'What's The Key To A Happy Marriage? Laughter...And Alcohol'

Actress Katherine Parkinson, 40, shares her passions with Nathalie Whittle. She lives in London with her husband, actor Harry Peacock, and their two young daughters

What is your earliest acting memory?

My dad was a primary school teacher and used to direct all the plays, including Annie, and I remember feeling so jealous that I wasn’t in it. I would love to have been this all-singing, all-dancing child, but there weren’t the funds or the willingness to drive me around everywhere, so it wasn’t until I got to university that I seriously considered it as a career.

Did you have a career plan B?

Whenever I drop my daughters [Dora, five, and Gwendolyn, three] off at school, I always think that as hard as the teachers work, there can’t be a more rewarding thing to do. My mum was a teacher too and she always warned me against it because she didn’t feel she was paid enough for the hours she put in… then I told her I wanted to be an actress and I think she might have changed her mind!

Best decision you’ve ever made?

Agreeing to go out with my husband. We met at the National Theatre where we were doing a workshop together – he was playing a dog and pretended to urinate at my feet… and I fell in love.

And the worst?

Not learning to drive. All my school friends got cars for their 18th birthdays and I knew I wouldn’t get one, so I thought the best thing to do was not waste my time learning. Now my daughters say, “Mummy, why don’t you drive?” I’m determined to do it this year.