When Suranne Jones returned to the Gentleman Jack set to play lesbian icon Anne Lister in the hit BBC period drama, there was one person weighing heavily on her mind.
Suranne, who stars as the strong-willed, stomping, trailblazer Anne, has revealed that whenever she’s stepping into the shoes of a character, she can’t help but think of the woman who served as the ultimate powerhouse in her own life – her late mother Jenny.
Jenny sadly passed away in 2016 following a heartbreaking battle with dementia. But Suranne says her legacy lives on in her own family life, and that she’ll always be grateful that Jenny inspired her to follow her dreams and pursue a career in acting.
The 43-year-old former Coronation Street star, who was born and raised in Manchester by Jenny and her late dad Chris, explained, “There are different icons [in my life]. I had a lot of women in my family, my mum and her sisters, who were always very strong women in different ways, good Northern women.”
Suranne, who has a six-year-old son with her husband of four years, magazine editor Laurence Akers, continued, “My mum was very shy but with a real strength of character underneath, which I’m hoping to share with my son.”
The actress, who has been candid about the devastating impact her mum’s death has had on her, added, “She’s not with us any more, but I think of her often. I had a really good relationship with my mother.”
Suranne also revealed the inspirational actresses who have influenced her life.
She said, “I guess, Julie Walters, Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep – women, as actresses, who can mould themselves and not be afraid of characters.”
That’s something Suranne is certainly following in her portrayal of Anne – a formidable feminist
icon, who paved the way for the LGBTQ+ community as she broke gender norms and vowed to marry the woman she loved.
“I think this has been an opportunity for me to go big or go home,” Suranne said of her scene-stealing part in the series, which is written by acclaimedwriter Sally Wainwright and co-stars Peaky Blinders ’ Sophie Rundle.
“Those women that I loved growing up all have physical comedy, physical presence and
use their bodies, and I think those are the reasons I loved them growing up – because it comes out somewhere along your life, and it definitely does in Gentleman Jack .”
“I stomped round Shibden [Hall in Yorkshire, where the show is filmed] and I would walk around the rehearsal room, going from straight upright to Liam Gallagher,” she laughed, poking fun at the Oasis frontman’s gait that she’s adopted.
And there’s plenty more of Anne’s unique charm for viewers to look forward to as the show returns for eight new episodes.
Anne and her new wife Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle) are settling into married life, just a month after they tied the knot in a private ceremony. Ann is under the care of a doctor in York due to her fragile mental health, while Anne is busy putting the final touches to her house, Shibden Hall, so the pair can move in together.
But, like any relationship, it’s not all smooth sailing, especially with Ann’s protective family worried about the nature of their relationship and their plans to include each other in their respective wills. What’s more, Anne’s past love life comes back to cast a big shadow
on her romance.
After Anne writes to her former lover Mariana Lawton (Lydia Leonard) to let her know she’s moving on, Mariana’s jealousy rears its head, leading to a complicated and passionate love triangle.
Suranne said, “Anne’s always had huge emotional relationships. She falls fast and hard. With Mariana
it’s been ups and downs, and emotionally draining and taxing.
“With Ann Walker, she questions herself. But what viewers will discover is that it is love, but it’s
a very different kind.”
