Actors must want to ‘do it or die’ to be a success, says Celia Imrie

Celia Imrie has said actors must want to “do their profession or die” to be a success, after receiving a royal honour at Windsor Castle.

The actress also said she wanted to “keep people guessing” about her roles as she was made a CBE by the Princess Royal for services to drama.

Imrie, 71, is best known for her role as Una Alconbury in the Bridget Jones movies, and numerous TV appearances alongside comedian Victoria Wood.

She has performed extensively across film, TV and theatre since starting out in the 1970s.

Imrie told the PA news agency: “Dame Maggie Smith was asked what is the most important quality for an actor, and I agree with her it’s health, health and health.

“But I would also say to anybody [that] it’s a wonderful life – it’s a gypsy life actually.

“You can’t be hankering after security because there is none, but you’ve got to want to do it or die, otherwise there’s no point in even embarking.”

Imrie said she had taken a wide variety of roles – including the Star Wars franchise and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again – as she did not want to be typecast and wanted to prove a lot to herself.

Asked whether she had a favourite role, she said: “Not really, because you enjoy what you’re doing next, or at the time.

“You can’t have favourites. I did say to Anne the great thing is to have a laugh, because you have to in life, but also keep people guessing so that they’re a bit surprised about what you’re doing next, and she agreed.

“She said, ‘Oh yes, you have gone off-piste a bit’, so I was thrilled that she knew that.”

Imrie said she was delighted to meet Anne as she was a huge admirer of the princess, and described her as “tireless” and “unstoppable, with so little fuss”.

Speaking about receiving the honour, she added: “[It was] completely overwhelming, and I found myself bursting into tears at the end of it, which is too silly, but I sort of wish my mother and father were here.”

Imrie said she had just finished filming the second season of Netflix political thriller The Diplomat and had written a book on women marrying American soldiers in the Second World War, due to be published in July.