Naomie Harris - My London

Sylvia Mulder|Es Magazine. Portrait|Lorenzo Agius

10 April 2012

Naomie is a huge fan of Lionel Richie and knows the words to all his songs off by heart. 'I sing along with tears in my eyes clutching my heart,' she says.

Home is...
Wherever I am. I decided three years ago that as I travel so much for work there was no point in having a fixed address, so I put all my belongings into storage and I live out of two suitcases. I'm now tiring of the nomadic life and I'm on the hunt for a proper home in the UK.

What was the last play you saw in London?
A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse. My mate Ruth Wilson, who is in Small Island with me, was phenomenal. It moved me so much that I was crying like a baby.

What advice would you give a tourist?
Wear comfortable shoes. There's so much to see in London you'll be running to fit it all in.

Which London shops do you rely on?
Neville's Hair & Beauty in Belgravia does a manicure and pedicure while you have the best blow-dry in London. Hoss Intropia on Regent Street has ethically made shoes. John Lewis has pretty much everything. I like Planet Organic in Fulham: it's pricey but great for organic produce. Pure Package delivers healthy meals to your door; no wheat, no dairy, no sugar.

What's the best meal you've had in London?
At DeVille in Marylebone. The price made it taste even better: a first-rate three-course meal for £18.50. Bargain.

What's your earliest London memory?
Eating an ice cream in Highgate Wood as a child.

What would be on your tombstone?
She tried her best. What are you most afraid of? Senseless acts of violence.

What are your guilty pleasures?
Chocolate and pole-dancing.

What would you do as Mayor for a day?
Get rid of stamp duty. Given the ridiculously high price of housing in the capital, I don't understand why we have to pay the government to move.

What's your life philosophy?
Stay true to yourself.

What animal would you like to be?
A much-loved dog: fed and cuddled, with no worries at all.

What would you save from a fire?
My tax receipts so I don't get in trouble with the Inland Revenue. I've never been particularly attached to my possessions.

What makes you laugh?
My brother, he's 13 and has a brilliant wit; he can make me laugh even if I'm in the foulest mood.

What makes you cry?
Everything. I'm so easy to get going, my family walk on eggshells around me. I was at the Black Child Annual Achievement Awards ceremony earlier this month and there was a girl who had managed to get three As at A level despite living in a hostel and having to work to support herself. I thought, 'How incredible!' and cried.

What are you up to at the moment?
I'm off to Kenya to film The First Grader, directed by Justin Chadwick, about an 84-year-old fighting for his right to go to school for the first time.

Which is your favourite place to shop?
Portobello Market. You can buy food, furniture and clothes - all of it with a quirky twist.

Where did you last go on holiday?
Lagos, Nigeria, to stay with a friend. I like to know someone in the country I'm visiting so I can feel immersed in its culture. Generally, I don't go on holidays as my job takes me away so much, so the best holiday for me is getting a chance to spend time with my friends in London.

What do you most like wearing?
My vintage Ralph Lauren blue silk puff skirt. It's so elegant and floaty, it makes me feel like Cinderella.

What's the most romantic spot in London?
Hampstead Heath is so huge that you feel like you've escaped from London and can pretend that it's just you and your date in the whole world.

Which is your favourite London pub?
I prefer meeting at friends' houses for cook-offs.

What is your favourite discovery?
Floatworks in London Bridge; an hour in a pod filled with saltwater and all your stress drains away.

Have you ever stolen anything?
My brother's friend's hat. He left it lying around at our family home and never asked for it back; I wear it nearly every day.

Naomie Harris stars in the two-part drama Small Island, coming soon to BBC One

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