Joanna Lumley: 'Even when my name was famous, my bank balance was still red'
Plain text size Larger text size Text size is very large In the age of disconnection, no clock seems to be running on time. But it’s somewhat unsurprising to log into Zoom and find the perfectly prepared Joanna Lumley had arrived seconds before me. As a young model in London, Joanna explains, she learned the most important lesson of her career: punctuality. “You have to work on time, but you also have to do your hair, wigs and hair ornaments; You have to access everything – necklaces, earrings, and your own pieces like that. With your very little model money,” said the 76-year-old film and television star. “We are booked by the hour and, if you are a minute late, half an hour’s pay will be deducted. You have to be very fast, ready for everything. It kept me in good stead all my life. I’ve never had a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, so it’s easy to get ready, and that makes me stand well in the movie world, where getting up at 4am is normal.” As a very fit and very f