GN: You began training at the Television Workshop in Nottingham, which has produced so many remarkable talents how did that early training shape your approach to performance?

JR: I started training at TV Workshop when I was around 13, so from such a young age I was surrounded by experienced talent that I remember being completely enamoured by. When you’re in the under 16’s and you watch the over 16’s perform, you literally feel Starstruck, these people are like celebrities to a young Workshopper. I remember being so impressed by these actors, I wanted nothing more than to invoke the same feeling in others through my performances. You step into some very important shoes when you move up into the over 16s & Alumni, and you have no choice but to work hard and learn. I always aim to inspire, just how I had been inspired. 

GN: Booking your first professional screen role at just 18 in Get Even must have been a milestone what do you remember most vividly about stepping onto set for the first time?

JR: I honestly had no idea what I was doing! The thing I remember most vividly is the feeling, I was so overjoyed and so so proud of myself. I found out I got that job during a sales assistant shift at House Of Fraser, I had to quit my job on the spot, and got on a train to Manchester to film the following day! It came at a really tough time in my life, and I just remember feeling so grateful. I had dreamt of this moment and it was like a big hug from the Universe telling me everything was going to work out. I don’t think any amount of training can prepare you for what a film set is actually like though, I was so clueless, I even started one scene before anyone had called ‘action’, but we all have to start somewhere! 

GN: Many audiences know you as Mariette Larkin in The Larkins. What was it like stepping into such a beloved British family drama, and how did you make the character your own?

JR: Taking on a character that has already been portrayed by such established and talented actors was always going to be a challenge. When preparing for any role, I tend to have the mentality, “it’s me, just as…”, This allows me to bring my life experience to the character, I can play with the parts of myself I want to include, and leave out the parts that don’t necessarily align. Mariette’s values felt similar to my own, so it wasn’t too much of a leap for me. I was nervous at first, but this was the most incredible team, and such a warm and nurturing set, so I soon eased into it.

GN: From soaps like Emmerdale to fantasy epics like The Witcher, your TV work spans very different genres, what excites you most about moving between such varied worlds?

JR: I’m very lucky to already have such a diverse body of work, and I feel a different sense of reward from pulling off a technical stunt, to having an authentic, connected, and emotional interaction. I grew up fascinated by the Iron Man movies and I’ve always wanted to play a superhero, then on the other hand, I love projects that aren’t too far-fetched and feel so close to reality. I think what excites me the most is that hopefully I will continue to be trusted to execute both, I enjoy the entire spectrum of bringing a new world to life authentically, whatever that may entail. 

GN: On film, you’ve led projects ranging from festive romance in Christmas in Notting Hill to the psychological horror The Nice Ones. How do you prepare differently for lighthearted versus darker roles?

JR: I have to separate myself a lot more from the character when I’m filming horror. During The Nice Ones, I journaled as Kate (The Character) before we started filming, which helped shift state to wherever I needed to be that day, then as Joelle after we had finished, to help bring me back to reality. When you work towards putting yourself in a traumatic state, the body can’t tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t. I found this really protected my mind from everything Kate was going through, and it reminded my body that no matter how much everything was real in the moment, I don’t have to take that trauma away with me once we wrap.

GN: You’ve also embraced motion capture, portraying a lead character in a BAFTA winning video game franchise. What unique challenges and freedoms does that medium give you compared to traditional screen acting?

JR: It’s somehow both liberating and limiting at the same time, as I only have access to movement as my medium of storytelling. Without using my facial expressions, the importance lies solely on what my body is doing, but there is such a freedom in not having to worry about my appearance as I undertake some of the more physical challenges of the job, I can stay solely focused on executing the movement. Some days are extremely physically demanding but this is my bread and butter and I get so much reward from it. We have to record every possible movement that the player might make in every single direction, the days we did sprinting and sprinting from crouched were the hardest thing I think I’ve ever done! I train consistently to stay physically fit and strong so I always feel grateful when I am able to bring this into my performances; it is very technical at times, but I love learning new things, which I get to do every single day in that studio. 

GN: Looking back on your journey so far from Nottingham to global franchises, what do you feel has been your biggest lesson as an actress, and what kind of roles or stories do you most hope to explore next?

JR: It’s going to sound like such a cliche, but honestly to just enjoy every second. Whenever you accomplish a goal it’s only human to aim higher and higher and keep raising the bar for yourself. It’s easy to forget where you started and take opportunities for granted, which is something I never want to do. This job can be far from glamorous, and even during then more gruelling shoots (I had one recently where I spent 3 days in soaking wet leather clothes) I remind myself how lucky I am to even be on set! I think of 10 year old me, and how she would feel if she could see me now, I want to make her proud. Gratitude is also important to remember through during the audition process when you receive the inevitable ‘no’s’. I remind myself how lucky I am to even have an agent, how lucky I am to meet producers and casting directors, how lucky I am to get to work on a new character and experiment with fellow creatives, even if I don’t get the job. You can easily reframe, so even rejections and criticism feel like something to be celebrated, it brings me a lot of peace, so that’s how I try and live. 

My mission in storytelling is really centered around connection, I love exploring characters that people feel they can relate to, while also using my strength to inspire, reminding women that we don’t always have to be the damsels in distress. Personally I love Sci-Fi and Fantasy, there is something so rewarding about authentically creating an entire new world separate from reality for people to experience, so I love working on characters which enable me to do that. 

GN: What does Goodnight mean to you?

JR: There is a beautiful quote from Paulo Coelho’s ‘The Alchemist’ - “When every day is the same as the next, it’s because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day the sun rises.” 

To me, Goodnight is an opportunity to reflect on the day, to notice how beautiful life can be when you are open to seeing the beauty even in monotony, and to ready yourself for all the joy and possibility that the following day may bring.

Courtesy of photographer Michael Shelford