Amanda Donohoe: After living in Hollywood for 12 years, moving to a small Suffolk village has been a
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Former Emmerdale and L.A. Law actress Amanda Donohoe, 49, lives in rural Suffolk with her partner, artist Russell Haswell. Here, she reveals a few of her favourite things...
Forties style: Amanda in her favourite dress
FROCK STAR
I really love this dark green dress which covers me up from the neck down to below the knee. The last time I wore it was at the Military Awards.
It’s one of those movie-star, Forties’ style frocks that’s reminiscent of another era. It is beautifully tailored and covers everything, yet remains wonderfully sexy.
MUSIC MEMORABILIA
The punk era was just fantastic and had great spirit. For me, it was all about the clothes and the music. I still have a collection of Adam And The Ants T-shirts, early Vivienne Westwood shoes — including my original ‘pirate’ boots, which I wore when I was in pop videos with Adam Ant, who was my boyfriend at the time.
They are very dominatrix — I can’t believe I could actually walk in them. I shall wait until they are utterly priceless and then flog them!
GOURMET DESTINATION
After 12 years in Hollywood, living in a small Suffolk village is a huge change. I loved living in Hollywood — and the weather there was just fantastic — but there is something about rural England, and especially Suffolk and Norfolk, that pulls at my heartstrings.
One of my favourite places is the old town of Framlingham, where we go on Saturdays to the farmers’ market. The local vegetables and the meat are much tastier than anything you can get in the supermarkets. With its old castle ruins, it’s an idyllic town, and it’s got the sort of vibrant life which not all country villages have.
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ShareBUCOLIC BOLTHOLE
I have an allergy to stairs, so when I decided to move back to the UK I looked for a bungalow with lots of land and — bingo — I found it. It’s long and low and clad in black timber, so it looks fairly rustic; but the Scandinavian-inspired interior is modern, simple, functional, beautiful and timeless.
Rural retreat: Amanda has swapped the Hollywood Hills for a Suffolk village
CLASSIC VIEWING
I watch an awful lot of old Hollywood movies — I’ll devour anything with Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. My absolute favourite is Sunset Boulevard starring Gloria Swanson. The films have a glamorous feel that I adore. It’s great seeing amazing houses as they were back in the Fifties.
HIDDEN TREASURES
My parents were antique dealers in North London and over the years my father gave me lots of little bits and pieces. I have a collection of early Georgian spoons, and all sorts of knick-knacks.
But my favourite piece is a Mendlesham chair which he gave me, made in the Suffolk village of the same name 200 years ago. It was in London with me for years, and now I’ve bought it back to Suffolk, to its home, and it’s sitting proudly in my living room.
VINTAGE DRAMA
If I see one more TV detective on the box, I think I’ll scream. I adore costume drama and we do it so well. Downton Abbey is one of my favourite shows ever — it’s just beautifully filmed, and the stories and characters are so wonderful. I also love the original Upstairs Downstairs, which I still watch even now.
Must-see TV: Downton Abbey
INDULGENT TIPPLE
My favourite drink in the world is a good red wine. I like them full bodied and, generally, French. Nowadays it’s about quality and not quantity. I spend more money on better wine and enjoy it differently. Drinking for the sake of it is of no interest to me, it’s the whole gastronomic experience of food and wine together that I enjoy.
STATEMENT SCENT
Super scent: Mandragore Poupre perfume
I can’t live without perfume. When getting up early for Emmerdale, I would always make sure I wore beautiful perfume on set. It lifted my spirits.
Annick Goutal uses lovely flower-based ingredients and her scents are quite musky — they don’t have those artificial sweet tones that you often get in commercial perfumes.
She also does beautiful fragrances for men, which I buy for my boyfriend Russell. It’s very earthy, really yummy stuff.
One of my favourites is Mandragore Poupre, which is for men — but I wear it, too.
SHOPPING LIFELINE
Living in the countryside wouldn’t have been so easy for me without online shopping. These days, you don’t have to live in Central London to feel like you’re in the loop.
Amazon is great for books and DVDs, and I browse for clothes on net-a-porter. But I especially like the independent vendors and clothes makers you can find. I’ve just ordered a cosy gilet from a lady in Essex who works with beautiful sheepskins.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPY
I had bronchitis years ago and a friend recommended an acupuncturist who really helped me. Since then, I’ve used acupuncture and massages as a way to de-stress. I’ve always been open to alternative therapies, including homeopathy. Thousands of years of human experience must count for something, especially where medicine and herbalism is concerned.
MUSICAL IDOL
I have always been a huge fan of reggae music. I remember going to see Bob Marley And The Wailers at the Hammersmith Odeon when I was 13. I went with my big sister, Cordelia, and it remains the most wonderful concert I’ve ever been to. Ever since then I’ve loved all kinds of reggae music, and spent many happy holidays in the Caribbean listening to it.
CHERISHED MEMENTOES
As we get older, life speeds by so fast that I can barely remember all the fantastic times I’ve had. This is why I really cherish my framed photos.
I have a close-up in black and white of my mother’s hands, taken by my sister, which hangs in my kitchen. It reminds me of how hard she worked.
When your parents get old, you tend to forget they were ever young, so I have photos of them when they first met. I have some framed movie stills from the film Castaway of Oliver Reed and me kissing, and a framed picture of Russell and me with some serious London graffiti in the background.
Movie moment: Amanda kissing Oliver Reed in Castaway
UPLIFTING READ
My sister was always an avid reader, but it took me much longer to get into books. Then, when I became an actor and went to drama school, I was re-introduced to English literature — acting really brought it to life for me.
One of my favourite reads is Philip Pullman’s trilogy, His Dark Materials. He transports readers to an alternative world that seems utterly real. If you are feeling slightly jaded about life, it can be emotionally uplifting.
Amanda Donohoe is currently touring in the Noel Coward play Star Quality. For more information go to ianfricker.com
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