'Conviction' Star Hayley Atwell Was Sad 'Agent Carter' Had to End

Fans of the ABC series “Agent Carter” can find solace in the fact that Hayley Atwell, too, was sad about the show ending.

“I’ve been in Peggy’s world for seven years. That’s when I did the first ‘Captain America’ film,” Atwell said in an interview on ABC News’ “Popcorn With Peter Travers.” “And I had no idea, no expectation of where it would lead me and how far it would take me, so I felt very grateful for it. “

Atwell played the Marvel universe’s Peggy Carter in both movies and on television before the series concluded after two seasons this year.

“I was sad that I’d miss out on going to work every day with my friends,” Atwell, 34, added.

These days, Atwell stars on another ABC series, “Conviction,” as Hayes Morrison, a former first daughter and lawyer who investigates previous cases to make sure justice was served.

Atwell described her character as “a bit like Chelsea Clinton and Lindsay Lohan’s love child.”

“You can see Hayes Morrison is someone whose been brought up in a very scrutinized public arena of this political world of father having been a president, and she would have been scrutinized and brought up in a way that’s very unnatural and very unhealthy for a child,” said Atwell. “So I like to see Hayes as someone who is responding to be raised in a very difficult environment as best she can.”

Though most people recognize her as Peggy Carter, Atwell has been acting since she was a child.

Atwell, whose father is American and mother is British, grew up going to school in London and spending summers in Kansas City, Missouri.

She recalled acting in the Royal Shakespeare Company in her early 20s as a time “when I was late for everything and couldn’t get my crap together.” Atwell said one of her most embarrassing moments occurred while she was appearing in a serious play.

“I was in the wing preparing to go on, and the actor in the wings on the other side just [gasped], and I just went, ‘What are you talking about?’” Atwell said. “And I walked on stage and I looked down and my gym bra was attached to the outside of my dress … so for the rest of the scene I just kind of grabbed it and used it as a … handkerchief.”

Humor, Atwell said, saved her.

“Humor I feel is the best medicine. … When we’re on set of ‘Conviction,’ my absolute dream moments are making the other actor laugh when the camera’s on them,” she said.

“Just that moment of you know you can’t laugh which means that you desperately want to and how you manage that line and doing something for another actor that place where they’re going to break is pretty much what I live for.”

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