Hynes, 43, was born in London. In the late 1990s, she co-wrote and starred in the Bafta-nominated sitcom Spaced; her other TV work includes The Royle Family and W1A, for which she won a Bafta in 2015. In 2009, she was nominated for a Tony for her performance in The Norman Conquests on Broadway. Her films include Shaun Of The Dead, Son Of Rambow and Swallows And Amazons, which is released next week. She is married to the sculptor Adam Hynes, has three children and lives in Kent.
When were you happiest?
Last week, lying under a hat on Folkestone beach.
What is your greatest fear?
Accepting my mediocrity.
What is your earliest memory?
Looking up at trees from my pram.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Angelina Jolie, because she really seems to get shit done.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Laziness.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Dishonesty.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
I’ve got so many, it’s hard to choose.
Property aside, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
An enormous tipi.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sense of humour and magnificent breasts.
What makes you unhappy?
Multibillion-pound arms companies controlling the world.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Smelling.
What is your favourite smell?
My own.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A boy.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I wear a lot of cheap clothes. I wish I was classier.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
The ubiquitous horse and cart.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Reese Witherspoon.
What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
“You do know you’re not Jewish?”
What is top of your bucket list?
A bigger bucket.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Celebrity gossip.
What does love feel like?
Like you are seen.
What was the best kiss of your life?
Probably the one I didn’t get.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
The Conservative party, so I could poison them.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“D’you know what I mean?”
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Pudsey The Dog: The Movie.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Myself.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I wouldn’t have drunk alcohol.
When did you last cry, and why?
This morning, at the last school assembly of the year, because those tinies are so adorable.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Paprika Plains by Joni Mitchell.
Tell us a joke
What did the scarf say to the hat?
You go on a head and I’ll hang around.
This article was amended on 3 June 2021 and the headline changed to better reflect the content of the interview.
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