One Day stars Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall have shared some surprising insight into how the new Netflix show was filmed.
Less than a week after it began filming, the streaming service’s adaptation of David Nicholls’ much-loved book has already been a big success, dominating the platform’s most-watched shows and earning rave reviews from critics.
Speaking to HuffPost UK before the show’s debut, Ambika said of One Day: “Reading the book and especially after watching the series, it’s incredibly joyful. And I think we are looking for content that’s really joyful and comforting to watch.
“I think a few years ago we wanted to sit in our feelings and emotions and grief a little bit, but now I think it’s gone the other way and we like to watch things that are a bit joyful and hopeful. Which I think this show is.”
Of course, as escapist as parts of One Day can be, there’s no getting away from the fact the story ends on a pretty devastating note, which certainly wasn’t lost on its leads.
“What’s weird is we filmed the last episode at the beginning of the series,” Ambika revealed. “So actually, after we let go of that, it just kind of felt like a great time.”
Leo admitted there were times they were even able to “kind of forget” the way the story turns out, with the This Is Going To Hurt star agreeing: “You just get it out of the way, and then you can kind of focus on the good times.”
“But it is sad,” she added. “It’s so sad!”
Before being turned into new TV series for Netflix, One Day was adapted for the big screen back in 2011, with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess in the lead roles of Emma and Dexter.
The film was divisive at the time, thanks in no small part to the Les Misérables actor’s attempts at a Leeds accent, which Ambika has admitted was something she found hard to forget when she began playing Emma.
One Day is now streaming on Netflix. Watch more of our conversations with Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall on HuffPost UK’s TikTok page.