Ambika Mod on the Bittersweet Pains of Adulthood in One Day

Ambika Mod recently took the time to chat with us about her role as Emma in the Netflix series One Day and the steps she took to craft such an emotionally complex character. She shared her process of creating Emma's backstory by researching the time period and Yorkshire, relying primarily on pictures to capture the essence of the setting rather than purely collecting facts. Since Emma’s political and social outlooks were crucial to her character, Ambika focused on understanding her perspective alongside developing her dialect and accent. She noted that Emma uses her wit as a self-defense mechanism, but as she gains confidence and develops a relationship with Dexter her rougher edges are subtly softened.

Beyond Emma’s characterization, Ambika expressed her personal connection to Emma’s perseverance and the universal experience of feeling lost in one's 20s. She emphasized the unique structure of the series and the trust she had in the writers, which allowed her to focus on the intense emotions of individual moments rather than the continuity of previous episodes. Seeing how Emma unknowingly influences those around her, Ambika realized the profound impact of small moments in her own life and she hopes that the story will resonate as deeply with others as it did with her.

Watch the full conversation below.

Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.