Yahoo Lifestyle 'Industry' newcomer Miriam Petche on why you shouldn’t underestimate Sweetpea Golightly
This piece contains spoilers for Industry season three
The hotly anticipated third season of Industry has finally hit UK shores, with the latest series feeling distinctly darker in tone when compared to its predecessors. Amidst the swirling morality vacuums at Pierpoint investment bank, there is one small ray of positivity in the shape of Sweetpea Golightly, the social-media loving new graduate trainee, played by Miriam Petche.
What with her whimsical name, penchant for TikTok, and more than just a hint of superficial naiveté in her actions, the audience are invited to dismiss Golightly as yet another grad to be chewed up and spat out as part of the money-making machine. But as the season progresses, we are shown that Golightly is no clueless ingénue – behind her GRWM videos is a razor-sharp mind that puts her two steps ahead of even the most senior figures at Pierpoint.
I caught up with Petche ahead of Industry’s season three debut on BBC One and, immediately, she clarified something that may have intrigued audiences about her character from the outset. “Yes, Sweetpea Golightly is her real name and not a nickname,” she tells me, laughing. “I actually checked this with [Industry writers] Konrad Kay and Mickey Down.
“It helped me build a backstory for her, as I thought: ‘So what does that mean for her? What was it like to grow up with that name?’ It just adds another layer to her character.”
Petche says that Golightly immediately stood out for her, and that she was drawn to her unexpected character progression. “I think that's what makes her arc so clever – she could be dismissed as a cliché or comic relief in the first few episodes. She could be underestimated, but we can see she has an insane work ethic. It might be easy to dismiss her as a contender because she's making a Tiktok, but she's there early, she's doing all her work on time. She's making sure everyone knows what's going on, and they do underestimate her to their own detriment.
“I think it plays into her reveal later on that she's more than competent. She's arguably one of the smartest people in the room.”
Petche was able to find commonality with Golightly, who was described in the script as being ‘Gen Z on steroids’. “I definitely drew upon the way I speak to help form the character – and my attention span,” she says. “But the rest [came from] how she was written. I knew she had to exhibit a certain level of confidence to make a TikTok at her new job in one of her first days in the office! I also wish I had her work ethic – she has an insatiable appetite to do well. I do have that, but not to her level.”
Like her on-screen counterpart, Petche is also working in a highly competitive industry – and has been doing so since a young age. Having landed her first job as an actor at just 10 years old, she then went on to star children’s TV series The Worst Witch. Acting was something she was just as keen to pursue as she got older, and attended the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. It was in her third year of studies that she got cast as Golightly.
“I was a little apprehensive to join something so well established and extremely well received,” she admits. “You just want your contribution to be good.” The experience has been a formative one. “Honestly, I learned a lot from from filming. I think you learn things professionally, and then you also learn things technically when it comes to acting. Being around actors who are so good at their jobs, seeing how they hold themselves – and then you also see how eloquent and graceful and intelligent and kind they are – you know these are traits you want to take forward on any other project.
“Within the first rehearsal of the first day, I felt so at ease. Everyone couldn't have been more welcoming and more kind.”
While the new season has only just dropped in the UK, it began airing in August in America, and Petche has been keenly observing the reception stateside.
“There has been a huge response,” she says. “But then, none of my close friends or family in the UK have seen it, so it's this weird balance of it happening, but also feeling quite far away. It’s been brilliant. I can’t wait for more people to see it. I think they will love it, it’s such a sexy, intriguing show.”
With Industry wrapped, Petche is now auditioning for new roles and projects, with her eye on parts spanning TV, radio and theatre. “I’m approaching my next role with open arms,” she says, with a grin. “I'm ready for anything that comes. I'm grateful to be here, and I'm totally ready for what’s next.”
Industry season three airs weekly on BBC One on Tuesdays throughout October, or can be watched in full on BBC iPlayer now.
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