From Stockport to LA: how Aimee Lou Wood won over the world, one compelling character at a time

From Stockport to LA: How Aimee Lou Wood Won Over the World, One Compelling Character at a Time

The Bafta-winning actress Aimee Lou Wood has been carving a distinctive space in film and television, captivating audiences with her honesty and precision. Known for her refreshing candour, she balances vulnerability and strength both on and off screen.

“I have to take some time to myself or my mind will explode,” she says when asked how she’s doing. “I turn everything in on myself and get so spirally – a lot of that is repressed rage…”

Wood’s openness mirrors the emotional complexity of her characters. Her breakthrough came with the role of Aimee in Sex Education, which earned her a Bafta in 2021. She later played a moving Sonya in Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre in 2020, the radiant Miss Harris alongside Bill Nighy in the 2022 film Living, and wowed London’s West End audiences as Sally Bowles in Cabaret in 2023.

“I was really lucky to have this fantastic teacher at Rada who would always say, ‘Just tell the truth. All of the other stuff will come, but just tell the truth,’” she recalls. “I’m not sure I know any other way to act.”

This commitment to sincerity shaped her portrayal of Chelsea in season three of The White Lotus, an exuberant and kind-hearted character that earned Wood an award for Television Actress. While several British actors have joined the show’s cast, Wood is the only one to have kept her natural accent. She originally auditioned with an American voice, but creator Mike White was so charmed by her Manchester tone that he rewrote the character’s background to match.

Author’s Summary

Aimee Lou Wood’s career reflects the power of emotional truth and authenticity, qualities that have turned her from a British breakout star into a global favorite.

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