‘Industry’ Star Miriam Petche On How She Landed Her Breakout Role While Still Studying At University

For most of Industry ’s superlative third season, Sweetpea Golightly is overlooked and underappreciated. The reigning Gen Z voice on Pierpoint’s trading floor is among one of the bank’s newest grads and is still proving herself in the eyes of folks of Eric (Ken Leung), Rishi (Sagar Radia), and Yasmin (Marisa Abela). But in Season 3 Episode 5, “Company Man,” that shifts—significantly. Sweetpea becomes the canary in the coal mine. You don’t need to know every little bit of the financial jargon thrown around to understand that what she’s unearthed is a ticking time bomb on Pierpoint’s balance sheet, which may very well doom the company.

‘Industry’ Season 3 Episode 5 Recap: Golden Showers Fill Your Eyes

It’s quite the revelation to give to relative newcomer Miriam Petche, whose portrayal of Sweetpea has made her a fan favorite during the show’s breakout season. Petche brings a welcome self-awareness to the character, perhaps one of the few on the show who isn’t struggling with who she wants or needs to be in a given moment. It’s a standout moment in a season that continues to manage and provide ample material for its ensemble cast, especially for such a new player like Petche, who was a fan of the show long before joining its ranks.

‘Industry’ Season 3 Episode 4 Recap: The Gambler

In the aftermath of Sweetpea’s discovery, Petche sat down with DECIDER for a chat about building the character with series creators Mickey Down & Konrad Kay, the response to her character, being the smartest in the room, and much more.

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DECIDER: Throughout Industry ’s history, we’ve seen a couple of different supporting characters float in and out through the desks. The thing that stands out about Sweetpea from the second we meet her is that there’s more than meets the eye there. How did you approach the character with that in mind?

MIRIAM PETCHE: It was very much an open dialog with Mickey and Konrad. They made it very clear at the beginning that they wanted me to feel as if I could ask them questions. I did, and I created my own backstory for the character, [with] her motivations, why she is where she is, like why and how she engages with the world around her. I was lucky enough to be able to ask them if they agreed with my view on things; they would say yes or no, or we saw her doing this. Also, as they got to know me better and I felt more comfortable on set, I could find new, nuanced parts of her personality that come through different scenes. But, also, their writing is brilliant. You have these incredible characters that are already laid out for you.

Was there a particular question that you asked Mick and Kon? In talking with other actors from the show, I know they’re very collaborative, but was there a certain thing that you asked them that unlocked the key to her?

I asked if [Sweetpea] was her real name! That was, like, my first thing [laughs]. But that wasn’t what unlocked it. A big thing for me was seeing that she didn’t come from a lot of money. That was one of her driving factors. She is so work-driven, and she is so money-driven. I saw that for her, and I think that was important to understand about her character. And they agreed with that.

What were some other elements that we might not necessarily know as an audience that you created for her?

Her relationship with men, with friendships, how she views herself, and definitely how she sees social media as a tool to progress herself. How can she make the most out of this? How can she monetize her experience online? And how all these things that you see come out in the show, why she would possibly make these choices.

How much of the monetizing her experience online was present in the scripts, your input, or something you, Mick and Kon figured out together? What was the balance there?

I think it was already there in her character. I think there’s a generation that wants to make as much money as quickly as possible, and I felt that that was already present within her character when I first read the scripts, or even just like my briefing for the audition. I’ve definitely seen it within my generation—how quickly and with how much efficiency can you make money online.

Speaking of auditions, when I spoke with Sagar, he mentioned that you were still in university. Can you talk me through how the role came to you?

I was in the third year at Guildhall [School of Music & Drama] , and essentially, in your third year of drama school, you put on productions throughout the entirety of that year. You’re kind of open to the public and to agents and casting directors. I was lucky enough to be signed on my second show with Alex and Kat, who are my agents [and] who are just the best. I immediately started auditioning for things, continued doing my productions at school, and then the audition came through for Industry .

I was already a fan of the show, so I was extremely excited to get the audition because you feel lucky just to get an insight into what characters they’ve added on. I did a self-tape, and I got a recall. I went in, I did my recall, and Konrad was there. Then, I had another recall, which was just a chat with Mickey and Konrad. I was halfway through my third year of drama school, and they were like, “Are you sure you want to do this?” And I was like, “ I’m sure !” [laughs] As soon as I got the part, I left and went to Cardiff to start filming there.

What was it like, as a fan of the show, stepping onto set for the first time?

It was scary! I remember we had a day—we had rehearsals before the first read-through of episode one. For rehearsals, we met on the trading floor. I was the first one there, and I had to sit there and wait for everyone to come in. And like, one by one, these phenomenal actors who I think are at the top of their game, are coming in. I remember I was texting my mom, and I was like, “I’m doing everything in my power right now, not to faint.”

Everyone couldn’t have been more welcoming, and I immediately felt relaxed. It was a very calm environment—but a very caring one, and a very hard-working environment as well. So, initially scary, but I also think it’s good when you are a little bit nervous. My nerves drive me to want to be better and want to work harder. I feel very blessed to have been able to work with this cast. They’re phenomenal.

You’re literally like Sweetpea. She was the first person in the office on the IPO day.

Completely! Completely, yeah.

What is so interesting about your performance—especially in Episode 5, is the understanding that Sweetpea is the smartest person in the room. Whether or not people acknowledge that our not is a different story a lot of your arc is about making others understand that. Is that a skillset she’s always had? Or do you think she’s had to cultivate it throughout her time at Pierpoint?

