As part of our #NonchalantRoleModels campaign where we interview inspirational queer women, we catch up with the talented actress Victoria Broom. Victoria Broom is renowned for her notable portrayals in various television series. She gained significant recognition for her role as Karen in the BBC 1 series “Cheaters” and as Sasha Kyte in the Emmy-winning Netflix series “Marcella.” Her exceptional performance as Fran in the LGBT series “Different for Girls” earned her the esteemed ‘Rising Star’ Award at the 2018 Diversity in Media Awards. Swit-swoo.
Read on to find out about where you can see her next, her coming out story, and how she got into acting all in our interview below.
So, tell us a bit about yourself, how did you get into acting?
I’m Victoria Broom, from Shropshire originally and mostly known for playing Karen in BBC 1’s CHEATERS and Sascha in the Emmy Winning show MARCELLA. As well as other projects. It’s funny, I’ve been ‘into’ acting for as long as I can remember, and the acting bug bit me very early on. My first memory of when I knew I wanted to be a performer was when I was 3 or 4 and on stage singing ‘Daisy Daisy’ in the local talent competition in Wales. I won, but what I loved most was the buzz I felt when doing it, in front of all of those people.. and I have never looked back since then, I knew then and there what I wanted and needed to do with my life. My career has taken different paths, starting in classical theatre, walking the boards of some of the most beautiful theatres across Europe, including Shakespeares Globe, to independent movies, studio movies then national television and now into steaming networks. I love all areas of being an actor, it really is a first love and passion.
For any of our readers that would like to get into acting, what advice would you give to them?
Know your craft! Watch, listen, and respect the art of acting. Watch as much as you can, on both stage and screen. Some of the greatest actors in the world started in the theatre and have been grafting for decades before becoming a ‘household name’.
What are your coming-out stories? Sorry, but everyone loves a coming-out story..
I’m from the country originally, and growing up during a time when there really wasn’t that much representation out there, I had the Beth Jordash storyline in Brookside and The Ellen Show (both I loved), I remember staying up until midnight to be able to watch Ellen. Gay storylines and out actors/television personalities just weren’t what it is now. I didn’t know it was OK to not like boys. When I was about 12, my mother said to me.. ‘you know it’s ok if you like girls’, I was shocked.. how did she know.. what did that mean?! Am I literally the only gay in the village? I didn’t actually come out until I was 15, I had a scholarship to a local stage school and was surrounded by queer artistic beauty. I wasn’t the only one!! And from then on, I fully embraced who I was.
What would you say if you could use a magic telephone to call yourself at 15 years old?
Be your most authentic self, don’t try and mould yourself to what other people want you to be, you are PERFECT as you are.
Hair and make-up by Keleigh Thomas.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
I don’t know where this came from, or who said it to me, but my goodness do I stand by this today.. ‘If you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything at all’. Just let that sit for a minute.. if you stop, don’t react or do anything, something will present itself and lead you down the right path for you at that moment. I literally live my life by this! Follow the signs led out for you…
What do you think of the Lesbian Scene in London, where do you go out?
Is there one??! In all seriousness though, when I first moved to London over 20 years ago, I could literally go out EVERYDAY and find a lesbian bar/cafe/ club. One of my favourite places I felt at ‘home’ was a place called ‘First Out’, a lesbian/queer female cafe in Tottenham Court Road, that was a nightclub in the basement at night. I used to go in and sit, read the free gay magazines and just hang out in a safe space. I know of two events that are specifically for women who love women, Southbank Surfing is a brilliant place to just meet other women in a safe space, it’s a very friendly environment, and I highly recommend it to make friends and meet a great bunch of women. And Mint. Mint has been going for YEARRSSSS and you will always have a good night with some awesome DJs. But I do miss the days of when half of Soho was queer female!
Who’s your celebrity crush and why?
Ha! I’ve always had a soft spot for Fiona Shaw, I’ve seen her on stage many times and what a talent! But.. who doesn’t have a crush on Cate Blanchett!!!??
Talk us through your favourite acting part to date, how did that come about?
Gosh, this is tricky as I’ve played some incredible characters. Sascha in Marcella will always be a significant milestone for me, I will always love her. That role changed my career and took me into mainstream TV, I was terrified the first time I walked onto the set, this was the biggest role of my career so far. My first day was with one of the most wonderful talents and humans I’ve met, Victoria Smurfit, she is such a giving actress, an absolute dream to work with. I relaxed very quickly working opposite her. My favourite role for the character journey is Fran in Different For Girls. A lesbian show was written by and for lesbians. I took that character on many journeys and I will always be proud of her. Also… Edith Fletcher in Eastenders was super fun! So many great roles!!
Hair and make-up by Keleigh Thomas.
Who are your role models and why?
Bette Midler, her determination, commitment and drive. Maggie Smith, is such a sublime actor, a masterclass in acting in every role. Maxine Peake.. I had the absolute pleasure of working opposite Maxine in The Bisexual, she is one of the greatest actors of her generation.
What does your typical day look like?
What’s so great is that can constantly change, not one day is the same as the other. When on set is very different to when not on set. I’m a big gym bunny, so I will be in the gym 5 days a week as and when I can. I also go out to the country most weekends to see my partner, I’m a country girl, so we go walking with her dog, pub lunches and long walks. Perfect.
What are your thoughts on the representation of lesbian and queer people in film and media?
Queer representation in general has changed a lot from when I was discovering who I was. Authentic gay male representation has moved on a lot further than authentic queer female representation. What I mean by that is, you can tell certain shows are written by queer male writers, because the backstories of the characters and storylines are real, raw, and felt. I think that is missing in queer female rep at the moment. There are a lot more queer female characters in shows and movies, but where are their backstories.. their queer lives? That is what was so good to be part of The Bisexual, it felt lived and authentic. That is why I have never hidden who I am, that real, authentic representation is IMPORTANT.
What can people see you in next?
I pop up in the new movie Seize Them! Which will be out this year. Other shows/films will be announced via my socials.. so watch this space.
Thanks for chatting with us Victoria!
If you’d like to check out what Victoria is up to next, head over to her Instagram or Twitter. And be sure to read more of our interviews with lesbian role models.
Who else should we interview? Drop a comment below.
Team Nonchalant x
Last Updated on 21st November 2023 by Nonchalant Magazine
This article was written by one of our creative team writers here at Nonchalant Magazine.
