Rising star Gemma Chan is steeling herself for one of the most painful experiences of her acting career — playing a ballerina.
It has been 18 years since the 30-year-old actress last donned a pair of pointe shoes — she gave up ballet aged 12 to pursue acting.
And Chan, who has appeared in Sherlock and comedy Fresh Meat, admitted she was anxious about dusting off her shoes to prepare for a role in a new Cold War TV drama, set in London.
Chan, who lives with boyfriend Jack Whitehall in Notting Hill, told the Standard: “I’m expecting the training to be really tough.
“I took ballet quite seriously until I was about 12 years old and then gave it up, so taking it back up again will be interesting.”
Natalie Portman scooped a best actress Oscar for her role in Black Swan, the story of a ballerina losing her grip on reality as she prepares to dance Swan Lake.
She had spent countless hours training for the part.
But Chan admits her preparation will not be quite so immersive, as she only has a few weeks before filming. Speaking at the launch of denim specialist Trilogy’s flagship store in Chelsea, she said: “I just need to do enough to be convincing on screen.”
Also at the launch were Cara Delevingne and Jodie Kidd, who brought her mother Wendy.
Chan is also gearing up for the release on Boxing Day of spy thriller Jack Ryan, whose stars include Keira Knightley and Kevin Costner. The law graduate said: “I have a big film coming out so fingers crossed for that, but I am just really happy taking on work which I find interesting.”
