A Nobel Prize-winner (at least in Barbieland), an irl EE Rising Star, and a Burberry Beauty ambassador, Emma Mackey can—and does—it all. Born in Le Mans, France, the 28-year-old actress is well and truly on the ascend thanks to her exceptional range and magnetic presence.
Whether playing Physicist Barbie, the quick-witted Maeve Wiley in Sex Education (her breakout role) or running with wild cats along the African plains as the face of Burberry Goddess, Mackey tackles challenges with a winning mix of courage, humility, and steely determination, as well as a robust work ethic which she credits to loving her job — a passion she’s quick to point out is a privilege. But that’s not to say this all comes easy to her — far from it. Take the new Burberry Goddess campaign for example, which sees Mackey powering through South Africa’s sun-bleached grasslands, something Mackey admits she never thought she’d be capable of doing. But of course she did, and to such success, that she’s now also the face of the new Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum Intense.
The campaign was an experience she found both exhilarating and daunting. “It felt appropriately terrifying in a good way,” Mackey reflects. “I’m not a brain surgeon, but on my tiny human scale, it was something quite exciting. I felt like a goddess.”
Mackey might never have envisioned playing a goddess, but as is typical of an actress who throws her all in, she’s fully embodied the role. As the face of Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum Intense, she’s not just portraying empowerment—she’s living it. And if anyone knows how to find and honour one’s authentic self, it’s Emma Mackey, I figured she could teach me a thing or two…
(Image credit: Mario Sorrenti)
When you have felt your most empowered?
I feel most empowered when I’m at work. Anytime I get to do something that feels stimulating and challenging is when I feel my strongest and when my brain is ticking, and I have to solve problems and think on my feet and take care of people – that’s my thing.
Who is the most empowering person in your life?
My partner and my close friends are very important and essential to me. I think all the people in my life have come at a time when I needed it. That’s kind of the magic of making friends and choosing the people you want to live your life with and grow up with.
I love people who are funny and who are curious and who have real intelligence and real depth.
Burberry Goddess radiates confidence, strength and kindness — what three traits do you most value?
I love people who show real curiosity — people who can strike up conversations about many different topics, challenge the way you think, and really push your thoughts somewhere different. I think that’s a really key quality in someone. I value that.
I think it’s important to just be direct and to not waste anyone’s time.
Humour is also key. I don’t think I have a single friend or person in my life who isn’t funny and makes me cry with laughter. Someone who’s honest and won’t lie or walk on eggshells around you. I like when my friends are straight with me, and I like being the same for other people.
What does empowerment mean to you?
I think it changes over time. Empowerment—if you’re lucky—can come through work and when you have a real passion and you’ve calculated that passion and spent hours researching and nourishing your brain with whatever that passion may be. I think that can ultimately provide a real sense of empowerment and strength because it’s just so fulfilling. There’s empowerment through the people that we choose in our lives as well.
Being discerning in the friends that you choose and the people you decide to have in your life can really bring empowerment.
I don’t think empowerment is something that can be cultivated individually; it’s something that needs to be fed and nourished by other people.
What thing would you like to teach your younger self about empowerment?
I would say that empowerment takes time. It will take the time that it needs because it’s one thing being independent, but in my life, empowerment has come through absorbing other people’s experiences and learning from the relationships that I’ve cultivated over time and that have changed and evolved, and I think that what’s exciting.
What surprises me the most is how individual relationships can really change you as a person and change your outlook on life.
What’s your earliest memory of scent?
The garden that I grew up in or my mum’s cooking, like the cookies that she made. Food and nature-related—which is very original—are the smells I remember the most.
What do you think of when you spray Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum Intense?
I find it sensual and sophisticated, and then when it seeps into your skin and sort of peters out, it becomes something different. I think that’s why perfume is so interesting — it evolves over time. And this one in particular is kind of smokier and woodier.
What song fires you up?
I listen to music all the time, and it’s in these moments that my brain just goes, “Wait, don’t move!” It’s not very original, but I love disco music. I love Marvin Gaye and Sweet Love by Anita Baker. Diana Ross gets me fired up. They’re classics for a reason, and I never get tired of them.
Where do you feel your most confident?
I feel confident when I’m at home, and when I’m by the sea and with my family, and sometimes at work, especially on set. There are lots of moments of anxiety and confusion and spiralling, but there is also a great sense of confidence and a feeling of home for me that comes from being on set. That’s when I feel my most complete. I know that sounds really corny, but I’m being very sincere. Being on set and with the people I enjoy working with is a really empowering feeling to me – that’s so fortunate as well.
What do you do when you need to feel strong?
Watching films helps me a lot. Watching films can take you out of your own head— sometimes in a good way—and keep you alert and alive. Also, just talking to friends and having real connections with people can help you at any given point when you’re feeling a bit low and slow.
When have you most felt like a goddess?
This might sound corny, but my partner makes me feel like that, and that’s one of the great qualities that he has — he’s able to make me feel special, strong and beautiful in moments where I don’t really feel like that, and it’s so earnest and sincere. It’s a really lovely feeling to be loved by someone like that.
Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum Intense is available to shop from John Lewis