Lesley Manville on Her Rise to Stardom and Playing a Screen Sleuth in Her 60s

Actor Lesley Manville has spent the past 15 years transforming from a respected working actor into a stratospheric, award-winning star, and she is now returning to television as a stylish sleuth, according to an interview published by the Guardian.

Manville, interviewed during a rare period of rest after six almost unbroken months performing in Oedipus on Broadway and Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre, spoke about her career trajectory and her approach to awards recognition. She keeps the Tony Award she won for playing Jocasta in Oedipus on a shelf by her computer, next to an Olivier Award she received for the same role, the report said.

Discussing the significance of awards, Manville is quoted dismissing the idea that actors should downplay their ambitions, comparing the attitude to asking an Olympic athlete whether it matters that they didn't win. "You don't go into a job thinking about awards," she said, before adding that, like any competitor, she does want to win.

The interview also touched on Manville's new television role as a sleuth, describing her character as chic but notably poor at solving mysteries despite the detective premise of the show. The report situates this new part within a broader conversation about sex scenes and romantic storylines for actors over 50, an area the piece describes as currently expanding on screen.

Further details of the new series, including its title, broadcaster and premiere date, were referenced in the original report but not included in this summary.