Nearly three decades after shooting to fame as the razor-sharp lawyer Anna Forbes in the BBC drama This Life, Daniela Nardini has swapped the screen for a therapist’s couch in Glasgow’s West End. The actor, who won a Bafta for her role in 1998, now works as a therapist, a change she made after going through cancer, divorce and bereavement.
Her portrayal of the provocative and messy Anna resonated with a generation of young women in late-90s Britain, with the show attracting 3.5 million viewers at its peak. Critics have since credited the character as a prototype for Fleabag, although Nardini admits she has never watched Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s series.
Nardini discovered acting at school and trained in Glasgow before landing roles in Take the High Road, Your Cheatin’ Heart and Taggart. She was recommended for This Life by playwright Liz Lochhead and, despite thinking she didn’t stand a chance, was called for an audition. The show became an instant success, but she found the sudden attention overwhelming.
After the series was abruptly cancelled after two seasons, Nardini struggled to distance herself from her character. “Casting directors kept asking: ‘Can you do her again, but in a different way?’” she recalls. She turned to theatre to break out and later took on a variety of roles, including a Scottish Bafta-winning performance as a ruthless estate agent in New Town in 2009.
Seven years ago, Nardini decided to retrain as a therapist. She says most of her clients are women, many in midlife, and that none have sought her out because of This Life. When people mention seeing her in something, she downplays it. “In a therapeutic environment, you’re having a conversation about real stuff,” she explains.
