Nicola Walker, renowned for her dramatic roles in Spooks, Unforgotten, and The Split, is showcasing her comedic talent in the new Disney+ series Alice & Steve. The show follows Alice, a mother who discovers her best friend of 30 years is dating her 26-year-old daughter, sparking a comedic war.
Walker on Comedy and Kindness
Walker emphasizes her preference for comedy with heart. 'In my flavour of comedy, there has to be a kindness to it. I don't mind if the comedy is really biting, but there has to be something in it. I have to care about the characters,' she explains.
The Betrayal Would Be Devastating
While Alice goes full 'mama bear', Walker admits she would struggle with such a betrayal. 'If they did something to me that I felt broke all the rules of that friendship, how would I feel? I would go mad. It would break the silent deal you make with best friends,' she says. 'I don't actually think I'd have the energy to be as vengeful as Alice. I would just be so broken by it.'
Age-Gap Romance and Double Standards
The series explores the awkward dynamics when Steve, a family friend, begins a relationship with Alice's daughter Izzy. Walker notes the double standards: 'Alice doesn't care about that. But what I enjoyed is you think, "Oh, they are actually falling in love", which makes it more interesting, but I still completely understand why Alice wants to take him down.' She adds, 'I love the double standard, "Any girl… but not my girl."'
Working with Jemaine Clement
Walker praises her co-star Jemaine Clement, known for Flight of the Conchords and What We Do In The Shadows. 'I've always thought Jermaine is an absolute genius, and I was correct. His brain works so quickly, I loved every scene I got with him.' She confessed her admiration on set: 'I'm a huge fan of work. I won't go on about it, but What We Do In The Shadows is probably in my top five films of all time.'
Binge-Watching Concerns
Walker, a self-declared binge-watcher, worries about the format. 'I watched The Boroughs over two nights. I think that show must have taken three years to get made, but then in two nights watch done. There's something a little bit worrying about that. I think I'm going to try and ration myself because binge-watching is not good for my head.'
Alice & Steve is available now on Disney+.
