We caught up with Boynton in Manchester, England, at the unveiling of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art 2023-24 collection. A long-time ambassador for the Parisian label, the actress shared her impressions of the show and more in a post-event chat.

How does it feel to be in the UK for a Chanel show?

I can’t stop grinning. It’s so close to home and having those worlds merge is the dream collaboration. Having the Chanel influence on British fashion, and British fashion filtering into this Chanel collection, is really beautiful.

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What do you think of the collection?

I’m always excited to find out where these shows take place and how they allow the surroundings to influence them. [The choice of Manchester] was unexpected, but as soon as you put it together it makes sense, especially if you know Virginie [Viard, the brand’s creative director] and her appreciation of cultural influences.

What’s your first memory of Chanel?

It must be the fragrance; the iconic powdery scent. I think fragrance is such an elegant finish to an outfit.

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Tell me about your acting career. What roles do you enjoy playing the most?

It changes a lot – where I’m most comfortable – but for some reason I head towards darker projects, as I think it’s a really interesting investigation into human psychology. This job offers the most tangible experience of time travel and living a completely different experience from your own, so that’s why I probably gravitate towards darker material. Like with The Politician and a new project I’m working on right now for Netflix with Drake Doremus, it’s always filmmakers who have a very specific vision and aesthetic and tone. To be inspired by these people is such a joy.

Where did your love for acting come from?

It came mostly through reading. I used to read a lot as a kid and it felt like an escape, a portal to somewhere else. Acting was a way to grow out of that and channel it into something worthwhile and productive, and keep exploring a completely different world to your own and a completely different person to yourself. The opportunity to do that from a very young age was very exciting and kept me safe and open-minded.

What are you working on at the moment?

A series I’ll be doing next year with Drake Doremus, a beautiful romance set around Christmas time, an adaptation of the book One Day in December. I’ve dreamed of working with him for a long time; I’m such a fan of his work.

I just wrapped a project called Ruth about the last woman to be hanged in the UK in the 50s. That case specifically influenced the judicial system in the UK as we know it, so it was a full education and I’m incredibly proud of it.