ANIKA BOYLE: On Her TV Debut in “Summerwater” and Learning to Watch Herself On-Screen

Anika Boyle is a Polish-Scottish, award-winning actress and the star of the film Day Drinker, where she plays the lead child role alongside Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz. She also stars in the series Summerwater, marking her television debut which premiered on Channel 4 on November 16.

The series is an adaptation of the novel by Sarah Moss, directed by Robert McKillop and Fiona Walton. The script were written by John Donnely. The ensemble cast includes Dougray Scott, Shirley Henderson, Valene Kane, Arnas Fedaravičius, Anna Próchniak, and Daniel Rigby.

Anika remains true to herself and, just like during her first in-depth interview with Drive Music Media, continues to choose roles that contrast strongly with who she is in real life.

Violeta Zaliskeviciute-Piotrowska – her character in Summerwater – shares only two things with Anika: her mixed Polish-Scottish background and a certain observant nature. In everything else, they are complete opposites.
Anika is an extrovert in real life, while Violetta is deeply introverted. These are exactly the kinds of roles Anika is drawn to – layered, complex, and far from her own personality.

The series carries a tense atmosphere that grows heavier with each episode. Every character harbors their own fears and secrets, which inevitably shapes the environment around them.

In her second interview with Drive Music Media, Anika opened up about the fire scene, the process of seeing herself through the lens of her characters, the influence of the Scottish setting on the production, and what her first-ever television appearance meant to her.

Interviewer: "Summerwater" is your television debut. What emotions do you feel now that the projcet is finally reaching its audience? What are your expections for the premier?

Anika: It’s been a rollercoaster since Summerwater hit the screens. It was my first professional TV role and it’s the first look people in the UK (and globally where possible) got of my acting. It’s an amazing feeling to finally have something to showcase. I found it thrilling but nerve-racking at the same time, waiting to see how Summerwater was going to be received! So many people appreciated something different and were left intrigued after the first episode, so they had to binge it – and as a result, Summerwater sits as the most popular scripted show on 4Player. I’m so grateful that I’ve received some amazing comments about my portrayal of the character Violeta:

“Such a real performance”, “Incredibly authentic and natural”, “Mesmerising!”, “Great presence without needing a lot of dialogue”, “I, at no point, thought ‘that’s Anika’ while I was watching”.

Interviewer: Each character in the «series» carries their own hidden story, and the overall atmosphere is quite tense. How did the project feel to you at the beginning and throughout the process – and how do you see it now, a few months later?

Anika: The project did feel quite real in a way – it was almost like it wasn’t a film set, especially since we filmed in a real holiday park. The Scottish weather and landscape definitely played their own role and made the atmosphere even more intense. In the beginning it felt lighter, and as we got deeper into filming the series it became more serious, but in a good way. I loved how we can watch the series from so many different perspectives and how all characters end up intertwined while carrying their own hidden stories. There is a wholesome and cyclical vibe to it, seeing everything link together and fall into place.

Interviewer: While working on Summerwater, you were also auditioning for Day Drinker, which has already wrapped. What was that period like for you – what came easily, and what turned out to be the most challenging? And now, with some distance, what made this experience important for you? What did you learn professionally?

Anika: When I did my self-tape for my upcoming film Day Drinker, we were in a dark, old-fashioned hotel room in the Scottish countryside with not much signal. The scenes were quite long with lots of dialogue, but I am blessed (thank goodness) with the ability to learn lines quickly, so that came very easily. I think the only hard part was to keep believing and manifesting – that even though my tape wasn’t in tip-top technical shape, it could still work. I’ve learned that it’s important not to stop trying and to keep believing, even if you have no equipment, the lighting isn’t great, or you’re low on energy (I understand that one). Always keep going because you never know what could come from a little hard work. Even though my tape was one of the last to be seen, it got noticed. Funnily enough, I had to do the recall with the director Marc Webb in another hotel room in Scotland on the day we filmed the fire scene for the final episode. 

So it was quite a full-on day.

