Ambika Mod has been thinking about Emma Morley a lot over the past three weeks.
Of course, the 28-year-old actor is not the only one.
(Warning: Spoilers beyond this point.
NICK THOMPSON STUDIO
To sayviewers were guttedwould be an understatement.
I have never cried this much watching a movie or a show.
Because I LOVED it.
Ludovic Robert/Netflix
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Women are gonna be misunderstood.
No matter what you do.
Ludovic Robert/Netflix
Needless to say, Mod feels very protective of Emma (and, by extension, herself).
Why is that happening?
And why don’t we talk about it more?
Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess inOne Day(2011)
So we talked about it.
Oh, andTaylor Swift’sEras Tour, of course.
Glamour:Before you popped on, your publicist and I were discussingLove Is Blind.
Ludovic Robert/Netflix
Ambika Mod:The last episode I watched….
I watched after they left the pods.
I dont like that Jimmy fellow.
No one from the pods had Emma and Dexter energy.
Theres a UKLove Is Blindcoming out, and I think that it could be a very different energy.
I’d be very interested to see how British people are in the pods.
Itll be very interesting.
What do you think the difference is between dating culture in America versus the UK?
The impression I got when I watchLove Is Blindthe US onelike, they are allsoready for love.
They are wanting to get married; they’re ready to find their soulmate.
How do you personally relate to Emma?
I’mverylike her in a lot of ways.
She is the grounding force of so much of the story.
So yeah, there’s a lot that I see of myself in Emma.
Youve said in multiple interviews that you initiallyturned down the auditionbecause you didnt see yourself as a romantic lead.
Doesnt that make you the perfect Emma?
Wouldnt she feel the same way?
Yeah, youre probably right.
That’s probably a necessary process that needed to happen.
At what point did you feel confident that you were the right fit?
But it wasn’t until the very end of the shoot where I felt like completely comfortable with her.
How did you work on building that confidence?
I think it just sort of naturally came.
So the responsibility every day felt really, really massive.
You know, this whole thing very much hinges on the writing and then my and Leos performances.
Because there really isn’t anywhere to hide after those three things.
And then as soon as we started filming, you don’t have time to think about anything.
And this was that kind of perfect job where the alchemy was just there.
Everything just sort of felt like it was falling into place.
But I think that for me, the confidence came when I actually saw the finished product.
Because it’s weird that you film a job and you don’t see it for like a year.
I’m so proud of myself and my performance.
I derive a lot confidence from that.
One Dayis the ultimate friends-to-lovers story.
Are you a friends-to-lovers or enemies-to-lovers trope kind of person?
Friends-to-lovers, definitely.Absolutelyfriends-to-lovers because you’ve already got the foundation for an amazing relationship there.
I feel likeOne Daycould not take place in present day given the ease of texting and staying connected.
Emma and Dexter had to send letters and miss each others payphone calls to stay connected.
Do you think were in a less romantic era?
They really made an effort to stay in contact with one another.
Like, sending letters is no mean featI mean, itisa mean feat.
You know what Im saying.
I don’t imagine that they would have lasted the course, really.
I suppose there was so much more mystery back then.
You didn’t know what was going on or what people were doing.
Like, you had to make an effort to catch up with people.
But yeah, I doubt Emma and Dexter would get together today.
Next up isPlaydateon Disney+, which happens to star the original Dexter Mayhew, Jim Sturgess.
Did he confront you about stealing his thunder?
Im so surprised no one has asked me about this.
We finished filming last September….
He brought it up actually.
He’s the loveliest, coolest man.
Like, he’s so great and he’s so handsome.
I wont read it out, but he was very positive and supportive.
What are your thoughts on that?
And she doesn’t wait around for him.
You know, she is in a relationship; she does date other people.
This is going to be chill, like we can just be friends.
But I think thats such a simplistic reading of it, like they have been friends foryears.
Cut back to almost 10 years before Paris, they’re on Primrose Hill.
He’s doing great.
She’s not doing great.
It’s very unclear what either is gaining from that relationship, but he is there for her.
I think it’s what I love about Parisit’s almost an inversion of that.
So I think to have that reading is almost taking away Emmas agency.
Shes a big girl; she makes decisions for her.
She achieved her ambitions.
She achieved her goals.
And I think she would have done that regardless of whether Dexter was in her life.
The romance genre can be a double-edged sword at points.
And it’s a really twisted double standard that shouldn’t be the case.
But it’s a tale as old as time.
And I’ve garnered a lot more criticism than he has.
Why is that happening?
And why don’t we talk about it more?
What do you think is the obsession with women being apologetic and contrite?
What’s really appealing about Emma to me is that she’s fucking smart.
She’s fucking funny.
Like, she is incredibly British and dry and sarcastic.
Women are gonna be misunderstood.
No matter what you do.
People will still criticize her and analyze her unfair reasons.
With Emma, specifically, I think shes so refreshing because shes not that way inclined.
She’s just a woman living her life.
Like,let her live her lifelike we all want to live our lives.
Its the double standard…. Like, Dexter didmuchworse shit than Emma does.
We don’t see him apologizing!
Like, he’s doneterriblestuff.
I love Dexter, don’t get me wrong, but he doesterriblestuff in this series.
I love him so much.
Again, its this double standard just seeping in everywhere.
I wonder if another part of it relates back to what we discussed aboutLove Is Blind.
Theres something more quiet about Emma and Dexters love story.
[Dont get mad at me, readerIm American.]
I completely agree with you.Oh my God, I completely agree with you.
They only really exist in TV and films of old.
But this story is a much more grounded one about growing up.
But as you get older, you just want a quieter, peaceful, stable life.
And that’s what they give each other.
Even when Emma comes back to the apartment in Paris, it’s not this massive turn of events.
She’s made a choice.
She has come back and she has chosen him and thats that.
Its the small moments that make up a relationship.
Have you discussed the double standards and criticism youve seen with Leo at all?
I haven’t directly, no.
I think because I’m still trying to process it myself.
Youve spoken about mental health and going to therapy in the past.
Have you discussed this with your therapist?
Absolutely, I have.
Speaking of therapy…youve said youre going to Taylor SwiftsEras Tourthis summer.
Where are you seeing her?
What’s your favorite album?
What are your idealsurprise songs?
Oh, man, that’ssohard.
And No Body No Crime.
you’re free to follow her onInstagram.
