Life As I Know It
Actress Laila Rouass, 49, on her obsession with true crime shows, her pride in Footballers’ Wives and why being independent is so important
Holby City’s Laila Rouass reveals her obsession with true crime podcasts, why she’s proud of her time in cult drama Footballers’ Wives and her love for Helena Bonham Carter in The Crown
My hidden interest is that I did a Yale University course about the science of happiness, looking at what actually makes us happier. It’s not hippy stuff, it’s not spiritual, it’s science-based – all the trials and research that show what we think is going to make us happy doesn’t, but things like sharing experiences do. It’s for a new venture I’m doing called Wholeandthensome.
My plan B was nonexistent. My family were always the kind of people to say, “You must have a plan B and be an accountant, just in case acting doesn’t work out.” But I’ve never been like that. I have my passions and I follow them and if it doesn’t work then it doesn’t work.
Apart from family, the most important
people in my life are my friends. I’ve got pals I’ve known from the age of 11, growing up in the East End, like my best friend Soraya, and a friend called Moosa who I’ve been mates with for 20 years, and a whole community of friends from when I lived in India.
A project I’m proud of is Footballers’ Wives. It was totally ahead of its time. We were called out at the time and told it was really far-fetched, but now look at Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney! The advice I’d give to my 16-year-old self is not to be critical. The most important thing we can give ourselves is just to be compassionate.
I like to relax by watching true crime series on Netflix. I’m obsessed with true crime. I listen to podcasts, watch TV shows and am a member of a true crime Facebook group. There’s a criminal behavioural analyst called Laura Richards, who deals with violence towards women, and I love reading her books and listening to her podcasts.
If the world was going to end tomorrow
I’d want to spend that time with my family. I wouldn’t try to do something crazy like jump out of a plane or travel somewhere.
I’d like to be remembered on a personal level as a passionate, fun-loving and sincere person. If I was to pick one character that I’d played it would be Amber Gates [from Footballers’ Wives]. It was an iconic show – there’s been nothing quite like it since.
The best day of my life was the birth of my daughter, Inez, who is 14. I’d had a C-section and after three days the hospital said I could leave and I said, “I don’t want to!” I stayed in for seven days and having that time together was amazing.
The bravest thing I’ve ever
done was moving to India in 1995 and living in Mumbai. I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t speak the language. I was filming there for two months and then I got on music TV and stayed for six years.
The best thing my parents
taught me is to be independent. They came here as immigrants, not speaking the language, and
they taught me not to rely on anyone and the importance of being financially independent.
My favourite TV show, aside from Holby City, is The Crown. I’ll watch anything with Helena Bonham Carter in it. And I loved Claire Foy and Emma Corrin in it as well.
My perfect evening would be me and Ronnie [O’sullivan, her partner] meeting a friend or two and going to Yauatcha for dinner and then going to Home House for cocktails and maybe spending the night there if we’re splashing out. It’s a private members’ club but there’s no snobbery.
My greatest weakness is food! I have so many restaurants that I love. There’s one called Lahore in the East End which is about £9 a curry, nothing fancy.
It’s not good for my image but I like dunking chocolate in my tea.
My last holiday was to Istanbul with my sister, sightseeing and visiting the Blue Mosque. I don’t like flying so we drove to a town on the border with Syria with a charity I work with, One Family, and we saw some incredible sights on the way. ●S
Holby City, Tuesdays, 7.50pm, BBC One
‘The bravest thing I’ve ever done was moving to India and living in Mumbai’