JUNE 2025
Photography DAVID REISS Styling GARETH SCOURFIELD Interview DAVID GARGIULO
It’s not the kind of scene you expect from a period drama, a woman unbound by corsets, untethered from high society’s weight, running free through a tight, winding Italian alley. That’s Immy Waterhouse as Jinny St. George in Apple TV+’s The Buccaneers, caught between worlds and discovering who she is when the world isn’t watching. That image, loose fabrics, sun-soaked streets, a hint of rebellion, captures something real about Immy herself.
Behind the poised surface lies a refusal to be constrained, to be cast in a single role, or a single story. She moves quietly, deliberately, carving out space to explore not just characters, but who she is beyond them: “I’m interested in stories that are grounded in realism where humor comes naturally out of real situations. I want to tell stories that feel honest, messy, and human.” For Immy, it was essential to avoid reducing Jinny to a simple victim or a symbol; instead, she sought to reveal the contradictory emotions beneath the surface. “Playing Jinny meant embracing all those feelings: anger, fear, hope, and showing how they can coexist,” Immy explains. “It’s about empathy, not judgment.” This empathy extends beyond acting. Immy has stepped behind the camera to direct, finding a different kind of freedom in shaping stories and guiding others to bring their truths to life. Balancing modeling, acting, and directing, she refuses to be boxed into any one identity. Her career is an unfolding exploration, mirroring the same search for self-possession she brings to her roles. The best stories aren’t about arrival. They’re about movement. Less about the finish line, more about giving yourself permission to keep evolving.
Dress VIVIENNE WESTWOOD.
David Gargiulo __ You grew up in a creative household. How did that shape your sense of identity and self-expression?
Immy Waterhouse __ I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a creative household, but we were always encouraged to pursue the things that interested us. That was really important, just having the freedom to give things a go and see if we liked them.
DG __ That’s really important, especially in creative fields. But some parents get really concerned about it because it is a challenging industry.
IW __ Yeah, my parents always said, "We don’t really mind what you do, as long as you give it your all." That was kind of their motto.
DG __ Amen to that! Speaking of people who shaped you, whether in your upbringing or in your sense of identity, are there any figures who you look to as examples of how to move through the world?
IW __ What a lovely question. When I was very young, we had a neighbor who really took an interest in me as a kid. She was an older woman, and eventually, my parents asked her to be my godmother. She introduced me to theater. She would take me to plays and musicals and I think that had a bigger impact on me than I realized at the time. I used to love it. It was so fun, and she really opened that world up to me. Her name was Lotty.
DG __ Do you remember the first play or performance Lotty took you to?
IW __ I remember she took me to a ballet. It was The Nutcracker. I thought it was the coolest thing. I’d never seen ballerinas before, and especially when you’re young, they seem like these mythical creatures. I remember thinking, “I want to be up there.” Not necessarily as a dancer, but I wanted to be on stage. I’ve never actually done theater, but I think that moment sparked in me the feeling of wanting to be part of that world.
Coat, shorts MAGDA BARTYM, shirt and tie PRADA, loafers MANOLO BLAHNIK.
DG __ How old were you?
IW __ I must have been about six. She took me to a lot of things over the years. I’m not sure how she always had the tickets, but it was such a cool experience. She passed away a few years ago, and it really made me look back with so much gratitude. She was always such a champion of mine and really believed in me. It’s special to have someone like that in your corner, especially when you grow up in a big, busy family. Sometimes just having one person shine a light on you makes all the difference.
DG __ Was she part of the industry?
IW __ She was a ballerina when she was younger, and she did a bit of acting as well. But by the time we were spending time together, she was already in her eighties.
DG __ I love that. So, let’s jump into the show, The Buccaneers. Jinny’s escape at the end of season one really felt like a turning point. When we meet her again in season two, where is she emotionally and mentally?
IW __ When we meet her in season two, she’s in this completely new environment. She’s isolated from her friends and family, and she’s a mother now. She’s trying to adapt to these new circumstances, which, even though she’s in this beautiful place, still feel very lonely. She’s still battling a lot of the mindset that was put on her by Seadown. That hasn’t just disappeared. It still lingers. We see her entering this new phase of life as a mother. But what I loved about this season is that we also get to see her figuring out who she is on her own. She starts to rediscover her joy, find her spark again, and build an identity she’s never really had the chance to explore before. That’s where we meet her.
