Anna Friel pays tribute to 'amazing' Unforgivable co-star she's now 'a big fan' of
Anna Friel is once again returning to screens and Liverpool - a city that she has always held dear after her acting career took off massively following a stint on the hugely popular British soap opera Brookside, in 1993.
She played the role of Beth Jordache, portraying the first openly lesbian character in a soap, including the famous kissing scene with Nicola Stephenson, who depicted Margaret Clemence.
Since then, she has gone on to achieve huge fame in shows such as Deep Water, Pushing Daisies and also won an International Emmy Award for Best Actress for her part in ITV's Marcella.
Now, the critically acclaimed actress, will form part of the incredible cast in BBC's powerful drama Unforgivable. The new 90-minute series penned by the brilliant Cracker screenwriter Jimmy McGovern, sees her take on the role of Anna Mitchell.
The story is Liverpool-based and centres around the lives of the Mitchell family who have been dealing with the devastating consequences of grooming and sexual abuse.
Anna's brother Joe, played by Bobby Schofield, is the person who has committed the awful crimes and has been released from prison after serving a two year jail term.
Alongside Anna and Bobby, Line of Duty actress Anna Maxwell Martin, takes on the role of Katherine, a former nun, who is helping Joe to rehabilitate through therapy.
Adolescence star Austin Hayes, stars as Anna's eldest son and David Threlfall, plays the role of Anna's father, who becomes angry after realising she'd reached out to her abuser brother Joe.
Each character has a unique role to play with showcasing how sexual abuse can completely ripple through a family as they all attempt to regain a sense of normality after facing the aftermath of such a devastating crime.
The drama has landed on BBC's streaming platform this morning at 6am and will air tonight, from 9pm on BBC2, with the compelling story already proving to be a drama not to be missed.
Away from the launch of the much talked about feature, Anna Friel has paid tribute to her Unforgivable co-stars and explained what life was really like behind-the-scenes.
Speaking about her relationship with the star-studded cast, she had nothing but praise to air for her on-screen peers. In a conversation with BBC, she said: "I loved my scenes with David Threlfall, he became a new friend in my life."
The former soap star added: "I hadn't met Anna Maxwell Martin before, but I've always thought she's an amazing actress and it was wonderful to find she's an amazing person.
"We didn't have any scenes together apart from in the courtroom, but I'm a big fan. Bobby provides such a complex performance."
Unforgivable will air on BBC Two at 9pm this Thursday and will be available on BBC iPlayer from the same day.
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