Born in Bristol, Tuppence Middleton, 39, trained at ArtsEd in London before appearing in films The Imitation Game and Mank. Her stage roles include The Motive and the Cue at the National Theatre, and her TV work spans Sense8, War and Peace, The Forsytes and the next series of Slow Horses. Since the age of 11, she has had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which she writes about in Scorpions, out in paperback on 21 May. She lives in London with Swedish film director Måns Mårlind and their child.
What is your greatest fear?
Endless vomiting. That comes from my emetophobia, which is a huge part of my OCD.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Anyone who can pick up a house spider with their bare hands.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Impatience.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Dawdling.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Congratulating Dua Lipa on managing to release a single in such a tough industry, because I thought she was a struggling indie artist. I Googled her the next day and realised that she has 88 million followers.
Describe yourself in three words
Tenacious, romantic, organised.
What would your superpower be?
Encyclopedic recall for symptoms of major diseases.
What makes you unhappy?
A hotel room without a bath.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My witchy feet.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
A Rowntree’s chocolate bar called Secret. My grandma used to sell them in her post office.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Reece Shearsmith.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Watching Naked Attraction when my partner’s out.
What does love feel like?
A perfect cup of coffee – warm, bittersweet, anxiety-inducing and delicious.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Christmas elf at the Rainforest Cafe.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Every pair of tights I’ve ever worn – I always get holes.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
I’d swap out a few boyfriends.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
Someone who doesn’t have restless legs syndrome.
When’s the last time you changed your mind about something significant?
I bought a house with someone and realised at the housewarming party that it was a mistake.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
Doing a compulsory standup routine in my first week of drama school.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Getting to 39 without having a filling in my teeth.
Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
I’d like them to do shifts so I never got bored.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Try not to take yourself too seriously.
