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Emma Laird is busy at the moment. The English actor is currently juggling moving house, jetting between time zones, and working, of course. She has a number of new projects about to drop, among them period comedy Fackham Hall, crime thriller Blood On Snow and 28 years later follow up The Bone Temple, where she’ll transform into a post-apocalyptic cult follower, starring alongside Cillian Murphy and Ralph Fiennes. But despite her chaotic schedule, Laird couldn’t resist a major fashion moment, travelling to Paris especially for Louis Vuitton’s SS26 fashion week show.<\/p>\n
When getting ready for any event, the Mayor Of Kingstown star needs a good amount of time to prep. ‘I don\u2019t want to be stressed because if I\u2019m rushing, then I feel stressed,’ she tells ELLE UK. Her check list? ‘A good night\u2019s sleep, waking up early so I\u2019ve got time to have a morning to myself, good people and good music around me while I get ready, and a good breakfast!’ (As for her playlist, ‘I’ll listen to The Voids, Wolf Alice’s new album called The Clearing, and DJO, an actor from Stranger Things, makes music like The Strokes mixed with Daft Punk.’) While getting ready for the Louis Vuitton show, the actor sat down with ELLE UK to talk about her upcoming roles, her style advice, and her fashion week essentials.<\/p>\n
Big. It\u2019s just big. The size, the colour, the shape. I chose the loudest thing on the rack. I thought about a sleek hair look but then I decided to embrace my curls. I like wearing my curls because I don\u2019t have to worry about it. When my hair is straight or blown out the curl will come back in the wind, or if it\u2019s raining. This will last me days.<\/p>\n
The glam look was all about no make up and no hair [styling] kinda vibe. I said I just wanted a little black line on the eyes and not much else. Same with hair, we just enhanced my curls. I feel like myself today, which I like. [My regular beauty routine is] quite boring I think. Drink enough water, sleep, consistency with my skincare routine and products. I guess my essential is factor 50 sunscreen. Every day. Winter, days indoors. I wear it every day.<\/p>\n
Initially I was drawn to that because it was Danny Boyle; Trainspotting and his films are so culturally significant for British and Irish people. He just tells these really dirty and grimy stories \u2014 there\u2019s a real sort of working-class feel to Trainspotting and Intimacy in particular. I went in to audition initially for a different role, and then Nia DaCosta, who’s directing the second film, said, how about this role? I almost didn\u2019t take it, because your team are often trying to get you the biggest role in the film.<\/p>\n
But I went back to the script, and I was really connected to the smaller role. I got excited by the idea of playing someone with the mental age of a 13-year-old. I created a character that was so far away from myself \u2014 she\u2019s mad, she\u2019s absolutely mad \u2014 and I\u2019ve always loved zombie films from a very young age, so it was a dream come true in itself.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s this pressure to take ‘profile’ roles \u2014 but often that means being someone\u2019s girlfriend with nothing to do. I\u2019m not interested in playing support to a man\u2019s story. If I don\u2019t connect with the character, if I don\u2019t believe in her, I know I won\u2019t do good work. What excites me is being scared. The comfort zone gets boring.<\/p>\n
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is probably my favorite co-star I\u2019ve ever worked with. I just did a film with him called Blood on Snow. He took such good care of me, and I was stepping onto a really big set for where I was in my career. I felt like maybe I wasn\u2019t worthy of having that role. It was a set with Aaron, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Eva Green \u2014 a big role for me. Aaron took me under his wing, and we had so much fun. I learned a lot from him. He sets a really good example and is a wonderful actor.<\/p>\n
I’ve always had a very loud style. I remember going back to my hometown wearing bright-colored, patterned pants, walking through town in them. I’ve always been quite garish in style, so that hasn’t changed. But I think as my body\u2019s changed, and the people I\u2019m surrounded by have heavily influenced my style. I have different versions of myself in my wardrobe that reflect my friends and the music I’m listening to.<\/p>\n
Fashion is art. With acting, where I have an anchor or one word for a scene that pulls me into it \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s like that with dressing; you wake up and think, \u2018Oh my God, I really want to wear this jumper. What do I pair around it?\u2019 But honestly, I tried on like 17 different outfits this morning and I get so stressed out if I can\u2019t find the right one.<\/p>\n
Sometimes an outfit just works, and I wear it for three weeks straight because it feels amazing. Then I find a new outfit to wear. But this morning, I\u2019m about to travel to Paris, and I\u2019m like, \u2018What do I wear?\u2019 I\u2019m currently moving house, so none of my clothes are here. Some mornings I have an identity crisis, and that\u2019s just the reality of it.<\/p>\n
AirPods. Disposable camera. Hand cream. Lip balm and mint gum. Ibuprofen. And toothpicks because I quit vaping.<\/p>\n
This interview has been edited and condensed.<\/p>\n