Joanna Lumley has revealed she almost quit her now-iconic role as Patsy Stone in BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous after a disastrous first meeting with Jennifer Saunders.
The 77-year-old actress, who played the boozy fashion guru between 1992 and 2016, said she tried to jump ship after being left behind and didn't convince her co-star and series creator Jennifer, 65, to do so she was suitable for the role after her first role.
Telling the Sun: “Either I did it so badly or [Jennifer] was so uncommunicative that I was sure she didn't like me.
“I went home and said to my agent, 'I love the script, but you've got to get me out of it because she's too polite to say she doesn't like me.'
She continued: “My agent said, 'Just do it, it's a pilot who knows it might not work.'”
Joanna Lumley, 77, has revealed she almost gave up her now-iconic role as Patsy Stone in BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous after a disastrous first meeting with Jennifer Saunders.
The actress, who played the boozy fashion guru between 1992 and 2016, said she tried to jump ship after she was abandoned and her co-star and series creator Jennifer, 65, was convinced she was after the I didn't think she was right for the role at first read (pictured together in the series)
The series became an instant hit, winning numerous BAFTA and British Comedy Awards before hitting the big screen with its own film in 2016.
In a recent Channel 5 documentary celebrating Joanna's long career, she admitted filming Ab Fab was “hysterical” and that one scene almost pushed the couple over the edge.
When discussing how an elderly Patsy loses her pants while accidentally sniffing a bee, Joanna said:
“When I die, I just want this to be played at my funeral.”
This comes after Michelle Keegan admitted to being a “big fan” of Joanna as she discussed starring alongside her in Harlan Coben's new Netflix thriller Fool Me Once.
The 36-year-old actress, who plays distraught widow Maya Stern, gushed that the comedy legend's star made her “feel very comfortable” on set.
She revealed that Joanna, who plays Judith Burkett, the mother of Maya's murdered husband, pushed her to be more “lively” in the scenes.
Despite this, Michelle said she still couldn't bring herself to “curse in Joanna's face” during rehearsals.
![Joanna said, “Either me [the read through] so bad or [Jennifer] was so uncommunicative that I was sure she didn't like me.](https://www.spamchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702693100_874_After-a-disastrous-first-meeting-with-co-star-and-series-creator.jpeg "After a disastrous first meeting with co-star and series creator Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley almost walked away from her iconic role in Absolutely Fabulous 5")
Joanna said, “Either me [the read through] so bad or [Jennifer] was so uncommunicative that I was sure she didn't like me.
The series became an instant hit, winning numerous BAFTA and British Comedy Awards before hitting the big screen with its own film in 2016 (pictured together in 2016).
She said, “You were so much fun.” I mean, it's not every day you tell Joanna Lumley to fuck off! That was pretty nerve-wracking.
“She made me feel very comfortable right from the start.” She's such a legend. My cousin and I grew up listening to Ab Fab, so I was a big fan.
“In our scenes, our characters go head-to-head. She's so good at playing this feisty role and it made me feel a little more feisty. I had to keep up with that energy.
“But I wouldn’t swear during rehearsals. I would just say “The F Word.” I would swear in a recording, but in rehearsals I wouldn't curse in her face. I couldnt do that.'
Earlier this month, the highly anticipated thriller released its first teaser clip and fans got a glimpse of Michelle transforming into the distraught widow Maya.
This comes after Michelle Keegan admitted to being a “big fan” of Joanna as she discussed starring alongside her in Harlan Coben's new Netflix thriller Fool Me Once
Despite this, Michelle said she still couldn't bring herself to “curse in Joanna's face” during rehearsals.
In the clip, Maya tries to come to terms with the brutal murder of her husband Joe (Richard Armitage).
The trailer shows the couple's happy beginnings on their wedding day and family life before Maya's world falls apart.
As the story develops, Maya installs a nanny camera to keep an eye on her young daughter and she is shocked to see a man she recognizes in her house, her husband who she thought was dead.
Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce (Adeel Akhtar) leads the murder investigation into Joe's death while grappling with his own secrets.
All episodes of “Fool Me Once” will be available on Netflix from January 1, 2024.