Interviewer: How was working in Scotland for you? How did the atmosphere of the place influence your performance and your state of mind? In what ways did it help you?

Anika: It was very special to be able to go back and film in Scotland, in a location so close to home and where I was born! Being raised in Dubai and now living in London, I appreciated the opportunity to go back to my homeland and work with so many lovely Scots, truly experiencing the culture. I loved being surrounded by the Scottish accent and meeting a few members of my family for the first time, as well as a few of my mum and dad’s friends. My dad flew over from Dubai to visit me on set after living abroad for many years. It made me feel at home. The whole Summerwater experience was very nostalgic for us.

I think the atmosphere and environment did impact my performance, making it darker and raw. I think it helped me really feel like I was there in Violeta’s pink sparkly shoes. I believe it brought the acting to life and added another dimension to the story and overall performances.

Interviewer: When you see yourself on screen – do you experience it as an outside perspective, or do you clearly recognize yourself?

How challenging is it for you to shift from being the actor to being the viewer? Why?

Anika: I try to experience it from an outside perspective. It is slightly challenging to switch from the experience of actually filming it to watching it. Part of me watches as if it is someone else, because the character feels separate from me. But then I notice little things – a gesture or expression – and I recognise myself again. I think it will always be kind of weird watching myself on the screen, but definitely a great feeling.

Interviewer: In your previous interview with our outlet, you mentioned that you tend to choose roles that are very different from who you are in real life. Do you see yourself continuing in that direction now, from the perspective of who you are today? Are there types of roles you would especially like to explore at this moment? Which ones?

Anika: The role of Violeta in Summerwater was actually very close to who I am in real life in terms of heritage. It was quite surreal that they were looking for an Eastern European girl who is also Glaswegian and has a Scottish accent. It felt like it was meant to be. I loved having a Polish mum, just like in real life (ed. – Anna Prochniak), and also being able to learn and speak a bit of Lithuanian since my TV dad (ed. – Arnas Fedaravicius) and grandma (ed. – Ingeborga Dapkunaite) are both from Lithuania. Character-wise, I feel like Violeta is quite a bit different from me – she is an introvert for a start and I’m 99% an extrovert. She is very reserved and I’m very sociable.

What we do have in common is that we are both very observant.

In general, I prefer roles that contrast with me. I feel it gives me a challenge to explore more than I already know and am used to. I find it really fun to portray all kinds of characters – I would love to have a go at a transformative role. However, I mostly enjoy emotional and impactful roles that make a mark, like Owen Cooper in Adolescence and Robert Aramayo in I Swear, rather than happy-go-lucky roles. I would love to work with Stephen Graham on his next impactful project.

Interviewer: Was there a moment with the new team that became particularly meangful to you – something you'll remember for a long time? Why?

Anika: I loved the birds of prey experience that Jules Hussey — one of our brilliant producers — organised for the cast and crew.

Here’s a picture of me with an owl..

Also, on my last day on set, we were filming by the loch and the weather was absolutely stunning. I’ll always remember how, after we wrapped, everyone gathered by the lochside to take photos. I wrapped at the same time as my Stranger Things: The First Shadow Scottish buddy, Callum Ross – he plays Alex Henderson in Summerwater and also played my brother during my final show in the West End just a few months earlier.

Another scene that stayed with me was actually my audition scene, when Violeta encounters the Tindall siblings Lola (ed. – Emily Briscoe) and Jack (ed. – Bertie Wallwork). They skim stones on the loch while Lola questions Violeta’s nationality.

Violeta: “I’m from Glasgow.”
Lola: “You’re not really though, are ya?”

This scene is key to me as it was my audition scene, which makes it surreal – because I remember reading it first at home, then in the room during the in-person callback with the director Robert Mckillop and producer Jules Hussey, and then finally filming it in the rain.

Pictures were provided by Kasia Boyle. Pictures were taken by Anna Próchniak, Edu Cornejo and Umer Hassan. The interview was written by Asya Radko