Questions & Answers with...

Charlotte Parry starred as 'Cecily Cardew' in the Broadway revival of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by and starring Brian Bedford, which played at the American Airlines Theatre from 17 Dec 2010 - 26 Jun 2011.

Birthday
All I'll say is , I'm a Leo.

Place of birth?
Birmingham, England.

You now live in?
Manhattan.

Did you go to training school, if so which one?
London Academy Of Music and Dramatic Art.

As an actor, do you have a preference for stage, tv or film?
Most of my work has been in theatre, so I'd like to experience more TV and Film. Though there's nothing like a live audience.

Your first stage performance was?
Playing the triangle in a school production of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat. But then I got the chickenpox and had to pull out. I was devastated.

Career highlight to date?
Playing Cecily on Broadway might actually be the biggest highlight so far. Though working with Sam Mendes on the inaugural Bridge Project and traveling around the world doing Chekhov and Shakespeare was pretty nice!.

What roles would you most like to play?
Gosh, where to start? here's a few...Chekhov: Masha, Yelena, Sonya. Shakespeare: Rosalind, Viola, Lady M, Beatrice, Kate, Portia, Isabella. Anything Ibsen or Wilde. Most Shaw. And all the others I haven't come across or grown into yet...

What is the best advice you have ever received?
You're on this earth to serve, not to BE served..

What has been your most embarrassing moment on stage?
During the balloon dance in the Winters Tale at Bam a few years ago my skirt fell off as I did a cartwheel and I finished the scene in my frilly bloomers. Classy.

What is the most annoying part about your job?
Insecurity (in all its forms). Oh, and only having one day off a week.

Briefly tell us how you become involved with The Importance of Being Earnest?
I auditioned for Brian and the Roundabout and, after a callback session, was offered the role. I think I was already in a bar when I heard the news, so that round was on me.

Briefly tell us about the character you play in The Importance of Being Earnest?
I play Cecily Cardew, who is a rather eccentric country girl obsessed with her diary and her Uncle Jack's wicked brother Earnest, whom she has never met. She loves roses, food and long walks, and hates German.

If you had not become a performer, what might you have done instead?
I did fine art for a long time, but was also very interested in French and being a Midwife. I once applied to become a primary school teacher, and often muse over the idea of running a chocolate business.

Who are your favorite actors/actresses?
I'll do some I've worked with that I admire hugely in terms not only of talent, but of grace, humility and sense of humour:Alfred Molina, Lynn Redgrave, Simon Russell Beale, Sinead Cusack and Tyne Daly. And of course, Brian Bedford!

If you could meet anyone in the world dead or alive who would it be and what would you say to them?
C.S. Lewis. I'd ask him how I can get to Narnia.

Favorite after-show haunts?
For now, Hilton bar, Joe Allens, Bar Centrale and Rosie O'Gradys...if nearer home, Celeste or Community on UWS are great and relaxing.

What was the last Broadway show you saw?
Pitman Painters. It was fantastic -(I'm also biased as my friend was in it).

What was the last book you read, and name some of your favorite authors?
The Prodigal God by Tim Keller. Authors?Colum Mccann, Nicholas Evans, Adriana Trigiani, C S Lewis.

What was the last film you saw, and name some of your favorite movies?
The King's Speech, which might also have become my favourite film. The Tall Guy (for laughter), Spanglish (for romance), Goonies(for comfort).

Favorite TV programs?
Ok - favourite ever? Blackadder and Fawlty Towers - two British series from the 70s/80s that pretty much defined my sense of humour.

Favorite holiday destinations?
Greece. And home - the coast of Suffolk, England, in the Summertime. Oh, and New Zealand.

Do you have any hobbies?
Chocolate making. Baking cupcakes.Running in the park. Painting with oils.

Do you have any superstitions?
I try not to be superstitious however I find myself with a new obsession of having to enter the dressing room area through the little Alice In Wonderland door inside the auditorium everyday instead of the main pass door. But I don't have a problem with whistling backstage and that sort of thing.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you take with you?
My duvet. My tea pot. Oranges.

What are your future plans?
Earnest until July. Then a long long holiday home to see my baby nieces and nephews. And then? God only knows......