Movie stars prove knitting and banjo are back in vogue

English actress Carey Mulligan reveals she is learning to knit to soften the blow of the coronavirus lockdown.

Carey Mulligan, star of the new film Promising Young Woman, has opened up to Australia’s Margot Robbie. Picture: Josh Olins for Vogue Australia

Social isolation has seen us mere mortals fall in love with old-timey pursuits and hobbies, so it should come as no surprise that the women of the silver screen, torn from red carpets and production lights, are doing the same.

In an interview with Australian film star Margot Robbie for Vogue Australia, English actress Carey Mulligan reveals she is learning to knit to soften the blow of the coronavirus lockdown.

And while she’s better known for her turns as manic pixie villain Harley Quinn and foul-mouthed ice skater Tonya Harding, Robbie reveals she has found solace in the twang of a banjo.

Picture: Josh Olins for Vogue Australia.

“I went out to buy myself a banjo,” Robbie says. “I’m learning French right now, too, and I was like: now’s the time, because I’ve always wanted to play the banjo.”

In response, Mulligan has offered the services of her husband, Mumford & Sons frontman Marcus Mumford, as a tutor. Via FaceTime, of course.

“He is really bored. He would 100 per cent give you lessons,” Mulligan says. “I’ll hook you up.”

As Robbie notes in the interview: “I think everyone is going to come out of this with a whole new perspective on life and a whole array of very bizarre hobbies.”

Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, has backed the new film Promising Young Woman, which stars Mulligan as a student-turned-waitress who is hellbent on revenge against the “nice guy” men who hide a predatory side beneath their veneer of social pleasantries.

In an entertainment era driven by narratives of female empowerment, the Sundance debutante uses the dark subject matter of ­assault and victim-blaming to spin a comedic thriller.

In contrast to the gore of their cinematic baby, the girl-power duo have used the Vogue opportunity to fawn over each other.

Robbie says the word “discerning” perfectly sums up Mulligan, explaining: “There’s a bright in­telligence behind your eyes, so that is the word I found for you.”

On Mulligan’s part, she says she admires Robbie’s boldness and her willingness to go the extreme to bring a character to life.

“Your characters are so separate from one another and have such rich inner lives,” she says.

Despite killing it on the silver screen, both actresses share an anxiety about performing live ­onstage after missing out on honing their skills at drama school.

Robbie says she has yet to ­perform on stage … because she is scared she will be rejected by ­theatrical thespians.