Skip to content
  • News & Updates
  • Sophia
  • Career
  • Press Archive
  • Gallery
  • Media
  • Site + Online

BBC Films

Interview Sophia Myles

22 July 2004   |   Written by Anwar Brett

A 24-year-old Londoner on the verge of big things, Sophia Myles has only been acting seriously for the last eight years. Spotted by a casting director performing in her school play as a 16-year-old, Myles’ TV roles have come in Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. Her film appearances, meanwhile, include Mansfield Park, From Hell, The Abduction Club, and Underworld. Now she’s playing Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds.

Playing Lady Penelope seems to have been an action-packed experience. Did you come away with any injuries?
Actually there’s a bath scene early on that took about two days to film. I think they used a really cheap bubble bath to get these big bubbles, but it made me itch like mad. I ended up having to go to a dermatologist because I had a rash all over my body and skin like an alligator by the end of the week. It was horrible. Not an experience to be repeated.

How about the fight scenes – did you have to do a lot of training beforehand?
This was the most exercise I’ve ever done in my whole life – two weeks with a great group of stunt co-ordinators. We just broke the sequence down every day, bit by bit. Lady P is very acrobatic and elegant, although I have to point out that I had two stunt doubles, so any time I look cool, it ain’t me.

Was there any other preparation required?
Both Ron Cook [who plays Parker] and I sat and watched all the DVDs of the original series. We studied them very closely, but we weren’t interested in copying them. We wanted to do it justice but also give it a fresh twist and make the characters our own.

And yet your Lady Penelope seems more sexually aware and flirtatious than the character from the series, doesn’t she?
Well the original was made out of wood! The fantastic thing about Lady Penelope is that she’s such a positive role model for young children. She’s bright, intelligent, funny, strong and sexy without being provocative. I think it’s nice to have a role model for children who isn’t dancing around with her midriff showing and everything hanging out. She’s just a great character to play, and having a sidekick like Ron is a joy. We had a great time.

Have you had a chance to discover yet how kids will react to you after seeing you as this character?
I went to the Tribeca Film Festival and had lots of little girls coming up to say “I really love your car”. But Sir Ben Kingsley [who plays The Hood] was there too, and they would only come up to him with their parents. So they really bought into it.

What’s next?
I’m off to work on a Terry Zwigoff film called Art School Confidential. I play an American art school student in New York, and the film stars John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Anjelica Huston, and Steve Buscemi. I like doing different things, and I want to work with great directors and great casts because that’s where you really learn.

Powered by MND Press Library
Share

Welcome Message

Welcome to Simply Sophia Myles, the official fansite and your best source for the incredibly beautiful and talented actress Sophia Myles. 


Here you will find the most comprehensive information on Sophia's life and her career, an extensive photo gallery, multimedia features and a whole lot more!

Current Projects

  • Decrypted
    Decrypted (2020)
    Beth Barnes
    Releases December 1, 2020
    An outrageous and provocative dark comedy about a mismatched NSA team who kidnap the creator of Bitcoin - Satoshi Nakamoto - and attempt to torture him for the information they need to destroy crypto-currencies.
    Info
    News
    Photos
    IMDb
    Official
  • A Discovery of Witches
    A Discovery of Witches (2018-)
    Rebecca Bishop
    Season 2 airing January 2021
    Diana Bishop, historian and witch, accesses Ashmole 782 and knows she must solve its mysteries. She is offered help by the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, but he's a vampire and witches should never trust vampires.
    Info
    News
    Photos
    Videos
    IMDb
    Official
  • Disarm
    Disarm (2020)
    Megan Granger
    Filming
    A small town girl who moves to the city in an attempt to get away from the tragic loss of her parents. With no family or friends around her, the city breaks her spirit and leaves her feeling overwhelmed, outcast and lonely. She longs for companionship and desperately seeks solace from Sean who offers her a way out.
    Info
    News
    Photos
    IMDb
    Official
  • Listen
    Listen (2020)
    Ann Payne
    Screening at Film Festivals
    In the outskirts of London, Portuguese couple and parents of three, Bela and Jota, struggle to make ends meet. When a misunderstanding arises at school with their deaf daughter, the British social services grow concerned for the safety of their children. LISTEN portrays the tireless battle of these immigrant parents against the law to keep their family together.
    Info
    News
    Photos
    IMDb
    Official

Twitter Feed

© 2020 Simply Sophia Myles • Theme by MonicaNDesign • Header by Gratrix Designs • Powered by WordPress
'Simply Sophia Myles’ is an official fansite which means it is endorsed by Sophia Myles but it is NOT her official site. It has been set up by fans, for fans. While we strive to verify it, information taken from public media outlets may not always be completely accurate. All images contained are copyright of their original owners. No infringement ever intended. This site’s intent is to provide fans with content related to Sophia Myles and is operating within the terms of ‘fair use’ to the best of its knowledge. If the owner of the copyrighted material would like them removed, please contact us with details.