Most women know that they deserve success and to have a seat at the table. And yet, so many of us still experience those feelings of imposter syndrome – that pesky internal voice that likes to feed us lies about why we are not worthy. 

That’s why it’s always ever so slightly reassuring when high profile women talk about their own experiences of feeling imposter syndrome. 

Take, for example, the time when Jodie Whittaker opened up about the wave of self-doubt she experienced when she first took on the history-making role of Doctor Who.  

Or when multi-award-winning singer Alicia Keyes talked about feeling like an “outsider” in the music industry. 

Even Michaela Coel, the creative genius behind I May Destroy You, has opened up about not being able to accept a compliment because of imposter syndrome. 

And now, Sheridan Smith – an incredibly successful actor who holds an OBE – has admitted to feeling self-doubt during the peak of her career. 

In a very relatable chat on the Brydon & podcast, Smith talked to host Rob Brydon about the time they filmed The Huntsman: Winter’s War together in 2016. Talking about experiencing imposter’s syndrome, Smith said: “I always have but massively on that job, I felt major imposter syndrome because you guys were so brilliant and relaxed and to me it was like, I don’t know, it was like someone pulled me from my little village and put me with all these huge stars and I really just had no confidence at all on that job. 

“That particular job was worse than any job for me, I’ve always had self doubt but that one in particular was like, I felt very out of my depth like I shouldn’t be there.”

Smith also recalled the moment when she met Dustin Hoffman, which proved she had nothing to worry about, saying: “He saw me in a play and I think he thought that I did something new every night in the play. He came backstage afterwards and was like, ‘Oh gosh it was so fresh’. 

“I remember crying and thinking, OMG Dustin Hoffmann just came into my dressing room. Then when he cast me – he rang me and said he wanted me in this movie – it was all so overwhelming! I remember when he came into my dressing room I was shaking.”

During the same interview, Smith – who also starred opposite Brydon in Gavin & Stacey – continued to talk about her friendship with the show’s co-creators, James Corden and Ruth Jones, saying: “Me and James had been holidaying together and we already did stuff like we did, little daft raps and musical medleys in the pool and stuff, and so when he did this rap, I remember we turned up to the read through and we’d learnt this American Boy wrap, so we actually did it at the read through. 

“God it was just a lovely time. I mean, I was a little younger then. I kind of wish I’d met James later because I was a bit of a wild child back then, but he was amazing. Him and Ruth, like I say, genius. They wrote it so well and so to just be a small part of it was an honour.”

You can listen to the full interview with Sheridan Smith on the Brydon & podcast available on Spotify.

Image: Getty