Celia Imrie on being a big screen late bloomer

The 62-year-old British actress, who appears alongside Dame Maggie Smith, Richard Gere, Bill Nighy and Dame Judi Dench in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, said her previous roles opened the door for her to go to studios without having to “pretend to be 26″.

The actress, who also starred in hit film Calendar Girls, said she now had a Hollywood agent and wanted to make up for lost time.

She told BBC Radio 5 live’s Phil Williams: “I sort of wish I’d done it a little bit earlier, but without being too dramatic, I’ve got about 20 years left and I’m going to jam pack it with all the things I wish I’d done earlier.

“These two films that I’m so proud to be in were a very good calling card to actually walk through the door of a Hollywood office because I didn’t have to then pretend to be 26. I could be the age I am and not be ashamed. I think possibly things might be turning round. It was a massive hit in America, so here’s hoping.

“I’m not complaining because I’ve had a very good run, so long may it carry on.”

And she refused to rule out any new roles – including action movies starring the likes of Liam Neeson. She said: “He’s gorgeous and I’m an orange belt in taekwondo, I’m up for anything actually, why not?”

Last week she told how the cast of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the follow-up to the hit 2011 movie, got an unwelcome surprise when they watched it back.

The film’s director, John Madden, had shunned flattering, artificial lighting to film the movie under the harsh glare of the sun and the cast were stunned to see themselves looking older than they had imagined on the big screen.

“The director caught us all stunned and asked what the matter was and when we told him we all looked so old he just roared with laughter,” she said.