‘George Lucas told me off for wearing lipstick’: Celia Imrie on Traitors, Star Wars and treating the lens like a lover — SkimNews
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- Celebrity Traitors: Celia Imrie said she had “a great time,” observed herd mentality around the table, accused Alan Carr at the end and then had to return the next day.
- Michael Caine taught Celia Imrie during a 1987 BBC acting class to avoid blinking in close-ups, prepare props the night before and treat the camera as a lover; Maria Aitken had invited her to join.
- The Hothouse brought Celia Imrie to the attention of a Star Wars casting director, who saw her in a nightie, thought she would make “a marvellous fighter pilot” and cast her as Bravo 5.
- George Lucas told Celia Imrie off for wearing lipstick because she was the only female fighter pilot in Star Wars.
- Better Things took Celia Imrie through five “very, very happy” seasons in Hollywood; she said she adored the experience, reported no “weird offers” and would return at the click of a finger.
- War required Celia Imrie to observe real cases at Southwark Crown Court as preparation for playing a barrister.
- Love Sarah prompted Celia Imrie to take trapeze lessons because her character Mimi was part of the circus, despite her inability to go particularly high.
Why it matters: Aspiring performers gain a concrete method from Imrie’s 1987 class with Michael Caine: prepare props the night before, avoid blinking in close-ups and treat the camera as a lover. Her five Hollywood seasons on Better Things show the practical payoff of range: she reported no “weird offers” and said she would return at the click of a finger.
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