Amid all of the conversation about Netflix’s new retelling of One Day, many of us might well be reminiscing about the 2011 film adaptation of the much-loved book.
While this new TV series has received mostly glowing reviews, the 2011 movie was a little more on the divisive side, thanks in no small part to Anne Hathaway’s attempts to speak in a Leeds accent.
And if you’re wondering – yes that meant that Ambika Mod, who plays Emma in this new version of the story, was “absolutely” feeling the pressure when she was getting ready for the role.
Speaking to HuffPost UK ahead of the show’s launch, Ambika admitted she’d previously “never” managed to perfect the Northern accent required for the character.
“If you see my audition tapes, I can’t do the Yorkshire accent,” she revealed. “I couldn’t do it.”
For those who’ve already seen One Day, you’ll know that Ambika did make it in the end, which she credits to the “amazing” dialect coach Natalie Grady.
“We were militant – we met, like, three times a week, hour-and-a-half sessions, we went through every single sound,” she revealed.
“I learned a really, really strong, authentic Leeds accent, and then we pared it down and found an accent that felt really truthful to Emma and where she was in episode one, and then we tapered it from then on.
“But yeah, it took a village, for sure. I definitely didn’t just do it on my own. But I’m very glad that people think it’s OK.”
Ambika also said that once she was cast as Emma, she made the decision not to revisit the film version of One Day, out of concern “it would throw me”.
“Me neither,” her co-star Leo Woodall agreed. “I watched it before the first audition, because I hadn’t read the book. But that was it.”
Before One Day began streaming, Ambika was best known for her performance in the BBC medical comedy-drama This Is Going To Hurt, as well as roles in I Hate Suzie and Trying.
Leo also had a key role in the most recent series of The White Lotus, earning himself and his co-stars a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Performance By An Ensemble In A TV Drama.
One Day is now streaming on Netflix.