At just 23 years old, Daisy Waterstone has been the star of hot TV series the Durrell’s since 2015. The final series is now showing on ITV, so we sat down with Daisy to find out what we can expect to see from her character, Margo, what it’s like to work with animals every day and what’s coming up next for this young rising star.

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?

When I started out I was 19 and I had just done an acting foundation course at school. For a long time, I really wanted to go to drama school because I thought that that’s what everyone has to do. Then I decided I was just going to make a showreel, send it to lots of agents, just try to start working and then go to drama school. I made myself do monologues in my bedroom, sent the reel to everyone and I got one reply, then I just started acting. The first job I auditioned for I got, which was Silent Witness and then I kept working and I never thought about drama school again.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE DURRELL’S HAS BEEN SUCH A SUCCESSFUL SHOW?

I think that it’s just really relatable because of the whole family aspect of it, everyone has their own family that does get on and doesn’t get on. I also think that the fact that it’s on Corfu makes it a nice form of escapism, people can watch just before the summer and become excited for a break and the heat. The lightheartedness is great and nothing overly dramatic happens in it, it’s very easy going.

WITH THE SECOND WORLD WAR JUST BEGINNING, ARE THERE SOME MORE TENSE SCENES IN THE FINAL SEASON?

With the Nazi’s starting to invade there is an underlying tone where no one is sure of what’s going on, especially in Corfu as it was hard to understand what was happening. Then they start to get news of them getting closer and closer to Corfu, so tensions are rising. We still have that light tone and it’s still relaxed but it’s is in the background of everyone’s mind and that comes out towards the end of the series.

DO YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN YOURSELF AND YOUR CHARACTER, MARGO?

I have a lot of similarities with Margo! When I first auditioned for the role I remember thinking that she is literally me when I was 16 and I was really reading myself on the page. As time went on and the character developed I felt that she was growing more and more into me. There are so many bits of her that are very different to me as well, which I really like because it’s really taught be positivity and she’s very good at honouring her flaws and even enjoying them. I think that’s a great quality that she has where she kind of enjoys failing, she lets herself go a bit and has no fear. I can be a very fearful person and she’s really helped me to let go and find my path with courage. She’s a very brave character.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE FROM MARGO IN THE FINAL SEASON? 

She’s feeling a bit lost and as though her family are very separate from her. Being the only girl is tricky and that’s kind of falling on her. She’s trying to start up her own hair and beauty salon and live with Theo but it’s not going very well because he’s is very high maintenance and likes everything in order but Margo has a much more creative mind and free spirit, they don’t really work together. Then she decides to move to the UK just to see what it’s like as she hasn’t been there for such a long time.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE SPENDING LONG PERIODS OF TIME AWAY FROM THE UK AND FILMING OVER IN THE CORFU?

We’ve been filming since 2015 so going out every year has just become a part of my life. It’s always been so exciting to go out and film each time and I know Corfu like the back of my hand now. I feel so safe there, I can walk down the streets of Corfu town and feel safe, if I walk around in London at night I don’t feel safe at all. Corfu town is a very relaxed environment, all the locals are so lovely and it’s going to be very weird not going back now.

HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH SO MANY ANIMALS ON SET?

It was really cool! At first, it was quite daunting. I didn’t have too many scenes with animals before, I have a few more this year but it’s really interesting watching Milo grow up with them because he loves animals so much and he has such good confidence with them.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE COMING UP? 

I just love working. I just finished a mini-series for the BBC called The Capture, I have a nice little part in that. I’m just auditioning and I’d love to do something with a great story and a great character and there’s a lot around at the moment that has both of those things.

HOW DO YOU FIND YOU BALANCE?

I’m a big swimmer. I try to go as much as I can because I like to get space in my brain to relax and think and settle everything in my head. To find a balance between work and life I think you just have to have fun and have it in your head that you work to live and don’t live to work. I’m really terrible at dancing but I love to watch dance. I often think that if I could restart my life that I would have been a dancer. I like to write as well, I just write mess at the moment, none of it really makes sense. I’m not sure if I want to write scripts, which is weird because I’m an actor, I’m more into the idea of writing novels. I’m aiming to start writing novels and a few short stories, I just have an urge to write.

The Durrells continues on Sundays at 8pm on ITV