Kristin Scott Thomas, the 66-year-old actress known for her role as MI5 boss Diana Taverner in Apple TV's Slow Horses, has revealed that the early morning demands of her job sometimes make her want to quit acting. Speaking at the 2026 Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo, where she received a Crystal Nymph Award for outstanding contribution to television, she admitted: 'Do I want to give up? Well, sometimes I do – nine times out of ten at five o'clock in the morning when I'm sitting in front of the make-up mirror saying to myself "I don't want to do this ever again!" I get grumpy about it but I think anyone who's been doing a job this long would get grumpy sometimes.'
From Formidable Characters to Friendly Reality
Scott Thomas, who was made a Dame in 2015 for services to drama, is known for playing formidable, fiercely intelligent characters. However, she insists she is not intimidating in real life. 'Sometimes people have accused me of being frightening in my life and I go "What are you talking about? I'm not frightening at all",' she said. But after watching herself as Diana Taverner in Slow Horses, she understood the perception. 'I thought "Oh my God, I just saw the way this woman looks at people". She was terrifying and I was like "I get it now". Since then I've been really, really careful in my life to smile a lot and to be friendly on purpose.'
At the Monte-Carlo festival, Scott Thomas was honoured by Prince Albert of Monaco. 'It made me feel quite proud,' she said. She also reflected on her numerous awards, including a BAFTA and Evening Standard Awards, though she modestly claimed: 'I don't think I've got any other awards.'
Directorial Debut: My Mother's Wedding
Scott Thomas has recently ventured into directing with My Mother's Wedding, a film she also co-wrote and stars in. The story follows three siblings coming together for their twice-widowed mother's third marriage. 'The inspiration for the story is taken from my own story as a very small child,' she explained. Her father, a Royal Navy pilot, died in a flying accident when she was five, and her stepfather, also a pilot, died similarly. 'I wanted to get beyond it and tell it in a different way,' she said.
Regarding directing herself, she remarked: 'I can't recommend it. Watching myself on the monitor the only thing I could see was that irritating woman – me – in the background.' When asked why she cast herself, she deadpanned: 'I'm cheap!'
Career Beginnings and Challenges
Scott Thomas initially trained as a teacher but was fired because 'it was clear I wanted to be an actress'. She moved to Paris as an au pair and enrolled in drama school. Her big break came when she auditioned for Prince's film Under the Cherry Moon in 1986. Meeting Prince, she recalled: 'My eyes were on stalks. Then he did something very funny. There were these hard crusty bread rolls on side plates and when he accidentally hit his roll it skittered across floor. I thought, "He's a human being like the rest of us".'
Despite the film being 'rubbish', it launched her career. She acknowledged tough times, especially when her children were young. 'There's a lot of absence, a lot of not being at home, a lot of missing out on things, and it makes you sort of a wreck. And there have been times when my career's slowed down a bit and I felt slightly panicky, like "Will I ever get another job?"'
Slow Horses and Late-Career Success
The success of Slow Horses has provided job security. Scott Thomas praised the show: 'It's made by the most talented people. It's got a lovely budget. It's got this brilliant actor in Gary Oldman, the writing is exquisite, the whole thing is just a very high-level package.' She added, 'Even if I'm not technically a slow horse in the show, you feel quite privileged to be in that group. It's like having a gold card on an airplane.'
She admitted to being intimidated by industry higher-ups when younger but said: 'I'm 60-something now and I'm not afraid of them anymore. I know where my boundaries are.'
Concerns About AI
Scott Thomas expressed concerns about artificial intelligence in the industry. 'It goes so quickly and I have no idea what's going to happen. I'm out of my depth with the whole thing. But I have taken precautions about these things. I have registered my voice and my image.' She dismissed the idea of using AI to speak other languages, saying: 'Maybe I'm lacking an ego or something, but I'd rather listen to a proper Japanese actress doing it.'
Despite the early morning grumpiness, she remains excited about new opportunities. 'I am so excited about what's happening now for me as far as writing and directing are concerned. These things are starting to open up for me and that's a real thrill.'
