Actress Tessa Peake-Jones Speaks Out on Industry Pressures Over Appearance
Veteran actress Tessa Peake-Jones, renowned for her roles in Only Fools and Horses and Grantchester, has disclosed that she feels forced to wear contact lenses during auditions. She attributes this to casting directors consistently rejecting her when she appears wearing glasses, despite her extensive career spanning five decades.
Challenges with Glasses and Grey Hair in Casting
In a candid interview on the How To Be 60 podcast with Kaye Adams, Peake-Jones, 68, explained that her experiences have led her to believe that appearance-based judgments persist in the acting world. She stated, "In our job as actors—because some of it is still on look and age—when I used to go up for jobs, if I went to do readings with my glasses on, I never got the job."
She further elaborated that she has trained herself to wear contact lenses, which she finds unnatural, simply to improve her chances. Additionally, Peake-Jones expressed reluctance to let her hair go grey naturally, fearing it would limit her to stereotypical grandmother roles. She criticised this as narrow-mindedness among casting professionals and directors.
Reflections on Career and Upcoming Documentary
Peake-Jones will soon appear in the highly anticipated documentary Only Fools and Horses: The Lost Archive, celebrating the show's 45th anniversary. The documentary features never-before-seen footage and cast interviews, but Peake-Jones admitted that watching old clips was emotionally challenging for both her and co-star David Jason.
She described the experience as "torturous," noting that Jason, now 83, found it particularly sad to revisit scenes from his peak years. Peake-Jones herself struggles with self-criticism when viewing her past performances, stating, "I can’t be objective. I just see negative things."
Personal Life and Childhood Influences
Currently single after splitting from actor Douglas Hodge in 2013, Peake-Jones is embracing her independence and what she calls the "third stage" of her life. She enjoys the freedom of living alone for the first time, having previously cared for her mother or shared homes with partners.
Her resilience stems from a difficult childhood, where her mother's bipolar disorder required frequent hospitalisations. Peake-Jones credits this upbringing with teaching her to live in the moment and maintain a positive outlook, skills that have shaped her career and personal philosophy.
Continued Work in Theatre and Television
Despite the pressures in television, Peake-Jones finds solace in theatre, where she feels less self-conscious about her appearance. She is set to star in the play Invisible Me at London’s Southwark Playhouse, relishing the opportunity to perform without scrutinising herself on screen.
Her recent roles include the Channel 5 drama The Feud and a decade-long stint on Grantchester, demonstrating her enduring versatility in the entertainment industry.
