The trips that made me: Lydia West

There aren’t many actors who have created a character so beloved they’ve inspired their own hashtag, but Lydia West is one of them. When Russell T Davies’ drama series about the 80s Aids epidemic, It’s a Sin, aired on Channel 4 in 2021, #BeMoreJill began to trend with every episode, prompting viewers to share stories of the compassionate Jill Baxters in their own lives. As well as leading to a surge in HIV testing, the show became a talking a point in Parliament and eventually the recipient of several Bafta nominations – including one for West for Best Actress.

Four years on, West still seems shell-shocked by the whole experience – not least because she’s barely stepped into an audition room since, flitting effortlessly from film to TV set to the London stage.

When she dials in to our Zoom call from a break in her partner’s native Toronto, it’s at the end of a year that’s seen her star in a one-woman show at the Barbican (A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction) and film a comedy miniseries, Big Mood, opposite Bridgerton star Nichola Coughlan, coming to Channel 4 this month.

But don’t be fooled: she’s managed to fit in some holidays, too. “I started off the year with a trip to Antigua,” she grins. “And ended it in Toronto for Canadian Thanksgiving.” Somewhere along the way she’s also turned 30 in Seville, travelled the West Coast of Ireland with nonagenarians, and moved house – all rather impressive…

You’re soon to star in a new TV series, Big Mood. What attracted you to the project?
When I read the script, I just thought it was so funny and silly, a real dark comedy. It’s about two friends, Maggie and Eddie, who have this brilliant friendship, but Maggie is bipolar and navigating life with mental illness. My character, Eddie, is also going through her own challenges of being a 30-year-old in the city, so it’s really about the love friends have for each other and how it can bring you through difficult times. There are some really big themes at the heart of it and, as soon as I picked up the script, I felt like a lot of people might feel seen by those two characters.

You turned 30 yourself last June. Did it feel like a big milestone for you?
I definitely think 30 has been the year where I’ve made a conscious effort to slow things down a bit. It’s been such a hectic few years with work since It’s a Sin, and turning 30 made me stop and think, “Right, I’ve got to sit myself down and do some life things!” In the last year, I’ve moved house, and I got two cats, so I’m slowly becoming better at it…

How did you celebrate your 30th?
I spent my birthday in Seville with friends, in a cottage right up in the mountains, which was gorgeous. Then I came home and did two weeks in Ireland with my grandparents – a trip to meet long-lost family, to visit cousins and my grandfather’s twin. It was beautiful – we travelled the West Coast, just me and two 90-year-olds, stopping along the way to take in amazing beaches and waterfalls.

It’s been three years since It’s a Sin hit our screens. How did starring in that show change things for you personally?
I think just being in a show with so much traction – and that became part of the zeitgeist in the way it did – put me in a lot more rooms professionally. Historically, shows that are centred on a Queer experience haven’t really been targeted to a mass audience, so for it to be talked about in parliament was also mind blowing. In a personal sense, it’s given me the confidence to use my own voice, and to choose projects based on whether I think they’re important.

As part of your Bafta Breakthrough award in 2021 you were given the opportunity to choose two mentors. Why did you select Suranne Jones and Will Poulter?
I’d always admired Suranne’s work, but I’d also read about her personal struggle with mental health and how, in her own production company, she’d implemented on-set coordinators that specialise in mental health support. I’ve been on sets where the mood has been dictated by the lead actor and that haven’t felt very healthy, so I was really interested in creating that kind of safety net. At the same time, I knew Will had talked about his struggles with navigating sudden fame, and when It’s a Sin came out, I found that attention quite overwhelming. Having him as a second mentor has really helped.

Last year, you starred in a one-woman play in London, A Play for the Living in a Time of Extinction, and spent six months in Canada filming the spy thriller series, Gray. Where else has your work taken you recently?
I’d love to say I’ve shot in lots of exotic places, but it’s mostly been in London! I did shoot a film in New York during lockdown, which was a rare opportunity to see the city so empty – it was kind of eerie but lovely. Then last year, I filmed in Toronto. I was there from May to October, and it became a bit of a soul-searchy trip – just being alone in a different place and taking the time to sit with myself turned out to be a really valuable experience.

Did you have a particular routine that you settled into while you were there?
Every morning I would walk to a different hot yoga class before I started work – it was my way of soaking in the city and making friends. Then on weekends I’d often hop over to Toronto Island on the ferry to go swimming at the local beaches – it’s such a different vibe and a cute day trip.

Are you an activity enthusiast on holiday?
During the pandemic, I did an intensive swimming course on YouTube where I taught myself the three strokes, and that kick-started a love of wild swimming. I’ve since swum in Lake Como, which turned out to be illegal and a little bit scary [laughs]. Mostly, I’m about absorbing culture through food... I’ve never eaten food like I have done in San Sebastián or Lisbon. But Lisbon also holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I got my first tattoo…

It seems a rite of passage that people get tattoos on holiday. What inspired you?
I’d recently come back from Toronto and, after years of chasing things, whether it be work or relationships, I think I was just in a place where I felt really content. I was with my best friend, and I felt like I had a real mantra, so I got a tattoo on the inside of my wrist with the words, “It’s OK”.