Latest news with #AmbikaMod
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ambika Mod says 'doors are starting to open' as she reflects on One Day success
A year after the sweeping success of her lead role in Netflix's One Day, Ambika Mod has shared her personal insights and experiences about being a brown woman in the film industry Netflix's One Day star Ambika Mod has opened up about her experience navigating the film industry as a woman and those who compare her career trajectory to her former co-star Leo Woodall. The actress shared her candid thoughts after new survey research from Mastercard revealed that women in film feel progress is reversing, but that younger generations are best poised to affect positive change. Speaking at a panel event alongside film director Nisha Ganatra (Freakier Friday), Mod said: 'It's great to see such a positive shift on screen, as the new research from Mastercard reflects. There's a real sense that change is taking hold, and that people are starting to believe in a more equal future for women in film.' 'It's something I've seen in my own experience, progress is happening, and doors are starting to open,' she continued. 'But the findings are also a timely reminder that we're not there yet - especially when it comes to behind-the-scenes roles. If we want lasting change, we need to make sure opportunities exist not just in front of the camera but across every part of the industry.' Following the success of the Netflix miniseries, Mod has gone on to star in the television series The Stolen Girl and hit movie Black Bag, alongside Cate Blanchett, BAFTA award winner Marisa Abela and fellow Netflix alum Regé-Jean Page, and was also named on the 2024 Time100 Next list recognising rising influential leaders. But despite her incredible success, her career trajectory is often compared to her former One Day co-star. Woodall's career has skyrocketed since the series, starring as the lead in Prime Target for Apple TV+ and recently earning a role in the upcoming Anthony Bourdain biopic, Tony. Speaking to British GQ, Mod shared she doesn't have access to the same 'privilege' as Woodall, though their careers are often compared. She said: 'It's mad because we wouldn't be going for the same roles at all, and we're very different people. I think we're going to have very different careers. If I compare myself to someone like Leo, I'm always going to come up short, because there's a privilege there that I don't have access to.' She revealed in the interview that she still struggles not to compare herself to her white peers. 'Being brown is not particularly easy in this industry. You don't get the same opportunities. You don't get the same ascension.' Despite her success on One Day and BBC 's This is Going to Hurt, Mod says she still feels she has to prove herself in a way white actors do not. 'I've been the lead of two very successful, critically-acclaimed TV shows and I still feel like I have to keep on proving myself. A lot of my white peers don't really have to tackle that." Mastercard's Women in Film research also cited that while representation of women on screen has improved, there is more pressure on women to 'prove themselves' than their male counterparts - particularly in behind-the-scenes roles. Still for Mod, the future is bright as ever with a slew of exciting projects on the horizon including two big theatre shows. Mod's one-woman show, Every Brilliant Thing, will soon kick off in the West End and be followed by a performance in Porn Play at the Royal Court. She will also take on a lead role in Sacrifice, the first English-language feature from French director Romain Gavras alongside Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Evans, Vincent Cassell and Charli XCX.
