Olivia Colman names unexpected British movie as her "favourite thing" she's ever done

A 2011 drama with a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score is a crowning moment in Olivia Colman's career. The Peep Show icon appears alongside Alexander Skarsgård in Wicker, which follows an ostracised, lonely fisherwoman (Colman) who commissions a local basket maker (Peter Dinklage) to weave her a husband.

To promote the film, Colman and Skarsgård sat down with BAFTA Playback to discuss key moments in their careers, with the Broadchurch star watching a clip from Paddy Considine's Tyrannosaur.

The film follows Joseph (Peter Mullan), a widower who lives alone and is constantly enraged, whose life is turned upside down when he meets devout Christian Hannah (Colman), who harbours her own secrets.

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Colman said it "changed the trajectory of her career," and recalled meeting director and star Considine on the set of Hot Fuzz.

"He had no reason to think that I could do it. And I opened the door for him in the first rehearsal and smiled at him, and he thought, 'oh, yeah, I'll use her for my short film'," she said.

"Which I'll be eternally grateful to him for. And then the short film became Tyrannosaur. And yeah, I loved it. Loved it.

"Peter Mullan was amazing. It was all just heaven. It will remain my favourite thing I've ever done."

Infinity Pool star Skarsgård recalled his first time seeing the film: "It was on a night shoot of True Blood, the HBO vampire show I did years ago. And one of the cast members had a screener of it, and we had a long break in between set-ups, and we sat in my trailer and watched it."

Related: Olivia Colman's must-see new romance Wicker is one of the weirdest movies she's made

He added that he was "blown away" by it, and that the film was "so, so strong."

Colman said she was "thrilled" Skarsgård had seen the film, as "lots of people didn't" at the time, and that she is "so passionate" about independent film.

"Up against the big glossy films...it slipped through the net. The people who had seen it were very passionate about it and saying, why hasn't this been?" she said.

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Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more. Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club. LinkedIn