Sheridan Smith in floods of tears while filming new ITV drama after painful family death
Sheridan Smith was left emotionally shattered whilst filming her latest drama I Fought The Law.
The BAFTA-winning star portrays campaigner Ann Ming, whose daughter Julie was brutally killed in 1989. The role brought back painful memories of her brother's heartbreaking death from cancer when she was merely eight years old.
She revealed: "This is the first real life story I've taken on since becoming a mum and there are different things I tap into now being a mother myself, especially with what Ann went through." It comes after a Midsomer Murders star was revealed as Sheridan's replacement in a 'gripping' thriller.
"I've played parents that lose their kids before, and having lost my older brother, I would always think about what my mum must have gone through. While playing Ann, those feelings were much more raw to tap into."
The programme follows Ann's battle to overturn an 800 year old double jeopardy law in her quest for justice for her daughter. Taking on such a weighty subject matter took a devastating toll on Sheridan, reports the Daily Star.
She continued: "Whenever I play a real person, I really want to feel how they felt. I didn't go to drama school and I haven't been trained as an actor, so I don't really know how to turn those feelings on and off.
"I just really try to go there emotionally. Ann was obviously in a state of angst from the minute Julie went missing, because she had that mother's instinct, she just knew.
"And she fought and fought for justice. So she was in a state of anxiety for years, and I really tried to go there."
Shooting I Fought The Law has proved the most challenging role Sheridan has ever undertaken. Yet she's not grumbling because her struggles pale in comparison to what Ann experienced.
She explained: "I love playing real people because this job is all about people's hearts and getting their stories out there, so if it causes me a few months of distress, that's nothing.
"It's just important for me to do Ann justice. Playing her has hit me more than any other role.
"There were some really intense days on this job, but the emotion was a fraction of what it must have felt like for Ann, so you just get on with it."
The programme will broadcast this autumn on ITV1.
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