Photo: Quentin Jones for Harper’s Bazaar I Carey wears: Blazer, trousers, both Loewe. Brogues, Alexander McQueen

“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, there’s loads of brilliant, complex parts being written for women,'” says Mulligan. But after that, things seemed to regress again: “It was like one step forwards, two steps back.” (Also, it was still a film written by a man, one mired in controversy, who has had to publicly deny sexual abuse.) Only in the past couple of years has she felt that the landscape has truly changed, with women writers and directors getting the kind of backing they’ve long deserved and, as a result, creating parts like Cassie. Mulligan smiles at the thought not just of Cassie, but the antics all of these unforgettable characters: “It’s really fun to see people behaving badly.”

So, has the process of working with Fennell given her an appetite to do the same – to make a story of her own? “Not right now,” says Milligan, frankly. “I don’t know, it’s funny. If I spend too long on something, or if I see too much behind the curtain, I don’t really want to participate.” Partly it’s the reality of life with small children, and the consequential lack of time. But also, she quite likes just being, as she puts it, ‘an actor for hire’ – turning up, doing her job, leaving. When filming The Dig, she rented a house as close to set as she could and made it home for bath-time most days. But her attitude reveals a little more than just the logistics of juggling family and work; it’s also part of who Mulligan is, and the way she chooses to be.

Photo: Quentin Jones for Harper’s Bazaar I Carey wears: Jacquard blazer, JW Anderson. White gold and diamond earrings, Jessica McCormack

She talks about enjoying the mystery of jobs: her dream is to be sent a wonderful script, to unwrap it like a present, make the movie and then disappear. She doesn’t want to analyse shots or watch the rushes, has no inclination to be involved in the film-making beyond playing her part. “It makes me feel very self-aware,” she says. “I like being just an actor. I like just showing up and doing my thing and then leaving them to it.”

‘Promising Young Woman’ is coming soon to cinemas. ‘The Dig’ is available on Netflix now.

This article originally appeared on Harper’s Bazaar UK 

The May ‘21 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia is available on newsstands now and digitally here.