When I think back to the 1995 classic version of Sense and Sensibility, directed by Ang Lee, I always think fondly of the youngest Miss Dashwood, Margaret. The plucky and tomboyish little sister to Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson’s characters was charmingly played by Myriam François, who joined HELLO! to reflect on her time making the beloved adaptation ahead of the new version hitting cinemas.

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Starring alongside Hollywood greats, sword fighting with Hugh Grant and quizzing Alan Rickman, Myriam held her own alongside the A-list cast – and now, 31 years on, the hugely successful presenter of the award winning YT show The Tea with Myriam Francois discussed the movie’s legacy, Emma’s mentorship and shared her mixed opinion on the new adaptation…

On Emma Thompson’s mentorship

Myriam was full of praise for Nanny McPhee star Emma , who won two Oscars for both writing and starring in the production.

“It’s such an overused word to say somebody’s an inspirational person, but in almost any interaction with Emma, you will walk away with something to learn or to think about,” she said, fondly.

“What was amazing was that she and I stayed in touch for many years after that, and she continued to be somebody who was very supportive without being pushy about the route that you needed to take. I haven’t stayed in the industry for a variety of reasons, and she was somebody that I could talk fairly openly with about the challenges that I saw as a young woman.

“There’s a huge transition when you go from a child actress to a young woman actress, the expectations of you, and the types of roles that people are sending your way. I really, really struggled with the sexualisation and objectification… I’m a 15-year-old girl, I’ve barely kissed a boy, and I’m just like, ‘Oh my god, why do I have to do this?’ It was really important to have [Emma], who was like, ‘You don’t. You don’t have to do this. It’s fine, you don’t have to do this.’”