This is the bbc hello, I'm kirsty young, welcome to desert island discs. Where every week I asked my guests to choose the eight tracks, the book and the luxury item that they want to take with them. If they were cast away on a desert island for rights reasons, the music on these podcast versions is shorter than in the original broadcast. You can find over two thousand more additions to listen to and download on the desert island discs website my cousin

This week is the actor emory duff. Most people in her profession spend a lot of time out of work. She has very clearly not most people. Her roll call of parts is abundant and anguish, laden with its playing lady macbeth on Broadway Elizabeth, the first on the bbc or joan of arc the national theatre. Her work grace characters. She inhabits formidable the seeds of her ambition to crews in what appears, at first glance, to be unlikely. Soil agree, breeze block, cancel estate in suburban west london, where her irish pins had settled to try to make a living and the life. Then again. Maybe it was her upbringing which she describes as rich in fun and love the gave her the confidence to pursue the. hideous ambition of pretending to be other people. She says I came from a very working class background and the idea

You could make more of yourself through culture that it could give you wings was just phenomenal to me. I love that expressed in that it could give you wings and do you feel changed when you ve been through special apart. That does require so many of your part seem to plumbing those emotional d ye. I guess she do. You come out feel like it had set. A turkish mass of data are used superstitious person, have rituals before you go on stage. I am fantastically seeps that has not fashionable to by now I'm really school, superstitious actor I, for example, once aim Beth unless a maniac insects on- and I have little rituals- I do before- shows different ones. On africa

And one specific one I do in every play. Will you tell me what you always have to have a shower half outcome and we shall have a go watch the day off. I read that you use different perfumes when he had different perfumes are different parts, even characters yeah joan of arc? Of course it was one of your turning performs is what was her birth? She didn't have one, because we wanted the notion of having a pilgrim at the very beginning of the place where you have to have my feet were filthy, like had done this huge walk in peace or something so I used to have a box of soil. You know backstage we definitely rubber my fee as well as the makeup, and the smell of that always was very strong. Goodness and merida we're gonna go to your music. I want you to tell me about this first disk. Why did business? I was just each, I think, is something that we can meet my childhood and I irish parents and I thought of ass, though it will be something irish and then I don't know actually what was my live my life as a job is the seventies london. This real sort of light rainbow of different minority

people from everywhere else. Another very smooth feeling in the seventies, because when was welcome It was we, as has occurred in I, had experiences that problems similar to maybe muslim kids now on the radio inherent hear size, but people would say well irish people, terrorists or have you know my pet? its marian Brandon was fantastic dances and they listen to a lot. Reggae reggae was massive in the seventies and this procedure, song, is just so makes me think of sunshine, and it makes me think of the two of them dancing and having policies and as soon as you know, the to this song, you just go off joy. Russia, as it is but I will do my best things done.

By letter. We named John grit in I just made this guy miss. I mean nothing I might as well say that was pretty washington. and ass. You said so beautifully. Their energy does either vote this time when you know you're, very particular, atmosphere being brought up in a suburb of west london in the seventies and appearance dancing, vega dancers, I've, I've read, you say before that they had come to the uk, because this is your phrase. They were unable to fulfil. Lear dream What would they have done and if they had been to the compromise by what I think is an economic and more of them to articulate their dreams. I know that my mother was a very tempted athlete, but that wasn't able to be encouraged for various reasons. I can any judgments on anybody and my dad.

superber, I am very well aware, is still huge rita. You know and m was hosts with lots of books in it, wouldn't owner loss of books, because it did not occur to me that you could own books, but we want the library all the time. Land will always boring books, and I still am real, but quite and what was your does? Job is painting decorous. I worked for full as burying check, and would they have taken usually caesar now that wasn't really part of one first of all is fantastic, expensive. Two guys his nature in london is elsewhere too, but in london. Certainly it wasn't something that they would even occur to you as a working class parent. I suspected of other priorities tell me about the second piece of music. Why? Because not well! First of all, when I was at school, I join the school choir and I had a fantastic music teacher call. Mr vinyl does vinyl, I know vinyl brilliantly yes, and he had this peaceful choir and