DG __ Yeah, one thing I actually found surprising, and loved, is that there are moments where you can tell she’s genuinely enjoying parts of this new life. That was a little unexpected, especially since she comes from this aristocratic background where you’d expect her to crave comfort.
IW __ Yeah, totally. I think the enjoyment comes from this new sense of autonomy. She realizes she’s so much more capable than she thought she was. She makes new friends and goes through this journey of self-discovery. There’s real joy in that for her. It's empowering to realize, “I can do this on my own.” But even in those moments of joy, I think she’s still battling loneliness. What’s interesting is that, without the weight of those high-society expectations she grew up with, she’s actually freer. Even in the costumes this season, everything’s more relaxed. She doesn’t have to be buttoned up, polite, or perfect. She gets to unravel a bit, and there’s something really freeing in that. It’s nice to see her smile, laugh, and just have fun sometimes.
DG __ Speaking of the new environment, her story was filmed in Italy, right?
IW __ Unfortunately, no! It was actually filmed in Croatia, pretending to be Italy. But it was beautiful. There were these amazing little streets and colorful houses. Italy and Croatia are quite close, so I think it captured that Italian feel really well. We were lucky enough to shoot there for about a month.
DG __ Well, it fooled me! It definitely looked like Italy.
IW __ Great! That’s what we wanted. I think it’s cool because we see a lot of Victorian England and Victorian America, but you rarely see Victorian Italy, that sunny, warm Victorian vibe. It’s something a bit different, and I loved that.
DG __ Going back to Jinny, what was the most difficult part about stepping back into her character and portraying her new situation?
Shirt and jeans ELV, denim, shoes MAGDA BARTYM, bangle TIFFANY & CO.
IW __ I think the challenge was really about finding nuance. On the page, it could easily read as, "She’s just sad." But it’s never just sadness. It's anger, frustration, fear; there are layers to it. It’s about finding what’s beneath the surface and making that journey feel real. Jinny does things this season that I think will frustrate people. Viewers might watch and think, "Why are you doing that? Stop!" But for me, I had to really understand where she was coming from. That deep desire to have a happy family, still clinging to that dream. She’s still caught in that coercive mentality. Just because you’ve escaped the situation doesn’t mean you’re suddenly free from its effects. It doesn’t magically go away.
DG __ It sounds like internal conflict.
IW __ Exactly! It was about finding the nuance in her choices, really getting into why she does the things she does, and making it feel honest and true to her experience. You have to play her from a place of understanding. You have to see her as someone who’s extremely driven, under a lot of pressure, and who’s gone to these extremes because she feels she has to make things work, please everyone, and live the life she thinks she’s supposed to have. It pushes her to extreme choices. I think it’s about playing her with empathy, not judgment.
DG __ Well said! Another thing that really stands out is the bond between the girls. What do you think about the role of sisterhood in Jinny’s story?
IW __ It shows how powerful family and friendship are. How much you need them and how much you rely on them. Her sister, Nan, sacrifices so much for Jinny, and I think that shifts Jinny’s perspective. They’ve always loved each other, but in this season, Jinny realizes the depth of that love. It’s like, “Wow, she’s really given up so much of her life for me.” It helps Jinny see what actually matters. It shakes up a lot of the societal expectations she used to cling to. Because what’s the point of all that if you don’t have your family, your friends, your sisterhood? That’s what’s really meaningful.
DG __ And it’s not just with Nan. It's with all the girls. There’s this strong bond between them. I am curious. Did that friendship carry over offscreen?
IW __ I love the girls. And the guys too! [laughs] It’s a really fun set, and there’s a lot of love there. Coming back for season two felt so familiar, almost like going back to school after the summer holidays. You haven’t seen everyone in a while, and then you’re back together and it’s like nothing’s changed. Also, by then we really knew our characters. We’d spent all of season one building them, so we got to explore them in deeper ways this time.
Total look STELLA MCCARTNEY. ( opposite ) Jacket MAGDA BARTYM, vest DOLCE & GABBANA, kilt ALEXANDER MCQUEEN at HEW, bangle and earrings TIFFANY & CO.
DG __ Staying with the themes of the show: the power dynamics, marriage, societal expectations. Do you think there are parallels with today’s world? Do you feel like some of that pressure still exists today?
IW __ For sure. The big one is status. That's still very present today. It’s no longer about titles or aristocracy, but now it’s about celebrity, social media, wealth. The form has changed, but the importance placed on status is still very real. I think that’s part of what makes the show so fun. These themes existed back then, but they still exist now, just in different shapes. It’s kind of wild how much of it is still super relevant today.
