The Wylde Interview: Indira Varma
ACTOR, ACTIVIST, TOURIST. INDIRA VARMA PROVES AN OPEN MIND TAKES YOU IN UNEXPECTED DIRECTIONS.
Interview by Philip Goodfellow / Portraits by Etienne Gilfillan
Wool coat and trousers, and leather belt (just seen): Louis Vuitton
“Actor, traveller, explorer, fledgling activist” reads Indira Varma’s Twitter bio.
The first of these labels is well established – various standout performances have led to Varma becoming a go-to actor for strong female roles. As many have discovered, though, connection to a particular type of role can lead to people assuming parallels between character and actor. “I think a lot of it is physiological,” suggests Varma. “As a woman, if you’re dark, tall, big nose, decent posture and not afraid to speak, immediately you’re this headstrong character. People sometimes say: ‘Ooh, you’re really scary!’, when I’m really not. I’m a pussycat.”
Knit silk dress in oxblood: Bottega Veneta
That strong presence was used to great effect for the role of Ellaria Sand in the televisual behemoth Game of Thrones, an experience which left the actress marvelling. “I was only a small part of it, so I was kind of watching what was happening to everyone else, thinking: ‘God, this is incredible!’ How youngsters have grown up on that show, how it’s kind of been their lives, and how people have fallen in love with these characters and this world.” More recently, Varma was seen as Piety Breakspear in Amazon’s Victorian steampunk fantasy series Carnival Row, which she views as an allegory for immigration and the power struggles it can trigger, describing her character as someone willing to go to any lengths to hold on to what her family has.
Suzanna cotton blouse: Khaite @ matchesfashion.com
Her next job, appearing in the ABC series For Life, is one close to her heart. Based on the true-life experiences of Isaac Wright Jr., it tells the story of a wrongly imprisoned inmate who becomes a qualified lawyer and begins representing other prisoners whilst battling to quash his own sentence. Varma’s direct involvement with two charities made this a particularly personal project for her – Only Connect, which assists released prisoners in assimilating back into society; and Clean Break, which develops opportunities in theatre for women who have been in prison. For Varma, it is especially fulfilling when her talents can be used for good, be it taking part in workshops within prisons or starring in productions with a valuable message. “I love what I do!” she exclaims. “Storytelling is an ancient thing. It’s entertainment, it’s educational, it’s cathartic… it serves so many purposes. It is really exciting when you get to do something potentially educational but also entertaining.”
Wool coat: Louis Vuitton
Knit silk dress in oxblood: Bottega Veneta
As for the traveller/explorer facets of her persona, Varma sees these as a state of mind. “Traveller doesn’t have to be literal. I’ve travelled a lot – with this profession you travel all the time – but wherever I am I always behave like a tourist, even in London. I love to walk around areas I don’t know and have never been to. It’s all about exploring your environment. Yesterday, I went into this crazy little perfume shop near where I’m staying in New York, a proper little grotto, and just explored, chatting to the guys in the shop and finding loads of stuff. To me, that is travelling and exploring.”
Suzanna cotton blouse: Khaite @ matchesfashion.com
When it comes to being an activist, Varma is careful to attach the word fledgling, seemingly out of humility. But take into account her work with Amnesty International, the IRC and women’s equality movement Time’s Up, in addition to Only Connect and Clean Break, and the presence of “fledgling” becomes somewhat superfluous. “I feel I can only best serve something I’m passionate about and use the skills I have,” she explains. “Actors are often asked to speak on behalf of organisations and I think you have to be careful not to do it just because you feel it is a good cause without knowing what you’re talking about. I’m not really interested in self-promotion; I think activism has to be in your day-to-day life.”
Wool coat: Louis Vuitton
Hair: Davide Barbieri @ Caren
Make-up: Justine Jenkins
Photographer’s assistant: Paolo Navarino