The question
What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?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.
My first summer working, in 1984. I’d come out of drama school, I’d landed a job that got me an Equity card doing Godspell in Aberystwyth – and it was just unmitigated joy.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 May 2023 source ↗
I think when we were doing The Mary Tyler Moore Show. That was the first time that I was able to, on a regular basis, be funny.
I am happy now.
January 15, 1991. Walking up Congress Avenue in Austin, with thousands of others, to see Mom sworn in as governor of Texas.
Filming Much Ado About Nothing. In my home, with my family and my besties and the bard all around. Pure joy.
Having got Aspects of Love back into the West End.
Handing out leaflets for a European coach trip wearing just lederhosen, in February and March in Surrey. It was freezing, and I got fired.
The best of times, the worst of times.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, his trajectory from performer to leading his country and then stepping up in such a magnificent way is extraordinary.
During the technical rehearsal of Aspects of Love in 1989. They told me it would be discreetly lit because I was paranoid about being in just my pants. I walked on and every spotlight in the building followed me round the stage.
My dogs. They didn’t cost that much to buy, but I’ve been paying for them since. We’ve two Tibetan terriers, Danny and Wilbur.
Lesley Sharp, Joanne Froggatt, Ethan Hawke, Helen George, Joseph Fiennes, Marianne Faithfull
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