Having acted in soap operas, such as Britain’s beloved “Eastenders” and on stage as part of the British Shakespeare Company’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Lavender is displaying her diverse talent for all types of audiences to enjoy.

Lavender’s career has been privileged, with her earning roles alongside a number of well-known actors, such as Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Irons and Michael Gambon. Now, with her latest project “Taj”, Lavender will be starring alongside Oscar-winning British actor Sir Ben Kingsley — who also happens to be the Brazilian beauty’s husband.

Lavender gave Arab News a few minutes of her time to answer our questions on her acting preferences, role models, newly founded love for Shakespeare, and of course, what it’s like being married to a British knight!

Becoming an actress was all and everything I wanted to be from as young as I can remember. But life intervenes and I only started acting at the age of 18. When I was eight years old, I was addicted to Mary Taylor Moore on TV in Brazil, and used to tax the patience of my mother and brother by re-enacting the scenes from her show around the house and in front of the mirror.

In order to represent Mary’s characters, I knew that my impersonation had to be perfect, but what I didn’t know was that Mary was dubbed and therefore spent hours perfecting an out of sync Mary Taylor Moore speaking Portuguese!

I’ve always admired the Brazilian great actress Fernanda Montenegro, Sophia Loren, Ana Magnani.

It is hard to choose as I enjoy the essence of acting, be it film, TV or theater. I have a great deal of respect and love for Shakespeare’s heroines. The depth of his characters allows an infinite variety of interpretations, while the skills necessary to portray them stretches the actor.

Cinema is a real love of mine and nothing beats that sublime feeling between action and cut. With cinema, there is always a possibility that my family — thousands of miles away — will be able to catch me on TV or on screen and be proud of me.

I don’t have a preference; both are equally challenging and technically demanding in their own ways. I have overcome a lot of struggles in my life and I feel that with each one of these experiences, I have been able to enhance my ability to relate to the particular characters I am portraying. For me, making an audience laugh is as uplifting as moving the audience to tears.

I just want to work. Work with inspiring people and excellent material. Television has a pace that I really enjoy working with. I found working in soaps such as “Eastenders” and “Casualty” highly exhilarating, while the adrenaline you feel from live theater performances is second to none. For me it doesn’t matter if it’s a room in a pub or the sound stage of Pinewood Studios, the work is my concern.

I hope to be in projects directed by Woody Allen, Fernando Meirelles, and Walter Salles. I also wish to work in Walt Disney films, as I admire the work of Jerry Bruckheimer and what he’s done for popular family entertainment.

Now I’m in the UK and the boundaries are crossed far more easily here. But an actor will always have to be aware that typecasting is just round the corner because the tendency is to play safe and so the great actors are always smart about it, they probably make choices that will allow them to have a long and varied career. If I’m blessed I will make those smart choices too.

I’m sure I was one of many who were surprised by the extraordinary amount of scientific and artistic invention that came from the golden years of the Islamic Empire that we, in the West, perhaps incorrectly call “the dark ages”.

“Taj” tells the story of the circumstances, which lead to the creation of the greatest monument to love, the Taj Mahal. It’s as much about ambition, betrayal, jealousy, and genius, as it is the product of the extraordinary love shared between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Sir Ben Kingsley will portray Shah Jahan. I will play Kindahary Begum, his first wife who was ignored by him.

My husband and I visited and spent time at the Taj Mahal – it was a wonderful experience, absorbing the atmosphere, the tale behind it, the energy.

You can ask any actor who has worked with my husband and they will tell you that besides being a great actor, how disciplined, generous and wonderful his presence is on set. I am very much looking forward to working with him. He is a great inspiration to me.

I thought that could be the case as he is an extremely gifted actor, but I’ve come to realize that you have to discover the most important “points” about acting and the industry by yourself. Nothing and no one can take the place of your own experience and instinct. What makes him a great actor won’t necessarily make me a great one. Unfortunately it’s all up to me.

I think it is everyone’s dream to be acknowledged by those you have the utmost admiration and respect for. It also came at a time when I really needed that boost to spur me on. Before “Emotional Backgammon”, I had endured nine fruitless months in a fledgling agency. My agent had called me regarding this film project and warned me that despite the fact that there was no money involved, in “my situation” I should attend the audition. Little did I know that I would be receiving an award for it. I’ve come to believe that in life everything happens for a reason. Sometimes I forget this, but then life reminds me of it.

Embracing and discovering Shakespeare has to be right up there. Shakespeare is the greatest writer and I was privileged to tour around England and other European countries as part of the British Shakespeare Company. It was such an experience to act out one of his most ingenious roles, in the most popular of his plays, in the land where it was created.

Despite her being a professor of English, believe it or not, I had never spoken a word of the language before coming to London. When I arrived here, I was waitressing and studying English at every available hour. My first experience of Shakespeare was presented to me through an audition for LISA. Sounds impressive, but alas, possibly the worst drama school in London—it no longer exists. Nevertheless, it was an opportunity to grow and I loved it. Their chosen audition piece was no less than Queen Anne from Richard III. Utterly incomprehensible to me, in desperation, I found myself almost stopping people in the street to decipher the extraordinary text.

With regard to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, Shakespeare was still like another language to me, but my husband’s love and extensive knowledge of the play guided me through. I asked him to spend the four days that preceded the audition helping me with the role of Titania, which he kindly did. I was chosen for the role and discovered I was chosen to play Hypolita too. I traveled to Marrakech, where he was filming “Prince of Persia”. We worked till the early hours rehearsing scenes from the play on the terrace of his hotel.

I like Sacha Baron Cohen. I had only two days on the set with him and his confidence, creativity and discipline are inspiring. He is also very polite, gentle and very, very talented.