I discovered I could sing. I could really saying- and so I found myself as each in the yellow pages- and I use my money from my saturday job to pay for my singing lessons and her name was Phyllis. Roast I'd never met anyone like her and my life. She was this tiny wheeled lady and she told will college music and an you just funded the young. Yet adjust was like serendipitous, you know, and she lived in his flat kneeling. That was you know of rocks. you'd war. Can I think, what's that smell is perfume and something else now because I'm grown up? I realize it was garlic and I'd never garlic. For exotic inside exotic, and she was everything I imagined the world of. These are all what it would be like. Within this tiny we held woman who had the shawl limit properly teach me to sing. It wasn't too show tunes. He was a classical training. This song is one of the areas that I worked on with her and she was phenomenon

I found it very difficult to get into drama school, and so I didn't get in the first time round. I reached a crossroads where I could well, maybe I'll be a singer. Maybe that's. Why do and we talked about it in great depth? Is it just looked at me? She said, I think you have the solomon it was so extraordinary for me now and I'm just never fear, little blue eyes and How hard I worked with her was a cracks my mind open to a whole world of music. I never heard before no

movie? yeah Keep your bill Sonia director from neurons

by porcine sung, thereby monster outcome. Value with the london simply orchestra conducted by charles michaelis then reduce your head. Was boats wrote it? Where were you and you know that brilliant lyric, Danny Mitchell, Eric songs about tat is yes and they are as possessing came pow beginnings because it was a represents. The point of my life, where I was absolutely base camp and everything they had of minos, swollen with pope potential and all those amazing things seeing young people in an angry excited, because I guess I knew of deep level that I would be part of that world. This idea of a cottage in the beginning there, of course, of of giving you wings that's a very powerful

image there. This idea that actually it was through not is the expression through performance that you could sore eyes of regional from whence you kane. Was it a sense in which he wanted to get out of that that sort of breeze block terror block existence? Remember as if I anyone he doesn't go up in those environments, decided they wouldn't rather be somewhere else. The inner still have it still who you are and its importance to keep hold of it. Does the width of over wingspan that's what it about terrorism, do not get into drama school the first time and must have been at the time. For your sake, yes crossing has had no other planet also, I didn't know how else to do it. No one in my life involved in the world and for me absolutely about becoming class collector. You know, and I a romantic head about all really wants to general Courtney. Sixties. That's why I wanted, and my dad was brilliant.

maybe monday, but he's a man. May any skill mismatch mrs camoens much you just have to be patient and keep believing and try. What did you do in that year them when I went off, he studied film free. Does a bit more higher education, you so that you are considered drums. Go! Wants you to get him as the running of the year here. What do you mean, but I was indeed ever ever gonna violating asia? I was only ever play. Small parts were, you taught, is pretty much and I know I went to dramas go where you were given such terms notice, if you can gas to leave at the end of term famously John centre, and so I was always on the terms warning always, but the great thing about that was that I wrote a thousand lashes in my final year and walk strange works. I, after a myriad of tell me about your next piece. We gonna humor, I figure. If I'm on design

I want something that has nothing to do with anything other than jumping up and down and gain my nicosia twist. Those also nothing sexier than a man with a guitar thanks to give any man who gets out at sex appeal by five. They the road, so I picked white stripes, track gazelle, maison band and was advising album and- and this is so Souci and noisy and all about sex and I'm over there. I pick em white stripes born biscuit what is a fact

the seller, sullen white stripes, poland, biscuits and labelling. ex, as he said, Emily did something to get urinary hosanna throughout the island. We ve mentioned playing joan of arc there's no way. Voting it, it is a career defining rule of trees come true. I only she had dreamt to play that role in my teens and then I got funchal one day had tiny flying. His report remember seeing on the safeguard yeah and I let him she couldn't spake for about twenty minutes after up

That was two thousand and seven, and I was looking back at some of the views they wear uniformly superb and did you any time feel weighed down by a simple thorndyke or john playwrights or francis? The letter had all done it too great a claim in the generations that gone before you any play. That's not need is always guests. How'd, you get rid of the ghost. Sometimes it's already hard biting marianne had allowed do without the direct had left it. without making us here like it was our own fresh, new production, so that huge auditorium with all the bump on the seats and all the people. That of page just take me if you can take yourself back to standing in the wings on the first night, fell and was playing glastonbury anyway to explain I'd. Never let me live here before and never worked in that size so, dear to him, a literally fell stood there