Perth Now
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
'People are starting to believe in a more equal future for women in film...' Ambika Mod positive about movie industry's future
'One Day' star Ambika Mod says "people are starting to believe in a more equal future for women in film". The 29-year-old actress-and-comedian - who plays Emma Morley in the Netflix romantic drama series - attended the Mastercard Women in Film panel in Cannes last weekend which was led by Beatrice Cornacchia, EVP Marketing and Communications APEMEA at Mastercard to discuss the state of the industry and what's next for women in film. Film director Nisha Ganatra also participated. Ambika can see the "positive shift" in the industry when it comes to equal opportunities for woman in film but insists there is more work to be done, especially when it comes to jobs behind the camera. She said: 'It's great to see such a positive shift on screen, as the new research from Mastercard reflects. "There's a real sense that change is taking hold, and that people are starting to believe in a more equal future for women in film. It's something I've seen in my own experience, progress is happening, and doors are starting to open. "But the findings are also a timely reminder that we're not there yet - especially when it comes to behind-the-scenes roles. If we want lasting change, we need to make sure opportunities exist not just in front of the camera but across every part of the industry.' The panel follows research from Mastercard which found that despite 48 per cent of women in film believing progress is going backwards, three quarters are confident the next generation will have more opportunities than they did. Despite a growing cultural spotlight on female storytelling and representation, Mastercard's newly released Women in Film research reveals that aspiring and current female filmmakers across the UK face stark career barriers yet remain hopeful for the future of the industry. Commissioned by Mastercard in May 2025, the research provides a candid snapshot of the evolving landscape for female creatives across UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Poland. Its release coincides with Mastercard's proud sponsorship of the Cannes Film Festival for the 10th consecutive year, as part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing the future of film in Europe. Surveying 1,000 women across the UK who are either working in film or aspiring to do so, the survey found that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) are choosing an alternative career path instead. This jumps to almost half (43 per cent) when surveying respondents across Europe. The participants cite a lack of confidence and fear of failure (38 per cent), not knowing anyone in the industry (34 per cent) and limited access to funding and resources (22 per cent) as the top reasons why. Almost half of UK respondents (48 per cent) feel progress for women in film is reversing, with 58 per cent citing a rise in more subtle barriers compared to five years ago. This is in part due to the belief that while representation of women on screen has improved, behind-the-scenes roles still lack parity (74 per cent) and that there is more pressure on women to 'prove themselves' than their male counterparts. Despite this, there is optimism for the future of women in film. Three quarters (75 per cent) agree that opportunities for women in leadership roles such as directing and producing have improved and a similar number believe women are being heard more in creative and decision-making spaces in the industry (72 per cent). Over three quarters (76 per cent) feel confident that the next generation will have more opportunities in the film industry than previous generations. This belief is driven by young people being more socially conscious and driven to tell authentic stories (41 per cent), as well as greater access to film education (38 per cent), easier access to tools and platforms for creating and sharing content (36 per cent) and increased representation of diverse voices and stories (34 per cent). Access to the arts and film early on in life arises as a key contributor to opportunities and access for women in film. A third (33 per cent) of respondents agree that creative programs being introduced in schools earlier gives them confidence for generations to come, and a fifth (21 per cent) saying early access to film education in school helped them pursue a career in film. Cornacchia, EVP Marketing and Communications APEMEA at Mastercard, said: "At Mastercard, we believe stories shape culture, and empowering more women to tell theirs is essential for a thriving, representative film industry. This research shines a spotlight on the challenges still faced by women- particularly those just starting out- and makes clear that access, visibility and support remain key barriers to progress. Meaningful investment, mentorship and structural change are not optional; they are urgent and necessary steps toward unlocking the full creative potential of this generation.' The research carried out by Mastercard also revealed the most inspirational female role models in the industry: Top 10 Most Inspiring Women in Film: Emma Watson Natalie Portman Viola Davis Lupita Nyong'o Keira Knightley Salma Hayek Sofia Coppola Penélope Cruz Charlize Theron Monica Bellucci
The Independent
