Celia Imrie on why she loves flirting on ships

The author and actor talks about her starring role in the Thursday Murder Club film.

Image credit: Shutterstock

Celia Imrie has spoken to our own Saga Magazine about filming for the Netflix film adaptation of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club.

The crime comedy follows four members of a retirement home club who gather to solve murders for fun but find themselves caught in a real case. Imrie stars alongside fellow club members played by Helen Mirren, Ben Kingsley and Pierce Brosnan. Other star names in the film include David Tennant and Jonathan Pryce.

Imrie revealed how excited she is in our July edition, saying: “I am delighted to be working with Dame Helen Mirren again; last time we did, we were a bit worried about some buns on a calendar! And Pierce Brosnan and I were last seen together scuba-diving in Cannes filming The Love Punch.”

By Saga Magazine | Published - 22 Jun 2024

Hello sailor!

The Olivier award-winning actor says she cherishes the years she spent working with Julie Walters and Victoria Wood, but adds, “I do have a lot of actor friends, but I have always enjoyed meeting complete strangers.

“That's why I love ships... the romance of being on the move, having a drink in the bar. Are men still allowed to flirt these days? God, I hope so. I do! When I'm on board, I spend most of my time saying, 'Hello sailor'.”

She also revealed that at the age of 72 she is finally listening to her body.

“I do try and look after myself – watching what I eat, going for long walks – but I loathe ‘organised exercise’ gyms and personal trainers and all that palaver.

“I was a bit naughty in the past. Instead of getting my aches and pains checked, I’d carried on regardless, but as a doctor’s daughter, I ought to have known better.”

Imrie’s latest book Meet Me at Rainbow Corner (Bloomsbury) is out now.

Enjoy the full interview and more exceptional content on our app. Subscribe for just £1 for three months.

Go to offer

Head and shoulders shot of Hugh Bonneville facing the camera with a red background

Hugh Bonneville on starting a new chapter

The actor bids farewell to Downton and looks forward to his starring role in a new West End show.

Griff Rhys Jones on free speech and his alternative bucket list

The actor and comedian on his new comedy, rejecting a traditional bucket list and the secret to his 40-year marriage.

Clodagh McKemna wearing a red checked shirt and smiling

Clodagh McKenna: “The right foods can lift your mood super fast”

The TV chef talks happiness-boosting recipes and secrets for keeping the blues at bay.

Donna Ashworth stood outside smiling in a white shirt and tartan skirt

Donna Ashworth on making poetry popular again

The UK’s bestselling contemporary poet talks about finding huge success in later life and why Christmas is her lifeline.

Alex Kingston and Jenni Murray in the Experience is everything podcast studio

Alex Kingston on Saga’s podcast

The award-winning actress and Strictly star opens up to Jenni Murray on Saga’s new podcast, Experience is Everything.

Review: My Gardening Life by Mary Berry

The national treasure’s love of green spaces shines through in her new gardening book.

Helen Mirren's secret trick for self-confidence that anyone can do

The Oscar-winning actor on rule-breaking, embracing getting older and why sitting up straight is so important.

Lyse Doucet at a bird market in Kabul, Afghanistan

Lyse Doucet on life as a foreign correspondent

The BBC’s chief international correspondent on “the pang” she feels when a major story breaks and the marriage proposals she’s turned down.

Celia Imrie on why she loves flirting on ships

Hello sailor!

Related articles