Q&A with Lara Ricote who plays Lil

What is Break Clause about?

It’s about a couple who break up the day they move into a flat and have to live with each other for 6 months. So, they are not together but they're forced to be together. It’s about how you face difficulties, what you do when your plans fall apart and how you carry on. I've learned this situation is very common, I have told a bunch of people about it (I love it) and time and time again people have said that has happened to their friend, young people in a housing crisis kind of stuff.

What do you think audiences will enjoy most about the series?

It’s funny. It’s sweet. It’s endearing. You love them both, and you don’t know who to root for.

Who is Lil?

Lil is a girl right at the beginning of figuring herself out. She’s half Mexican, half American. She studied architecture and moved to London because she got a job. She’s funny, and a little bit crazy. She's learning how to be what she's like.

Where do we find Lil at the start of the series?

In the beginning Lil wants out, and she thinks that this is the worst thing that could have happened to her. But then I think she gradually sees it as an opportunity to grow and takes it.

What was it like playing Lil and working on the show?

I feel so lucky. Jess wrote a character that was perfect for me to play. The circumstances of my life were such that I felt very prepared for this role. Lil's like me but a little bit heightened, which is a little bit like me when I do stand up. It was perfect. Working with the cast and crew was such a good experience. Alice, the director, was so amazing, she helped me grow with each take. Working with Samuel was so fun and getting to fight with him so much and make up and fight again was just so good. Watching him act made me better, too. He's wonderful.

What holds Ben and Lil together throughout the show?

I mean apart from what holds them together by law – I think they really like each other. They have a lot of chemistry, and they are really silly together and mainly, they grew up together. They met when they were 18 and broke up when they were 22 – such fundamental years. Lil really became a part of his family since she doesn’t have a great relationship with her family. She doesn’t have the luck in her life to really know about unconditional love,  and she gets to experience it through this guy. It's a deep connection they have.

If you were friends with Lil in real life, what would you say to her?

I would tell her to remember that things change, to enjoy things as they are now, to connect with the fact that this isn't going to be the way that things are forever.

Three emojis to describe the show? 

I’m going with broken heart, house and a hug.