Josh Smith's Great Chat Show
The Testaments star Lucy Halliday on Fangirling Margaret Atwood & How History is Repeating Itself
Published: 20 May 2026 at 06:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
Lucy Halliday lied her way into her first audition, went to medical school convinced acting would never happen for her, and is now starring opposite Elizabeth Moss in the sequel to ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. Lucy’s journey to playing the rebel Pearl Girl Daisy in ‘The Testaments’ has been anything but straightforward.
In this chat with Josh, Lucy opens up about landing only her third professional job, what it was like to film her first week on set with Elizabeth Moss, and the life-changing advice James McAvoy gave her on the set of California Schemin’ that has become her mantra. She also talks candidly about growing up without drama school training and why she would never call herself an actor until very recently.
Lucy gets into why The Testaments feel so urgent right now, why the line between the show and reality is terrifyingly thin, and what she thinks needs to change to make young women safer in society today.
Oh, and she tells the full story of hyperventilating in Margaret Atwood's face, sitting elbow to elbow with her watching the first episodes back, and what Margaret pulled out of her bag at lunch that nobody was expecting…
🎥 Subscribe to the YouTube channel & follow the show on Instagram & TikTok: @joshsmithsgreatchatshow 📩 Business enquiries – [email protected] ──────────────────────── About Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show is a podcast built on one belief: connection comes first. After decades as a journalist interviewing some of the world’s most recognisable faces - from Jennifer Aniston to Timothée Chalamet - Josh has learned that great conversations don’t just happen. There’s an art to a truly great chat, and when you join the conversation, it might just spark something in your own life. Each week, Josh sits down with actors, musicians, athletes, creators and cultural voices for honest conversations about resilience, identity, ambition, advocacy, mental health and the moments that shape who we become. Guests drop their guard and open up about the setbacks, breakthroughs and defining experiences behind the public persona. If you’re looking for depth, vulnerability, reinvention and meaningful human connection, you’re in the right place. Fancy a chat? Hit subscribe and join us every week. Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show (@joshsmithsgreatchatshow) Brought to you by Next Chapter Studios (@theNextChapterStudios) Host: Josh Smith (@joshsmithhosts) Creative Director: Carrie Rose Head of Production: Damy McConnell ──────────────────────── #JoshSmith #GreatChatShow #Podcast #CelebrityInterviews #RepresentationMatters#Identity #SelfDevelopment #CultureConversations #EntertainmentIndustry#SocietyAndCulture #PersonalGrowth
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