Having made headlines this year when she fought off a violent phone thief in west London, Genevieve Chenneour was delighted to have a more civilised encounter.
The Bridgerton actress, 27, who stars as as Miss Clara Livingston in the Netflix drama, found herself sitting next to film star Bill Nighy, 75, at a west London cafe.
Speaking to Daily Mail’s Richard Eden, she revealed how she ended up discussing sex scenes with the award-winning star as he gave her ‘lots of career advice.’
Genevieve explained: ‘Bill stood up and my dog just went crazy over him. So he came over to say, “Hi”, and then asked if I wanted to join him for coffee.’
‘We talked for about an hour about acting and sex scenes. He was giving me lots of career advice.
‘It was one of those moments where I was thinking, “We’re both in the same industry, but also, what the actual f***? I’m having coffee with Bill Nighy.”’
Genevieve Chenneour was delighted when she found herself sitting next to film star Bill Nighy at a west London cafe
The Bridgerton actress, 27, who stars as as Miss Clara Livingston in the Netflix drama, revealed how she ended up discussing sex scenes with the star as he gave her ‘lots of career advice’
The duo posed for a photo together afterwards with Genevieve’s dog Ralph joining in.
Sharing the photo to Instagram, she wrote: ‘Seeing as you all loved this link up so much. Coffee w. Bill Nighy, a fluffy Ralph & Annie Knowles.’
Genevieve’s outing comes after she was targeted by a mobile phone snatcher at a west London cafe in February.
She bravely fought off prolific Algerian thief Zacariah Boulares, 18, at Joe & The Juice on Kensington High Street, in which she ‘blacked out’ and a second man threatened to stab her.
Zacariah was locked up for 22 months in July for three counts of theft and common assault in a daylight attack on February 8 that left the actress concussed.
Scotland Yard officers also investigated a 19-year-old man but took no further action against him, the BBC reported.
Genevieve left London and moved back in with her mother as she no longer felt safe in the capital.
In August, she revealed that the psychological trauma had been long-lasting, with her unable to leave the house.
Genevieve explained: ‘Bill stood up and my dog just went crazy over him. So he came over to say, “Hi”, and then asked if I wanted to join him for coffee’
She told the BBC: ‘And then if I did leave the house, I wanted to be with someone. But I felt like a burden. That’s a really dark downward spiral that you can find yourself in.’
She also changed her daily routine, avoided using public transport, and stayed in hotels when working in London.
Speaking of the moment she fought off the teenage thug, Genevieve previously told the Daily Mail: ‘They didn’t expect me to stand up for myself – but I did.’
‘I was left with a concussion just before the Screen Actors Guild Awards and since then, I’ve felt constantly on edge.
‘Even my dog was traumatised – now, if anyone touches me, he panics and tries to protect me. Getting a coffee shouldn’t be something you need your wits about you for.
‘I’m so grateful to the staff at Joe & The Juice – they were incredible during the incident and when I went back to see them after.’
