Are roles like this coming up often enough?
I’m on the fence about this. There are huge strides forward all the time. I’m really excited by the fact that Marvel is allowing women to be the heroes of their tentpole movies – I think the trickle-down effect will be enormous. But what makes a great female role – and I kind of hate the phrase increasingly – is complicated. There are still clichés. If a woman is victimised and awful things happen to her, I’m not sure that makes a great role but they’re so often the roles that are sold to me; they’re not active, they’re passive. I want to see more roles that are active and complicated.

I know you write too, can you see yourself filling the gaps by writing those complicated women?
If I write I’m not going to set out to write characters I feel like there’s a deficit of. If I go in with an agenda I’m not sure that’s going to yield good results. I just want to write what’s true.

Are you writing anything at the moment?
I’m always writing something [laughs]. I’m still quite sheepish about it. It’s been something I enjoy for me for so long and I’m only just beginning to think it might be something for other people. In a way I’m beginning to process my life alongside acting. If a screenplay of mine gets made I want to direct it too, but I’m trying.

Living between New York and London, is it fair to say you’re a good traveller?
I think I’m really good. I’m not. I’ve only just worked out that I’ve been deluding myself for a long time. I always assumed I was a great packer with the perfect combination of outfits, but I spend five hours packing and take too much. I think I’m early for flights but I’m never on time. Maybe it’s a side effect of getting older and not wanting to travel so much and unconsciously destroying all my travel plans without realising it.

The storyteller: Rebecca Hall on politics, podcasts and why she's definitely not a cat lady