Daisy Edgar-Jones on NORMAL PEOPLE Nostalgia and TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW

In the wide-ranging conversation with Bustle Editor-in-Chief Charlotte Owen, Edgar-Jones reflects on fans revisiting Normal People, shares her newfound love of Sarah J. Maas, and opens up about the 'exhausting' expectations placed on women. She also reveals that filming on Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow starts in January, recalls her 'exciting and terrifying' read-through with Sally Rooney, and talks first loves, staying in her American accent off-set, and an Oklahoma hotel request that got lost in translation.

On fans rewatching Normal People

'I will say it's sweet to think about. I have a lot of people who say that they go back to it and they re-watch it. And for me, if I can continue to make rainy day Sunday autumn projects that people revisit time and time again, the way I revisit the '95 Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice or hopefully our Sense and Sensibility, that's the dream.'

On keeping a copy of Normal People close while on set with Paul Mescal

'I had this book [on set] with me every single day…for me, it's like your character's brain in a little Bible for you to refer to…[Paul Mescal] is a big reader too. And so yeah, we were both constantly referring to it.'

On Sally Rooney attending the read-through

'She [Rooney] was there at the read-through, which was so exciting and terrifying because I love her brain so much and I was such a fan of Conversations with Friends and Normal People. And she was 26 when she wrote the book. And so me, at 21, I was like, 'You are just so impressive.''

On getting into Sarah J. Maas and reading for pleasure

'So whenever I have sat down to read, I'm like, 'Right, I need to read something really educational or highbrow.'...this year I really was like, 'No, I'm going to let myself read purely for pleasure.' So I've gotten really into the Sarah J. Maas universe and all of those books. And it reminded me of what I loved about those kinds of worlds of fiction when I was a kid of just how much you can escape into that world and how nice it is to be on an adventure with a character.'

On her character in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

'We start [filming] in January. I'm so excited…I think it's hard to make art because everyone is very critical and it's really painful when you put everything into something and it might not land. But actually the art of trying and taking a bold swing is kind of all you can do. And so I love Sadie as someone who grapples so much between her instincts and her want to be accepted and her want for success'

On playing video games to prepare

'I get to play so many video games to prep for this job. I've been playing so much Zelda.'

On first loves

'I think we all know what it is to have that first significant relationship and actually at that age, how much it changes the course of your life. And even if it doesn't work out, these people are the hearts of the tapestry of who we are.'

On staying in her American accent off-set for her last two jobs

'It's hard for the old embarrassment threshold. Because you're introducing yourself to people and they're like, 'Where are you from?' And you're like, 'North London.' But in an American accent. I found it helpful, especially because one of the jobs I did was super improvy and comedy and very quick. So switching was too difficult.'

On the unexpected observer of Elinor and Edward's kiss in Sense and Sensibility

'...just after Edward and Elinor kiss, it cuts to a little sheep watching them. And honestly, at the time I was like, 'That's interesting.' But then I kind of loved it because I was like, 'Oh, look at this. This sheep is probably just thinking human beings are odd creatures, aren't they?' That we fall in love and that we tie ourselves in knots about miscommunication and all the kind of emotion we feel.''

On the exhausting expectations placed on women

'All of the kind of mental gymnastics you do to be acceptable…To feel like, I don't want to be too loud because I don't want to appear, I don't know, aggressive or strident, but I don't want to be too soft because I don't want to be taken seriously. I have to be this and I have to be good and I have to be kind, but I have to be strong and all of these things. It's exhausting.'

On discovering American hotel rooms don't always come with a kettle

'I remember in Oklahoma calling the hotel receptionist saying, 'Excuse me, could I have a kettle for my hot water bottle?' And honestly, it was like the concept of a hot water bottle was confusing. The concept of having an electric kettle in the hotel room. I was like, 'I thought they just all had kettle. I need my tea.''