Born in Massachusetts, Meghann Fahy, 36, understudied for the musical Next to Normal in 2008 and went on to play a principal character on Broadway from 2010 to 2011. On television she was cast in the soap One Life to Live in 2010 and starred in the comedy drama The Bold Type from 2017 to 2021. She appears in The White Lotus season two, The Perfect Couple, Sirens and the forthcoming The Good Daughter. Her films include the thriller Drop, and Rebuilding with Josh O’Connor, in cinemas now. Her partner is the actor Leo Woodall and she lives in New York City.
When were you happiest?
When I realised that I could get myself through anything that came my way.
What is your greatest fear?
Crashing in an aeroplane into an ocean at night.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
My tendency to be avoidant.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
An inability to be authentic.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
In my 20s I was in a show called The Unauthorised Autobiography of Samantha Brown. The actor who played my dad messed up his lines and it made me laugh so hard that I ended up peeing my pants.
Describe yourself in three words
Curious, thoughtful and kind.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A singer.
What does love feel like?
Peace.
What is the worst thing anyone’s ever said to you?
I had a casting director once stop me in the middle of an audition and tell me to go wash my face in the bathroom because she felt my makeup was too distracting, but I wasn’t wearing any. It was mortifying. It felt like a power play and I was so young, I didn’t know what to do.
To whom would you most like to say sorry and why?
To myself for diminishing my gut feelings until quite recently.
What was the best kiss of your life?
The first kiss that I had with my now partner. It was in Sicily.
Have you ever said “I love you” without meaning it?
Yes.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
I’ve never really had a horrible job – I liked working at restaurants and being a nanny when I wasn’t acting.
If not yourself, who would you most like to be?
I would love to be a killer whale. Everyone’s afraid of them and they’re just having a blast in their little pods.
Would you choose fame or anonymity?
Anonymity. 100%.
What is the closest you’ve ever come to death?
A blood clot in my artery when I was 23.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Someone to clean my apartment.
What keeps you awake at night?
All of the anxious thoughts that you are able to escape during the day that somehow know when you are lying down to relax.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Your lowest moment is temporary.
What happens when we die?
Being alive on Earth is challenging and I like to believe that whatever happens after is filled with peace and ease.
Tell us a secret
I ultimately am a woman who really wants to live in the woods. I’ve lived in New York for almost 20 years but I think at heart I want to be in the trees.