Joanna Lumley has reflected on her mortality, predicting that her “time must be coming quite soon”.
The Bafta-winning star of the hit sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, who is 78, opened up on the subject of death in a new interview, revealing that several of her “beloved friends are beginning to leave”.
“As you near the top of the hill you suddenly think: ‘Gosh, there’s not all that amount of time left,’” the Amandaland said.
“My time must be coming quite soon and I don’t want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet.”
Lumley also urged young people to worry less, telling My Weekly: “I used to panic when I was young, but as I’ve got older I’ve started literally to live day to day.
“With age, you work out what matters. I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older. When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, longed to be 50. We mustn’t be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good.”
While sharing “a big message” to younger generations, the actor hinted that social media might be affecting their people skills.
“You need time in your head. I’m so afraid we’re going to breed a generation who don’t know the world and don’t know how to talk.”
Lumley previously expressed concern over young people’s work ethic, stating her belief that the youth of today want a fast track to success without putting the work in.
“I think this is a new thing. People thinking: ‘I couldn’t possibly! Why should I make the tea and coffee? Why should I wait after hours and do the unpaid work?’” Lumley told the i newspaper.
“I’m afraid the answer is: that’s the way to do it. I’m afraid that’s how it works. We’ve got to try to get the young to understand that it’s a tough old world. It’s lovely, but it’s tough. You’ve got to be ready, resilient, brave… and humble. You’ve got to understand that the world can do very well without you. Without any of us!”
The actor’s breakout role arrived in The New Avengers (1976), in which she played a former ballerina retrained in the art of Savate (a French kickboxing combat sport), alongside the late Patrick Macnee and the late Gareth Hunt.
But it’s as boozy fashion magazine director Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous that Lumley is best known. She starred in the BBC 1990s sitcom alongside its creator, Jennifer Saunders.
Lumley, who has long been an activist campaigning for human rights, was made a Dame in 2022 for services to drama, entertainment and charity.
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