One Day actor Ambika Mod has opened up about the support she and co-star Leo Woodall gave one another on set.
The pair play Emma and Dexter in Netflix’s new adaptation of David Nicholls’ much-loved story, which has already been a huge hit for the streaming platform since its debut last week.
Ambika recently sat down with Josh Smith on the podcast Reign, where she spoke about how she and Leo went through a similar journey on set, as the show was “bigger than anything either of us had ever done before”.
“I just remember, especially at the beginning of the shoot, it was quite overwhelming and it was a massive responsibility,” she recalled.
“Not only the size of the roles and the size of the project, but also because the book and the characters are so beloved and we definitely felt that.”
The This is Going To Hurt star continued: “We were both really open when we were struggling, when we didn’t feel like things were right.
“Maybe I was more vocal about it than him, but I would come out of every scene just being like, ‘oh, I’m a fucking shit actor, I should fucking quit right now, I hate myself.’ And he was always very supportive to me in that, and I hope vice versa.”
She added: “It was good to have someone like that because as an actor you might not always have that.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Ambika spoke candidly about her own insecurities and self-confidence journey.
“I really struggled with feeling comfortable with my own skin at school,” she shared. “That was really tough. I never particularly felt attractive or beautiful. I still really don’t. I wouldn’t say that’s like a characteristic of me.
“I’ve always felt like I’ve got to be like the funniest, smartest, hardest person, hardest working person in the room because my looks aren’t going to get me anywhere, which is a double bind in this industry when your looks are to an extent quite important.
“It’s been a real, real journey, but I went through a lot of evolution in my early 20s and I became more confident in who I am, especially doing comedy. I found who I was, I found out what my voice was.
“That gave me a lot of confidence and it gave me a lot of self-belief. I don’t think I would have been able to follow my dreams or try to get into this industry if I didn’t have that.”
Ambika added: “It’s been an ongoing process and I think it’s a daily process to be honest.
“You sort of chip away at it day by day and it’s weird in this job because you are just constantly aware and made to be aware of what you look like, and that shouldn’t really be the case.”
And while Leo may not think he made the best first impression on his future co-star, she insisted she was “grateful” to have him with throughout the process.
During an interview with Graham Norton earlier this month, Ambika spoke about how filming One Day provided a full-circle moment for her, after a “terrible” few years in her career.
One Day is now streaming on Netflix.