NATASHA O'KEEFFE

Puff sleeve top by Marques Almeida. Leather gloves by Paula Rowan. Beaded hairclip by Simone Rocha.

"Give me a wig, a limp, and an eyepatch and I’m delighted."

Best known for playing Lizzie in Peaky Blinders, the truly long-suffering wife of the show’s protagonist, Natasha O’Keeffe’s credits extend to a wonderfully varied and serendipitously fitting reflection of her personality. Most recently, the South London-raised actor is performing in The Wheel of Time, the hit Amazon Prime show based on the Robert Jordan books. In it, she plays the hypnotic Lanfear, a seductive and formidable character who can influence others through their dreams. With an attitude of pragmatism and equanimity, Natasha O'Keeffe answers 5ELEVEN’s questions about her latest role, her thoughts on costumes, music, and her future projects. 

Words by Christiana Boules

Photographed by Ed Bourmier. Styled by Rosie Arkell-Palmer. Hair by Sven Bayerbach at Carol Hayes Management using Amika. Make-up by Victoria Bond at A-Frame. Photographer assisted by Joseph Monk. Photographed at The Yards Studio. Natasha O'Keeffe appears courtesy of CLD Communications.

Embellished wool suit by Stella McCartney. Silk bralette, stylist’s own. Leather brogues by Grenson. White gold, diamond and pearl ring by Tasaki.

You play Lanfear in The Wheel of Time - a character who can influence others through their dreams. How do you view the importance of dreams? Do they feed into your creative process? Do you ever dream about the characters you play? 

I have no doubt that a lot of creative processing happens while wrapped in a duvet. Jordan’s creation of Lanfear and her ability to dream walk is rather clever. She mainly torments people in their dreams. Lovely. I can’t recall a time where I’ve dreamt of the characters I have played. That sounds interesting to me though.

Silk crepe gown by Edeline Lee. Suede heels by Roger Vivier. Metal earrings by YSSO. Silk slip stylist’s own.

Fringing dress (worn as top) by David Koma. Silk trousers, by With Nothing Underneath. Crystal necklace, by Pond London.

Lanfear exists within a rich and sprawling mythology. How much background research do you think actors should do? 

I had to delve into The Wheel of Time research as soon as I got the role, as admittedly, I had never heard of the books. I’m not a fantasy enthusiast really, and I was completely overwhelmed by the depth and complexity of the worlds in Robert Jordan's books. One of the trickiest aspects at the start was remembering the alien-sounding names and places. But pretty quickly, I picked it up. We had fantastic support from the showrunner, Rafe, who is so knowledgeable about the books, so it was useful to pick his brains from time to time. Honestly, I finished watching season three and felt I was still learning about what was going on!

It varies role to role, but personally, I think a little research can help you with the choices you make. It’s very unique from person to person. Whatever gets you to where you need to go.

Do you find that you’re drawn to playing a certain type of character? 

I personally love character acting. Give me a wig, a limp, and an eyepatch and I’m delighted. I’m much more comfortable playing roles removed from myself.

Crystal-embellished top by Simone Rocha. Beaded earrings by Pond London.

Costume can be its own kind of language. Do you prefer the structured silhouettes of period drama or the surreal freedom of fantasy fashion? 

I’ve always had a love for fashion. I’d get the bus to Vivienne Westwood's Worlds End shop in Chelsea as a teenager and ogle at clothes I couldn’t afford, but left the shop feeling inspired to hop onto the sewing machine and start altering charity shop clothes. I miss that! Where is that sewing machine?

A good costume designer will collaborate with you, or at least make you feel part of the process. I guess I’m at home in a costume which honours that character. I’ve been blessed to wear some extraordinary pieces that almost feel alive on me. 

I have to give a special shout out to Alison McCosh (costume designer on Peaky Blinders) who would source the most amazing vintage pieces. She studied the characters so deeply and didn’t miss a trick. Sharon Gilham (costume designer on The Wheel of Time) is so punk rock in her work. My breath would be taken away at each and every one of my VERY many costume fittings on that show. Her eye for detail is impeccable. If you look closely, you can see details on those costumes that are like hidden code to the character. You would spot symbols such as moon carvings into leather, and she loves experimenting with how fabrics reflect the light and dark- all very connected to the drama of Lanfear.

left: Embellished cotton coat by Huishan Zhang. Beaded earrings by Pond London. right: Embellished wool suit by Stella McCartney. Silk bralette, stylist’s own. Leather brogues by Grenson. White gold diamond and pearl ring by Tasaki.

Your early career includes music videos for Oasis’ final single pre-breakup, and for Daughter’s Number. How important is music to you and your characters? 

Music is everything. In our tiny living room growing up, half the floor space was taken up with my Dad’s LPs- from folk, rock and soul to Irish trad. My Dad worked on the building sites but would spend his hard-earned wages taking me to see lots of gigs. We saw the likes of David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Chilli Peppers, Johnny Cash… I’m just showing off now. I’ve been very lucky. Maybe in a parallel universe I would have been a musician.

…and yes, music can be a real game changer on set.

Cotton poplin dress shirt by With Nothing Underneath. Ruffled tulle skirt by Millia London. Leather brogues by Grenson

What’s your process when preparing for a role? Is there something that you consistently do before any role to get into the character’s psyche? 

The process really does vary depending on what the role is. But I guess one that stands by me is music. I will have a little playlist made for my character which can get me into a space on my way into work, and then again in my trailer before it’s time to play. I stretch, I breathe. I find I need to bounce a lot before takes regardless of what I’m about to do, as my brain can deactivate otherwise. So, I am often doing a few squats before a take - ha!

If you weren’t acting, what would you do?

A presenter on Gardeners’ World? Anthropologist? Fashion designer? Archaeologists come across as interesting and vibey sort of folk. A drummer or bass player in a band? I guess this is why I suit acting - I’m basically naming roles I’d like to play, but would never put time into learning or earning the qualifications.

Wool waistcoat by Knatchbull. Silk ruff and silk skirt with breeches by Toga. Leather brogues by Grenson. Crystal and pearl ear cuff by Completed Works.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

Ireland had me in most of my employment in 2024, which was spectacular as I got to get back to my Irish heritage- it was a special year! My whole family is from Ireland, so I felt very at home and in my happy place. I shot Whitetail in and around Co. Kerry. It’s an independent feature film directed by Nanouk Leopold which should be available to see later in the year. And then there’s a project I am not allowed to disclose my role in right now, but it’s a Netflix series that will come out in 2026 - very mysterious. Meanwhile, I am working on some homegrown projects and really enjoying that process.

Lace dress by Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini. Beaded headpiece by Jane Taylor. Silk flower by V V Rouleaux. Feather mules by David Koma