Both my parents were from Greater Manchester – working class and hardworking. I think it got instilled in me early on that I would have to work hard for a living. I got my first paid job at four years old and then more regularly at 11 for child acting and modelling. At 15, I was working on the markets all over London, and that continued for a few years until I went back into acting.
In between acting, I would always take another job or start something new: waitressing, massage, designing or college. It was later that I went into producing and directing.
I was never afraid to work, whatever the job! This was what was taught to me by my parents and grandparents, who really were the salt of the earth.
My grandparents owned corner shops in the orange terraced two-up, two-down houses reminiscent of a scene from Coronation Street. They first had a bike shop, then second a wonderful old-fashioned sweet shop. There was a lovely coal fire and the loo was outside. That was the norm back then. I always think it’s funny when people declare they had outside sanitation as though it were a horror story. It’s just how it was in those days.
I was a real character as a kid: I had no idea “things” actually cost money, so I used to invite all the other street urchins like me into my nan’s sweet shop for free sweets. Poor nan, she was always out of pocket – but I just loved “giving”.
Everything smelt of coal and chips and vinegar in those days – we used to play on the streets for hours and back alleys and linger around “The Pop” lorry which was selling Dandelion and Burdock and Sarsaparilla.
Things were different then – it would be normal to walk home from school at six or seven. I remember me and my friends congregating around the swings in parks in some of the estates and flats around Camden in London. We would get into all kinds of trouble, as we were left to our own devices.
My favourite act of transgression was to get lost in the car park and former storage facilities behind our flats in Belsize Park – we would find old disused warehouses and climb in through the gaps in the wood to see what we could find inside. It was like a scene from Oliver Twist!
My grandparents were the kindest people, and my mum also instilled in me to be kind and helpful and be thoughtful to everybody. I used to feed a homeless man who lived in the bus shelter with my packed lunch. I also think that’s why I started being so aware of animal rights:
Sadie in the back of her dad’s van, from when she used to help him out (Photo: courtesy of Sadie Frost)When I was around seven, my mum was busy working in a pub while my stepdad was a builder, and their working hours were long. It was around then that I liked to take on animal rescuing projects. I would roam the streets nearby looking for abandoned or hurt animals and birds.
This magical otherworldly carpark was a labyrinth of discovery: I’d find stray cats living in old cars that had missing car doors, which would make perfect homes for their hungry kittens. I’d rescue them, as well as the poorly pigeons who seemed to somehow also end up in this random space away from the bustling city.
As I got older and my love for caring for animals grew (I think of it as helping the helpless), I started being more vocal about my views on animal rights – I’d been a vegetarian since I was born, but now I started speaking out and raising money for the RSPCA by selling lemonade.
Even as a kid, I guess I wanted to make my life matter – and that feeling has only intensified as I have gotten older and realised you only get one go at it. I observed how my grandparents’ lives went on as they aged, to the point where life can sometimes become smaller. When I used to visit their cottage for a “cuppa” and “biccie”. I’d sometimes find them sitting in silence, just staring at the walls, and it used to confuse me.
Now I perhaps understand what was happening: I think they were reflecting and absorbing their whole life. Or maybe they were thinking how things were changing so quickly and going so fast. The impact of how the world was changing for good or bad – either way, where did they fit into that world?
My grandparents passed things on to my mother, who passed things on to me and my siblings. Each generation wants to support, guide and help the next – not so much materially but in wisdom. Now I do the same for my kids.
Motherhood is everything to me and being able to hopefully make things smoother than my childhood was for my kids meant everything! It doesn’t mean there haven’t been bumps on the way for my kids – you can’t keep them in a protected bubble forever. In any case, my motto for the new year is to find positive role models, keep off social media, be more helpful in my community – and basically be more kind!
This week I have been…
Working… with HvH Arts, a charity based in north London helping young kids keep off the streets, giving them an education in the arts – a charity set up by Debbi Clarke, Damian Lewis and the late actress Helen McCrory. Here I teach the kids yoga and wellness and sometimes film studies, as well as help raise money so their programmes can continue. Another charity close to my heart is Centrepoint, for whom I have just designed a T-shirt in association with Outdoor City Living. We have been raising funds for homelessness, which means a lot to me after spending some of my own childhood homeless.
Watching… some amazing movies with some outstanding performances: I Swear, directed by Kirk Jones and starring Robert Aramayo, adapted from the book by John Davidson.
It is a compelling film as it gives a clear insight into all the prejudices, taboos and struggles of having Tourette’s syndrome – highlighting that education and discussion are the only ways to change people’s ignorance towards things we don’t know so much about.
It is a brave, raw and visceral film – I highly recommend it! My other favourite standout performance has been Timothée Chalamet in Marty Supreme – he acts with such ease, I could watch him forever!
Baking… Being plant-based, I am always looking for interesting recipes or to find something new to bake. I have just discovered you can bake bread without using flour – for example, lentil bread and quinoa bread. You can also add kefir for gut health and protein.
These types of breads are high in protein, low in carbs and so easy to make – just blend the pulse or grain with water and baking soda and bake. It’s the same consistency as normal bread – so you can just add the usual condiments that you like, and it’s delicious!
Sadie Frost’s website is frostchakra.com, and she is supporting HvH Arts and Centrepoint
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