As a Jaeger-LeCoultre ambassador, what aspect of the brand’s heritage resonates most with you?
[A lot of my family members] are polo players. There are not many watches that were made, or at least that had an iconic watch [model] created in order to be able to help the sport. [The brand’s Reverso model was designed specifically for polo players.] So that was something that really excited and inspired me. I find the entire company very impressive.

In your previous interviews, you mentioned that you come from a family of athletes. Which other sports do your family play?
My dad was a world champion powerboat racer. My niece plays lacrosse—there’s a lot [of sports in] my family; there’s racing [as well].

What’s on your travel bucket list?
I’d love to go to New Zealand. And my mom was born in Zambia [so I want] to go to Botswana, Zimbabwe, Rwanda—I’d love to see more of Africa. I just think it’s the most extraordinary [place], and the people [from] there are just so peaceful.

I’ve never been to Vietnam. I would love to go. I really want to trek the Himalayas. There’s so many [places]. What’s unfortunate about all of this is that it takes a lot of time to train to be able to [trek] the Himalayas, but knowing me, I’m just going to end up there and be like, “Oh God, I’m not prepared.”

But you said you come from an athletic family!
Here’s the thing: I’m not the fittest person in the world, but I am incredibly stubborn, so I will make it through.

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You’ve spoken about your multicultural background and how it has shaped you. What advice can you give to those who consider you a role model and who might be pursuing their own dreams?
I think something that took me a really long time to understand and appreciate is—and I know this from a lot of my friends, and a lot of the people that I connect with, [who are also] multicultural—when you’re younger, it can often feel like you’re too much of this and too little of that to be anything [in particular]. [For instance,] you’re too British to be Argentine or you’re too Argentine to be British. You’re not really American, but more American than other people.

There are so many different ways of trying to fit, but if you just keep trying to fit, that naturally means that you are repressing a side of yourself. And as you get older, if you’re able to integrate all of these [parts of yourself], it makes you a much richer human being. You feel the richness of all these different cultures—and the fact that these cultures can be so opposing—there’s so much fun to be had with that. My sense of humour is very British, very sarcastic; my warmth is incredibly Argentine. And these are things that I now celebrate, which, when I was younger, I think I had a harder time [accepting].

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If you could time travel to any era, which period would you choose and why?
I’d love to go dancing in the 1970s. I would love to have a really big night, before there were [mobile] phones and when everybody just [wanted to] dance. I’ve [also] got a real fondness for the rebellion of the 1920s. I’m a big history buff. I’d love to be able to visit [these periods], but not stay, because, in terms of women’s rights, it wasn’t a great time.

Which has been your favourite role so far? 
That’s like choosing between children. Each had something very special to offer me. The Queen’s Gambit was a very special situation because I’ve never had a character arrive that quickly. The second I read it [the script], I was like, “Oh yeah, I know exactly what to do. I know exactly how she dresses. I know what she looks like. I know it all.” And to work with a team that was so understanding of that and allowed me to be as involved as I was, it just felt very special.

You’ve won several awards—how do these accolades influence your approach to future roles, and what do they mean to you personally?
It’s both a blessing and a curse—I tend to forget my accomplishments as soon as I’ve achieved them, which is a good thing because it keeps me hungry. It’s obviously an immense honour, and [particularly] when it’s been awarded to you by your peers. That just means so much, because these are people that I’ve grown up admiring, and they’re validating my work. So that’s a really lovely feeling.

But I wish that I remembered them [the awards] more. It would probably make me feel better. It’s not that I have something to prove—I just always want to be improving. So there’s a good and a bad side to it. 

If you could create a watch that represented your personality, what unique features would it have?
Something that charted the moon … would be really helpful for me. I find that my emotions are enslaved by the moon. If there was a countdown [along the lines of] “Hey, FYI! In a week [there will be a] full moon”, I’d be like, “Ah, that explains so much.”

If you could have a conversation with your future self 20 years from now, what’s the one question about time management you would ask yourself, and why?
I would ask myself if I had learnt to nap because I am terrible at napping. I’ve never been able to nap, and I’m so jealous of the people that can. I’d ask myself, “Hey, did you ever figure out how to sleep for 15 minutes?” And I’m hoping her answer would be yes.

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