It’s important to not let things become too serious. So, it’s a sharing, a give and take, all the while keeping an uplifting, positive, carefree attitude on set. Then they reel you back in and begin shaping it and moulding it – they make the scene a bit of them and a bit of you. They give you time to experiment with going a little beyond certain edges, experimenting with different ideas and bouncing off of other actors. The best directors actually let you go quite far, and then reel you back in. Great directors trust in the fact that they’ve got the crew that’s perfect for the job, and then let them have a bit of freedom to do what they want – that’s how you get the most out of it. You’ve got to be the person to bring everything together.

Thomas Brodie-Sangster: I always think it’s a hard job. Georgina Buckle: What specific qualities in a director make you passionate to work with them? Having worked together previously on Scott’s show Godless, Sangster trusted him as an ‘amazing storyteller’, and this crucial bond between actor and director is what I am keen to explore. Writer and director Scott Frank asked Sangster personally to be involved, and he immediately said yes without knowing what it was about. In The Queen’s Gambit, Sangster delivers a cracking performance as Benny Watts: an arrogant, uber-smart chess prodigy. Now, his IMDB page boasts the likes of Game of Thrones, Star Wars, The Maze Runner Trilogy, and (more recently) The Queen’s Gambit. And whilst the fanbase Sangster garnered as a child star loyally persists, it’s safe to say his career has vastly evolved since then. These classic 2000s British films have cemented him as a distinguishable, and beloved, face in many households. Or, perhaps you recognise him as Simon from family-favourite comedy Nanny McPhee. You might remember Sangster as sweet little Sam in Love Actually. Sangster’s whole presence is suffused with a classic British sophistication, and there is also a playful mischief there, at times reinforced by a subtle raised eyebrow. Zooming me from his minimalist bedroom, he’s dressed in a black crewneck, hair swept neatly to one side, the only noticeable adornment I can see is a small, tasteful gold earring. Throughout the interview he’s calm and collected, his demeanour reflected by the understated chic of his style. “My life was very fast before this all happened” he says, “so I think it’s good that we’ve all slowed down a bit.” Sangster is so refreshingly level-headed that he might just be the perfect person to speak to in the middle of the third national lockdown. Our conversation is peppered with his witty remarks, and I get the impression of a laid-back, yet whip-sharp individual.

What strikes me about Sangster, who stars in Netflix’s recent smash hit, The Queen’s Gambit, is his relaxed, wry sense of humour. “Laughter’s important and we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously,” quips Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

Thomas brodie-sangster game of thrones