Comedy queen Miranda Hart has opened up about her strenuous years-long journey to stardom, admitting that trying to make it big was no laughing matter and took a staggering 15 years of pitching to the BBC.
Each August she would head to the Edinburgh Festival, hopeful for that elusive break, labelling comedy as “one of the bravest things in the world”, reports the Mirror.
She reveals: “One day at the Edinburgh festival, I remember saying, ‘If I get one audience of over 20 people and one okay review, I’ll carry on.’
“My first week I had three people and then on the final day I got an audience of 21 and a three star review in the Scotsman. That kept me going.”
On BBC Radio 3’s Private Passions, Miranda, now 52, reminisces about her annual pilgrimage to Edinburgh, juggling temp jobs with her passion for comedy: “Every year I would leave my temping job and say ‘I’m bound to get my big break now,’ and by mid-September I would be back asking if the job was still open.”
Despite facing endless setbacks, Miranda – who surprisingly tied the knot with surveyor Richard Fairs, 60, last year – saw her persistence pay off with the hit sitcom Miranda, which premiered on BBC2 in 2009.
The beloved comedy actress, crowned with multiple awards, reflects: “It took a long time. I’m pleased it did because I really got to hone my craft,” reports the Mirror.
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The hilarious Miranda opened up about her unexpected journey from studying political science to becoming a comedy queen. She confessed, “I began writing sketches then. It wasn’t until 26 I admitted I wanted to act. It was something I was passionate about since I was seven or eight.”
The ‘Call The Midwife’ star also shared cherished memories of her time at Downe House school, revealing, “I loved boarding school. I loved the structure of boarding school. I was sporty. I loved being silly and the class clown. Life went downhill when I left school.”
She even mentioned her connection with Clare Balding, saying, “Clare Balding was my Head Girl. She was very nice, very efficient. I have to say that. It’s been nice to get to know her more recently.”
Born in Devon, Miranda spoke to Michael Berkeley on his Radio 3 show about how classical music played a significant role in her life, especially Mozart, which reminds her of her parents.
She reminisced, “Mozart makes me think of my mother and father,” and revealed an unexpected talent, “My mother’s love of the piano also led to the accidental discovery that Miranda could sight read.”
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The comedian also shared a touching anecdote about her astonishing musical talent, recalling her mother’s shock when she found young Miranda effortlessly playing a complicated piano piece: “She was doing grade eight piano when she was pregnant with me. One day, she heard me playing a tune on the piano and rushed in looking ashen. It was the grade eight piece she’d played repeatedly while pregnant with me. And I could just sight read it.”
Her genius even influenced her hit comedy series, as she admits she treated the writing process like a musical composition to ensure the show’s timing hit all the right notes: “I worked hard to get the structure. I wrote it very much with music in mind. In my kitchen, I would conduct it to make sure it had rhythm.”
The same passion for music made her modest wedding truly special, as Miranda describes the powerful moment her guests sang along: “I had a very small wedding, about 35 to 40 people, and we sang Climb Every Mountain at the end.”
The song now holds a significant place in her heart: “So now, it just makes me cry, because I think of a very happy day of my life. It makes me think of the recent joy of getting married, which I had given up on the possibility of, and that young me dreaming. I’ve always been a dreamer, so it’s very emotional.”