Latest news with #Bafta-winning
Powys County Times
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Happy Valley role born out of fear, Sarah Lancashire says
Bafta-winning actress Sarah Lancashire has said her star role in Happy Valley was 'born out of fear'. Lancashire, 60, won two leading actress Baftas for playing no-nonsense Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC drama set in Hebden Bridge. Her decades-long 'brilliant and intangible' working relationship with writer Sally Wainwright influenced her role, but fear was key to her performance. Discussing the role at Windsor Castle on Tuesday, after being formally made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), Lancashire told the PA news agency: 'That was just born out of fear, abject fear, of feeling quite off-piste. 'Literally it was a leap of faith, jumping off the cliff at midnight in the dark. 'But knowing that somebody has the confidence in you and the belief in you – she (Wainwright) is deeply persuasive as an individual, which I absolutely, really admire, I'm very grateful, always.' Lancashire's breakout role came as fan-favourite barmaid Raquel Watts in Coronation Street, which she played for five years until 1996, appearing in more than 260 episodes. She and Wainwright first met when they were 'cutting their teeth' on the soap opera. The duo later collaborated on the BBC drama Last Tango In Halifax, for which Lancashire won her first Bafta in 2014 for her supporting role. They worked together again on Happy Valley, which ran from 2014 to 2023. Asked what spurred the terror of playing Sergeant Cawood, Lancashire told PA: 'The setting of it, being asked to play something which I had no knowledge of at all – absolutely no knowledge. 'And knowing that the level of research that was available to me was going to be quite limited in the time available. 'But in actual fact – as she (Wainwright) always said – it wasn't a procedural drama, it was not a police drama, it… was a family.' She spoke about performing during a conversation with the Princess Royal at the ceremony at the Berkshire royal residence. Anne told her that she had briefly acted while at boarding school, Lancashire said. The actress told PA: 'We were really talking about performance, and how she'd done a little bit of this when she was at boarding school. 'I think they all had to go onto a stage at some point and it can stand you in very good stead for future roles in life, no matter where it takes you.' Being a professional actor 'is sort of clinging on for dear life', she said. 'It never changes. Very often as an actor you're swimming against the tide whilst standing on shifting sand. 'You feel that you may have some sort of trajectory but then the industry changes, because the industry is ever-evolving – every 10 years, you'll find yourself in an industry which is slightly different, requiring something different from you. 'So you're never secure, there's never a moment where you can be complacent, at all. 'It's sort of a clinging on for dear life, you just hope that you can stay with it.' Her relationship with Wainwright was pivotal in fighting that tide. She said: 'Having known her (Wainwright) for a very long time, decades, and just meeting someone whose voice you admire so much. 'Who knows why… there's an alchemy, that just works. It's a wonderful thing when you find it, not that I was looking for it, but it just happens – that's a tremendous thing.'
RTÉ News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Happy Valley role born out of fear, Sarah Lancashire says
Bafta-winning actress Sarah Lancashire has said her star role in Happy Valley was "born out of fear". Lancashire, 60, won two leading actress Baftas for playing no-nonsense Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the BBC drama set in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. Her decades-long "brilliant and intangible" working relationship with writer Sally Wainwright influenced her role, but fear was key to her performance. Discussing the role at Windsor Castle in the UK on Tuesday, after being formally made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), Lancashire told the PA news agency: "That was just born out of fear, abject fear, of feeling quite off-piste. "Literally it was a leap of faith, jumping off the cliff at midnight in the dark. "But knowing that somebody has the confidence in you and the belief in you - she (Wainwright) is deeply persuasive as an individual, which I absolutely, really admire, I'm very grateful, always." The actress's breakout role came as fan-favourite barmaid Raquel Watts in Coronation Street, which she played for five years until 1996, appearing in more than 260 episodes. She and Wainwright first met when they were "cutting their teeth" on the soap opera. The duo later collaborated on the BBC drama Last Tango In Halifax, for which Lancashire won her first Bafta in 2014 for her supporting role. They worked together again on Happy Valley, which ran from 2014 to 2023. Asked what spurred the terror of playing Sergeant Cawood, Lancashire told PA: "The setting of it, being asked to play something which I had no knowledge