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
One Day star among actors reading from International Booker Prize shortlist
One Day star Ambika Mod and The Tick actor Peter Serafinowicz are among the famous faces selected to bring their 'hugely gratifying' readings of the International Booker Prize shortlist to a series of films. Booker, which has been releasing the films with well-known actors for its two annual prizes since 2022, believes the extract readings encourage more people to get interested in the prestigious book awards, especially on social media. The 2025 line-up also includes Bohemian Rhapsody and A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story actress Lucy Boynton, Stath Lets Flats actor Jamie Demetriou, Black Doves actor Omari Douglas, and Slow Horses actress Rosalind Eleazar. Mod, who was born in Hertfordshire to Indian parents, read a part of Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, a book about the lives of women and girls in Muslim communities in southern India. Serafinowicz, who recently appeared as a love interest in Amandaland and presents the Netflix psychological game show Million Dollar Secret, recites from French author Anne Serre's A Leopard-Skin Hat about friendship and mental health. Gaby Wood, chief executive of the Booker Prize Foundation, said: 'It's hugely gratifying to see this come to fruition. 'Since we started making these 'film trailers for books' three years ago they have been seen over a hundred million times, and their release has become one of the most anticipated moments of our prizes calendar. 'We're hugely grateful to the incredibly talented people we've been lucky enough to work with on these short films, including our director for this year's International Booker Prize shortlist films, Roxy Rezvany. 'We hope that as well as inspiring more readers to pick up the books, they showcase the best contemporary fiction in translation for the award-winning screenwriters and directors of tomorrow.' The films are part of a tradition of Booker Prizes adaptations, after more than 70 longlisted or shortlisted books have been filmed for the big and small screen, including Sir Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains Of The Day, Sally Rooney's Normal People and Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient. The six shorts were directed by Roxy Rezvany, who has been Bifa-nominated for domestic abuse short Honesty, and released the opera-documentary Photo Booth (2022) about penguins, Palestine, and queer themes. Previous performers include London-born singer Dua Lipa, Poldark star Eleanor Tomlinson, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, Homeland actor David Harewood, Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh, Irish comedian Aisling Bea, and Outlander actor Tobias Menzies. Rezvany said: 'All the books hold such vibrant worlds, so the approach was simply to lean into what excited us about the writing. 'It was a privilege to bring the work of all the nominated writers to life in some small way through these films.' Boynton read On The Calculation Of Volume I, a story of waking up on the same day every day, by Solvej Balle, and Douglas recited English Channel migrants fiction Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix. Eleazar read from Under The Eye Of The Big Bird, speculative fiction about humans nearly dying out, by Hiromi Kawakami and Demetriou took Perfection, focused on a couple feeling trapped in a middle class existence, by Vincenzo Latronico. The 2025 International Booker Prize winner, who will receive £50,000 to share with their translator, will be announced at the Tate Modern, London, on May 20.
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Improv was British comedy's ‘ugly stepchild' – so why is it enjoying a resurgence?
It's Saturday night and I'm standing alone at the back of a north London pub when a befuddled-looking couple in matching anoraks come up and ask if this is the queue for the show. My heart sinks. I'd come to This Doesn't Leave the Room, a night of improvised comedy hosted by the Free Association, with a theory: that improv – that most ridiculed of comedic forms – is finally becoming cool, thanks to a slew of millennial sitcom star practitioners and a stream of trendily branded shows. But as I trudge up a staircase into a room full of empty seats – me on one side, the confused couple on the other – I realise I may have been mistaken. But then, all of a sudden, the atmosphere changes. People start flooding in with a sense of anticipation – rambunctious groups of friends, twentysomethings on dates, a trio of glammed-up girls warming up for a big night out (one of them is wearing a corset and waving a bottle of wine) – until there's barely room to breathe. Finally, I relax: improv really might be the hottest ticket in town. Relaxation might not be your first instinct when faced with improv, a branch of comedy that involves a team of performers inventing all their material on the spot. Tonight, the tension is palpable; the room is small enough for me to see the performers' hands shaking. My nerves shift direction: what if there are no good ideas? What if it simply isn't funny? 'What if you don't think of anything? What will happen?!' is what Kiell Smith-Bynoe's friends say when the Ghosts and Stath Lets Flats star invites them to his hit improv show Kool Story Bro. 