Victoria Wyant, 2022 Graduate of the Three Year Course, has been on our screens a lot over the past 18 months. Most recently, she’s taken on the role of Zera in the latest season of AppleTV’s acclaimed series, Foundation.
Her other credits include Amazon Prime’s My Fault: London and the currently airing TV series I Fought the Law for ITV. Her next project, Paramount Pictures’ feature film Primate, is in post-production and is scheduled to arrive on our screens in 2026.
We recently caught up with Victoria about her time working on season three of Apple TV’s Foundation, as well as her time here at OSD.
Interview by Omi Mantri
Congrats on Foundation! How was filming?
It was an absolute roller coaster, and a long time ago. We started filming in 2023, and then the strikes happened [the 2023 Hollywood writers strikes], so we had seven months off filming. We went back in April 2024 and then wrapped in July. It was my first TV film job, so it was quite intimidating being on such a huge set, because the scale of Apple TV shows is crazy. I felt like I was dreaming. They build everything! You don’t have to use your imagination much, which is wild for a sci-fi series. I learned a lot.
What was the audition process like?
I think my story is a good example of how a self-tape, even if it doesn’t land a role, can still lead to more opportunities in the future. I first auditioned for season two. It was 11 pm on a Wednesday, and I was going on holiday the next day with my family. My agent sent me an urgent message saying they needed a tape by midday the next day, and if I got the role, I’d have to fly to Prague by Friday. I’m lucky that I learn lines fast and managed to get the tape to them by 3 pm the next day.
It was for Thalis in season two. I didn’t get the role, but I was called back to audition for season three. I think they remembered how quickly I turned around the self-tape before. I auditioned for Bayta, then did another round of self-tapes for Zephyr Vorellis. but didn’t get those roles. However, from those tapes I was offered the role of Zera,
Oh, wow. And was it just one round?
It was a straight offer from the self-tapes. Can I tell you a full circle story moment as well?
Yes, of course.
In Super Human, the play we did in Third Year about Comic Con and superheroes, we mentioned David Goyer, who, was a writer and producer for Batman, Superman, and a lot of DC projects. Turns out, he’s the guy who gave me this job! It was such a surreal moment, going from mentioning his name in a play as this huge, cool figure to seeing he was the showrunner on Foundation. I recognised the name and was like, “Oh my god, he was in our show!” I never got to meet him, but I emailed to say thank you for giving me my first job. He replied and said, “One of the best parts of this industry and being in my position is being able to give people their first roles.”
That’s amazing. What a beautiful moment. What was your most memorable moment you were filming?
They literally build the spaceships, on full-size moving platforms. So when you’re ‘flying’ it actually feels like you’re in space. It was such a kid-in-a-playground moment. You’re in full intergalactic costume, with props and weapons, pretending to fly a spaceship that’s physically moving beneath you. I walked onto set and just thought, this is so sick. It was so much fun.
We also got to do loads of action, mainly running and fight sequences, which I loved. It was great working closely with the stunt team, who were amazing. You can get away with more on screen, by working camera angles, and learning how to play to that was so interesting and again, just really fun.
Are there any specific pressures that come with joining an already established series such as Foundation? And how did you deal with them?
The biggest challenge was the scale of the production. You’re trying not to get distracted by the fact that there are probably over 100 crew members around you, while also getting used to three cameras rolling at the same time.
But I was very lucky. So many of the cast knew it was my first job and were super helpful. Especially Lou Llobell, who plays Gaal Dornick. She was amazing! I could ask her anything and she really helped ease me into it. She’d remind me “they do loads of takes, so if you mess up, it’s fine. They’ll just go again” Just talking to people helped take the pressure off.
You’ve also appeared in international commercials for Xbox and Amazon. Was there anything you learned on those projects which helped you with Foundation?
Xbox made me realise how much I love doing stunt work. I did quite a bit of wire stuff on that. So when it came to Foundation, I told the stunt team, “Please let me do as many of my own stunts as I am allowed!” My stunt double was low-key like, “Let me do my job,” but she was so fab and incredible at her job so she was definitely slicker than I could have been.
The biggest thing I learnt was stamina. For those ads, it was pretty much just me on camera the whole time, so I never really got a break. I had to keep going through 14, 15, even 16-hour days, sometimes filming until 3 a.m. That experience made Foundation feel like a walk in the park. There were more breaks, and other people had scenes too, so I could chill a bit.
How was it just filming those commercials? In terms of being the lead in a big budget international campaigns.
Xbox was physically tough. On the first day, I was under a rain machine for hours and they don’t heat that water. It was freezing! They did give me lots of blankets, but at one point, I had what felt like a fireman’s hose blasting water into my face at 2am, while I was trying to act happy playing Xbox. There were also scenes with debris falling and I was being flipped upside down. It was intense, but also so much fun. Plus, the cinematographer was Matthew Libatique, he did Maestro, Black Swan, A Star is Born and has three Oscar nominations. Working with him was really cool.
Do you have any tips for actors, for working with green screens?
Just treat it like theatre. In theatre, you use your imagination a lot, especially when you’re looking out at an audience and creating the world in your head. With green screen, it’s the same. You’re not limited by what’s physically around you, you can imagine whatever world you want.
You’re also a recurring character in the ITV series I Fought the Law. How was it filming that?
