More than 66.3 million people have watched it, topping the UK Netflix charts. It’s one of the finest examples of brilliantly executed British television this generation has ever seen. And, ultimately, it has sparked international and political conversations on the epidemic of incel culture while spearheading questions around safety on social media. For Faye Marsay, Adolescence has done exactly what it was intended to do: “It’s been pretty overwhelming since it came out. It’s good; it’s doing what people want, which is to start a conversation.”

Marsay – who plays DS Misha Frank, one of the detectives investigating the gut-wrenching murder of a 13-year-old girl by classmate Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), alongside her boss DI Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) – says, despite the show landing on our screens just over three weeks ago, she will never be bored of talking about it. “We were anticipating that people would appreciate the performances: Stephen [Graham], Ashley, Erin [Doherty] and the glorious and amazing Owen Cooper. I thought from an artistic point of view we would get interest for sure, but I had no idea from a political view… the global conversation it has started is overwhelming as hell but in the best way.” 

With Game of Thrones, Black Mirror, BBC’s Vera and Ten Pound Poms all listed on her starry CV, Marsay admits that, after watching hours and hours of 24 Hours in Police Custody, she wanted her character in Adolescence to remain relatively under the radar – unique for an actress who has a role in one of the most talked about TV shows of our time. “Ultimately, what I wanted was to weave into the fabric of the piece without being noticed,” says Marsay. “That sounds really weird but it was such an ensemble piece, because we were doing it all in one shot, that she needed to be so believable; she needed to be someone you could watch on a documentary.”

Having said that, there are two lines Marsay is particularly proud of. “My character gets the Andrew Tate line – I was half expecting him to have a go at me online but he didn’t, thank god – and she also has the line about ‘we always focus on the perpetrator, which is statistically a male perpetrator, and we forget the victim’. I thought that was really powerful and an important part of the script to see it from that point of view. In the school scene (in episode two), she comes across like she doesn’t want to be there and in a way, she doesn’t for those reasons. She’s quite p***** off by that approach.”

Naturally, we talk about the filming style. A purposeful decision by both executive producer Stephen Graham and acclaimed writer Jack Thorne, Adolescence’s one-take format instantly amps up the intensity. But, what was it like to be in front of the camera? “Intense is one way of putting it, but it was also riveting and a pleasure; it was like a play, which is terrifying, but the plus side of that was once they said ‘action’ it was yours for an hour. There is a freedom that you don’t really get. In any other TV job I’ve done, you have to be mindful of marks on the floor, and you’ll do a 30 second scene and then have your lunch. 

“The presence we all needed for this to work, and the dance moves that essentially we had to learn as a group – in episode two, there were 300 kids that weren’t even actors. It’s amazing when you think about it.” 

The first two episodes are major for Marsay, as she reflects on the six-week job which has transformed into a career highlight – “each episode was three weeks: two weeks rehearsal and one shoot week”. When I ask her to describe DS Frank, she says: “I struggle to find the word; it’s not apathy and it’s not disconnected but somewhere in between, that is how she approaches the job. She’s seen so much and experienced so much. 

“We had real detectives and police officers on the job advising us; I remember speaking to one of the detectives and asking if they lose faith in humanity. He said it would be very easy to do so, but when you see the flip side, which is people wanting to be nice to each other, that’s what keeps them doing their job. They have a healthy, calm detachment which is something I found quite interesting.” 

The subject matter required delicate handling, but Marsay also emphasises how the care for the troupe who carried these characters was integral to Adolescence’s production. “It was a complete family environment and we felt very supported. Stephen talked about us being a football team and [it being] our Champions League final every time we went in to do a take,” she says. 

Image: David Reiss

“You knew you were part of something extremely special, and you knew that the person behind you, in front of you, to the side of you, had your back. We got on, we understood what it was that we were doing and how important it was going to be, and also we were all passionate about performance, acting and storytelling. It was one of, if not the, most supportive set I think I’ve ever been on in my career.” 

Many of the conversations Adolescence has sparked have been around social media. Just last week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed an initiative for the series to be shown in schools, with his office saying it will “help students better understand the impact of misogyny, dangers of online radicalisation and the importance of healthy relationships”. 

Marsay has had her own rocky relationship with social media, revealing that she came off it altogether after she received threats while on Game of Thrones. “It was pretty intense. The only one I have is Instagram – I don’t have TikTok because I don’t even know how to work it. I’m wary of it and I try not to put too much of my private life on there. I’m better at posting about the things that I’m in, and I think there is a place for that, because the world has changed and the entertainment industry has changed.”

