Imelda Staunton’s daughter says growing up with actors ‘removed inaccessibility’

Actress Bessie Carter has said that growing up in the theatre world alongside her parents Dame Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter “removed the inaccessibility” of the industry for her.

She is about to star alongside her mother in a revival of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession, about a woman who learns her mother Kitty (played by Dame Imelda) has earned her fortune from running brothels, at the Garrick Theatre later this year.

Carter is best known for playing Prudence Featherington in the hit Netflix Regency-inspired drama Bridgerton, along with her theatre work.

As she featured on the cover of Tatler’s May issue, Carter discussed her parents’ acting lives, and connections with Dame Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie and Sir Stephen Fry.

“It all felt very normal and removed the inaccessibility thing,” Carter told the magazine.

While speaking about her family and actors, she added that they were “good people, they know the influence they can have, they are so kind and generous”.

I think it’s about time that women genuinely started to change the world rather than leaving it to the men. I just think if everyone could have therapy, we would be in a different world. I’m very big on making those sorts of things accessible

Carter also spoke about promoting free therapy service Self Space, and her own “passion” for the mental health treatment.

She said that therapy had helped her with “believing in your work, especially as a woman; believing your voice has value, that your ideas count and matter and could change the world in a positive way”.

“I think it’s about time that women genuinely started to change the world rather than leaving it to the men,” she said.

“I just think if everyone could have therapy, we would be in a different world. I’m very big on making those sorts of things accessible.”

Carter is next going to star in UKTV show Outrageous, where she plays Love In A Cold Climate author Nancy Mitford with The Paradise star Joanna Vanderham among those playing the other Mitford sisters.

Carter’s mother Dame Imelda played the late Queen in series five and six of The Crown and the cruel bureaucrat Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter films.

The full feature is in the May issue of Tatler available at Tatler.com and on newsstands from Thursday April 3.