It’s based on a true story about a woman (Julie Hogg) who was murdered in the 80s, and her mum’s 17-year fight to change British law so her daughter’s killer could be convicted. It’s based on For the Love of Julie by Ann Ming. It’s such an important story to tell.
Playing someone who was alive at one point was a strange experience. Her mum, her son, people who loved her are still alive. This was a very important person to these people, and that came with a kind of pressure that was new and difficult to manage. But I’ve always wanted to do a biopic-style role, so it was also really exciting. Plus, it’s set in the ‘80s, so diving into that world was so cool.
Sheridan Smith plays Ann Ming, my mum, and working with her was a dream. She’s a total British legend and such a pro. I just sat there soaking up everything she did. She made my job so much easier. I also had to learn a Middlesbrough accent, which was quite tricky. So yeah, lots of elements to manage, but I think it’ll be a really moving story.
We’re excited to see it! You were also recently announced to play a role in the upcoming feature film project Primate…
It’s a horror film and it’s set in Hawaii. It’s about a pet chimp, and something goes terribly wrong.
It was a studio film, which was a new experience for me. Filming indoors means regular hours. You don’t have to worry about sunlight or time of day because the lighting’s all controlled. I didn’t see the sun for about two months since most of it was set at night and all indoors.
They built the entire set, so there was no need to imagine anything. It was all right there. There was no green screen. Instead, they used these massive painted backdrops. It was wild. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s an old-school horror vibe, so no CGI, just real sets and practical effects.
And I have to say, the voice work we did at OSD was so helpful. I spent two months screaming my head off, basically fearing for my life in every scene, and I never once lost my voice. All that breath support and technique totally paid off. Ironically, the only time I did lose my voice was after a cast karaoke night!
What was it like filming My Fault: London?
So much fun! First off, the costumes! Vivienne Westwood, Prada… the fittings were a dream. From the start I was like, this is going to be fun. And Dani [Girdwood] and Charlotte [Fassler], the directors, were amazing. I’d kill to work with them again.
Even though I was only on set for four days, I never felt like Oh can I do that I didn’t feel hesitant. Straight away it was ‘play around with it, do what you want.’ Improv used to scare me, but this experience made me realise it’s not that deep. If something doesn’t land, they’ll just cut it.
Have you always been interested in acting?
Yeah, for as long as I can remember. I never really made a conscious decision to be an actor. It just always felt like the only option, probably since I was about 11.
Was there a particular moment in your life when you decided to pursue acting?
My drama teacher put me on the gifted and talented list in Year 8, and that was the moment I thought, Oh, maybe I’m actually good at this. From then on, I joined the school’s youth theatre every year.
By the time I was 17, auditioning for drama school was the only plan. I didn’t really have a plan B, which is maybe not the best idea, but here I am.
Looking back, was there a time at the school that was of particular significance?
We had a ‘super-term’ in second year, just after the third lockdown. For 16 weeks, we trained five days a week, sometimes Saturdays too and two days each week we were in from 9am to 8pm. It really built stamina. A bit of a make-or-break moment.
That was also when we did our Greek animal studies and Medea, which was huge for me. It felt like a breakthrough. The first time the training really clicked. That’s when I started figuring out the kind of actor I am, rather than trying to fit into a box of what I thought I should be.
How did you find transitioning from drama school to the industry?
I found it hard, but I think I made it harder than it needed to be. I thought I had to be the actor working five days a week in another job just to afford living in London, but I was so exhausted I had no energy left to give to my acting. Looking back, I could’ve been smarter.
As soon as I booked my first job, I left London. And I haven’t been back. It made me realise there’s no one-size-fits-all for acting. You don’t have to live in London to make it work. It takes me four, five hours door to door if I have an audition in central London, but that’s a sacrifice I’m happy to make to live somewhere I love. By the sea and around fields. That’s where I want to be right now. Acting’s already hard enough, why make it harder for ourselves?
How important is it for actors nowadays to create their own work?
If you’re passionate and have a story you need to tell, then absolutely go for it. No one else will tell it like you. But for me, it’s never been a calling I’ve wanted to follow through on. I’ve tried writing, but I just don’t enjoy it. I don’t feel inspired so what’s the point? Maybe one day, but right now? No
Is there anything you want to tell the readers?
I really believe there’s enough room in this industry for everyone who wants to be a part of it. It might not always be the most consistent work. I know it’s a bit wishy washy but, I think having unshakable faith in yourself like truly backing yourself that’s what gets you in the room and booking jobs that are meant for you.
Being fearless in how you approach a character, and knowing who you are as an actor, is what makes your work stand out. You have to believe in yourself 100%. it’s low-key delusional thinking. I think you have to be a little bit deluded and fully believe you can work in this industry, but I think it is possible for everyone.
You can catch Victoria Wyant in Season Three of AppleTV’s Foundation, out now. ITV’s I Fought The Law has all four episodes streaming now on ITVX as well as airing weekly on ITV1. You can also see her international ad campaigns for Xbox here and Amazon here.
Quick fire Questions
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Film or TV?
Film -
Film or Theatre?
Theatre -
Classical or Contemporary work?
Contemporary -
Bodycon or Voicecon?
Bodycon -
Favourite subject at OSD?
Acting -
Favourite project at OSD?
Medea by Euripides. Directed by Dylan Brown -
Self-tape or In person auditions?
In-person -
What’s your favourite accent to do?
RP -
What accent do you want to learn?
Irish