How important is a little bit of nonsense now and then to you?
A daily necessity for the sake of sanity.
What, if anything, makes you believe in magic?
Every show at The Magic Castle in LA – especially the magician with the lemons. You’re dressed to the nines yet feeling like a total kid, watching wide-eyed in giddy wonder. It’s pure joy.
What was your last act of true cowardice?
Every time that someone rings me unexpectedly and I have to psych myself up to call back.
What single thing do you miss most when you’re away from home?
British cynicism.
Do you have any odd habits or rituals?
I don’t think I do. Or, if I do, I’m not aware that they’re odd.
What is your party trick?
I’m always disappointed to say I don’t have one… I used to showcase how I can turn my thumbs back to front, but then decided to stop advertising that.
What is your mantra?
‘Feel the fear and do it anyway.’
What is your favourite smell?
Those caramelised nut carts on New York City street corners.
What do you always carry with you?
A book, mints and a miniature perfume bottle.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Gogglebox. Though I barely feel guilty about it, it’s a great show.
Who is the silliest person you know?
Our mutual friend Raymond Root. They don’t make ’em much sillier.
What would be your least favourite way to die?
Naked.
From silver screen to TV hits, Lucy Boynton has crafted a CV that’s anything but obvious. She can currently be seen in Netflix’s well-received gothic mystery The Pale Blue Eye (based on the book by Louis Bayard), where an 1830s detective crosses paths with Edgar Allan Poe. Her co-stars include Christian Bale and Gillian Anderson. Recent turns in The Ipcress File, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? and soon Chevalier (as Marie Antoinette) speak to her hectic schedule.
*Arguably one of the most memorable (and quotable) scenes in 1971’s Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is when Mr Salt mumbles, ‘It’s a lot of nonsense,’ to which Wonka replies, in a sing-song voice, ‘A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.’
