jenny
What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
A few years ago, I was on a train to Cornwall and a man said: ‘I know who you are, you are Mary Whitehouse!’ I instantly removed myself from the carriage and went to the lavatory where I looked in the mirror and thought: ‘I don’t look that old, do I?’
Which living person do you dislike the most?
I was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to the referendum in 2014... I am not a fan of Nicola Sturgeon and what she stands for, but she is rather smart.
Who would you like to say sorry to and why?
It would be to my mother for not talking to her enough. I wish that I had spent more time with her when she was ill. I would fuss around her a lot and made sure she had the care she needed. But actually all she wanted was to sit down and have a conversation.
What has been your most embarrassing moment?
In the film Walkabout, there was a sequence in which I swam naked in a natural rock pool in the Outback. It was a scene about innocence. It’s sad that years later shots were put on the internet ignoring the context and exploiting the nudity. It never occurred to me at the time it would be possible to do this.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I have always had problems with my nose. When I was in The Railway Children someone referred to me as a ‘snub-nosed’ actress. I wish it were more refined and aquiline.
What is your most unappealing habit?
I am terribly disorganised. I live in a state of clutter and I habitually leave stuff scattered all round the house.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Starring in Child’s Play 2 was not one of my finest moments. My character had to scream and run up and down a corridor.
For information about the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, go to cysticfibrosis.org.uk
