Normal People star Daisy Edgar-Jones has become an overnight star due to her incredible portrayal of the straight-talking yet sensitive Marianne in the BBC Three show, but the 21-year-old admitted that she struggled with anxiety before landing her big role. Speaking on the How to Fail podcast, the actress revealed that, having made the decision to put off university and focus on her acting career, it was anxiety-inducing when she lost out on roles.
Daisy has been widely praised for her portrayal of Marianne
She explained: "When I left school I got quite good A-levels, and I really thought about going [to university]. I did apply to a few places and got in, but I'd had an agent since I was 16... so I thought I'd give it a year to see if I could maybe get something... it's so difficult because it's never guaranteed."
Normal People has been a huge hit
She continued: "By the end of the year I'd gotten another couple of small parts but nothing like Normal People, so I thought I'd keep trying... It's heartbreaking [when you lose out at an audition] and there's the odd one that's really hard to get over and sometimes when I didn't get those parts I'd spiral into doubts about whether I should go to university."
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Daisy revealed that her anxiety can often lead her to struggle with hypochondria, in which a person becomes anxious about their own health. She explained: "I auditioned and I got close and I found that very anxiety making and I really struggled for a while... when I feel anxious it comes out in different ways from me. One of the ways is that I struggle with hypochondria. I had a lot more free time because my friends were away at university and I did think, 'Gosh, am I missing out on life experience?' and so I would get quite anxious."
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