In the new Motherland comedy spin-off series Amandaland, Archie Smith plays Ned alongside Lucy Punch as Amanda and Joanna Lumley as Felicity Sanderson (who both reprised their roles from the original series), with Samuel Anderson as Ned’s father Mal and Ekow Quartey as his stepfather JJ. As a stage actor, Archie most recently played Kai in last summer’s production of The Children’s Inquiry at Southwark Playhouse, made his West End debut in 2021 as Young Bob Marley in Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, toured as Fletcher in The Bodyguard, and his first professional project was being in the cast of Fun Home at the Young Vic as Christian. We found out from Archie about playing Ned in new comedy series Amandaland, what it’s like being in the cast of the Motherland spin-off series, his time as Kai in The Children’s Inquiry and portraying Young Bob Marley in Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical.

Can you tell us about the new comedy series Amandaland and your character Ned?

Amandaland is about Amanda who’s divorced and moved to South Harlesden, she calls it “So-ha”. It’s about how she navigates her new life and it’s about the struggles of parenting teenagers.

Ned lives with his mum and stepdad JJ, and stays with his dad Mal, who lives in the flat downstairs underneath Amanda’s flat.

Ned’s quite sporty, likes music and DJs with his dad. He and his dad are very close and Ned also has a very good bond with JJ.

How did you feel finding out you’d booked your first regular TV character and how did you prepare for filming?

I was walking my dog with my mum when we got the call. I couldn’t believe it, I was totally blown away. I felt very grateful and so excited. To prepare, me and my mum watched Motherland, which she was already a fan of. It helped me understand the style of comedy.

How is it being part of the Motherland spin-off series and what do you feel you’ve learnt from your time on set of Series 1?

It feels great to be involved in something so iconic. People loved Motherland and still do so it’s a lot to live up to.

What is Ned like to play and did you have any favourite scenes to film?

Ned is a bit like myself in a lot of ways, so I found him quite easy to play. My favourite scene was the maths scene with Anne and Darius. It was so funny to film, everyone on set kept laughing and found it hilarious.

What was it like meeting and working with the cast, which includes Lucy Punch and Joanna Lumley (who are both reprising their roles from Motherland), Samuel Anderson and Ekow Quartey?

We first met during the read-throughs. I remember feeling a little bit nervous as I sat down but they were all really lovely and made me feel so welcome and comfortable. They were so much fun to work with, great actors and very, very funny. I had the best time working with them.

As a stage actor, you most recently played Kai in last summer’s production of The Children’s Inquiry at Southwark Playhouse, how did the run go?

The run went really well. It was probably one of my most difficult shows, it was true stories about children in the care system. The entire cast were children and we were on stage pretty much the entire show. It was a very powerful and fun show to be part of.

What was it like making your West End debut in Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical in 2021 and how was it getting into character as Young Bob Marley?

When I first found out I was going to play Young Bob Marley in the West End, I felt a huge sense of achievement. I mean, the West End!

I’ve been brought up listening to Bob Marley and reggae music. To actually play him in the West End made me feel so proud.

To get into character, I had to practice a Jamaican accent. There was also a dialectic coach helping us during rehearsals.

How did you find the experience touring for the first time when you played Fletcher in The Bodyguard and what was the show like to perform in?

Touring was amazing, I had the best time. I think my favourite place was Japan, although there was the odd earthquake that rocked the stage here and there. The show was upbeat and energetic, the choreo was very intricate, it was amazing and so much fun to perform in.

What are some of your favourite memories from your time in the cast of Fun Home at the Young Vic as Christian for your first professional theatre role?

I was very young when I was in Fun Home. I remember my mum telling me I got it, and I cried happy tears. The set had a revolving stage, the whole thing was amazing. I remember one night whilst I was performing, I had a nose bleed and of course the show must go on, so I came out of the coffin holding a tissue on my nose. Thankfully, I got it to stop just before I had to jump out from behind the coffin for the fun home song.

How different do you find theatre work to filming for screen and what do you enjoy about both?

One of the biggest differences in theatre is that it’s live, you need to learn all of your lines, songs and dances and if you make a mistake or trip or fall, you have to carry on, whereas with TV you can retake if you fluff a line or you want to say it differently.

What I like with theatre though, is you get the audiences’ reaction live, they’re in front of you. With screen, it’s not like that but I like that you can make a mistake and get to retake it if you need to.

We understand you have worked on a number of commercials, can you tell us about some of them?

EE rebrand was a really fun commercial to work on. I didn’t realise how big it was until I saw myself on buses and billboards. My friends and even teachers in my school were telling me they had seen me on TV and on posters. I loved working on that.

How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do professionally?

Well, I’m quite energetic so my parents thought it’d be a good idea to enroll me into football. I would spend the entire training session dancing in goal. That’s when my parents realised that football wasn’t for me and put me in dance lessons where I also did drama and singing. I loved it, and shortly after auditioned for panto and that’s when I knew I wanted to do this forever.

Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

I love the new TV show Boarders, my favourite film is Norbit with Eddie Murphy and my favourite theatre shows are MJ The Musical, Oliver! and Back to the Future.

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

I like going to the gym, hanging out with my friends and playing games on my PlayStation.

What are you hoping 2025 brings for you and do you have any upcoming projects that you can share?

I don’t know what 2025 will bring but I’m excited to see what happens next for me.