Romola Garai
Birthday: 6 August 1982, Hong Kong, British Crown Colony
Birth Name: Romola Sadie Garai
Height: 174 cm
Born in Hong Kong to father Adrian (banker) and mother Janet (journalist), Romola Garai's unusual name is the female version of Romolo, an Italian name for boys (from Latin Romulus, the founder o ...Show More
If you do a lot of period drama, those female characters, nine times out of 10, are going to represe Show more
If you do a lot of period drama, those female characters, nine times out of 10, are going to represent all the good in the world. As a young actress, there's not a lot that you can do to get away from those roles except try and move within them. Hide
I didn't decide to take the role because I deliberately wanted to further my career, but so I could Show more
I didn't decide to take the role because I deliberately wanted to further my career, but so I could be proud of my work. Hide
It's too simplistic to say that people start to believe what's written about them. But what happens Show more
It's too simplistic to say that people start to believe what's written about them. But what happens is that you become a certain way to please people, to be liked, to be what's expected of you, to change yourself so that you become the best possible version of yourself for people who don't know you. And I think that's a terrible, pernicious thing. Hide
[on working with Mira Nair in Vanity Fair (2004)] She has the extraordinary capacity to push you as Show more
[on working with Mira Nair in Vanity Fair (2004)] She has the extraordinary capacity to push you as a performer, and yet never make you feel as if you should be afraid to experiment. Hide
[on the Olympics] I do think the Olympics are a curiously male obsession. Who can run the fastest fr Show more
[on the Olympics] I do think the Olympics are a curiously male obsession. Who can run the fastest from here to here? You know what I think? Who gives? Because if you're not running to catch a bus or running to buy me a bunch of flowers, I don't care. Hide
I'm desperate to find a contemporary film with a character that's interesting, dignified and complex Show more
I'm desperate to find a contemporary film with a character that's interesting, dignified and complex. I struggle to find those parts, and when I do, they usually go to other actresses. Hide
I'm very much into self-improvement - particularly with cinema. I've just started watching Hitchcock Show more
I'm very much into self-improvement - particularly with cinema. I've just started watching Hitchcock films and I recently saw Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine (2002), which was a revelation for me. I do my best to extend my knowledge, but I always seem to be ten steps behind everyone else - but I do try. Hide
[on playing Angel Deverell] I think the main challenge is that she's essentially a pretty unattracti Show more
[on playing Angel Deverell] I think the main challenge is that she's essentially a pretty unattractive person in many ways but you have to approach a character like that believing in them, liking them, trying to understand them and appreciating what their world view is, and so I think that was a challenge occasionally because she wasn't always an easy character to like. Hide
[on Hollywood] ... Hollywood? Well, it's still there, last time I looked.
[on Hollywood] ... Hollywood? Well, it's still there, last time I looked.
[on Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)] I wouldn't have done something that I thought had no merit Show more
[on Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)] I wouldn't have done something that I thought had no merit in it at all, but I did experience a fall-out from being calculating about your career, believing that you should do something in order to get you somewhere else. It was just creatively unfulfilling. Hide
[on her visit to the Syrian Iraqi border] I learned a lot about the troubled histories of three diff Show more
[on her visit to the Syrian Iraqi border] I learned a lot about the troubled histories of three different groups: the Palestinians from Iraq, the Iraqis themselves, and the Syrian people. This was a lot of information for someone who is no expert on the Middle East to take in, but it was all absolutely necessary to understanding the situation in Syria. Hide
I've done pieces of work that people have hated that I've been incredibly proud of, and other pieces Show more
I've done pieces of work that people have hated that I've been incredibly proud of, and other pieces of work that I've done my best, but I, personally, haven't been very fulfilled by, that people have thought is the best thing since sliced bread. Hide
I try and do things that I think will be interesting. Sometimes, I get it right in terms of the fact Show more
I try and do things that I think will be interesting. Sometimes, I get it right in terms of the fact that people like it, and sometimes, I get it wrong in terms of the fact that people don't like it, but I always try and do jobs which I think will be interesting to me and will help me improve as an actor. Hide
I am so clumsy. If there's a chance of dropping something or crashing into something, I do it. How s Show more
I am so clumsy. If there's a chance of dropping something or crashing into something, I do it. How sexy is that? Hide
An actor is just a medium through which the director makes his dreams and imagination come to life. Show more
An actor is just a medium through which the director makes his dreams and imagination come to life. An actor should concentrate on his or her character. Hide
I hate going to places like Soho House [a trendy London members' club] where everyone is an actor wh Show more
I hate going to places like Soho House [a trendy London members' club] where everyone is an actor who knows everyone else. If you are all actors how are you going to expand your mind?' Hide
I was 20 years old when, despite mass protests against military action, Iraq was invaded in 2003 - i Show more
I was 20 years old when, despite mass protests against military action, Iraq was invaded in 2003 - it didn't make for motivated political participation, I can tell you. Yet the last year has brought some hope that the horrors of war might soon end and that I might finally be able to take down my press clipping of Tony Blair's head with a dartboard drawn on it. Unfortunately, my trip to Syria in January destroyed any of this optimism, as I saw first hand the colossal mess that the war has made of the lives of the 1.2 million Iraqis who fled their country. Hide
[on François Ozon] He's monumentally gifted - that sounds so terrible and pretentious, I know - but Show more
