Fiona Shaw reveals top actress she regards as her 'spiritual daughter' amid her 'fantastic life'

The Killing Eve star - who played Carolyn Martens in the BBC series - had a deep sense that the show's creator was the "most extraordinary person" when they met for the first time, and she has grown even closer to Phoebe over the years.

Speaking to Good Housekeeping magazine, she said: "I first met Phoebe for lunch somewhere off Goodge Street in London, and I knew immediately that she was the most extraordinary person.

Fiona feels incredibly fortunate to share her life with her wife, professor Sonali Deraniyagala, and admitted it is "really good" for her to be married.

She said: "My wife and I love entertaining friends. People are always passing through.

"We have a lot of people for dinner. I'm not a good cook, but Sonali is ... it's really good for me to be married."

Fiona has enjoyed a "fantastic life", and despite her successful acting career - which has seen her star in the Harry Potter film franchise, as well as TV series True Blood, and several Broadway productions, among other credits - she doesn't feel particularly "unique".

She added: "You know, I still think of myself as a TV novice - the oldest novice you'll ever meet!

"My life has surpassed any expectations that I had of it, but I don't think I'm unique.

"If anything, I'm quite ordinary. And you know what? I've had the most fantastic life.

"Age is age, but I'm not un-enjoying it. I feel like a young old person.

"I'm new to old age, so I'm enjoying the novelty of the sloping hills. Those hills might get steeper as I age."

Fiona previously admitted she met Sonali at a time when she "might have been closing down" her life.

The star - who has been married to the Sri Lankan memoirist and economist since 2018 - said on the Table Manners podcast last year: "I met her in New York more than 10 years ago. I was doing Testament of Mary on Broadway, and I met her.

"She's a fascinating person, because I'm now introduced to a whole world of Sri Lanka, which has really opened up my life at the very moment that I might have been closing down my life. It's been great."