Aimee Lou Wood, who is up for not one but two awards at Sunday night's BAFTA TV Awards, has revealed her love for playing 'misfit' backpacker Chelsea on the hit Sky Atlantic show, The White Lotus. The 32-year-old Stockport native, known for her funny and self-deprecating style, has quickly become one of the most recognisable British actors of her generation.
Double BAFTA Nomination
Wood is nominated in the supporting actress category for her quirky role in Mike White's black comedy and the leading actress category for the big-hearted romcom Film Club, which she co-created. Her meteoric rise reflects a double-nod at the awards ceremony.
From Sex Education to The White Lotus
After graduating from Rada, Wood first broke through with her screen debut as bubbly, kind-hearted teen Aimee Gibbs in the hit Netflix show, Sex Education. Since then, she has steadily built on that success with scene-stealing roles in The White Lotus and the powerful Netflix miniseries Toxic Town, which dramatised the Corby toxic waste scandal.
Joining The White Lotus
Wood joined The White Lotus as the new girl in season three, having been 'obsessed' with watching the satirical show. 'I'm a fan, so I knew a lot. I was obsessed with the first two seasons, so when I was sent the script for Season 3, I was excited just to read them! It was all very top secret, but Mike has done it again. I feel so lucky to have been involved,' she said.
She loves that her character Chelsea, who lands in Thailand with her older boyfriend Rick, is not your typical White Lotus guest. 'She's a bit of a misfit and an outsider. When she arrives, she really doesn't have a clue what the White Lotus Hotel is or why she is there, which was so fun. I could pretend that I was oblivious to the show and just play the story of Chelsea. She is on a mission of love,' Wood explained.
On-Screen Chemistry
Walton Goggins played Wood's much older boyfriend Rick Hatchett, whose enigmatic, troubled character is a foil to Chelsea's wide-eyed, mystical wonder. Wood described every day on set as an 'adventure'. Together, they formed a highly chaotic 'odd couple' that viewers couldn't get enough of. 'We had so much fun working out the dynamic of Rick and Chelsea as a couple. I was actually told that if Walton hadn't taken the role of Rick, then I wouldn't have been Chelsea. That's the genius of Mike. He knew we would work as a pair. We didn't even do chemistry reads,' she revealed.
Life After Fame
From Sex Education to The White Lotus, success came thick and fast for Wood. Now tipped for big things, the star, who describes herself as 'shy', doesn't believe it has changed her as a person, though she could never have dreamed of the life she is living now. 'I wouldn't say I have changed, but my life has changed completely. It seems like only yesterday that I was in drama school. I mean, I'd never have imagined something like this would happen. It's gone from Sex Education and suddenly being recognised on the street and... it's just not stopped from there. It's taken some adjustment, but I feel so lucky to be able to do something I have always loved doing. I feel very grateful,' she said.
When enthusiastic fans stop her out and about, many still want to chat about Sex Education. 'I mean, the show was so huge. It's still huge. I get a lot of people telling me how much they love Aimee Gibbs and how much the show means to them. That's always nice. It's a little overwhelming sometimes, but nice,' she added. She also keeps in touch with her old Sex Education co-stars. 'I know it sounds like an old cliché, but we really are like family. We went through so much together, and we will always be there for each other. I love them all,' she said.
Film Club and Future Projects
Speaking of her other BAFTA-nominated role in BBC Three hit Film Club, centred on nerdy movie buffs Noa and Evie, who share a weekly film club where their feelings for each other grow, Wood said central character Evie 'loses the plot and finds the plot'. She wants audiences to take away that 'you're allowed to wobble in life and not know what you're doing. There's so much pressure in the time that we are living in, where everyone curates their lives on social media and it encourages such comparison, which is the thief of joy. I'd love people to watch this and know that it's OK to not have all the answers, and move at your own pace.'
A Dream Guest
If she could bring back any former character from The White Lotus to join her as a guest in the hotel, Wood says she knows just who she would call: eccentric socialite Tanya McQuoid, played by the iconic Jennifer Coolidge, who kept her mother's ashes in her handbag. 'She probably wouldn't be that fun to have a holiday with because she is incredibly needy, but I would have to experience it. I would have to!' Wood exclaimed.
Looking Ahead
Wood's upward trajectory continues, with future projects including a role as George Harrison's former wife, photographer Patti Boyd, in Sam Mendes' upcoming four-film Beatles biopic, also starring the likes of Barry Keoghan and Paul Mescal. She has admitted to feeling 'a little intimidated' at the prospect of portraying such a well-known figure, but if previous performances are anything to go by, Wood risks outshining anyone she shares the screen with.