[on François Ozon] He's monumentally gifted - that sounds so terrible and pretentious, I know - but he's made nine brilliant films, all of them so different. So you think to yourself, I might disagree with you on one small thing, but I'm guessing you know what you're doing. Hide
[on her co-star Charlie Hunnam while filming Nicholas Nickleby (2002)] He is a beautiful looking man Show more
[on her co-star Charlie Hunnam while filming Nicholas Nickleby (2002)] He is a beautiful looking man but you are soon sitting down between scenes, having a cigarette, comparing blisters and talking about your agent. Hide
[on the premiere of Vanity Fair (2004)] I [showed] my boobs and teeth. I'm useless at it. About 40 p Show more
[on the premiere of Vanity Fair (2004)] I [showed] my boobs and teeth. I'm useless at it. About 40 per cent of success as an actor is now based on whether you're good at being interviewed and how you conduct yourself. And I'm really bad at that. Hide
[on discovering a passion for dancing during Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)] I had the time of Show more
[on discovering a passion for dancing during Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)] I had the time of my life. I have used every part of my body, plus muscles I did not know I had, because the dancing is a combination of salsa and Latin ballroom. It felt like daily aerobics. Hide
I live in London and am lucky to have many friends from school, university and work who are from div Show more
I live in London and am lucky to have many friends from school, university and work who are from diverse backgrounds. Some of my closest friends are the children of refugees and I have always been fascinated by their stories and the struggle of how they came to the UK and assimilated into society. Hide
[on her dating habits] I date nothing but older men. I've reached a stage in my life where I've star Show more
[on her dating habits] I date nothing but older men. I've reached a stage in my life where I've started to worry whether it's a fetish or not. What did I find out? I suppose that the only real effect of ageing is deep cynicism - that, and you are maybe a little more comfortable with yourself. Hide
After the recent birth of my child, I had the misfortune of getting 23 stitches in my vagina, so I d Show more
After the recent birth of my child, I had the misfortune of getting 23 stitches in my vagina, so I didn't think I'd be laughing at anything for a long time. Hide
For a long time, I was worried about being typecast. But costume drama is a large part of the work i Show more
For a long time, I was worried about being typecast. But costume drama is a large part of the work in this country. It's just a bit sniffy to turn up your nose at it. Hide
Hollywood people have their own trailers, but I'm usually in a three-way. I like the camaraderie. Bu Show more
Hollywood people have their own trailers, but I'm usually in a three-way. I like the camaraderie. But I read somewhere that Nicole Kidman had the whole top floor of a hotel redecorated when she was staying there. I think that's quite a good idea. Hide
I feel that it's important to fail now and again. For instance, if I go for a job and I don't get it Show more
I feel that it's important to fail now and again. For instance, if I go for a job and I don't get it, that makes me not a better person, but more balanced, more aware of what life is really like. Hide
The worst thing you can do as a performer is to judge your character in any way, positively or negat Show more
The worst thing you can do as a performer is to judge your character in any way, positively or negatively. Hide
[on playing Briony Tallis in Atonement (2007)] There has to be a real ambiguity about which way her Show more
[on playing Briony Tallis in Atonement (2007)] There has to be a real ambiguity about which way her life is going to go. It's a genuine crossroads at the point that I play it. So I think it's important for people to know that she is deeply struggling with this moral conundrum, but not necessarily know whether she is going to find the strength of character to truly absolve herself of this responsibility and find Atonement. Hide
[on playing Nina in "The Seagull"] It's very distressing doing that journey every night, and I have Show more
[on playing Nina in "The Seagull"] It's very distressing doing that journey every night, and I have to do whatever I can not to get upset. It's a very sad part. Hide
I don't read everything that's written about me. But it filters through. And I know that for everybo Show more
I don't read everything that's written about me. But it filters through. And I know that for everybody that thinks I'm talented and promising, there is somebody out there that thinks that I'm s***! Hide
I think for me, the really wonderful and memorable moments was the way that I was able to learn so m Show more
I think for me, the really wonderful and memorable moments was the way that I was able to learn so much working with François who's a very, very specific director and because he's engaged in every single element of the process. Hide
When I was a child, I always wanted to be funny and to please people in my family. As you grow up, t Show more
When I was a child, I always wanted to be funny and to please people in my family. As you grow up, that instinct becomes more refined, but it's still there. How can it not be? I just don't believe you're capable of being an actor unless you have a desire to experience your emotions in a public way. Hide
[on working with Rose Byrne] She's brilliant. I think that we were good friends and I liked her a lo Show more
[on working with Rose Byrne] She's brilliant. I think that we were good friends and I liked her a lot. She's a lovely, very sensitive actress. That was one of the most enjoyable parts of the film, working with her. Hide
It's taken me a while to realize it takes a lot to be a good actor, and you have to respect the craf Show more
It's taken me a while to realize it takes a lot to be a good actor, and you have to respect the craft. Every job I do, I realise how little I know. Hide
[on the project Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)] The filmmakers were obsessed with having someon Show more
[on the project Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)] The filmmakers were obsessed with having someone skinny. I just thought, why didn't they get someone like Kate Bosworth, if that's what they wanted? An actress like that wouldn't worry about whether or not the political ideas were being sensitively or subtly dealt with. They'd do the job, smile and look pretty on the cover of Teen Vogue. There I am, 135 pounds and trying to make art! I was so wrong for it! Hide
Romola Garai's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (35)
Romola Garai'S roles
Barbara Spooner
Katey Miller
Rebecca Lane
Cassandra Mortmain
Vivian