'I'm like: let me worry about that.' Does he worry? 'Never!' Ambika Mod, star of Netflix smash One Day and dedicated improviser, admits the risk is real. 'When it goes badly – and no matter who you are or how long you've been doing improv, it's still possible to do a bad show – it's obviously a hellscape from which there's no fleeing.' For most Brits, improv will bring to mind five words and one question: Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Hosted by Clive Anderson, the Channel 4 programme brought improv to the masses in the 1990s, yet since then it has been almost entirely absent from the zeitgeist – and its reputation is in the doldrums. Compared with sketch and standup, improv is seen as 'the ugly stepchild in the comedy family', says the Free Association's co-founder Graham Dickson. Sam Russell from improv troupe Shoot from the Hip also likens the form to an unwanted sibling: the 'beaten little brother in the corner'. It can also seem extremely nerdy. 'You said it, not me!' laughs Smith-Bynoe. The anxiety-fuelled nature of watching improv combined with that insular geekiness can be off-putting – and improv's sidelining has led to a vicious cycle, says Russell. 'When you see a bad standup, you go: that's a bad standup, not standup comedy is bad. But most people haven't seen a lot of improv. So if you see some and it happens to be bad, you go: I hate improv comedy. It just needs that exposure.' Finally, it's getting it. And Kool Story Bro – which is about to set off on a 15-date nationwide tour – is leading the charge. The show riffs on audience members' weird anecdotes – a university student finding a snake in a kitchen cupboard; someone's dad hiding his baldness from his family for 40 years – making it impossible to rely on any rehearsed material or established gags. This Doesn't Leave the Room has a similar premise, with improvisers building scenes around an embarrassing story told live by a special guest such as Made in Chelsea's Jamie Laing or Paul from The Traitors. These shows may provide a cliche-dodging twist on the standard improv setup, but such recognisable names are clearly the real draw: Kool Story Bro features three members of the Starstruck cast (Lola-Rose Maxwell, Nic Sampson and Emma Sidi), plus big-name guest hosts including Lily Allen and Mo Gilligan. Mod's improv shows – such as 3, which will see her perform alongside Maxwell and Dickson later this month – are now sellouts. The sense of legitimacy and sprinkling of stardust these TV regulars provide is single-handedly rescuing improv's reputation. In the US, this connection between improv and screen talent is deep-seated but inverted: the improv establishment churns out the stars of tomorrow. As a teenager, Mod had 'this weird fantasy about running off to Chicago in my 20s and studying improv', having realised how many actors and comedians from her favourite sitcoms had followed that very path. Troupes including LA's the Groundlings, Chicago's Second City and its Amy Poehler-founded spin-off Upright Citizens Brigade have long produced comedy's brightest stars, including John Belushi, Will Ferrell, Lisa Kudrow, Tina Fey, Kristen Wiig, Ayo Edebiri and many more. In the US, improv institutions often double as drama schools, while 'we have a really strong theatre training tradition in this country', says Shoot from the Hip's Luke Manning. But thanks to the Free Association, that's also changing. After graduating from Durham university, Mod signed up for classes there and 'became obsessed. It was almost like my drama school. Improv teaches you connection, listening, groundedness, building character and how to make bold, interesting yet logical choices. Whenever anyone asks me how to get into acting or wants advice, I always tell them: go and learn improv.' This is exactly what Dickson – who also performs with period drama-spoofing improv troupe Austentatious as well as Kool Story Bro – hoped to bring to the UK when he set up the Free Association a decade ago. While studying in the US, he fell in love with 'Chicago-style long-form': distinct from both the competitive game-based improv of Whose Line Is It Anyway? and more theatrical 'narrative' improv – and hoped to continue after returning to the UK. But the scene was 'a wasteland. Like meeting with four or five other people, none of whom are professional actors, in a room above a school, and then doing a show to literally two people.' Sign up to Bookmarks Discover new books and learn more about your favourite authors with our expert reviews, interviews and news stories. Literary delights delivered direct to you after newsletter promotion Yet this is precisely what some people are looking for: a significant chunk of improvisers are hobbyists. The Free Association offers classes to wannabe performers as well as members of the public looking to step outside their comfort zone or as team-building exercises for businesses. But this association with inclusivity and amateurism can repel paying customers and cultural gatekeepers. As such 'it's been what feels like a personal crusade at times to get improv to be more respected', says Dickson. Still, the sense that improv is as much for the gratification of the performers as the punters persists even in the professional sphere. This Doesn't Leave the Room did make me laugh, but I became so sweatily invested in the improvisers' success