'What's The Key To A Happy Marriage? Laughter...And Alcohol'

Actress Katherine Parkinson, 40, shares her passions with Nathalie Whittle. She lives in London with her husband, actor Harry Peacock, and their two young daughters

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What is your earliest acting memory?

My dad was a primary school teacher and used to direct all the plays, including Annie, and I remember feeling so jealous that I wasn’t in it. I would love to have been this all-singing, all-dancing child, but there weren’t the funds or the willingness to drive me around everywhere, so it wasn’t until I got to university that I seriously considered it as a career.

Did you have a career plan B?

Whenever I drop my daughters [Dora, five, and Gwendolyn, three] off at school, I always think that as hard as the teachers work, there can’t be a more rewarding thing to do. My mum was a teacher too and she always warned me against it because she didn’t feel she was paid enough for the hours she put in… then I told her I wanted to be an actress and I think she might have changed her mind!

Best decision you’ve ever made?

Agreeing to go out with my husband. We met at the National Theatre where we were doing a workshop together – he was playing a dog and pretended to urinate at my feet… and I fell in love.

And the worst?

Not learning to drive. All my school friends got cars for their 18th birthdays and I knew I wouldn’t get one, so I thought the best thing to do was not waste my time learning. Now my daughters say, “Mummy, why don’t you drive?” I’m determined to do it this year.