Actors

Jenny Agutter

Jenny Agutter is an English actor. She came to my attention playing Sister Julienne on the BBC series Call the Midwife. And last night I saw her playing a psychopathic human trafficker on another BBC series, Inspector Lynley. She played her role in a way that had me feel empathy for her and she became, in my estimation, a master actor.

People use words and terms and phrases such as “versatile” and “disappear into a role” to describe that which is so hard to describe: true talent. A performer’s talent is measured by this capacity to adapt, to change—to be malleable for their directors, the characters and the tones of the script, the choreography or the score.

Last year I was in a play with W.K. whom I had seen and admired onstage but whom I did not know. It was my first time in a professional performance. And as we took notes from the director after rehearsals, he would often say: “I was thinking... what if I did this (and he would show us) instead of what I've been doing so that the audience…” and he would complete the sentence, always expressing his desire in terms of what was best for the audience, not him. It was like he was in the show and out in the auditorium watching it at the same time. Working with W.K. helped me see into the craft of the artists whom I love above all other professions. And when I see mastery, as I did with Jenny Agutter, I am captivated.

When I travel, it is discoveries I remember most—the things I was not expecting or planning to see. And serendipitous activities with friends are the most memorable. So whereas I am used to mastery—in fact I expect it—when I go to see Meryl Steep, Laura Linney, Judy Dench or Toni Colette, when I see it for the first time in an actor I've never noticed before, like Jenny, the element of surprise enhances my transcendent awe.

And Jenny makes me think of all the other actors out there who are unknown to me who are fellow master actors. They are ambassadors creating more fervent fans like me, unheralded. How I wish they could feel my love.