DG __ Definitely. One thing I really liked about the show and about Jinny’s character is that even though she’s in an abusive relationship, the story doesn’t reduce her to just a victim. She doesn’t always fight back right away, but she eventually takes back her power. How important was that for you to show as an actor?
IW __ It was really important. I think it takes her a long time to get to that point where she can actually fight back. And it’s not really for herself. It’s because she’s now a mother. She can see Seadown is a threat to her child. She couldn’t see he was a threat to her. Suddenly, she has something she has to protect. That’s the shift for Jinny. That’s when she realizes, "You don’t have control over me anymore." She finally sees Seadown clearly, as the person he truly is. And once that switch happens, she doesn’t go back. But it’s not a simple journey. In these kinds of relationships, it’s not like you just leave and you’re fine. Even when she’s physically away from him, she’s still emotionally holding onto this fantasy, this hope that maybe he’ll change and they can still be a family. Walking away from that dream, from everything she’s built her life around, is huge. It takes so much for her to fully let go and say, "It’s just me and my child now, on our own."
DG __ It’s understandable. She has so much to lose.
Total look MIU MIU.
IW __ Exactly! Everything that mattered to her in season one. All the things she thought were important. She’s lost all of that. She’s had to completely rebuild herself. It’s like an ego death. She’s forced to find a new version of what matters, what’s meaningful, and ultimately a new identity.
DG __ A new identity. I love that turning point. The moment she finally fights back comes from her love as a mother. That’s such a powerful trigger.
IW __Yeah, absolutely. I think, when abuse is directed at you, you can put up with a lot. But when you see that same harm aimed at someone else, especially your child, that’s the thing that makes you snap.
DG __ The costumes are beautiful. Did you have a favorite piece?
IW __ I loved all the outfits I wore in Italy. It was a lot more stripped back, like a summer version, with lighter fabrics, linens, and flowy silhouettes. Less restriction, fewer layers. It actually felt symbolic for Jinny to have that moment where she wasn’t constantly wearing this tight corset. She’s looser, freer, she can actually frolic and run around. In contrast to season one when she was in London wearing corsets. She is restricted. It really helps you get into the mindset of what it was like to be a woman back then. You’re uptight, you can’t breathe properly. It even rearranges your ribs a bit. It physically affects you.
DG __ It must have been rough! What you don’t do for acting, right? For the craft! [laughs]
IW __ Exactly! [laughs] They tried to be careful but we had to do what we needed to do. Your lunch kind of stops here. [gestures to upper torso] You can’t eat properly!
DG __ Was there anything you learned about yourself through playing Jinny?
IW __ It made me very aware of how powerful your thoughts are. When you’re playing a character with such low self-esteem, you have to think those negative thoughts, you have to put yourself down to get into that headspace. And I found that it started to affect me. I’d catch myself feeling more insecure without realizing why, and I think it’s because my body didn’t really know the difference between me thinking those things and Jinny thinking them. It made me realize how important it is to be kind to yourself. Self-care, even at the most basic level, is just about being kind in the way you think about yourself.
DG __ You’ve directed The Outpost. Any desire to step behind the camera again on a future project?
IW __ Definitely! I love directing. It’s such a completely different side of me that I get to tap into. I was lucky enough to direct The Outpost, which was amazing because I was working with a crew and cast I’d already been with for about two years. It felt like such a supportive space to try something new, and when I did it, I realized, "Oh, I actually love this, and I think I’m quite good at it." It definitely inspired me to keep going, and I hope to direct a lot more in the future.
DG __ What kind of story are you most excited to tell next, whether as an actor or as a storyteller, like through directing?
IW __ I’m interested in modern-day stories. I love exploring the dichotomy of people living with all these societal expectations but in such different ways. There’s just so much great TV and film out there now where I watch something and think, "God, I wish I made that." [laughs] So yeah, I’m figuring it out, but I’m interested in stories that are grounded in realism where humor comes naturally out of real situations. I want to tell stories that feel honest, messy, and human.
Photographer David Reiss, stylist Nicole Smallwood at Adrenalin Photographic, Make up Adam de Cruz at One Represents, Hair Sven Bayerbach at Carol Hayes Management using Hair by Sam McKnight, Fashion Assistant Cordelia Watson.
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