Just before our interview, The i Paper reported that Marsay had backed a social media ban for under-16s. Is that true? “I think this came from an interview I did where I said the Australian government was trying to put in place restrictions on social media. I’m not saying ban it; what I am saying is that if we don’t try to regulate what people are seeing when their brains are still developing, they can be bullied in their bedrooms, and the bullying they’re experiencing follows them in their hand everywhere. If we don’t take responsibility and admit that is not good for a young person’s brain, then we’re doing a huge disservice and we’re ignoring the problem. My point is the mental health of young people and the expectations that [they] have on them in ways that are unprecedented – it’s just insane.” 

Despite admitting she does not have the answers, it is clearly a subject she’s passionate about and, in the wake of Adolescence, something she feels needs to be spotlighted. “Tech companies have to take responsibility and governments have to address it. I don’t think protecting children under the age of 16 is a radical idea, because look what’s happening to mental health rates of young people right now. 

“Connection is what makes people feel comfortable. We’ve never been more connected with these things,” she explains, holding up her phone. “But we’ve never been more disconnected in how we approach and speak to other people. That’s where I’m getting at. I don’t think we should ban it but there has to be a government effort, tech company effort and a parental and community effort to monitor this stuff.” 

Marsay in Adolescence. Image: Netflix

So, ultimately, is it doing more harm than good? “This is a tricky one as I could go down the route of who owns social media and what they want to achieve, but I’m not going to do that. What I will say is that it needs monitoring. I think it’s important to protect young minds from certain ideas, but there’s the freedom of speech argument. I don’t have the answers to these questions but I just feel in my bones that it needs to be addressed.” 

Marsay’s next project, which is in no way less exciting but slightly less topical than the social media conundrum, is Andor. The highly-anticipated second and final season of the Star Wars spin-off drops on Disney+ at the end of April and, although she has to remain tight-lipped on the plot, adds: “If season one sets it up, season two is the pay off. It’s intense, I will say that.” 

Not a self-proclaimed Star Wars fan, but now with a new-found appreciation for “that whole galaxy and the fan base”, she explains: “More than ever do we need stories that are about good triumphing over evil forces – if you know what I mean. I think that it's a really important franchise. Andor is a human story, opposed to a space story, it just happens to be set in space. Ultimately it’s about relationships and revolution. It’s quite a working class story and that’s what is beautiful about it. I think that’s why [the first season] resonated so well.” 

Born and raised in Middlesborough, Marsay has lived in the capital since she graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, but her Northern lilt and appreciation for her roots still seeps through. “I had two drama teachers at my comprehensive school that were so passionate about theatre and I felt so safe in that room. They got me to apply to the National Youth Theatre and I got in when I was 16,” she explains. 

“After that, it was grafting and hard work. I didn’t get into drama school a couple of years on the bounce but I didn’t really stop. For me, the only way to get seen was to get into a drama school; the family I come from, it’s not a theatre-acting family and opportunities in the north-east are less prominent than they are in London, there’s less access I suppose. For me getting into drama school was how I got my agent; I would never have been seen if I hadn’t done that.”

It clearly worked: within five weeks of leaving drama school she was offered her first role in The White Queen. “I thought I would be sitting waiting for the phone to ring and I was prepared for that, and then within a couple of weeks this gig happened and it all changed from there. It felt like it wasn’t supposed to happen to someone like me but it did so that it will always have a massive place in my heart.”

Image: David Reiss

Marsay as DS Misha Frank alongside Ashley Walters as DI Luke Bascombe in Adolescence. Image: Netflix

She’s rightfully proud of her portfolio – “they’ve all offered something” – but landing her role in the BAFTA-nominated film Pride, depicting a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British miners' strike in 1984, stands out to her. “I was very proud of being in Pride because it’s a true story not many people know about. It’s about two marginalised groups of people coming together and supporting each other in the most gorgeous way, as they’ve both been stood on, trampled on, ignored and forgotten. Being from the north-east, miners strikes and Thatcherism is [something] a lot closer to my upbringing, and certainly the ones that came before me.” 

So, what else does 2025 have in store? As we speak, she is awaiting the result of an audition and is keen to get back into the rehearsal room. “Before I did Adolescence I was in Australia for five months filming, and then I had two weeks off, so I was absolutely knackered when I finished that. Now I feel rested; I’ve been looking after myself. I’m ready to get back into it but it’s got to be the right thing and something I want to get my teeth into.” Whatever she turns her hand to, we can’t wait to see what’s next. 

Adolescence is available to stream on Netflix now; Andor season two will be released on Disney+ on 22 April 2025. 

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