backstage member so clearly with the soil on my feet, felt like a rock star. The only way to describe it and I'm never that feeling. Since I've never had my face on postal that before I wasn't the passionate soldier tickets before I was ready, lovely feeling of devil may care. Of going. You know what give me my guitar. I am out there tonight, I'm not blow your minds, so is really fun. Tell me about your force would be going. You know, I have pigs buell track as a woman, I feel like I've sold grown up with her. you know I didn't you should use, was a teenager and then her first album not just as I left drama school. I listen to in time of war. The tape house takes access, how old iron- and this particular track really takes me back to the time in my twenties, where I went, he no armoury, you ve done a lot thinking about fiercer. You don't love me

a girl. Now you just go out ass, a fun, and it's very specifically over time when I read it at my head, anti did lots of things. I shouldn't have done that girl should not have done, but I had a really really great time as the mid nineties is a fantastic they call time to be here. London was a great place to be. If we went out after shows, you wouldn't find yourself mixing with britain artists. They were called or writers playwrights. You know it's just that of about that. Failing feeling kindness of the invincibility, the youth, I guess It's me cs? Crack

made me those bureau and possibly maybe and Rita. She said going into that. I did a lot of things. A good girl should not have done nothing to tell me what they, where are you while stressing for my mama tat? Might you have? As I say, to use it'll lightness of of spirit, which I wasn't nestled expecting having worked so many everything he play. These anguished passed so often- and I am thinking of the suit idle, neuron absence adults. Has you play that in two thousand and one stage and by all accounts from what I've ready the lines became sort of blood. Things up. There was a point at which you did you walk Still you had another stage fright I had this experience I

became very aware. Then I was on healthily, pushing myself into the characters noggin like, in others, trombone shots in movies, is at this moment with a whole state. My perspective completely shifted, and I actually had the sentence in my head. I dont want to be a crime. Personally, I am definitely not gonna, be a crazy actress, so I walked off state and passing Joseph. I thank him for it. Bulgaria really because some time ago- and he looked at me and he said exactly the right things-

Hence my children summary. There are two hundred fifty people up. I have paid a lot of money for their tickets and it is absolutely at that moment needed to hear something tangible and practical and kind, and so I turned round and went back on stage in this famous seen in those elsewhere, nor ethos macaroons, and I just light and said to you. It is I'm so sorry I chose to one of the macaroons. Then we carried on the rest of the show and I stayed being an actor, but it was a real wake up call. Can I ask you, but please not parson shameless because it was a series of burst onto the screen on channel, for you only did two series: why did you walk out something that was such a huge me to continue to be a success already left? But why did you leave? I felt I played Fiona and that it can be the difficult thing with long running series. You know I just felt like visited

as lots of hers, I've without revisiting and that's the thing I was hungry city, new things and try new things, and so that was it for me really I'd. I could have lived with her phenomena like ass, a wonder as I listen to you talk about boot characters who ve been through extreme things that you play so convincingly and well in this word anguish. That comes up so often in refusing characterisation of your work, what's been the moment in your own life, which has been toughest for you to data off stage. I've been through a lot sunday. Last few years has been one other papers. Will I've been through in the last few years? You know so it's about doing the best you can and I'm really interested in several things. One is the fact that we, as a species, get our faces of the dirt and try to fill a sun on them and as a person I try to do that. I gave a k. This is awful, I feel like I may die. However, I won, because there is more of me than I

ever imagine. That could be because I look at what people go through in all the scenarios that much harder than mine or are you gonna do get you face out? They don't try to fill a son, and so tell me then about this next piece of music. I am a hopeless, romantic can I am, and that means lively, decide, sometimes all burn with pain as well as bound with desire. I will cause that's an age of opening. You are up to some one else, but I refuse to believe that there is, chastity. I absolutely believe that there is love and more love, knit caves and not one of those artists I have sought to crush on instead Carson until this causes very beautiful, simple So that is about that tipping point which, if ye may lose love

This sounds ironic, of course, but sometimes in a marriage. You are never closer than the moment at which the two of you decide it's time to finish. There is such you're intimacy in that moment and honesty and truth and kindness in all its many versions. So yeah. I suppose I pick the song because it tells me here I can love and I can her black enough again. this letter. The dish. move

raised against two hundred was nick cave and the better. Needs and love letter said just as you were explainingyou reasons for choosing the unread of you. You talked about em, it's been all of the papers and, of course most people will know that for just about a decade you were made to another faye, wellknown actor, James mcfly. What about that press scrutiny? I d do with that kind of scrutiny of things that are private- there's no escape in as much as you're going through something you call him at home. You can go to work and forget about it. Everybody knows what you're holding hands with and in that way was tricky and also protecting my son from anything like that. Luckily enough he was young enough not to be any.

