Born in Annan, Scotland, Ashley Jensen, 48, found fame in Ricky Gervais’s award-winning comedy Extras, first broadcast in 2005. In 2007, she was cast in the American series Ugly Betty and moved to Los Angeles. Her film work includes Nativity, Hysteria and The Lobster. She stars in Love, Lies And Records, which starts on BBC1 in November. She is married to the actor and writer Terence Beesley, and lives in Bath.
What is your greatest fear?
Technology. I feel as if I am constantly playing catch up.
What is your earliest memory?
Skipping home from school in reception, wearing a big stiff brown duffel coat and slipping in dog poo.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Malala Yousafzai; she’s a wonderful humanitarian.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Walking out of the Mondrian hotel in LA with my skirt tucked into my knickers 10 years ago.
What is your most treasured possession?
My son Frankie’s teddy bear, Big Blue.
What is your wallpaper?
Frankie and me having a wee kiss.
What would your super power be?
Invisibility – I love listening to conversations, but people get grumpy at someone staring at them, or they go, “Oh, you’re Maggie from Extras.”
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I try not to go down that route, I’m just glad my body still works.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
It’s difficult to be objective.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Gogglebox. I want to hang out in a caravan in Hull with Jenny and Lee.
What is your favourite word?
Instead of saying captured, my little boy used to say “catchered” which made total sense to me. So I left it longer than I should have to tell him it wasn’t right.
Which book changed your life?
Animal Farm, when I was about 13. It was the first grownup piece of literature I read; my eyes were opened and I realised there was inequality in the world.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I did want to be an actor from an early age although I briefly dabbled with the idea of being a vet until I realised you had to stick your hand up a cow’s arse.
What is the worst thing anyone’s said to you?
“See that Ashley Jensen, she’s nowt without her hair.”
What do you owe your parents?
My mum brought me up on her own and I owe everything to her.
To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?
To anyone who gets into my car, because it’s such a mess.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My son.
Which living person do you most despise, and why?
Donald Trump. It’s like having Ronald McDonald in charge of a children’s party, but with guns.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Hollywood Boulevard, it’s grubby, sticky and somehow terribly sad.
What do you consider your greatest achievement
That my son is kind and he loves David Bowie.
Tell us a joke:
A chicken says to a dog, “Why don’t humans eat you?” And the dog says, “I don’t know, they must really like us because they go about collecting our shit in little bags.”
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