Ambika Mod, a 29-year-old actress born to migrant parents in Hatfield, UK, has taken on the lead role of Emma Morley in the TV adaptation of David Nicholls’ bestselling book, One Day. In the decades-spanning love story, Mod stars opposite Leo Woodall, who plays Dexter Mayhew over the course of 14 episodes. “Even up until my early 20s, it was something that was quite rare in TV and film,” Mod said of seeing ethnic minority actors in lead roles, adding that “we’ve still got a long, long way to go.”
Both Mod and Woodall cite author David Nicholls as an enjoyable and humble presence on the set. Reflecting on the novel’s success, Nicholls said, “I’ve written six novels altogether, but when people occasionally say, ‘I enjoyed your book’, I know which book they mean. Readers still say that they see themselves in Emma, and see their friends in Dexter, and that means a great deal, that sense of identification. And yes,” he added, “it is an epic love story, but revisiting it now it seems to me to be a book primarily about friendship, about our capacity to change each other’s lives for the better through conversation and care.”
Mod admitted to having created a backstory for Emma before shooting began, an important acting technique for her in getting to know her characters. Neither Mod nor Woodall are newcomers; Mod gained recognition for her work on the BBC’s This Is Going To Hurt, while Woodall played the scheming Jack in The White Lotus.
The Guardian’s Phil Harrison praised the pair’s performances in One Day for their ability to convey a “wistful sense of melancholy about receding youth.” Mod also spoke about the significance of featuring as a non-white person playing the character of Emma, and how it “will open people’s minds a little bit.”
One Day was previously adapted into a movie in 2011, which featured Anne Hathaway playing the role of Emma Morley. Despite the novel’s worldwide success, the movie adaptation failed to impress at the box office. The TV adaptation of One Day will be available to stream on Netflix on Thursday 8 February
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