You once said you know I miser through having a nervous breakdown on a councillor, stay on him, I'm in a corset dying. Are you offered enough diversity of thoughts? What how lucky? Oh, my god and attaching? Why did I say that I am one of the few act as he gets offered such different work even just in medium terms. I get to tv film month is an all actors gets to that one minute I was I would like my lady. I am literally the project after that I was then suffragette playing away. Can class women's rights activists and I dont know comically what I did in a previous la hip. I'm ready regulatory very act with a good girl as hubs moment. We're on your six tell me about this than emory duff I have an eight year old, curly head boy who is,

cool both james and I just look each other and we hit you just beneath. Where did he get is going from good time in half and the words rock and roll with lit it written dream? He loves music so much, and I had to pick something that was one of our songs and we hope very big disk. And about actually took it really seriously because he's very serious, passing good and he loves the song and it really makes me think of going to school in the morning him in the back and him not knowing. I mean sneaking in my review at him really enjoying listing even some space it and whether he's language break for even some space is guerrillas, clint eastwood just for him because he rocks.

I guess I've been gum used, a gas gabby is, is it is. Guerrillas and flint eastwards, as you like Landscape within your industry, and I've asked of other actors that I've spoken to recently in and directors post hardy weinstein's allegations allegations of fur non consensual sex, which he of course denies, but for those of us on the outside its easy to imagine that there seems to be something really stinking and rotten at the heart of, certainly, hollywood suspect a waiting list

the rock of olive industries and final two things: crony underneath, but yeah. Do you think it's only interesting because it's about very glamorous multimillionaires, as I think you know, I think it's important very glamorous multimillionaires speaking up that has a huge ripple effects right, because if they, the people who other people see has having everything I've been through, things makes them maybe feel capable of speaking out themselves is very hard to be whistleblowers, terrifying and all the implications of that, so as a young actually does come back to what it was. I was thinking asking as a young actress. I presume, then you really weren't in situations where people said going to be better for almost more more like this sword. Just commune for all that list of courtesy I went lie. I have had quite a few experiences in my allegory that with colleagues how's, this is what's been fascinating is that we ve been talking about them now, myself and my colleagues, my peers, and we haven't spoken about them before he is

what's been extraordinary, is: does this realization that it wasn't off you score of anything or god was may was it maybe did I do something I complicit in some way and also that there is a vast number of people have had similar experiences, That is a quantity which has been so extraordinary. Knowing what you know about your industry, if you had a daughter- and she said to thirteen fourteen mom, I really love to be an actress. What would you say to her, but you industry? Would you trust her to EU industry right now? I think more foolish hardener isn't it. I think I words

have the conversation with my child and say you are your most precious thing and you have to take care of yourself. I know that the only people to get to share your preciousness of the people you choose, you have a right to say no, Something makes a feel uncomfortable in any situation in your life. You say no, because nothing is worth the betrayal of yes, but it's interesting that you had to think hard. But then, given how much you ve gotten still on the bow, on the weight you had to think would, if had a daughter- and I say to them is an important conversational. Having at the moment is now can't be flippin about it. In that way, take a break and rita for gonna have some more of your music and we're on your sentence. I bet this peaceful son

Somebody else Castello, because a few years ago I suddenly lost one of my very close friends alley and we had to vote once about having songs with our names in them, and she said I will always out coolly all because I have asked my eldest sister and he died suddenly and it was a real shock to all of us who loved her love her and she so to me, and my wedding, dress and mine, The boy was very well in his first born and she was the person who is on the fine three four times a day and got digs together. You know we're onto Annie was the wardrobe supervisor and we just laughed all the time she just was extraordinary and I find as time goes by think about her. More and more grief is an interesting thing. You know because it comes visiting when it wants its seven. No man, you know,

its absolutely forces you to confront its presence. I am here will deal with me now and I find that the gentle grieving of her is something that I just carry with me. c mon- you as the sole god stan you, but you bet, your pardon, born again Those two This castello and alison I've looked through law

overviews. Andrew duff, though I never do you never know way. How was your reviews arrive? Yet you know sometimes, of course, reviewers. Don't like the production. They they never don't like you Do you know when you're in a production does not going down? Well, do you think she didn't? Sometimes you think I thought this was quite ass shown and I don't need them. You get a sense of the way. Other people are sure the weather carry themselves if they think ill. You confidences dipped. Oh my grief had some bad reviews. Will you at about review. Is I don't meetings? I would say that, like reading out somebody else's diary, you won't stop until you find something about about yourself. When you go to the seas, are you able, or did you go to the city I able to go and abandoned yourself and just watch as a viewer, or are you kind of always to thinking? Oh, they did that mostly mostly I can look at this- is burning quite michael.

