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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Entertainment
Kate Lally

Maxine Peake nominated for BAFTA for role as Anne Williams

Maxine Peake has been shortlisted for a TV BAFTA award for her portrayal of the late Anne Williams in an ITV drama about the Hillsborough disaster.

Maxine played the heroic mum in a four-part series based on her campaign for truth and justice following the disaster. Praising her portrayal in the poignant series, Anne's daughter Sara Williams has previously said: "I felt I was watching mum."

Anne, which aired last year, detailed the story of the Formby mum whose 15-year-old son Kevin was one of the 97 innocent men, women and children unlawfully killed at the tragic FA Cup semi-final.

READ MORE: Maxine Peake felt 'huge responsibility' to play Anne in ITV Hillsborough drama

It was written by Kevin Sampson, who was at the Sheffield stadium on April 15, 1989 and spoke with Anne for his book Hillsborough Voices.

Anne remained a prominent figure in the campaign for justice up to her death in 2013, just months after the publication of the landmark Hillsborough Independent Panel report. Her efforts to overturn the original flawed inquest verdicts of accidental death included the submission of three memorials to the attorney general.

The mum-of-three also took her son’s case to the European Court of Human Rights. She continues to be a source of inspiration and is the subject of a tribute mural on Anfield Road.

When previously asked about taking on the role of Anne, Maxine said: "There are certain things you just know you have got to do." She described Anne as "a ferocious seeker of truth and justice" but said she did not want to "do an impression" of her subject.

Maxine explained: "You want to get the sense of somebody so I thought all I can do is get a sense of Anne and her fight for justice and her warmth and her humanity and how can I layer that and bring part of myself to it?"

She said she hoped the drama would show the power of standing up in "solidarity, strength and unity", that people can challenge the establishment and that "the little person can take them on".

Maxine has been nominated for Best Leading Actress at this year's award. She is up against Imelda Staunton for her role in the Crown, Kate Winslet for I Am Ruth, Billie Piper for I Hate Suzie Too, Sarah Lancashire for Julia and Vicky McClure for Without Sin.

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