Miranda actress: Reading helped make me a star

Miranda actress Sarah Hadland “would not have been as successful” had it not been for her love of reading, she said as she became the latest star to join the Standard’s literacy campaign.

The 43-year-old, who plays Stevie in the BBC comedy, read Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox to children at St Monica’s Catholic primary in Hoxton.

She said reading had “always been a passion”, adding: “My parents would encourage me to read out loud, and so when I was in primary school and the teachers asked, ‘Who wants to read a passage out?’ I wasn’t scared to.

“It built my confidence and probably helped me in my acting. I would not have been as successful an actress if it wasn’t for my love of reading, because of the confidence it gave me and be-cause it made me love scripts and characters. It was a big part of my education and is still a massive part of my life.”

The activity also encouraged families to spend quality time together, she said: “My parents were fantastic at sitting down and reading with me. I remember them doing funny voices and bringing whatever we were reading alive.

“I’d encourage parents to get children reading anything. If a boy likes football, get them to read a leaflet about that. If they like food, read a menu. Anything that captures their imagination and ignites a passion like I have.