Avengers’ Vanessa Kirby on embracing vulnerability and finding confidence on and off screen

British actress Vanessa Kirby is best known for her role as Sue Storm (the Invisible Woman) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film The Fantastic Four: First Steps, defined by her ability to generate force fields and turn invisible. Set to reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday, slated for release at the end of the year, it’s hard to believe that the 38-year-old once grappled with insecurity—a sharp contrast to the formidable characters she so often portrays.

“I think self-expression through beauty is actually about stripping things back and accepting who you are and what you have. That’s taken me a long time, but when I feel good about myself on the inside, I stop really noticing what the outside is like—and that feels like freedom. That, to me, is self-expression,” she says.

From The Crown, where she embodied the headstrong Princess Margaret, to her emotionally raw turn in Pieces of a Woman, Vanessa Kirby has carved out a reputation as one of the most compelling actresses of her generation. The London-born star has garnered major critical acclaim—including the Volpi Cup for Best Actress and a BAFTA nomination—while quietly championing female-led storytelling through her work behind the scenes. 

Now, as Global Ambassador for French beauty house Lancôme, she is bringing that same sense of honesty and emotional depth to the role. “I hope to be as authentically myself as possible. Lancôme has always championed that in the women it aligns with, and I want to bring honesty, authenticity, and a kind of fearless vulnerability to the brand,” she says. 

Here, she opens up about her evolving relationship with beauty, self-expression, and the rituals that ground her.

Who were the creative figures who first made you believe in yourself? 

I would say it’s a mixture of two things. First, it was watching the actresses I most aspired to be - or  was most inspired by - the actresses of the 60s and 70s, like Gena Rowlands, Jane Fonda and Vanessa  Redgrave. They were always messy, real, complicated women on screen, and I always felt most  inspired by them.

The second was really the people who believed in you when no one else did. Even  that one drama teacher, when you were having a really hard time at school - she made me feel that it  was a safe place to explore and to be myself. 

Where do you find meaningful balance between protecting your privacy, managing social  media, and giving so much to public-facing roles?  

I’m a pretty private person - probably boringly so, to be honest. I really admire people who are good  at it, and can do it, but I’ve never been able to engage in that way particularly. I’m incredibly grateful  to anyone who watches anything I do, but I’m not a big social media person. The public-facing nature  of the job comes with the territory, and I think you do get used to it. You accept it and try to feel  grateful for it rather than scared of it. I try to move in that direction. 

How do you define beauty, personally? In what way have your ideas about beauty evolved over  time?  

I think beauty is about knowing yourself more and more. That’s what excites me about getting older - as you get to know yourself better, you tend to like yourself more. And if you like yourself more, you  feel more beautiful. If you feel more beautiful, you are more beautiful to yourself - and you accept  yourself more. I’ve definitely come to like myself more and more, slowly but surely. 

What is your daily beauty routine?  

Honestly, it’s very simple. I cleanse, use a good serum, and then apply Génifique in the evening and  leave it on overnight. I always wake up looking radiant and more hydrated.  

What are your favorite makeup or skincare tips have you picked up in your career? 

A face ice bath in the morning. Just fill a bowl with ice and water, hold your breath and dip your face  in for as long as you can, going in and out a few times. Then use a warm flannel afterwards, followed  by your favourite serum so it really sinks in before makeup. 

You’ve played women navigating power, grief, duty, and rebellion in very different ways.  What’s one unexpected lesson about strength you’ve learned from these roles?  

I think strength is vulnerability. The more able you are to be truly vulnerable - about what you’re  feeling, who you are, your deepest fears - the better you can form connection The women I’ve played  who are unable to be vulnerable are the most trapped. When they can be honest with themselves and  then with others, that’s where real inner freedom lies. 

What do you consider to be your superpower? 

Probably my ability to bring my friends together. It’s so important to me because I travel a lot and I’m  rarely in one place. When I’m home in London or New York, I organise dinners and lunches and gather  as many people as I can. Otherwise, it would be hard to stay connected to the people I love most. 

How do you hope to continue evolving—both as an artist and as a person? 

I hope to keep learning more about myself, becoming more honest with myself, and growing in that  way. I also hope to teach my child to do the same. My greatest hope is to become a better mother  and a better person to the people I love.