Olivia Colman
British actress
When my husband and I first said we loved each other, in our student flat in Cambridge.
When were you happiest?
Question
What happens when we die?
Death & what remains
Question
Which moment embarrassed you most?
Failure & regret
Question
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Values & belief
Question
What would you like to be remembered for?
Death & what remains
Question
How close have you come to death?
Death & what remains
Question
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Identity & self
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
In recent times, when I was looking after my mum. She would take me on journeys in her mind and I’d travel with her wherever she went. I felt happy that I had the opportunity to have that time despite her illness.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 October 2025 source ↗
Others on this question
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Yo-Yo Ma
Cellist
When our children were born.
Max Whitlock
English artistic gymnast
Standing on the podium in Rio: winning a gold medal for the pommel was 100% the pinnacle of my career.
Gok Wan
British fashion consultant, author, chef and television presenter
Immersed in a bowl of noodles, sat around my parents' dining room table with all my family. Bliss!
More from Shobna Gulati
View profile →I think we live on in people’s memories until those memories go.
If you’re a mother, you are embarrassing. Is that not just the way?
Ignorance and unwillingness to learn.
I tried my best.
A piece of scenery fell on my head during Richard II at the Globe theatre in 2019. I was very badly hurt.
Curious, kind and frustrating – because I ask too many questions.
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