Wonderland caught up with rising star Mica Ricketts to talk all things creative upbringing, her role in Steve McQueen’s critically acclaimed Blitz, and navigating the balancing act of being a breakthrough star by day and working Urban Outfitters shifts by night.

Nottingham-born actor Mica Ricketts is finishing 2024 on a high. Still riding the wave after landing her biggest role to date in Blitz, Steve McQueen’s critically acclaimed film that opened this year’s London Film Festival, she’s basking in the self-validation that comes with stepping into the spotlight as a rising star.  “This chapter, I would call an elevation,” she says. “It’s a very bold chapter that shows that my calibre of work is getting bigger and better and my progression is on the up and I intend to keep this going throughout my career.”

When Mica connects with Wonderland, she’s wrapping up the third season of a BBC series, settling into the Big Smoke after a recent move to London, and—naturally—dreaming of landing a lead role in an A24 production. “I’m a huge fan of their films and I’m already craving a leading role,” she manifests. All while still clocking in shifts at Urban Outfitters, of course. Keep reading for our full interview, where we dive into all things Blitz, her character preparation process, working with a stellar cast, growing up as an “attention-seeking kid,” and what’s next…

Hi Mica! Thanks so much for chatting with us. How are you today? What have you been up to lately?
Mica Ricketts: Hi! Thank you for taking the time to chat to me. I’m great, thank you! I actually recently moved to London which is very exciting. We had the premiere for BLITZ at the London Film Festival too, which was brilliant. I’m currently filming for the third season of a BBC series and I’m working in my job at Urban Outfitters alongside that. Busy!

Before we dive into your new project, let’s go back to the beginning. Tell us a bit about your upbringing and what sparked your interest in acting in the first place.
I have always been a bit of an attention seeking kid. Always acting up for reactions from a young age, but I realised it was an actor that I wanted to be after thinking that after every movie I watched, I was convinced I wanted to be in that profession. I watched The Mummy and was sure that I wanted to be an archaeologist. Then the series Wild At Heart I wanted to be a vet in South Africa and then eventually at 12 I figured out that it was the role I loved, and being the actor was what I really wanted.

Do you remember some of your early influences in the industry? What made you fall in love with the craft? 
The first film that made me really obsess over the idea of becoming an actor were the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Harry Potter movies. The fantastical other worldly elements of these movies were so realistic and for a very adventurous and imaginative young girl, I wanted to be as close to those worlds as I could. 

Congratulations on Blitz! Tell us a bit about the project and what this new chapter means to you.
Thank you! The film is about a mother and her son during the Blitz in 1940s London. It’s about the limits you’ll go to for someone you love and that determination to get back to them. 

Walk us through your character’s arc and what about it fascinated you in the first place.
My character, Jess, goes through the moral conflict of trying to do as her father would want and expect and then doing what’s right and what she believes in.

How were your character preparation days? What helped you embody this role?
The character was very relatable. Obviously, my struggles and Jess’s struggles are very different, when it comes to specifics, but I had been through enough trials and tribulations to understand what her emotional states would have been like at different stages and portray them honestly.

Blitz has already made history as a production that gives a fresh and meaningful take on a widely covered story. What about the script makes it so unique for you? And how was your experience working with such a star-studded cast to bring Steve McQueen’s vision to life?
I loved every second. You learn a lot watching such talent. But the biggest thing is the self-validation, to feel that what you’re doing works. That having your own niche and trusting your instincts is the best way forward and that even though everyone else had years of experience in high end productions, I had also earned this spot and my progression in the industry was becoming more clear.

What do you think you learned most from working on this project? Do you have any favourite memories from set?
I just loved through the filming how close our cast was as a whole. Between me, Elliot Heffernan, Stephen Graham, Kathy Burke, Chris Chung, Josef Altin who I did all my scenes with, we had such a beautiful dynamic and a real comfortability, which made every day really fun and a true experience. 

If you were to describe this new chapter of your artistry, what would you call it? And why?
This chapter I would call an elevation. It’s a very bold chapter that shows that my calibre of work is getting bigger and better and my progression is on the up and I intend to keep this going throughout my career.

Moving forward, what’s next on the cards for you? Any bucket list roles or collaborations? What excites you most about the future? 
To be a lead in an A24 film is absolutely on the bucket list. I’m a huge fan of their films and I’m already craving a leading role. Branching out on genres to something more fantastical, Sci-fi or in the superhero realm are areas I’m super keen on but I love my gritty dramas and I’m sucker for a real role! I’m excited that my career can take any turn and that I have so much time to do as much as possible.