The Gentleman Jack star on traumatic roles, being mistaken for Davina McCall, and the thrill of making her hit naval drama
Suranne Jones, 43, made her name as Coronation Street’s Karen McDonald between 2000 and 2004. She has since established herself as one of the country’s most recognisable actors, with roles in dramas including Scott & Bailey, Doctor Foster and Gentleman Jack, which recently returned to BBC One.
We saw you in Vigil in 2021 – what were your first impressions of the submarine drama that had everyone hooked?
I read the opening of the script, and before I’d finished it, I rang my agent and said: “I want to be airlifted into a submarine!” I said I wouldn’t do a cop show after Scott & Bailey, but I don’t think Vigil had that much procedural language. The cast was brilliant, and what was beautiful was the fact that it wasn’t just about a same-sex relationship, it was about the coming-out and coming-to-terms part of Amy’s sexuality. It was a watercooler moment, with brilliant female characters at the heart of it. I also did the Dominic Savage drama I Am Victoria, which was very different, and very pertinent to people coming out of lockdown who were feeling anxiety, even if they hadn’t before. It was a beautiful experience; I feel like it helped me become my authentic self in the public eye a little bit more. I was like: “Everyone’s figuring this shit out.”