Yeah, it’s a really good question. I think there’s a confidence that she comes in with at the beginning of the season, a confidence about herself, the way she looks, her fashion, and how she dresses. She feels ready to address people or comments—she has these comebacks, and I see that as her building up this as a means to protect and to look after herself. It’s interesting that when it comes to her intelligence, she has to fight for her voice to be heard and taken seriously. Especially in Episode 5, you see her realizing how much people were overlooking her. She goes to about three different people before anyone even sits down and has a conversation with her.

She’s being pretty vulnerable in that moment, in that she cares about the information that she’s gleaned from her colleagues and her friends. She’s really concerned about what’s about to happen. It was a very exciting moment to play—especially opposite Ken, who is just the best—to show how intelligent and perceptive she is. She’s very observant to what’s going on around her. Even though that can definitely be comedic relief, at times, she’s serious about her work, and she doesn’t mess around.

What do you remember from filming that scene with Ken?

I remember my head was itchy because of the Ginger Spice wig. No, I remember I was slightly nervous for the scene because I knew how important it was for the arc of of what happens. I feel privileged to work alongside someone like Ken, who is extremely generous as an actor. To be with him, I don’t know, I just felt immediately at ease, and then we could play off each other. He listens, responds, and he was brilliant. I remember having a really good day. I know that sounds like a very simple way of putting it, but I was nervous for how it would play out, and I was really proud of what we made in the end.

Is there something in particular in observing and reacting to Ken throughout that sequence that you picked up and put in your actorly toolbox, so to speak? Or was it something as simple as, “Oh, I want to make sure that when I step up to the plate, I’m cultivating an environment that feels similar to the one that Ken gave me?”

When an actor that you admire shows grace, kindness, and time to you, you feel that you want to pass that on to other people. He is extremely inspiring in the way that he holds himself, and the way that he’s fearless in his performance. He goes through it; He can be intense, subtle, and nuanced. Working with him is a little bit of a masterclass in acting, in my opinion. He kind of just locks in. He’s focused on what’s happening and like nothing else matters, which is really cool.

Did Mick and Kon give you the heads up that you were going to be the canary in the coal mine on this larger Pierpoint issue? Or was that something that you kind of discovered when you got the script?

They mentioned it briefly at the beginning when I first got the role because there was that brief outline of the season, her arc, and Pierpoint’s arc as well. I didn’t realize how important it was until I got the script; I felt very privileged that they’d given me that responsibility, and I wanted to do it justice. It’s a very crucial moment in the season.

I think what’s nice about this scene, in particular, is that even if you’re not necessarily picking up on all of the specific jargon, there’s still an understanding something bad is coming. What’s it like to try and parse all of that so that you play the emotionality of the scene right?

I wanted to know on, a base level, what I was talking about. Especially because the character is extremely intelligent, and I know that she wouldn’t be general about what was going on. I thought, “I can play the severity, I can play the tone. But I want to know, even if it’s on the most base level, what I am talking about and what this means.”

I remember I sat on the train from Paddington to Cardiff with Irfan [Shamji], who plays Anraj, and going through this speech. We were going word by word, trying to figure out what it meant. I don’t know if we got any closer—I’ll be honest with you. It was along a long three hours for us, but I did manage to grasp it. And speaking to Mickey and Konrad as well, and them guiding me. When those two things coincide—you have the severity, and then you have the understanding as well—it’s really powerful,I found, in the scene.

I mentioned Sagar earlier, and so much of the relationship your characters have reminds me of the sparring he did with Myha’la in earlier seasons of the show. She’s not as involved now but he gets to have you as a scene partner now. Can you talk about the dynamic between the two of you?

He’s phenomenal. I consider him a really good friend, and he’s a phenomenal actor. I felt extremely lucky. He’s he’s obviously been in the previous two seasons. So being new, it was very nice to have someone who was able to communicate with me what might be expected and what to prepare for. I would go to him if I was confused about something, or if I was concerned—it’s just so wonderful to have a friend. Then, on an acting level, he’s brilliant. He brings this energy and life to Rishi and the character. He was my favorite character when I watched the show. When I got to have a lot of my scenes alongside him, it was everything and more. It was brilliant.

I know their relationship is a little complicated—it definitely ebbs and flows—but how do you think she feels about him?

I think what’s interesting, especially about Episode 5 as well, is [that] when she has this information, he is the first person that she goes to. That was really interesting to look at, because this is very serious. Whoever she’s going to tell is going to have a huge responsibility. In that moment, I thought maybe she does care about him. Maybe there is real respect there. Then he makes a joke, and she’s like, “Okay, maybe not.” [laughs] She’s a little bit confused. She likes the thrill, I think. It changes, definitely, as the season progresses.

I am curious, are you following any of the online discourse about how people are receiving your character?

Funnily enough, Sagar sends me a lot of it. He’ll send me a funny little tweet or these things that I’m like, “Where did you find this?” So I’m lucky that I have that. It’s a really crazy moment to see people react to something that, not even just myself, but like Mickey and Konrad worked so hard on, and to have a reaction and see how people think in that moment is—really it’s incredible.

William Goodman is a writer based in Washington, DC whose work can also be found at Complex, GQ, InsideHook, Men’s Health, InsideHook, and TheWrap. He’s yet to meet a jacket or a cardigan he didn’t love. In his free time, he’s probably at the movies or on a run.

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