A B'way Debut and a Trio of New Films: Fall Is a Feast for Mrs. Warren's Profession Star Sally Hawkins

If you’re not familiar with the quiet charm of rising British star Sally Hawkins, get ready. In addition to making her Broadway debut as the bright, upstanding Vivie Warren opposite Tony winner Cherry Jones in the Roundabout Theatre Compnay production of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, the actress has a trio of new movies opening: Never Le Me Go, Submarine and Made in Dagenham. And yes, there’s early Oscar buzz for the native Londoner for the latter film about a 1968 strike at a car factory over equal pay for women. Known for her Golden Globe-winning performance as the quirky, optimistic Poppy, the central character in Mike Leigh’s 2008 film Happy Go Lucky, Hawkins has had a string of interesting roles, including significant parts in Vera Drake, the BBC’s Fingersmith and Persuasion. Despite a whirlwind weekend at the Toronto Film Festival promoting the new flicks, Hawkins graciously chatted with Broadway.com on a break from rehearsals of the Shaw classic, which opens on October 3 at the American Airlines Theatre. And she didn’t even sound tired!

You’ve had a busy week with three movies opening in the Toronto Film Festival and Mrs. Warren’s Profession barely two weeks into previews on Broadway.
I just got back [from Toronto]. It’s been a bit mad.

How did you juggle having three films in the festival?
I’ve got one that’s a lead, which is Made in Dagenham, so there was a lot to do for it: press junkets, screenings and red carpets. The other two are tiny parts: there’s Submarine, and I’ve got a little cameo in Never Let Me Go. It’s an important part, but it’s small. They just happened to come out all at the same time; it wasn’t a deliberate thing.

Can you concentrate on the play with so much going on?
It’s quite good in a way because you can only focus on one thing at one time. Mrs. Warren’s Profession is such hard work—all I can do is concentrate on that. It sort of takes the anxiety off the films coming out, but then I’ve got the anxiety of the play. It’s always the way, though. Life is like that—I either have everything going on or there’s nothing going on.

You’re so busy, do you have time for a personal life right now?
No, I don’t! I’ve got some great friends, but being in this country, there isn’t much of a love life for me. Hopefully, it’ll pick up again when I’m back in the U.K. There isn’t any time, but it’ll calm down soon.

I saw the trailer for Made in Dagenham. Is it fair to say it looks like a crowd-pleasing Norma Rae?
That’s a huge compliment to the film. I think it’s very different, but yes, please, make it the next Norma Rae. That would be lovely.

What made you want to do Mrs. Warren’s Profession?
You can’t turn down a Bernard Shaw play on Broadway with Doug Hughes directing it and Cherry Jones playing your mother. All the boxes are ticked and double starred.

What was it like the first time you stepped on stage in front of an audience on Broadway?
It was just exhilarating to really be on Broadway and to be with a phenomenal cast, led by Cherry Jones. She’s beautiful and brilliant in so many ways—as a person and as an actress. And [director] Doug Hughes, my God! If I stop to think about it, my knees would give way. I never thought I would be on Broadway. You dream of it—as an actor, it’s the place where you want to be. To be working in New York and living as a surrogate New Yorker is fantastic. I love it! The energy you get from the audience here is very different from London. The first preview, there was such a lovely audience—at the curtain call, I burst into tears.

You’re not taking the easy road here.
No, but it’s good to work these muscles; I haven’t worked them for a while. I learned on the stage and was trained classically. I’ve done the National Theater and lots of theater work in London and in regional theaters, but here on Broadway, it’s a different response. I'm having the best time.

Tell me more about working with Cherry Jones.
She’s just lovely. She welcomed me with open arms and the biggest smile and made me feel so relaxed. I was very nervous and greatly admire her  and her work. The more I get to know her, the more I admire her. She’s passionate about what she does, and you want everyone you work with to be like that. And she's very funny. She's just a cool woman.

In what ways do you relate to your character, Vivie Warren?
I relate to all my characters—you sort of have to in order to understand them. I think she’s extraordinary. I love her independence, her matter-of-factness and her logical nature, her sense and her seriousness but also her passion for her work and for life. She’s learning things all the time, she’s having to re-center herself and relearn and readjust. She’s highly educated and she has integrity, yet she’s highly moral. I love that.

Is it funny for you to be on stage with Americans doing British accents?
No, it feels really right. New York audiences seem to really love an English accent—especially that highly defined English, very Queen's English—probably more than maybe we would appreciate it in the U.K.

It couldn’t be farther from a Mike Leigh movie.
Absolutely! But then you look at Lesley Manville in High Hopes, and she does it brilliantly. I love the perception of what that accent brings as well. There’s always a perception that people in that class will be a particular way, and I like the fact that Vivie isn’t. She’s not the norm.

I mentioned Mike Leigh because you are most famous for your performance in his movie Happy Go Lucky. What was it like to work with him?
He does his own thing. He’s different, and I love that about him. He doesn’t compromise. He’s just interested in creating the best work he can, and I admire him so much for that. I’m so lucky that that was my first introduction into film—it was such an education. I consider him a great friend now. I’m so grateful to Mike for his teaching and his friendship and love.

How did it feel to win the Golden Globe for Happy Go Lucky?
It was incredible. I can’t really put it in words, really. I never thought that that would ever happen. It’s exactly what you want for every piece of work you do, but it rarely happens. It’s insane—immense and brilliant.

Did the world fall away when they called your name?
I think those kinds of events do go a bit spacey and dreamlike, and my legs went very wobbly. It was like being smacked on the head with something very nice—I don’t know what that would be! It’s like an adrenaline shot, but you’re suddenly thrown into the limelight on this worldwide stage, receiving this incredible award that is highly regarded. For me it’s like winning an Oscar. It’s little old me getting it, and who would have thought? It was weird because it was a difficult time: I was in a lot of pain since I’d broken a collarbone, and I was in a sling, which obviously I couldn’t wear that night. I was physically completely drained. It was the last thing I was actually thinking about and that’s probably the only way to go through those kinds of things: distracted by something else major going on in your life.

Do you enjoy walking the red carpet and that aspect of movies?
Getting dressed up is fine; wearing lovely dresses is always fun for girls, but doing press in such a concentrated, intense way is not easy for me. I don’t enjoy talking about myself; I find it really difficult, actually. I value privacy and don’t want to be considered as a celebrity. I’m an actor, and I think there’s a weird blurry line [between public and private] especially since celebrity culture just sort of exploded. I think as an actor it’s difficult because you want to disappear into roles, and the more people know you, the less you can do that. That intense focus really freaks me out. It’s nice when fans appreciate your work and people stay after the show to say hello and well done. That’s lovely, but anything more than that is quite scary. I think it takes a different kind of person than I am to deal with it well. I find it very draining and exhausting, and I get very flustered in press junkets. I find it very hard to come back to me.

What’s your secret for keeping your stamina up during this hectic time?
Vitamins!

See Sally Hawkins in Mrs. Warren's Profession at the American Airlines Theatre.