There's a party at Chateau Marmont tonight, and Daisy Edgar-Jones is the reason for it. A few hours before, I meet the actress in a room at the Edition hotel, where she's sitting in a white tee and jeans, chamomile tea in hand. We're here to discuss her new role as the Estée Lauder's global spokesperson and the reformulation of its iconic Double Wear foundation—"It's a wild, surreal, and amazing thing," she says—but the conversation veers off to topics like premonitions, the non-linearity of time, and the journal theme she sets for herself every New Year. She's warm and funny and immediately easy to talk to; the kind of person who makes you feel like you've known her for ages. It's hard to reconcile any of this with the fact that she's been one of the most sought-after actresses in the world since Normal People came out six years ago, but that's kind of the point: Edgar-Jones isn't here to do the thing you expect her to do.
Ahead, she opens up about confidence, Gemini duality, and why her manifesto for 2026 is to sneak joy in wherever she can.
Congratulations on the Estée Lauder announcement! How does it feel to be the new global ambassador for such an iconic brand?
Daisy Edgar-Jones: "It really feels like such a dream. I've loved Estée Lauder for such a long time. I've grown up loving their products and playing with their makeup and going to the counters in department stores."
What's your current favorite product?
DEJ: "I've really gotten into the Double Wear [foundation] and I love the new formula because it's so lightweight and easy to apply. I'm such a busy person—I often leave the house for hours on end and never have time to retouch my makeup, so I love that it's so long-lasting. I'm on the matte side. I need the matte. I love applying with a Beautyblender. You can really get the full coverage you need."
It's been six years since Normal People came out. What's the biggest difference between Daisy in 2026 and Daisy in 2020?
DEJ: "I feel like I haven't changed a huge amount, which I'm actually glad about. I did a job recently with someone I'd worked with when I was 17 and she said, 'You haven't changed'— and I was really glad to hear that. But I definitely feel a lot more comfortable in my skin, which I think is part of growing up in your twenties. You start to like yourself a bit better and be a bit more accepting of yourself. My confidence has grown."
What helped you get there?
DEJ: "I used to feel like, if I had an interaction with someone and I didn't feel confident, I'd blame myself for it. Whereas now I'm like, it's about finding your people—the people that make you feel like your most true self. I've just been around the block a few times. I know how to handle situations, especially at work. I'm more sure of myself in that department. I still have imposter syndrome at times, but I feel more like I belong in the space, and I take up a little more room in it, which is good."
You're a pro at playing deep, complicated women. Who's a complicated woman, real or fictional, that you look up to?
DEJ: "I feel like I've not met a woman, or a person, who isn't deeply complicated. Everyone is so full of depth and strangeness and light and shade. But I'm very inspired by Margot Robbie right now. She's such an incredibly talented actress, but also incredibly talented as a producer. I love what she's doing with LuckyChap [Entertainment]. I've heard from so many people that if she's producing a movie, she's in there with the spreadsheets and the budget—she's fully in it. I find her very inspiring."
Astrology question: do you identify as a Gemini?
DEJ: "I'm interested in astrology, though I wouldn't claim to be particularly knowledgeable about it. My rising is Virgo, and I feel more Virgo in a lot of ways—I'm incredibly organized and meticulous. I do a lot of prep. I was the person with all the cue cards when revising. But I suppose the Gemini parts of myself show up in my career, because there's the duality of myself and then a character who's very different from me. Maybe Gemini in that way. I'm not a massive gossip, but I can be quite flighty—very intensely present with someone, and then if I'm off on a job, I don't reply for three weeks. Just know I love you. I'm going to come back."
What are you reading right now?
DEJ: "A book called The Premonitions Bureau. It's nonfiction. There was a study done in the '60s where they set up this bureau in the UK and tried to get people who had premonitions to write in about them, almost like Minority Report, to see if they could predict things from happening. I find premonitions so interesting because I've had a few little sprinkles of them myself. I actually had one with Normal People—I had this full-body sense that something big was going to happen in my life, and then I got the call that I got the job. I'd had an audition, three days had passed, and I was like, 'It's probably not going to happen.' And then I remember walking along the Thames at the South Bank and having this strange sensation...and then my agent called. It was a very strange thing."
That's incredible. What are you listening to right now?
DEJ: "I'm really into a musician called Jessica Pratt. She has a song called Back, Baby and so many beautiful songs. She's so nice for this time of year, especially because in London it's very gray and cold. I have all her records—she's lovely to listen to when you're sat by the fire."
Describe your perfect day.
DEJ: "Listening to Jessica Pratt in the morning, having a coffee, leaving myself enough time to journal and do my hair and makeup. Then a walk in London, seeing mates, watching a movie. And a Sunday roast. I do like a roast. Very hygge."
You mentioned journaling—is that something you do regularly?
DEJ: "Yes, definitely. I set up a new journal every year and try to give it a theme. I do it with mates as well, which is very hygge—we get little stickers and make our journals together. This year my theme is sneak joy in all that you do. Last year it was take it seriously, but wear it lightly—and I feel like I really did that."
What are you manifesting for the rest of the year?
DEJ: "I really want to be a lot more present. I'm manifesting finding my inner peace by the end of the year, if I can. Life's really fast, the world's quite a wild place, and trying to find moments of peace amongst all of that is kind of what I'm reaching for."
Last question: What's the most and least British thing about you?
DEJ: "The most British thing is that I drink tea all day. I'm huge into my tea—chamomile, plain. I'm quite an energetic person, so chamomile calms me down without making me sleepy. The least British thing... honestly, I'm so British. I really can't think of anything. Maybe that I'm not massively bothered about football. That might be it."
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
