The best interviews are often the most personal. In Loves of My Life, we get to know the person behind their craft, asking them the important questions we're desperate to know—the restaurants and date-night spots, what's in their Saved folder on Instagram, the piece of jewellery they're most attached to and what's lurking at the bottom of their handbag. In short, these are the true loves of their life. Next up is actress and Golden Globe winner Joanne Froggatt.
What's your #1 restaurant to visit in the world, and what do you order?
My favourite restaurant has to be Nobu in Malibu, and I would order the spicy tuna on crispy rice. It was the most amazing taste sensation. You sit by the ocean, and it is just the most beautiful setting if you manage to get a table outside. You can hear the ocean coming in, and the food is just incredible.
Is there anything in your wardrobe that you're particularly sentimental about?
After going through some life changes, I bought myself a Chanel wallet on a chain. Every time I wear it, it represents freedom, independence, joy, and self-confidence.
What would we always find lurking in the bottom of your handbag?
Always a lip balm. In fact, I love Tatcha's Kissu lip mask.
The Nobu restaurant in Malibu, California.
What's your signature scent?
My signature scent? It would have to be Romance by Ralph Lauren.
If you could only holiday in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?
I'd have to say the Maldives because it looks so incredibly stunning. I've never actually been there, but it is on my bucket list of places to go. And I love that you can just go diving every day—that would be the dream.
We've caught you on a rare day off. What are you doing with your spare time?
I would likely be spending time with my loved ones—my family and friends. If it's a cold day, I'd ideally have the fire on, a glass of wine, and be curled up watching a movie. That's my idea of heaven.
What's your secret date-night spot?
If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret! But I love a cosy, independent, dark restaurant as a setting.
What's one item of clothing you would never part with, and why?
It's actually numerous items of clothing—my shoes! I rarely part with shoes in general if they're great, but especially vintage cowboy boots. I have quite a few pairs that I absolutely love. Some I've collected in different countries while travelling, and some I've bought online or in vintage stores when I've come across them. But I do have a bit of a passion for vintage cowboy boots, and I love the fact that they have a history to them; the older they are, the better. They are always a classic, so I'd never part with them.
What's your current most-played song on Spotify?
Now that I'm a mum, my most-played songs have definitely changed a lot over the past few months—there are very different songs being played now compared to before! But having looked back, my most-played song was Ritual Union by Little Dragon.
What's your favourite Instagram account to follow?
Easy, my favourite Instagram account is The Female Quotient @femalequotient.
If we looked through your Saved folder on Instagram, what would we find?
Actually, nothing... I don't have a Saved folder on Instagram!
Where is your favourite place for inspiration and your favourite place for fun?
My favourite place for inspiration is nature, and my favourite place for fun is with friends, in a great bar.
What's one beauty or self-care item you can't live without?
Sunscreen. I've worn sunscreen on my face and décolletage since I was about 23, every day of the year, whether it is cold and winter or sunny and hot. It is the main thing you can do to prevent your skin from ageing prematurely.
What are your top three favourite movies of all time?
I don't have a top three—I have about a hundred! There are so many, it's so hard to choose. But three of my favourites are A Streetcar Named Desire, Marlon Brando at his absolute peak: Sophie's Choice, one of the most incredible performances I've ever seen on screen by Meryl Streep; and The Talented Mr. Ripley—all of the actors are so brilliantly cast in that film, and I love the darkness in the relationships and what it says about the society we live in. I think it's a fascinating psychological journey that you take with the main character.
Joanne and co-star Tom Hardy star in Paramount+ crime series MobLand.
What's one piece of advice that someone you love gave to you that has always stuck?
There are a few, but my grandad carried a poem in his wallet for over 50 years called The Man in the Glass. To summarise, it basically means that when all is said and done, and you're at the end of your days, if you can look at yourself in the mirror and be proud of the person you are, then you have won the game of life. If you look in the mirror and feel you've cheated yourself or done bad things to others, you'll know. And the only person you're really cheating is yourself. It's about keeping your ethics, and if you don't, the only person who truly suffers in the end is you.
Who are your professional and personal heroes?
My professional heroes are Meryl Streep, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, and Helen Mirren, who I just had the pleasure of working with on MobLand. I think she's just incredible, and now that I've gotten to know her, I can truly say that she is. Maggie Smith is another, I was so lucky to work with her.
My personal heroes are the women in my life. They are strong, brave, kind, brilliant, funny, witty, smart, and talented.
Who is/ are the love(s) of your life?
My family are the loves of my life.
What is the love of your life?
Undoubtedly, acting.
SHOP JOANNE'S STYLE:
Joanne stars in Guy Ritchie’s highly anticipated Paramount+ global crime series MobLand alongside Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan. She will also reprise her beloved role as Anna Bates in the third instalment of the Downton Abbey film franchise, set to release on 12th September 2025.
