Anne-Marie Duff
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is Rosebud, a conversation about people's memories. Welcome to the party. Cue the music.
Oh my, it's another episode of Rosebud. It's still me, Giles Brandreth. But if I sound a bit, well, a bit hyper, it's because I'm really very thrilled about today's guest. She's an actress who I have admired for so many years. I think I first saw her, actually, at the National Theatre playing Wendy in Peter Pan. I know I saw her playing Cordelia to Ian Holmes' King Lear, again in the National. She was so powerful in A Doll's House, the Ibsen play, playing Nora. And I think that's when she had a case of stage fright that we might touch on. If you know her, it could be because you discovered her on screen. when she was cast in Channel 4's Shameless. She is an extraordinary actress. If I listed all the things that I have admired, Queen Elizabeth I in The Virgin Queen, marvellous with Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal.
Oh, John Lennon's mother in Nowhere Boy. That was extraordinary. His dark materials, you name it. Have you guessed yet who I'm talking about? I'm talking about Anne-Marie Duff. Very special actress, very special person. And I think you will find this is quite a special conversation. It is Anne-Marie Duff on Rosebud.
Anne-Marie Duff, born 8th October 1970. My first question to you is simply this. What, Anne-Marie, is your very first memory?
Well, I guess that my first memories would be colours. So I would remember the primrose yellow of my cot. And I remember it was a very sort of 70s design and had a little sticker of a rosebud on it. Ding, ding, ding. And also that we had a green glass water jug that we used throughout my childhood for every meal. But if I had a narrative memory... When I was very small, when I was three years old, I had major surgery, kidney surgery. And I was in for a couple of weeks and one of my strongest memories is my mum sitting beside me, just gently blowing on my scar because it was so itchy in the night because she would stay over.
Tell me more about your kidneys. What was the problem?
There was just a... I mean, it's very boring, really. There was just a large cyst inside it. And, yeah, I was a poorly little... I had a little pear-dropped face for a while. A little kidney child.
And tell me about your mother. Who was she? What was her name?
My mother's name was Mary Alice Doherty. And she was born in Donegal, County Donegal, in Orris, which is a very tiny wee place. And she moved to London as a child. She came over with her father and his new wife because my mum's mum passed away when she was a baby. And he came over to London to work for a while and she stayed in Donegal. What sort of thing did he do? The classic work that Irish men would do at that time. They were either building or, you know, all of those sorts of jobs that nobody wanted to do. and then he came back with his new wife to collect mum, and they brought her over to Labrador Grove, as all the Irish and the Caribbean community did.
And who is your father?
My father is Brendan Paul Duff, and he was born in County Meath, from a large family, he has a large family, lots of siblings. Yeah, so they met in Shepherd's Bush, in the mid to late 60s, I'd say. And yes, they met very, very young in their teens and fell in love and got married not long afterwards.
And what sort of... Were they 60s types as a couple? How... Can you visualise either from photographs or from what you've learnt of them... What sort of very young people, teenagers were they when they met?
Yeah, they were when they met.
What sort of people they were?
I mean, you have to remember they were Irish Catholics in the 60s. And the 60s, all the happenings and whatnots, didn't really belong to working class people as much. You know, they really didn't. We wish they did, but they didn't. So it was a fun time to be young. They were both very beautiful, very attractive people. She had beautiful auburn hair, cornflower blue eyes. He's very Spanish-Irish, my dad. Black eyes, olive skin, you know, really gorgeous. I've not inherited any of their colouring.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–9:17
2
What are Anne-Marie Duff's earliest childhood memories?
9:17–27:09
3
How did Anne-Marie Duff's upbringing influence her career?
27:09–49:37
4
How did Anne-Marie Duff find her passion for acting?
49:37–55:37
5
What challenges did Anne-Marie face during her school years?
55:37–59:38