Amanda Redman
Amanda Redman: celebrity interview
Amanda Redman is known for her TV work, including Little Dorrit, At Home With The Braithwaites, Honest and New Tricks. Amanda lives in west London with her long-term partner Damian Schnabel. She has one daughter, Emily, 22, from her marriage to actor Robert Glenister
Amanda Redman on work
I’ve been really lucky in my career. I’m very blessed to have never not worked. Unfortunately, in this industry it’s a hell of a lot to do with luck. I know loads of talented actors who don’t have that amount of luck. I love my job and never want to stop working, so long may it continue.
If I wasn’t an actor I’d teach drama. I’m at my Artists Theatre School in Ealing every Saturday. I love being around youngsters because of their enthusiasm, and seeing them come on is possibly the most exciting thing. They can make me very cross, but I’m fond of them all.
Amanda Redman on relaxing at home
Boy, do I rest on the seventh day! I relax by reading, eating – my partner, Damian, who’s head of design at Virgin Management, is a fab chef – and watching box sets of TV series I’ve missed. My best friends Liz, Amanda and Freda will come over for Sunday lunches, which usually go on for a long time. Liz and I have been friends since we met aged 11, Amanda is my publicist and Freda is my PA. I don’t think I’d have got though a lot of stuff without them.
Home means everything to me. I love being in it, love having people into my home. It’s a great atmosphere, simply because of all my lovely friends. There’s a lot of laughter in my house, which I love.
Amanda Redman on fitness
I do two hours a day, five days week in the gym. And I hate every second, every single second. All those endorphins that people go on about – what rubbish! I admit, coming out of the gym, I do have more energy. But when I have to go back the following day, thinking of yesterday’s energy doesn’t help. My trainer Matt is now also a close friend. He does an hour of weights with me, then I do an hour of cardio.
We have a gym at home now so when I’m filming, I can work out there. During the week, I don’t drink and I eat frugally, but at weekends I eat like a pig! If I cut down at weekends as well, I’d probably be in really good shape, but life is too short and I’m a bit of a hedonist.
Amanda Redman on ageing
I hate the ageing process. I don’t have the energy I used to have, and I can’t recover from a binge night out the way I used to. Physically, things are starting to hurt now and you think, “Oh no, it’s the beginning of arthritis,” and that’s really depressing.
I don’t feel pressure to look good just because Damian is 12 years younger than me. My nickname at home is Grub, which I think says it all. I’m happiest in my holey Juicy tracksuit bottoms and Damian always says, “If people could see you now!”
If there was one role left, I’d want to play Cleopatra. I adore Shakespeare. I’d love that part – with a wig and lots of Nivea!
Read this interview in full in the August issue of woman&home magazine.Amanda opens up about her relationships with her mother, her daughter and her New Tricks co-stars.
