Keith Allen says he’ll never give daughter Lily Allen acting advice

Keith Allen has shared some candid responses to questions about his daughter Lily Allen and son Alfie Allen’s acting careers.

The actor, known for his roles in TV shows such as BBC’s Robin Hood and the ITV miniseries The Pembrokeshire Murders, recently took part in a Guardian Q&A, answering questions from some inquisitive fans.

One question asked the star whether he was impressed by Lily’s acting career, following recent projects that have seen her taken the lead on stage and screen.

However, Keith, who, in 2021, Lily said she was estranged from, refused to share his verdict, saying: “It’s subjective, so I leave that up to your readers.”

He added: “Have I ever given her any acting advice? You must be joking. I don’t think it would be of any value. I could understand it if we were in a film together and discussing work. But when you go to see one performance, you just stand around being proud.”

Lily was most recently seen in the revived Martin McDonagh play The Pillowman.

For The Independent’s reviewer Jessie Thompson, the “LDN” singer was “limited” in her role as an author of disturbing short stories, with her performance “one-note”.

“Allen doesn’t give the role the same complexity as her more experienced castmates, which can feel frustrating,” the review reads.

However, Lily scored an Olivier nomination for her 2021 West End debut as Jenny in 2:22 A Ghost Story, and last year announced her intention to study at drama school to further her craft.

Elsewhere in the interview piece, published on Thursday (11 April), Keith was asked about his response to son Alfie in Game of Thrones, in which he played Theon Greyjoy – an arrogant young fighter who is captured, castrated, and

“I have an aversion to shows like Game of Thrones,” he noted. “Anything with dragons and people flying about, I have no interest in whatsoever. So I’ve never watched it. But my partner watched it religiously. She’d yell: ‘Alfie’s on,’ so I’d just run in to watch Alfie, and I should say, he’s absolutely brilliant.”

In 2019, Alfie was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work, but lost out to his castmate Peter Dinklage for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.

Though refusing to share direct advice with his offspring, Keith gave the general guidance of having a part-time or day job to aspiring actors.

“I think something like 86 per cent of actors aren’t working for an inordinate amount of time. So you need something to stop you feeling depressed,” Keith said.