that I mostly felt delighted for them when they landed on a great joke. Mod describes improv as 'fucking fun', as well as a way to ground herself; while her TV success means elements of her life now feel 'very cushy and detached from the real world', improv remains 'so exposing. There's nothing to hide behind on stage. I can never get complacent.' For Smith-Bynoe – who was 13 when he joined improv troupe Junior Blaggers (a youth offshoot of Blaggers, which featured Black comedy circuit stalwarts Richard Blackwood and Curtis Walker) – it scratches another itch. '[Improvisers] are all attention-seeking show-offs. Being an actor is one thing, but being like: 'I'm not waiting for a script, I'm gonna act now'; that's attention-seeking.' Dickson describes improv as 'the greatest love of my life', and he and Mod single out the sense of community it provides as of particular value ('people get really addicted to that in a really nice way'). This surplus of genuine human connection means live improv offers a respite from the sort of overly polished comedy often encountered on social media: it is ephemeral, visceral and unrepeatable. At the same time, these qualities make it perfect TikTok fodder. Shoot from the Hip began filming their shows after the pandemic and within months were amassing 100,000s of views (they now have 1.8 million followers on TikTok). Manning believes the popularity is linked to a sense of authenticity: 'you can tell it's really live and in the moment.' Crowd work – where comedians converse off-the-cuff with the audience – is big on social media, points out Smith-Bynoe. 'People are like: oh my gosh I can't believe they thought of that on the spot – and that's our whole show.' And while standups can't post jokes from their current shows online as it would ruin the surprise for live audiences, that's never an issue with improv. Despite their online success, Shoot from the Hip are focused on getting improv back to its old haunt: TV. 'That's something we hope to achieve in the next year or two,' says Manning. Smith-Bynoe thinks improv 'needs' to be on TV in order to broaden its audience and recruit the next generation of performers. But also so it can finally escape the shadow of a certain 1990s cultural artefact. When he mentions improv, 'people are still like: oh, like Whose Line Is It Anyway?' he says with total exasperation. 'Like, that finished 20 years ago!' Kool Story Bro is touring 10 April to 22 May. 3 is at Soho theatre, London, 29 March. Shoot from the Hip are appearing at various UK venues this spring.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If You Swooned Over Leo Woodall in ‘Bridget Jones,' Watch This Netflix Romance Next
Bridget Jones is back where she belongs: on our screens and in our hearts. With 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,' which debuted Friday on Peacock 24 years after the original rom-com introduced us to Renée Zellweger's Oscar-nominated performance as the lovingly bumbling heroine, one thing remains as true as ever: men can't get enough of Bridget's unwitting charm. Now in 'Bridget Jones 4,' Leo Woodall — previously a breakout heartthrob (and criminal) in 'The White Lotus' Season 2 — lays on the dimpled charm as Roxster, Bridget's younger, magnetic love interest, and competing suitor to Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor), teacher of Bridget's children. If you found yourself swooning for the 28-year-old London-born actor, we know just the project you should watch him in next. Premiering last year on Netflix, 'One Day' shows Woodall in a softer light than his bad boy 'White Lotus' rabble-rouser, but his sex appeal and leading man charm are still off the charts. Here's everything you need to know about the acclaimed British drama from last year. 'One Day' is a romantic British limited series starring Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod as a pair of longtime friends-turned-lovers and everything in between. Each episode checks in on the pair on the same day each year over two decades, showing how they enter and exit and ultimately come to define one another's lives. If Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew hadn't met and spoken to each other for the first time on July 15, 1988, they would have gone their separate ways after graduation and lived their whole lives not knowing each other. Adapted from David Nicholls' bestselling, decades-spanning novel, 'One Day' chronicles the interwoven lives of Ambika Mod's Emma and Leo Woodall's Dexter over 20 years and 14 episodes. According to the show's logline, 'Each episode finds Dex and Em, one year older, on this one particular date, as they grow and change, move together and apart, experience joy and heartbreak.' The two oscillate between friends, lovers and everything in between. 'One Day' starring Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod debuted on Netflix one year ago, just in time for Valentine's Day 2024 on Feb. 8. 'One Day' is streaming now on Netflix. Leo Woodall stars as Dexter and Ambika Mod stars as Emma. The limited series also features U.K. actors Amber Grappy, Brendan Quinn, Tim McInnerny, Jonny Weldon, Eleanor Tomlinson and Essie Davis in recurring roles. Watch the trailer for 'One Day' below: The post If You Swooned Over Leo Woodall in 'Bridget Jones,' Watch This Netflix Romance Next appeared first on TheWrap.
