A biography for Lesley Nicolhasn’t been written yet.
“Since I've turned 50, I've had the best roles of my life, and I've got married. Everyone said that wasn't possible because there are no men, but I've done it. I think it's just going to get better.”
“When I heard I had gotten 'Downton Abbey,' I remember I was standing on a freezing cold street in Manchester where we were shooting the Manchester part of 'West is West.'”
“Visiting a show that's already established can be a bit daunting, as they've been a family already, and you're the newbie.”
“I don't do freeways.”
“For years, I've felt that there's an inner cook in me just waiting to be unleashed. But I have to confess I'm having an awful lot of trouble finding her in real life.”
“I think I should be a nightclub singer. I love to sing!”
“'Sweeney Todd' is my favorite Sondheim musical.”
“My poor cooking is legendary among my friends.”
“I've been to the White House and had Hilary Clinton push through the crowd to come and meet me. Chelsea Clinton, too.”
“I don't have any rules when it comes to clothes. I'll wear anything if it fits and looks good.”
“The first role I played was Madame Ranevsky in 'The Cherry Orchard.'”
“I took a cookery course. On the examination, I had to cook a cheese omelet with peas and an egg custard. With the egg custard, which was supposed to be a dessert, I forget to put the sugar in, so that's more of a quiche, isn't it?”
“My husband is a martial artist, and he thinks it's hilarious that I have a stage-fighting-proficiency certificate. He thinks that's ridiculous. Can't say I've used it much.”
“I go dog-walking a lot.”
“I never imagined I'd go into acting, but I always loved drama, and when I was 16, I discovered the Library Theatre up the road. So I plucked up courage and asked if I could watch rehearsals. It was like Heaven.”
“I've not cooked Christmas dinner since 1982.”
“I'm an ambassador for Medical Detection dogs.”
“At the drop of a hat, people will say there are no roles for women after 40. It's there with a bunch of other rules I'm not interested in.”
“I believe anything can happen.”
“I did an O-level in domestic science when I was at school, but on the day of the practical exam, it was a cookery nightmare.”