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The Glass MagazineAmbika Mod has spent her career challenging the idea of who gets to take centre stage. Growing up in the UK, she rarely saw people of Asian heritage reflected on screen, and acting initially felt more like an impossible ambition than a viable career. It was through comedy, improv and the Edinburgh Fringe that the possibility began to feel real. From her breakthrough in This Is Going to Hurt to becoming a global favourite in One Day, Mod has since built a career that refuses to fit neatly into one category. Now, as she prepares for the new season of Black Doves, she speaks candidly about the pressures of an industry where “You never know when your next job might be, or which the way the tide of public favour will turn - the way you might be hot shit one second and people will forget you next.” She also reflects on the persistence of imposter syndrome and the unpredictability of acting.“I won’t let myself be marginalised. I won’t let myself be reduced to smaller roles when I’ve been a lead actress.” Yet ambition, for Mod, is not only about breaking barriers. She wants to be challenged and take risks. Her role in Black Doves offered exactly that, giving her the chance to explore a character unlike anything she had played before while finally fulfilling her wish to tackle stunts and fight scenes. For Mod, the best part of acting is its variety: the people, places and experiences that come with every new role. But that freedom also brings uncertainty. Through it all, she remains determined to build a career on her own terms - one that allows her to be creatively fulfilled while helping to change how South Asian women are seen and portrayed in mainstream Western media. For our Autumn issue, Mod talks about finding her own place in an industry still learning how to make room for everyone. Out this week! Photographer: Catharina Pavitschitz Stylist: Douglas Miller Hair: Abra Kennedy using @Living Proof, Inc. Makeup: Justine Jenkins using @VIOLETTE_FR Manicurist: Jasmine Eleazer Photography assistant: Cleo Lim Styling assistant: Harry Langford Talent: Ambika Mod All jewellery: @Tiffany&Co.
On the profile · Oct 12, 2026