In an industry full of fillers and facelifts, Hawes’s natural beauty stands out. “HD is no one’s friend,” she says, “but I would much rather keep my face really clean. I see a wonderful facialist, Dr David Jack, I do microneedling, laser for pigmentation, you name it, and I really see results from that.”
She does reformer Pilates – she goes to a public class alongside 19-year-olds and an 80-year-old. “I absolutely love it,” she says. “I tried so many other things; because I’m 48, I want to feel better and get the endorphins going, and it’s good for mental health. But before this I hadn’t found ‘the thing’.”
Her career versatility and longevity, she thinks, rely on her ageing naturally. She could never have played Mrs Durrell, she has said, if she’d had her lips done. You wouldn’t see DI Lindsay Denton with a duck pout.
“What’s the worst that can happen if you go out with no make-up on?” she asks. “Women are gorgeous.” She’ll go out make-up free, “and if you get papped you do get savaged in the comments. But you can’t live your life worrying about the comments, can you?”
Her tea has gone cold and she’s only had a few sips, but it’s time to go back to rehearsal. “This has totally taken my mind off the play tonight,” she says. “My heart has stopped racing for once.”
She reaches for the cashmere coat, and heads for the stage door.
CORRECTION: The original headline of this article may have given the incorrect impression that Keeley Hawes considered Prince Andrew ‘heroic’. In fact, she was commenting on the historical view of him, not her personal view. We are happy to correct the record.
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Lead image outfit details: Wool-mohair blazer, £3,400, cotton blouse, £1,100, and wool-silk trousers, £2,000, all Dior. Calfskin loafers, £850, Church’s. Gold and diamond earrings, £7,200, and gold and diamond ring, £5,180, both Tabayer.
Styling by: Tona Stell. Stylist’s assistant: Alice Dench. Hair: Louis Byrne at Premier Hair and Make-up, using L’Oréal Pro. Make-up: Kenneth Soh at The Wall Group, using Ipsum and Merit Beauty. With thanks to JJ Studios