Since Sophie Turner was crowned Queen in the North in Game of Thrones, the 28-year-old star has been a regular in street style lists and gossip columns. But, we’ve seen less of her on our screens than we’d like. This is all about to change with the release of her new true crime drama Joan, out now.
The series deals with the life of notorious 1980s jewel thief Joan Hannington. Trailers and behind-the-scenes images have, up until now, whet our appetite for a show that looks heavy on glam-1980s beauty looks and power dressing. But, there’s more to the true-life drama than a series of (excellent) wigs. Here’s everything you need to know about Joan.
What Is Sophie Turner’s New TV Series ‘Joan’ About?
The British ITVX-produced six-episode miniseries details the life of Joan Hannington, a real-life jewel thief with an extraordinary story. It’s based on Hannington’s memoir, I Am What I Am: The True Story of Britain’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief, and screenwriter Anna Symon developed the series in consultation with Hannington herself.
What Is The True Story Behind ‘Joan’?
Hannington was referred to as a “criminal mastermind” and “The Godmother.” The youngest of six children, she left school at 13 and married her first husband, Ray Pavey, a convicted armed robber ten years her senior, at 17 and fell pregnant with their child.
The series starts in the 1980s with Hannington, a mother of four-year-old Debby in her twenties, struggling with the fallout from a disastrous marriage. When her husband disappears, she asks social services to place her daughter in foster care.
After Debbie was placed into foster care, a desperate Hannington was caught by police trying to steal a car so she could visit her daughter, which eventually led to custody of her daughter being awarded to foster family.
So commences Hannington’s journey to carve out a life for herself and find a way back to her daughter. Hannington uses a fake reference to get a job at an exclusive jewellery store. It’s here that she had her first brush with major crime. She was sent to the safe at the back of the shop to collect loose diamonds; she grabbed a handful worth £800,000, swallowed them and eventually sold them through dealers.
Eventually, she meets Boisie Hannington, an antique dealer and career criminal who becomes her second husband. He shows her how to hone her skills, and she discovers she has a penchant for impersonation and disguise. She becomes Britain’s most successful jewel thief, stealing millions of pounds of “priceless” items.
At the age of 24, Hannington was arrested for using a fake cheque book, which resulted in a 30-month prison sentence.
After her sentence was served, crime’s magnetic pull proved too strong for Hannington to resist, and after successfully applying for a job in an upmarket jewellery store, she slipped into her old ways, switching out pieces for fakes and swallowing rings to the total of approximately 400,000 pounds.
At age 33 she was widowed after Boisie was killed attempting to commit insurance fraud by burning down a house – an act that provided the catalyst for Hannington to rethink her life’s choices and start afresh. The real-life Hannington packed up her life of crime and moved to Islington in north London, where she still lives today.
What Sophie Turner Has Said About Filming ‘Joan’
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— best of sophie turner (@badpost_sophiet) September 12, 2023Sophie Turner spotted on the set of 'JOAN' in Spain today. pic.twitter.com/aVlbVvj7VN
When Sophie Turner was spotted on the set of Joan in May 2023, it was her first public appearance since reports that she and her husband, Joe Jonas had split. The actor told British Vogue shooting the series during this time was challenging. “I remember I was on set, I was contracted to be on set for another two weeks, so I couldn’t leave. My kids were in the States, so I couldn’t get to them because I had to finish Joan. And all these articles started coming out.” Their separation has since escalated into a high-profile celebrity drama. Attempted lawsuits and accusations of public smear campaigns have flown. Turner, who has two children with Jonas, will have much to bring to the role of this fiery single mother.
Turner said of the role: “She [Hannington] is one of the most notorious figures in the criminal underworld of London, earning her the nickname ‘The Godmother’. “A woman who goes between her thriving and daring career as a jewel thief, all whilst trying to get her daughter back from social services, we see a mother in despair swept up in the exhilarating world of crime.”
Anne Symons, the series writer who worked with Hannington to bring the story to life, said she was excited to see Turner in the role. “From penniless single parent to accomplished diamond thief, Joan Hannington’s life story is a thrilling, rags-to-riches rollercoaster. I couldn’t be more excited to watch the stellar talent Sophie Turner step into Joan’s shoes.”
1980s Beauty and Fashion: Costumes On ‘Joan‘
Take a look at the trailer; you’ll see there’s plenty to anticipate from Joan on the style front. Joan Hannington said in her memoir that she attended the hairdresser every day to have her signature white blonde hair touched up. She also claimed she owned 11 fur coats and 2,000 pairs of shoes. It seems Hannington’s look, and the way she manipulates it to dupe victims, will be central to the plot. The trailer opens with Turner applying makeup and fiddling with wigs; and the short trailer is packed with shoulder pads and power suits. Richard Cooke is directing the costume, with Ripley Dale-Gulston directing the hair and makeup. We’ve got a feeling Joan will keep the 1980s “mob wife” aesthetic ticking well into summer.
Where can you watch Joan in Australia?
All six episodes of Joan season one are now available to binge on Nine’s streaming platform Stan.
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This article originally appeared on Marie Claire Australia and is republished here with permission.
