British actor Viola Prettejohn has already built a varied early career, moving between genres in projects such as HBO’s The Nevers and Netflix’s The Crown. Now, she appears in The Testament of Ann Lee, a film exploring faith, devotion, and community through the story of the Shaker movement. The project places Prettejohn within a large ensemble driven by music and physical performance.

Looking back at the projects that shaped her early years on screen, Prettejohn points to HBO’s The Nevers as an important foundation. “The Nevers felt like my teaching ground. I had the experience of what it was like to film a big-budget TV series with the responsibility of a series regular role, so I learned the stamina required for a shoot that lengthy and taxing, which has been so valuable to me.” Her role in The Crown soon followed and marked another turning point in her career. “[It] felt like a real turning point—being a part of a series of that magnitude and notoriety, with the additional weight of playing one of the most well-known people in history, really propelled me, and I will always be so grateful for that opportunity.”

Film, however, brought a different creative experience. “Creatively, Ann Lee entirely changed my life. I have always been a cinephile, so even just finally getting to be in a film was a huge deal for me. Let alone working with one of the most exciting contemporary filmmaking teams and a true artistic genius like Mona [Fastvold]. It’s the greatest acting experience I’ve ever had, and I know it will continue to be one of the most important experiences of my career.” Her earliest sense that acting might become a serious path began much earlier, during a school production. “I did a production of The Crucible at school in which I played the role of Abigail—it was the first time I’d been given such a juicy part and really got to stretch myself. It feels strange to point to a school play as a real moment of realization, but it was!” 

Even now, she says certainty never fully arrives. “But I’m not certain any actor is ever completely certain. I still get pangs of ‘Will this all fall apart?’ constantly—I think that’s healthy; it keeps me on my toes.” Reading the script for The Testament of Ann Lee left a strong impression. I was fascinated, terrified, and thrilled, all at the same time. I’d never read a script like it, and there was a big part of me that wasn’t certain how it all would work or look or sound, but I knew I needed to be a part of it.” 

The ensemble element was what drew her in most strongly. “Getting to be involved in those huge and ambitious musical numbers is something I think every actor secretly yearns for; those are the types of scenes you watch in films as a kid that captivate you.” The performance style required the cast to approach their work differently. “It completely liberated me. Once you’ve had to improvise singing and dancing in a semi-animalistic way with a group of people you barely know, everything else seems much less intimidating. The style of movement that Celia [Rowlson-Hall] crafted for this film inherently required us to let go and to allow in the energy of our fellow cast and dancers; it was the same with the music that Daniel [Blumberg] wrote. We had to use our bodies and our voices in such an intuitive way, it truly makes you understand yourself on a deeper level.”

Working with the cast also shaped the experience. “We just had the most fun all the time. I think it really showed me that these very ambitious and demanding jobs can also be incredibly joyous! Amanda [Seyfried] delivers one of the most incredible performances I’ve ever seen, and while we were filming, she wore it so lightly. The moment we cut, she can immediately come out of the scene and start talking to her kids or about her animals—it was just so refreshing to see that that immense of a performance can be achieved without all the anxiety that you hear so much about.” She also reflects warmly on working with Thomasin McKenzie. “As for Thomasin, she is one of the kindest and most grounded actors I’ve worked with—and that went for everyone; it was a very kind and generous group of people. I would work with them all again in a heartbeat.”

Her next project moves into horror with Brides, alongside Olivia Cooke and Jodie Turner-Smith. “It was a dream! I’ve always been fascinated by vampires, and with my usual black hair and deathly pallor, I’ve often been compared to one, so it felt like a real career bucket list moment. I’d dabbled in zombies before, but vampires have a bit more sex appeal, so I enjoyed the slightly more glamorous side of things. I have endless fabulous costumes in this film; it was a joy every day to arrive and see what I got to wear that day.”

Looking ahead, she names a filmmaker she hopes to collaborate with one day. “The absolute dream would be to work with Paul Thomas Anderson. Seeing Phantom Thread in the cinema when I was fourteen was a pivotal moment for me; it was what sparked my weekly cinema-going ritual, so that would be a truly full-circle moment for me if I were ever lucky enough. I’m also a huge fan of a director called Hlynur Palmason, but he currently only works in Icelandic and Danish… if he ever wants to make an English-language film, then I’d jump at the chance! Or maybe I should get started learning Icelandic.”

Away from filming, her routine remains simple. “I go to the cinema a few times a week, I go on long walks through London, I’m lucky that most of my friends live here so I get to see them all the time, I draw, I go to gigs—basically, I try to consume as many forms of culture as I can!” “I think it makes me a better actor.” “This summer, I’m just excited to spend time with those that I love. I’m very happy right now, so I just hope that continues.”

This story appears in the pages of V160: on global newsstands now!

Photography Alessandro Burzigotti

Fashion Nilo Akbari

Interview & Text Araceli Olaechea

Makeup Mee Kee using Armani Beauty

Hair James Catalano (The Wall Group)

Casting Kev Ponce

Production Locals Worldwide

Photo Assistant Luke Regan

Styling Assistant Roksi

Makeup Assistant Natsu Tomonaga

Hair Assistant Rogerio da Silva

Production Assistants Elwood Rainey & Simão Nogueira