When Hermione Norris was offered the opportunity to embark on a spiritual journey through the wild landscapes of North East England in the BBC’s reality series, Pilgrimage, the timing couldn’t have been better.
“It was a perfect moment for me,” the Cold Feet star told HELLO! in an exclusive interview. “My mother had died around 18 months before doing it, and my children were just leaving home and school – one was going travelling and one was going off to France. It’s a time of transition and it really appealed to me to go on a pilgrimage.”
Hermione, who lives in Dorset, joins the likes of actor Patsy Kensit, TV personality Tasha Ghouri and dancer Ashley Banjo on the 12-day journey, which sees the celebs travel 390km to explore the lives of early Celtic Christian saints.
“I was really grateful to ask quite deep questions of myself, having been raised culturally as a Christian. I’m not religious and don’t subscribe to any religious dogma but I do have a very strong faith. I’m grateful to have explored that,” said Hermione, who was raised in Paddington, London with her three siblings.
© BBC/CTVCThe 59-year-old is a household name in the UK thanks to her illustrious TV career. The LAMDA-trained actress landed her breakout role playing Karen Marsden in the acclaimed ITV drama, Cold Feet, before appearing in a string of British TV hits, including Spooks, A Mother’s Son, Wire in the Blood and Luther.
© Alamy Stock PhotoBut despite the impressive list of watercooler dramas on her CV, Hermione still doesn’t think she’s “made it” in the industry.
“Getting into drama school, that was a dream come true, and I’ve had incredible experiences and met wonderful people, but I don’t think I’ve ever thought I’d made it,” said the actress, who shares a son named Wilf, 21, and a daughter named Hero, 18, with her television producer Simon Wheeler.
As for her thoughts on acting opportunities for mid-life women, Hermione says that while things have got better, there’s still a long way to go.
“I think at 45, work for women drops off radically, and that’s just a fact. I’m 59, so I consider myself lucky.”
© Dan Kitwood/Getty Images“I think that it’s really important that every demographic of society is reflected back to us in the media, in magazines and in the stories we see and are told,” explains the TV star. “I think it’s really important that women my age see themselves mirrored back, they don’t just vanish.”
© Alamy Stock PhotoHermione, who turns 60 next year, says she’s “oddly relieved” to mark the milestone. “It’s a privilege, getting older,” she said.
“I look at my life and I do feel very blessed. I have been allowed to have children, I’ve had an amazing career and I’ve travelled.”
As for what’s next for the star, Hermione is letting the universe take its course. “I’m looking forward to seeing how my story unfolds.”
Pilgrimage airs on Sunday 5 April at 9pm on BBC Two and iPlayer.
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