Claire Foy: I'm Not Very Good at Faking It (2026 Interview)

In a candid interview for the January 2026 issue of Harper's Bazaar, Claire Foy opened up about the "unbearable" nature of clinical anxiety and why her latest role as naturalist Helen Macdonald in H is for Hawk forced her to confront her own "clinical" modern life.

The Emmy-winning actress, who celebrated the UK and US release of the film on January 23, 2026, revealed that she has finally stopped trying to perform the version of herself she thought people wanted to see. "I'm not very good at faking it," she admitted. "And I've realized that I simply can't live my life like that anymore."

The "Wild" Transformation

To prepare for H is for Hawk, Foy spent months mastering the ancient, gritty art of falconry. Far from the polished palaces of The Crown, this role required her to be "dirty, messy, and real."

• A Niche Regime: Foy trained extensively with a real goshawk named Mabel, an experience she describes as "hilarious but transformative." 

• Escaping the Clinical: "Modern life can be so clinical—it isn't dirty, it isn't ugly, it isn't messy," Foy noted. "Suddenly you have this prehistoric wild animal in your house and you realize we live lives with an absolute absence of wildness."

• Total Absorption: She admits that playing Helen—who retreats from society into the woods after her father's death—made her realize how often we "insulate ourselves from the reality of the world." 

On Truth and Anxiety

Foy has been vocal in the past about her struggles with anxiety and juvenile arthritis, but in 2026, she speaks with a new sense of "determined change." She told Harper's Bazaar that she no longer believes in the "hype" of fame or the "narrow view" of her own identity.

"What I’ve done is realise I couldn’t live my life like that—it was that thing of viewing yourself from the outside and thinking, 'This is unbearable, so something’s got to be done.'" 

She credits her early illnesses with giving her a perspective on "what there was to lose," which led to her current "no-nonsense" outlook. For Foy, being "true to herself" means acknowledging that her beliefs and identity are "constantly in flux," just like everyone else's.

The film adaptation of Helen Macdonald's 2014 memoir has already garnered significant acclaim this season:

• BAFTA Buzz: On January 20, 2026, the film was officially shortlisted for Outstanding British Film at the upcoming BAFTAs.

• Psychological Realism: Critics have praised Foy's "bruisingly realistic" performance. Unlike typical Hollywood dramas, the film refuses to offer a "clean" ending for grief.

• The "Magic Faraway Tree": During her press tour, Foy also teased her next major project—the film adaptation of Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree, where she will star alongside Andrew Garfield.

Claire’s "Sensible" Success

Despite being one of the most versatile actresses of her generation, Foy remains famously grounded. She admits she is rarely recognized in public and prefers it that way. 

"I have absolutely no authority to discuss or proclaim about anything other than what I do as an actor," she told the magazine. It is this humility—paired with her "wild" new cinematic turn—that has made her the standout star of early 2026.

Source - https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/culture/entertainment/a69697782/claire-foy/

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