HIM star Simona Brown’s career has got off to flying start

ITV’S latest tense, three-part drama is sure to have viewers gripped.

HIM has been described as a “domestic horror” and star Simona Brown says it mixes thriller, psychology and other-wordly elements.

It centres on a 17-year-old boy with a supernatural power who is drawn to Simona’s character Faith when she moves into the family home after the death of her mother.

Former Corrie star Katherine Kelly and Patrick Robinson, from Casualty, are among the impressive cast.

“I was filming at the time so I couldn’t go to a physical audition,” explains Simona.

“I had to do the dreaded self-tape. If you look a certain way you think: ‘Why did I look like that? Let’s do it again.’

“They were really hush hush about the story but there’s tension and the relationships are strained when Faith has to move in.

“She is very quick-witted and quite precocious, but there’s the pain of losing her mum to cancer.”

At just 22, Simona has made a barnstorming start to her acting career.

She has had roles in big shows not just here but in America and worked with some of the hottest names in the business.

As she takes time out to talk to The Weekly News about HIM, she seems remarkably calm and composed — until conversation switches to The Night Manager.

The BBC spy series has been one of the hottest things on TV this year, and Simona admits being among the cast was a massive deal for her.

“I thought it was a good script but I don’t like to get too excited,” she says. “But as soon as my agent told me Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman were involved I screamed my head off.

“My first question was if I had a scene with any of them and I did have stuff with Olivia, which was great.

“I didn’t make it to Istanbul, unfortunately, I was in London. But even if you are cold, Olivia’s presence warms you right up.

“She was so great and inspiring I felt like I learned such a lot from the scenes.

“Pretty much anything with any of them in it turns out to be a hit.

“So I had a good feeling. I knew I was riding with the big boys.”

Simona says inheriting her mum’s youthful looks made it easy to pass for a teen in HIM.

And she credits her mum with noticing her performing drive from an early age.

“The stories I’d tell with my Barbie dolls were always very extravagant,” laughs Simona.

“My mum saw that I was creative and imaginative, and I’d always sing and dance.

“I think the moment I decided to really pursue it was when I was nine and saw the Lion King on stage.

“I was blown away. I loved it and thought: ‘I want to do that!’”

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