British actress Indira Anne Varma has worked in television series as The Canterbury Tales, Rome, Luther, Human Target, and Game of Thrones. Varma made her film debut with Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. Currently, she plays the primary role in television series Carnival Row.
With a two decade long career, Varma has built a reputation as one of the most prolific actress and her stage presence is just as strong as her performance. Let's discover some interesting facts of the actress in the article.
Varma grew up in an artistic environment with her Indian father and a Swiss mother; her father is an illustrator while her mother works as a graphic designer.
In such an environment, Varma's father expected her to follow an upright and stable profession; more specifically, he wanted Varma to be a doctor.
However, the 46-years old actress curiosity rested in the motion-picture industry rather than the medical profession. In an interview with The Guardian, Varma exclaimed,
"My father would just throw at me, ‘You should be a doctor.’ Utterly ludicrous. I was crap at science. There is something so pure about acting, being able to mess about, where there are no expectations.”
The 46-years old actress underwent the training for film, television, and theatre from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). The drama school is one of the oldest that has been teaching theatrical work since 1904.
Varma joined the school in 1992, graduating in 1995. She felt quite intimidated by the environment of RADA and stated that she started self-doubting, exclaiming, "I don’t fit into what I think the theatre world is. I am not used to that world yet.’ To begin with, I felt like that.” to The Guardian.
In addition to receiving training from RADA, Indira also served as a member of the Musical Youth Theatre Company.
In an exclusive interview with the Fabric Magazine, Varma cited the veteran actress Dame Maggie Smith as her inspiration for having a proclivity for acting.
“When I was growing up in Bath, I remember seeing Smith in Lettice and Lovage and thinking that it was just the most amazing performance. It totally captured my imagination. And she is still at it. And that, to me, is remarkable.” she remarked in the interview.
Interestingly, for Varma, Smith came backstage to meet her after watching her performance in Present Laughter. That certainly is a victory that anyone would wish to achieve, and Varma, whose virtuosity has made her the star in the eye of her idol, is undoubtedly happy to live the dream.
Indira played the role of Ellaria Sand in the Golden Globe-nominated fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones. Varma's character is seen as the paramour of Prince Oberyn Martell, played by actor Pedro Pascal.
The 46-years old actress initially joined the cast of Game of Thrones as a guest star in the fourth season. However, in the fifth season, she got promoted to a starring cast member.
For her performance in the show, Varma earned the nomination for Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2016. Varma last appeared on the episode The Queen's Justice from the seventh season.
Indira Varma met her fellow co-star Colin Tierney on the set of Sam Mendes’ Othello at the National Theatre in 1997. Tierney has appeared in movies as Nowhere Boy, Island at War, and DCI Banks.
The couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony attended by close friends and family. Varma currently resides in Archway, North London, with her husband and a daughter, Evelyn Tierney.
The 46-years old actress plays as Charlotte in the British comedy-drama television series This Way Up. In the series, Varma appears as the colleague of Shona, played by series executive producer Sharon Horgan.
Aisling Bea, Dorian Grover, Tobias Menzies, and Aasif Mandvi are also seen in primary roles in the show. The series, which started from August 8, 2019, has completed six episodes as of now.
On March 18, 2020, Varma shared photos from the stage production of The Seagull. She had been working in the production alongside Game of Thrones alumni Emilia Clarke until the postponement of the play to slow down Coronavirus pandemic.
However, along with the post, the 46-years old actress also revealed that she had contracted the deadly Coronavirus.
"I am in bed with it, and it is not nice. Stay safe and healthy and be kind to your fellow people,” Varma wrote in the caption.
Indira's diagnosis came just days after another Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju declared that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
We wish Indira Varma and everyone who has become infected with the virus a quick recovery. We hope everyone finds strength and support every day during the recuperation and will soon be back to do all the stuff they enjoy.