Feb 2015

INTERVIEW
28
following a short engagement to comedian Vic Reeves in
2000. She then married Mad Men actor Jared Harris (son
of Richard) in 2005. Sadly, the marriage ended in divorce
in 2010. Later that year, she had a daughter, Rose, with
Jeremy Gilley, the actor, filmmaker and founder of the
organisation Peace One Day, from whom she parted ways
a year later. “I think people find it curious that I haven’t
settled yet. I find it curious!” she says.
Fox is from one of Britain’s most famous acting dynasties.
Grandfather Robin was a theatrical agent; her father
Edward and uncles James and Robert are in the industry,
as is her mother, Joanna David. Even little brother
Freddie is a thesp; he looks so like his older sis that when
he played cross-dresser Marilyn in the Boy George TV
movie Worried About the Boy, people thought it was her.
But Fox says that watching her family’s experience
actually made her want to avoid following in their
footsteps. “It’s not secure. I didn’t want to grow up and
be that person who’s left wondering when the next job is
going to materialise,” she says. She was also a shy child,
preferring cello practice to being on set with her parents.
“Whereas Freddie came out singing and dancing, I was
more reserved; I didn’t want to prove myself in that way.
I thought I’d find something a bit more original to do.”
So Fox took herself off to Oxford to study English.
However, “on a whim”, she auditioned for a part in the TV
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version of Pride and Prejudice (she played Georgina, the
sister to Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy) and got it. Twenty years
later, she has a wide and varied CV under her belt. “I love
[acting] now, but it really happened by default,” she says.
“I never thought I’d still be doing this. Never!”
Though Fox is separated from Rose’s father, the two are
still friends, and put their daughter’s wellbeing first. “I’d
be lying if I said it’s been easy,” she says. “But, hey, we’ve
come out the other side and, for me, the ‘single mum’
label is something positive. Jay and I get on very well
together, and that’s the key. It’s about us parenting her,
protecting her childhood. I thank God we were able to
put our focus and energies into that.”
Happily ever after is something she still hopes for. But,
she says, “I know I have to be more thoughtful, because
there’s someone else in the equation now; it’s not just
me.” She stays tight-lipped about her on/off relationship
with chef Marco Pierre White. She will, however, admit
to being smitten with her dachshunds, Clive and Dolly.
“Rose and I are very in love with them,” she says. “But
puppy training wasn’t something I was quite prepared for.
Not that I’d change a thing, of course.”
Now 40, Fox says she’s finally in a good space. “So, for
anyone who’s worrying about it, be assured that it’s actually
quite fun,” she says. “You’ve ironed out all the things you
worried about in your twenties and thirties, and can look
forward to feeling much calmer and more self-assured.”
She’s open about the ongoing therapy that’s helped her
achieve her happy state. “It’s straightened things out for
me. I feel much more settled because of it. When things
start to get on top of me, I can now talk myself through
the situation, which is very helpful. The overall reward is
being with Rose – but something like this afternoon has
been such a treat. I’ve had my hair and make-up done, my
nails have been manicured and I’ve been able to wear some
beautiful clothes. These are the perks of the job, you know.”
From today’s outfits, she says she couldn’t possibly
choose a favourite. “They’re all beautiful and elegant – but
also quite fun.” Regarding her own wardrobe, she’s less
effusive. “It’s all such a mess. I was rushing to work one
day, and I ducked under three dresses I’ve got hanging
from the bedroom door frame. I must have done it at
some weird angle, because I then tried to stand up and
realised I’d put my back out. We were supposed to be
filming stunts for Silent Witness that day, and I couldn’t do
them.” She rolls her eyes: “I didn’t dare tell them how I’d
done it – ducking under my messy clothes like a teenager.”
Before we go, she whips out her iPhone to show me
pictures of the dogs (both adorable). Then she pulls on
her coat, rearranges the blanket scarf, and goes off into the
night. Even though she’s clearly enjoyed being pampered at
today’s shoot, you get the impression she can’t wait to get
back to her favourite place: home. HMN
Emilia Fox stars in Silent Witness on BBC1
Niki Browes is associate editor of InStyle Magazine