5 Minutes with Natalie Quarry

I didn’t know I wanted to be an actor until…I saw Twelfth Night at the Globe with Johnny Flynn, Stephen Fry and Mark Rylance. I was really enthralled by the performance - I'd never seen anything like it before. I remember when Johnny Flynn was doing some soliloquy, thinking oh God, I want to be an actor.

I didn’t go straight from drama school to Call the Midwife… I graduated just before COVID hit, so I had three years of nothing. The agency I was originally signed to went bust, I was living with my parents and working in a café. When I eventually came to audition for Call the Midwife, I knew how amazing it would be to get the part. And it was. It really did change my life.

Joining an already established and beloved show was…daunting. I was very nervous, especially with it being my first proper, long-running job. I knew a lot of the actors on the show from watching it on TV, who all really know what they’re doing, so you just have to slot in. It’s a machine, but it’s such a welcoming team, full of amazing actors and such a nice crew and production.

The biggest lesson I’ve learnt from Call the Midwife is…to be less prescriptive with my preparation. I used to be obsessed with bookwork and writing notes. Over time, I’ve learnt to trust the scripts and become a bit more intuitive with the other actors. I still write notes, but I now like to look up from my studies and be more present. It’s something I’ve spoken to Zeph (Taitte, who plays Cyril Robinson) and Rebecca (Gethings, who plays Sister Veronica) about. Their backgrounds are in theatre, improv and comedy, so they’re much more used to feeling it in the moment and finding little bits of joy in the scenes.

The show tackles some big social themes…and Heidi (the show’s creator) is so good at making sure it’s done in a tasteful way. Bringing those topics to younger audiences, who may have a certain opinion on a subject and might see a different perspective, is what's so brilliant about the show.

As the actor, it's fun to explore a portion of history and a subject that's still relevant now. I’ve learnt loads of things that I didn’t know happened, and also lots of medical stuff. When I meet people who are pregnant, I ask all these questions like a nurse.

Everyone thinks Think of England is a true story…but it’s actually a myth. It’s a bout a porn film being commissioned during WW2 to boost morale, and while there is a rumour that it's something Winston Churchill did, it likely never existed – or never saw the light of day! It kind of has the vibe of Operation Mincemeat – a crazy war story – except there’s no evidence this actually happened.

Holly, who I play in Think of England, is caught between control and being controlled…she doesn’t have a huge amount of agency. She’s driven by the dream of becoming an actor and they’ve told her she might have that opportunity by shooting this. She desperately wants to become more than she feels she is. So, she could walk away, but at what cost? Equally, if she makes this film and it comes out, then she has made a porn film, which, at that time, and even now, people would have strong opinions about. She’s constantly battling her morals and boundaries. It's complicated. The stakes are always changing and that's why I found the project so interesting.

I unwind from acting by…by watching TV! Especially in between filming, I love things that make for easy watching like Gilmore Girls and Community. I also just like to spend time with friends and my partner – going to the pub and hanging out. That type of thing. When you’re filming, you spend so much time alone, travelling or waiting in your trailer. So, it’s nice to be with people outside of work.

One thing you’ll always find in my trailer is…my notebooks. I have one with everything I need to know all the time and another specifically for the character or project. I won’t go anywhere without both. Or my glossy lip balm.

My top three favourite films of all time are…Little Miss Sunshine, Sorry Baby and The Royal Tenenbaums.

After Think of England…I want to move more into film. Maybe do an indie film. I’ve worked in TV for a long time, so it would be nice to have a little change.