Sarah Snook took advantage of a break in production on Sunday as she ventured out in London with husband Dave Lawson and their baby daughter.
The actress, best known for her starring role as Shiv Roy in HBO drama Succession, was making her first public appearance with the nine-month old, her only child with Australian comedian Lawson.
Snook, 36, dressed down in a grey sweater and sweat pants while out with her family in the English capital, where she is currently onstage in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray.
Lawson, 45, looked equally relaxed in a plaid over-shirt and jeans while cradling their baby daughter in a papoose.
Snook was taking a well-earned break with her family after bringing Wilde’s celebrated novel to the stage with an ambitious one-woman production – in which she plays all 26 characters.
It follows a hugely successful awards season for Snook, whose role in Succession saw her triumph at the Critics Choice, Golden Globes and Emmy Awards.
However, in an interview with The Sunday Times, Snook revealed that her path to superstardom and landing the role of Shiv Roy was anything but glamorous.
She described herself as ‘enormously depressed’ as a teenager growing up in Sydney, putting herself through drama school because her parents were broke.
Snook attended Sydney’s prestigious National Institute of Dramatic Art and recalled how people would make fun of her falling asleep in lectures because she had no energy from not being able to afford to eat nutritous meals.
She told how she was living off white rice, explaining: ‘I was making $120 a week, rent was $90 and $12 went on my phone. It was certainly character-building.’
‘No wonder I was falling asleep in the history of theatre lessons,’ she recalled. ‘I was always falling asleep in the back row.
‘I was spiking my blood sugar and not eating any protein, I couldn’t afford it. People would take bets on whether I would fall asleep.’
Snook detailed feeling ‘lost’ after graduating in 2008 and began working in a cafe to make ends meet. The actress said she was down to her last A$10 before acting work began to roll in.
She bagged several small roles in Australian films which won her awards and she slowly made her way to becoming an established actress by 2015.
Snook played Apple entrepreneur Andrea Cunningham in the Hollywood biopic and made her West End debut alongside Ralph Fiennes.
When she was offered the role of Shiv, the actress admitted she didn’t understand the appeal of a family of brats who were only interested in increasing their bank balance.
She said her friends questioned the character and she assured them: ‘That was my reaction too!’
However, as the series went on, Snook confessed she couldn’t help but root for Shiv, hoping that she would be the one who made CEO.
Now the screen star has more wealth than she could ever have imagined. It was reported that she earned £300,000 per episode during series three.
But she insists she is fully aware that it could all disappear tomorrow and she has made peace with the face that one day she could be penniless again.
She took home the Best Actress in TV Series, Drama statuette at the Golden Globes for her portrayal of political strategist and media heir Siobhan ‘Shiv’ Roy.
She beat Emma Stone (The Curse), Imelda Staunton (The Crown), Helen Mirren (1923), Kerri Russell (The Diplomat) and Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us).
‘This show, it’s changed my life,’ Snook said in her acceptance speech, before thanking her fellow cast and crew.
‘This was a team effort, it was always that was what made the show amazing.’
At the Emmys, Snook took home the Outstanding Lead Actress award.
She again faced heavy-competition including: Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters, Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets, Elisabeth Moss – The Handmaid’s Tale, Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us, and Keri Russell – The Diplomat.
During her emotional acceptance speech she said: ‘Wow. Thanks to everyone who voted and for loving the show as much as we did as a cast making it and as a crew making it.
‘We put our all into it and the bar was set so high. I think that’s what spurred us on from every department we all gave it our best, led by Jesse and mark and my cast who I love so much and I’m going to miss.’
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
