Despite not following a conventional wellness routine, Lesley Manville has long been known for her energy and stamina.
For a start, she's always on the go. According to The Guardian, the High Hopes and Phantom Thread star – who currently plays Susan Ryeland in murder mystery series 'Marble Hall Murders' – was filming the TV series Harlots in 2018 while also starring in a 10-week run in London's West End in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night.
Often 'she rose at 5.30 am, put in a full day on a set near Watford, then travelled to the Wyndham's theatre for curtain up. If she timed it right, she snatched an hour's sleep in her dressing room'.
'I think that I naturally come with quite a lot of inherent energy. A lot of people say I've got more energy than the average 25-year-old, and I have to say I think that's true,' the decorated actor – whose accolades include a Tony, two Oliviers, a Golden Globe and an Emmy –told The Cut. 'I'm pretty good at handling a busy schedule.'
Her robust film schedule also at one point included filming between Belfast, a 'quick stint' on Maleficent 2, a final series of Mum and another film with Ben Kingsley in the space of a few months, The LA Times reported.
Lesley is determined not to be defined by age
Lesley's stamina has propelled her through a prolific career in theatre and film, but she also has a strong sense of independence around ageing.
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'I don’t think of myself as old. I feel at the top of my form as an actor and a woman: free, liberated, energised,' she told The Guardian in a separate interview a few years ago.
'I want this feeling to stay – I’d quite like to lock it – because I know I’m not what you’d call young but don’t feel I’m what you would call old. I don’t conform to the stereotype of a 63-year-old.... I’m still incredibly physically agile and energetic.'
She’s also spoken to Glamour about the importance of not limiting your options as you age.
'It's about being open and being in a frame of mind that is saying, “If I want to do that, I will do it,"' she said.
As she put it: 'I'm not going to be crushed by what people conventionally think a woman of my age should be doing... Don't put us in a box because we're over 60.'
She has a simple, unfussy approach to her wellbeing routine
Her mornings don't tend to involve an elaborate wellbeing regime.
'The most I manage will be my early morning drink, which is fresh lemon and fresh ginger with boiling water... and then I'll segue on to Yorkshire gold tea. But... I'm normally jumping in the shower and cracking on with the day,' she revealed to The Cut.
Although she keeps active through work, she doesn't portray herself as someone devoted to conventional fitness routines. "I don't ever claim that I do lots of yoga and go to the gym," she added.
For physically demanding roles, however, she is willing to put in the work, says The Independent. To prepare for Maleficent, she practised Pilates for weeks and trained with a Cirque du Soleil performer.
She takes a moderate approach to food and prefers life's simple pleasures
Lesley doesn't seem to believe in overly restrictive rules when it comes to food, instead making room for both healthy choices and the occasional indulgence.
She's mainly vegetarian, according to The Guardian, but doesn't believe in denying herself what she enjoys.
'I like to have some nice food and a really nice glass of wine. Not every day...[but] it's simple pleasures, isn't it?' she said to Glamour.
'Like getting into bed when the sheets are clean. I also like a lot of good green vegetables. I love Italian food – pasta, bread, cheese – but I like a good serving of green stuff as well,'
Her Sundays involve a more leisurely routine. 'I try to lie in until 9am, then make a fresh ginger and lemon drink,' she continued to The Guardian. If she's working, she prefers 'a half hour stint followed by a croissant'.
A glass or two of champagne 'make[s] the mundanity of laundry, washing up and weeding rather lovely', while 'hopping through radio channels' or watching TV in winter evenings helps her wind down.
Humour and solitude help her recharge
Beyond her approach to food and wellbeing, Lesley has named a few other things she credits with keeping her happy and energised: 'Humour. I’m grateful to come to work with 20 or 30 people with whom I can have nice conversations and a laugh,' she said to The Guardian.
Having her own space also allows her to decompress.
'It’s because I live on my own that home is my sanctuary. It’s simple: I like to go home and have something nice to eat and am currently obsessed with watching Succession – my fix in the evenings,' she revealed. 'No big secrets really. I’m very happy in my own head and space.'
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Kate puts together fitness content that covers functional and strength training, cardio, workout challenges, interviews and news. She's often doing gym laundry or listening to music.
