Sometimes, in my job as an actor ( or actress if you prefer) , you make new friends. My closest friendships have come through the business, one way or another. It started with one of my oldest friends – Patricia Doyle, actress, creator of ballets and director, with whom I shared a bedsit when we were at RADA….(roomed with – for my American friends). Patricia and I are still friends after 60 years…even, with my comings and goings between the US and the UK. However the memories of fun, wine, first boyfriends, broken hearts and a very strange, eccentric landlady, who taught us a lot about sex, still resonate! My closest friendship – with Jenni Hopkins came about, when we met as ex-pats living in LA. Jenni and I formed a production company, optioned a book and tried to get it made as film …I can write a fairly humorous tome about that…will save it for another time. The film never got made, but the friendship lasted forever.
w Leonard Nimoy – Mission Impossible
We don’t always make lasting friendships with the people we work with…work is ephemeral and despite the incredibly intimate relationships formed during the work, they are a fantasy, a fiction and cannot stretch into real life. This is particularly true of film making, which has a finite period of time. Less so in the theatre, where long runs can make it more likely. People assume you remain best friends with everyone you work with….”tell me all about Patrick McGoohan, Roger Moore, Peter O’Toole”, “can you introduce me to Anthony Hopkins, Leonard Nimoy, Tom Selleck, Glenda Jackson?”
Jane working with the great Patrick McGoohan in THE PRISONER
However things are not always so. My (creative) relationships in Idaho are often more lasting. It is a very small community and the friendships are easier. You can drop in on each other for a coffee, a glass of wine and talk “media”, when living in a small American, western city, largely populated with people. who have little to no interest in the business, except as a viewing audience.
I have made quite a few short films in Idaho…it keeps the creative juices going…the anthology New Chilling Tales – the Anthology streamed on Amazon Prime and on Tubi and I made some good lasting friends through that. I am still good friends with Cary Judd and Drew Garcia with whom I made Last Embrace. They met for the first time on that little film and have gone on to make a beautiful documentary together 828. 
Much more about that in future blog.
With Cary Judd in “Last Embrace”
I can ramble on about all this forever, but must add a final word about a relatively new friend, Tim Rice. Tim and I have bumped in to each other at various events and have become friends, a lot online, at the odd lunch and on the phone ( Covid). I think he likes my work and I am full of admiration for his long, successful career. I enjoy listening to his podcasts, maybe you will too. Here is his podcast about the beginnings of Chess, which began its gestation in Iceland….serendipitous , because 828 was made in Iceland!
