The actor on Time’s Up, trying to save a stabbing victim and the joy of jigsaws

Gemma Chan: ‘Is it better to give or to receive? Are we talking about oral sex?’

Born in London, Gemma Chan, 35, grew up in Kent. She studied law at the University of Oxford before training at drama school. She went on to appear in Sherlock and Fresh Meat, before starring in the Channel 4 sci-fi drama Humans. She is in the new film Crazy Rich Asians, and next year will play Minn-Erva in Captain Marvel.

What is your earliest memory?

I was three and in a hospital lift with my dad – we’d visited my mum, who had just given birth to my little sister. I remember feeling sad my mum couldn’t come with us.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Sometimes it’s kind of an achievement just to get up, get showered, feed myself and get through the day. But also I’ve been doing work with the UK sister to the Time’s Up movement. We’ve set up a justice and equality fund.

What would your superpower be?

Time travel – I’d go back to June 2016 and deface the buses that said: “We send the EU £350m a week; let’s fund the NHS instead.”

What do you most dislike about your appearance?

As a little girl, I was quite self-conscious about my Asian features. A few kids made fun of the shape of my eyes. All the Barbies had blond hair and blue eyes, and I remember wishing I didn’t look the way I did – I was the only girl of colour in the area. But now I’ve got older, I’ve realised what makes you different is your strength.

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?

Blockbuster Video. I loved the routine of going there on a Friday night. Now I just log on to Netflix and end up browsing for an hour and never deciding what to watch.

Is it better to give or to receive?

Are we talking about oral sex? I’ll just say I think we all know the answer.

What is the closest you’ve come to death?

In 2012 I stared into the eyes of someone who had just stabbed a man in the neck on the street. I was trying to help the victim; for a very long three or four seconds, I thought he was going to come for me next.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Scarlett Johansson. Just kidding.

What is your favourite smell?

Old books – it reminds me of the library when I was younger.

What’s the worst thing anyone has said to you?

“Donald Trump has been elected president.”

Which living person do you most despise, and why?

I despise the so-called leaders, mostly in the Conservative party, who have got us into this colossal mess. They have just shat the bed and run away.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

David Attenborough, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Maya Angelou, Anna May Wong and Carole Cadwalladr.

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What is the worst job you’ve done?

When I was a teenager I worked as a lifeguard, and one of our duties was to clean the showers. It essentially involved cleaning people’s pubes from the drain.

How do you relax?

I listen to classical music and do 1,000-piece jigsaws.

How often do you have sex?

As often as possible.

How would you like to be remembered?

Just to be remembered at all would be enough.

Tell us a secret.

Sometimes I eat Marmite straight from the jar.