An Interview with Rosalind Eleazar
text Maya Avram
Rosalind Eleazar’s success as an actor can be, to an extent, credited to her intuition. Her very pursuit of the trade came about while she was working a different career altogether, which, while fruitful, could not have deterred her from following her heart’s true desire (“It wouldn’t allow me to go on another path”). Her penchant for authentic, fully-realised characters has seen her star in numerous theatre and film productions, eventually landing her the role of straight-shooter Louisa Guy in the widely acclaimed spy thriller series, Slow Horses. With the hit series’ fifth season due to be released later this year, a new onscreen alter ego cements 2025 as Eleazar’s catalyst year: detective Kat Donovan, protagonist of Netflix’s latest Harlan Coben adaptation, Miss You.
We sat down with Eleazar to learn about her motivations, inspirations and exciting plans for the future.
Maya Avram: It’s hard to believe, given your steady success in the field, but your acting career actually came as a result of a professional pivot. What made you go for it, in the end?
Rosalind Eleazar: Acting has always been something I knew in my heart of hearts I was going to do — it was just a question of when. I was working in Ghana when I made the decision to audition for drama school, and my life changed on its axis.
MA: How was your audition?
RE: So nerve-wracking. I can’t really remember it apart from the feeling; I have never been that nervous in my life, because there was so much riding on it. If I don’t get it, does that mean I’m not an actor? Of course, it doesn’t mean that, but when you’re performing in front of 15 people in this big hall, and you’ve got to do a song, a Shakespeare piece and a modern piece, your heart is in your mouth. God, I can even feel it now. But I’m so happy I did it, I’m so happy I auditioned.
MA: What is your favourite part of the job, and what parts do you find more challenging?
RE: I love exploring a new character. I’m fascinated with humans, why we do certain things, and what triggers us to make decisions; which parts of ourselves are we hiding, and which are we showing? It’s endlessly fascinating. The way we work as actors is incredible because in taking on another character and a pattern of behaviour, you also learn about yourself and those around you. It’s nerve-wracking but also very freeing. When I’m on set or on stage performing a scene with someone, I find the process liberating.
Every role is challenging because you become attached to that character, trying to understand this person you care for deeply. Some roles are harder to grasp and that can be frustrating. People think actors are confident, but I don’t see acting as entertainment, I don’t think my job is to entertain people, which can lead me to be quite closed in.
MA: Oscillating between being extroverted and introverted.
RE: Exactly. It’s interesting because I would say that I’m more introverted in my personal life, but when you take on a character, even if they’re not extroverted by nature, my extroverted side comes out because it has to, you have to go for it as an actor — to be vulnerable. Acting gives you quite a lot of courage in that sense.
MA: How do you tap into that mindset?
RE: It depends on the character. If they are free and impulsive, for example, a part of me will behave like that for a long time. It’s about personifying the energy that someone possesses. Once I find where their centre is, characters become very different.
MA: What makes a character stand out to you?
RE: It comes down to good writing and the relationships that the character has with other people in any given scene. It’s almost an imperceptible feeling, reading a full character. I need to be able to see their flaws so they feel like a fully realised human. Where does their nastiness lie? When do they shut down?
In our industry, you often hear characters need to “be likeable” — it’s a phrase that’s banded around in art. I don’t understand what being likeable means, because if you’ve got a full character, they should be many things. If you want them to be relatable, then the way to be relatable is to see someone’s flaws.
MA: As a graduate of the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, how do you cultivate a dual passion for both the stage and the screen?
RE: I love theatre and I love TV and film as well, for different reasons. I love the third dimension of the audience in theatre that you just don’t get doing screenwork. It’s fascinating how different shows can be on a given night, and that has a lot to do with the audience’s energy and how they respond to the actors on stage. What I also love about theatre is that you can’t edit it, so it’s slightly more in the actor’s control.
On the other hand, playing the lead in Missing You and now seeing everything put together, I really see Kat’s journey. Sometimes when you’re filming, you’re so in it that you can’t zoom out, but when you see the whole thing — other characters and their dynamics — brought to life, it’s really fun to watch.
MA: Are you able to enjoy your performances as a spectator?
RE: I’m highly critical of myself and my performance so it can be quite gruelling to watch things back. Acting with someone in a scene and then watching yourself do it, those two experiences feel very different; the way I felt in a particular scene is not necessarily how I think it looks, and that can sometimes be a bit disconcerting. When I’m watching projects for the first time with my family, I am literally like, “Oh my God,” because your heart is there.
MA: You’re back in that vulnerable space.
RE: Exactly, it is a vulnerable moment. Maybe you get used to it as your career goes on. I don’t find it as vulnerable with theatre, interestingly — maybe because I never see it.
MA: What excites you about the future, and what would you like to do more of?
RE: Season five of Slow Horses. It is probably the funniest one yet, and Louisa goes on an abrupt journey. That’s all I can say for now.
Otherwise, I am also rehearsing Small Hotel with Ralph Fiennes and it’s going great, our director Holly Race Rougha is brilliant. It’s a pretty intense play, which explores characters at the extreme ends of their being. But it’s sort of homecoming for me, as I consider the stage as my home. There’s a liveliness to theatre that just can’t be emulated on TV and film. So I’m happy to be back in the rehearsal room.
photography Josefine Örn / Telescope Agency
fashion Rachel Davis
makeup Alexis Day
hair Kevin Fortune
photography assistant Oliver Dundas