once said in an interview really made me laugh, you don't see pilots going to the airport to what she shall take her kids. I love I may actually offers I love going to do. I love to be inspired by the people and when something's gray, it's just ah there's nothing like it. You earned, you have great feats of imagination. Honestly and Marie. Does it have you imagine yourself on this island? Have you thought about what we like to wake up and be there alone I'd be miserable woody here I like a bit solitude, but I really do need company and conversation and it's interesting all of the bees music. I chose been songs and we supplies me, but I need words in my life. I talked to myself all the time. If I was alone I mean I do walking around I'll get my files on an island. I just would. I talked to myself all the time because If you take away all that, we have our clothes on money, every single thing that we own

we have our words. Does the gifts we give each other? You know, and I hadn't away- I be without good I'll chat with someone. tell about your dates disc. I am irish, I am very proud of my heritage, my mother's we're gonna go on my daddy's for me, but they many ships bush in the sixties, levice peopled it and my heritage has afforded me so many gifts and it's meant I've got to spend a lot of time on and which I love and not something I share with my son, one of the things I adore about culture and could be said that scottish coach tuba is the notion of. in a group of people and singing, and there is something so fantastic about hearing and unaccompanied voice sing a song and generally it be a story some, and it has

The effect of alarming or minor bendings I find it really exciting, and I guess it's data. That's the point. Is there in tat, so I love this thing. Attacks on Iraq and his eyes sing it, and this is his own composition, but it sounds like a traditional valid throughout this woman. Who's been wizard by the sea initiative, lost husbands and a young man coursing her and asking her to be his wife, and she says I can't I can't seem to salve linked Those things for me stood before LEO in the middle of the night. Cause, I loved her, saw her. She Be my wife. Then I closed my eyes on weight.

Listen for an answer that was declared singing marrying the sea, a man marie it's time. Of course, for me to give you some books, you get the bible, you get the complete works of shakespeare s state one other book along this very arcs, our back. Where I got it, So I got my andrei phenomenal women also collected poems Emily Dickinson and then finally, it was met on the floor stooge at it as much as I love poetry, I'm gonna go with the mouth. And it's so person knows about young woman, craving education and the opportunity to love she pleases, but elsewhere too so beautifully written, and I worked on a stage adaptation of it when I was twenty five and her, it was a glorious time me, but mostly just because it's the most extraordinary novel, it's yours

luxury or indeed a big one? Now again, I have the two choices being typical labour nigh fibre yards in his eyes and things. So I'm learning by the fleets of I feel would I take lightly. We something to do. But if I'm being really honest, my absolute luxury would be embarrassed, robot would be beautiful underwear as an actor mesopotamia. just like an old maid bed, because you're going to hassles- and god knows what you'll be doing underneath all of that I always have lovely under and it ought to know what, for ireland how glory his visit be an would he would be around to see if I could run an ice deadline. Brown pants and feel like a million dollars, and if it is a luxury, we're gonna say it has to be a luxury than us. Apart, Certainly it is yours which these disputes receive very difficult.

I am going to go with in a cave in about its old love letter, because at the end of everything, love is the answer. So I'm gonna go with laughter It's yours and rita. Thank you very much for letting us EU desert island discs. Thank you very much for asking me I hope you enjoy this addition of desert analysts with andrew duff you'll find more interviews with actors like danger, detention, he bonneville sports stars, scientists, musicians and artists at bbc dot. Codec uk slash desert island disks,

This is the bbc I then we hope you enjoy that, of course, but his left eye colombo, so pressing me put it. There is just one more thing why not consider listening to the now show is part of the friday night comedy from the bbc. Now I'm sure club. I never said that, news missing outwardly is the topical combination. mostly by us bonds, and then I saw you have to do- is find us wherever you get your forecasts and make sure you subscribe.