Cover Jemma Moore is advocating for better representation of race and neurodiversity in British TV (Photo: courtesy of Jemima Marriott)
Jemma Moore is advocating for better representation of race and neurodiversity in British TV (Photo: courtesy of Jemima Marriott)
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Jemma Moore believes British TV lags behind American series like ‘Fresh off the Boat’ and ‘The Brothers Sun’ in exploring on-screen diversity, including racial and neurodiversity—she shares what more needs to be done
When Hong Kong-born, UK-based actor Jemma Moore read the script of six-episode thriller series Red Eye, she immediately got on the phone with her agent and said, “I’m going to fight tooth and nail to get [Jess Li’s] role”.
Running on ITV in the UK and Japan, Red Eye, written by Peter A Dowling, follows the story of London police officer Hannah Li, who gets embroiled in a conspiracy; Li’s younger sister Jess, an aspiring journalist, attempts to unravel the mystery and finds herself running for her life from an assassin.
Moore, who plays Jess Li in this series, has previously starred in popular horror series Host (2020) and crime series Silent Witness (2023), but Li’s character, being biracial, is especially close to her heart because Moore is of mixed Chinese and British heritage herself.
Moore feels that this production is fostering diversity in British entertainment in several ways—not only in terms of on-screen representation of the biracial experience but also in terms of the behind-the-scenes support that the production team has extended to an actor like her who’s been diagnosed with ADHD, autism and dyslexia.
Tatler caught up with Moore on her experience on set and how she wants to promote neuro and racial diversity in the industry.
Above Jemma Moore as Jess Li in “Red Eye” (Photo: courtesy of ITV and Bad Wolf)
Jemma Moore as Jess Li in “Red Eye” (Photo: courtesy of ITV and Bad Wolf)
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How did you being of mixed heritage contribute to playing this character?
When they decided to cast me, [the crew] were like, “Jemma is [of] mixed [heritage], and we have to respect that there is a dynamic there.” So there was a discussion on the change in the dynamics and relationship between Jess [who is Eurasian], who wants to connect to her Asian part, and her [half] sister Hannah [who is Chinese], who feels Jess cannot understand how her proximity to whiteness gives her privilege.
I relate to a lot of this because being mixed and having a mother who is mono-racial, I try to impress her by remembering the names of food in Cantonese. I don’t speak Cantonese. So grabbing a teeny tiny piece of the puzzle [of her language] is my way to be a part of her world.
Is the British film industry inclusive?
I’m 31 and I’ve been in this industry since I was 21. Only since I was 25 did I start to see a change and that came about with the #MeToo movement, which started to open these questions up about diversity.
America is lightyears ahead of us and has been doing some amazing things, like Fresh off the Boat (2015) and The Brothers Sun (2024). I was in Hong Kong last year when Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) won the Oscars. I feel the UK needs to do catching up. I can count on one hand just how many shows we’ve had with East and Southeast Asian leads.
Above Jemma Moore in “Red Eye” (Photo: courtesy of Jed Knight)
Jemma Moore in “Red Eye” (Photo: courtesy of Jed Knight)
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How is Red Eye making a change to the scene?
The fact that it has a female Asian lead [is rare in British productions], and [this choice] is relevant to the storyline. There are moments where we go into the Li family home, and things that only Asian people would know and [things that mean a lot to our community] are woven in carefully. Our director, Kieron Hawkes, [production company] Bad Wolf, Sony and ITV have all been incredible in handling the delicate task of respecting the [Asian] community but also keeping it individual to the Li family.
This production is huge for our community: it’s made on British terms, it’s made in London, it has a mix of East and Southeast Asian people in front of and behind the camera. This gives people the inspiration [that] the fight we’re fighting [for diversity and inclusion] is having an effect. And hopefully the rest of British film and television industry will start doing more.
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Above Jemma Moore in “Red Eye” (Photo: courtesy of Jed Knight)
Jemma Moore in “Red Eye” (Photo: courtesy of Jed Knight)
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You’re also an advocate for neurodiversity. Is there any personal reason for this?
I am autistic, dyslexic and I have ADHD [attention-deficient hyperactive disorder]. As an autistic kid, I didn’t understand my fellow humans. I’ve always felt slightly removed from the neurotypical world. Because I grew up in the UK, I thought that was due to me being mixed-race. I felt like everyone had a handbook of dialogues that I didn’t have. I used to learn lines from films and I would repeat them to people. Acting gave me a safe space to express different emotions and figure out how human beings [typically] think.
What does neurodiversity mean? What support were you given on set?
Neurodiversity just means that my brain works differently from other people. For example, I’m sensitive to noises, lights and sounds. I also get something called “autistic burnout”; if I’m overstimulated, I need to sit in a dark room [why?]. Because of my ADHD, I had to make sure I was managing my time well so that I could balance character research with learning all the episodes without getting stuck on either for too long. My agents have been amazing: I could bring to set my stimming toys which takes me to a calmer place; I was put in a quiet room [with my Nintendo Switch] and it never affected production.
Above Jemma Moore (Photo: courtesy of Jemima Marriott)
Jemma Moore (Photo: courtesy of Jemima Marriott)
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As an actor, how do you foster conversations about neurodiversity?
I want to take people on that journey with me. I want them to think: what if we approach [the story] from a neurodivergent angle? How can we be creative in that way? What comes out of that?
Questions like these are just the best way to approach things. Having dialogues around mental health, neurodiversity and inclusivity are really important.
I’ve read that scientists and doctors who are autistic or neurodivergent have been responsible for so many cool things and changes in the world. If we didn’t think like we do, we wouldn’t have stepped out of the box to create new things. The film and TV industry can do the same too. We can make stuff which is original and exciting.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
