Throne By Her New Role!

Olivia’s quietly terrified

- Vivienne Archer

Is there a bigger star than Olivia Colman on the planet right now? It’s safe to say 2019 has been her year – she’s added a shiny, gold statue to her trophy cabinet after winning an Oscar for her blackly comic portrayal of Queen Anne in The Favourite; enchanted and appalled viewers in equal measure with her hilarious turn as an anarchic stepmother in Fleabag; and has taken on what may be her biggest role of all, Her Majesty the Queen in season three of The Crown.

Fame, fortune and adoration have come all at once, but the hilarious and humble star says she’s happy it didn’t happen for her until her late 30s.

“To be the ingénue and to keep working is rare because once people see you as that, they don’t like the process of ageing,” Olivia (45) says.

“Which is f****** ridiculous! I grew to my place.

“Over the years, pounds have gone on, and my body has changed, I’ve had children,” the mum-of-three adds.

“If someone doesn’t like me because of the size of my bum, they can f*** off, because I quite a nice person to be with.”

While she’s starred in countless British TV shows since starting out in the industry 20 years ago, including a long run in the cult sitcom Peep Show, Olivia’s first taste of global success came in 2013 with the hit drama Broadchurch. She shone as Detective Inspector Ellie Miller, who was tasked with uncovering the truth about the disappearance of a boy in small-town England.

After landing a BAFTA award for Best Actress in 2014 for the show, Olivia’s star began to rapidly rise, to the point where she is now fondly thought of in Britain as a national treasure, though she’s not sure she likes the label.