of at all - absolutely no knowledge. "And knowing that the level of research that was available to me was going to be quite limited in the time available. "But in actual fact - as she (Wainwright) always said - it wasn't a procedural drama, it was not a police drama, it… was a family." She spoke about performing during a conversation with the Princess Royal at the ceremony at the Berkshire royal residence. Anne told her that she had briefly acted while at boarding school, Lancashire said. The actress told the news agency: "We were really talking about performance, and how she'd done a little bit of this when she was at boarding school. "I think they all had to go onto a stage at some point and it can stand you in very good stead for future roles in life, no matter where it takes you." Being a professional actor "is sort of clinging on for dear life", she said. "It never changes. Very often as an actor you're swimming against the tide whilst standing on shifting sand. "You feel that you may have some sort of trajectory but then the industry changes, because the industry is ever-evolving - every 10 years, you'll find yourself in an industry which is slightly different, requiring something different from you. "So, you're never secure, there's never a moment where you can be complacent, at all. "It's sort of a clinging on for dear life; you just hope that you can stay with it." Her relationship with Wainwright was pivotal in fighting that tide. She said: "Having known her (Wainwright) for a very long time, decades, and just meeting someone whose voice you admire so much. "Who knows why… there's an alchemy, that just works. It's a wonderful thing when you find it, not that I was looking for it, but it just happens - that's a tremendous thing."
ITV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire to be honoured with CBE at Windsor Castle
Bafta-winning actress Sarah Lancashire will be among those honoured at Windsor Castle as she is made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). Lancashire, 60, from Oldham, is to attend an investiture ceremony at the royal residence on Tuesday 22 July, after she was made a CBE for services to drama in the New Year Honours. The actress has won plaudits for her performances in TV shows including Happy Valley and Last Tango In Halifax, following her breakthrough role as Raquel Watts in soap opera Coronation Street during the 1990s, appearing in more than 260 episodes. After leaving the cobbles, Lancashire earned praise for her TV drama work including on the BBC's critically acclaimed Clocking Off from 2000 until 2003 – a series about factory workers. She earned her first Bafta award in 2014 for her supporting role in the BBC comedy-drama series Last Tango In Halifax. In 2017 she earned the best actress Bafta for her portrayal of no-nonsense Sergeant Catherine Cawood in the Yorkshire-set thriller Happy Valley, and became an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to drama. Among others to be honoured on Tuesday are trampoline gold medallist Bryony Page. The 34-year-old from Crewe, Cheshire, is to be made an MBE for services to trampoline gymnastics. Page won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in individual trampoline. Cyclists Jenny Holl, Dannielle Khan, Emma Finucane and Katy Marchant are being honoured. All four are being made Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) for services to cycling. Paralympic swimmer Alice Tai is to be made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to swimming.
ITV News
a day ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Delays to Hillsborough Law ‘extraordinary', Liverpool writer Jimmy McGovern says
The writer of a docudrama about the Hillsborough disaster says delays to the introduction of a new law are 'extraordinary'. Liverpool-born writer Jimmy McGovern, whose Bafta-winning 1996 drama Hillsborough drew attention to the families' fight for justice, said he had been following the progress of legislation for Hillsborough Law, which would include a duty for public bodies to tell the truth in the aftermath of major disasters, as well as legal aid for families. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to bring in the law by the 36th anniversary of the tragedy, which was on 15 April, but Downing Street said more time was needed to redraft it, amid fears it had been watered down and would not include a legal duty of candour. McGovern said: 'I just think it's extraordinary. What's going on there is people are demanding the right to lie. 'That's what it's all about. 'They don't want a law that will tell public officials that they must tell the truth. 'It killed 97 people, Hillsborough, and so they are demanding the right to lie over another Hillsborough. 'We demand the right to lie again'. Extraordinary.' An attempt by Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne to introduce the Bill was blocked in the House of Commons earlier this month. McGovern's drama told the story of the tragedy at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, in which 97 men, women and children died, and examined the build-up and aftermath. It has been credited as a key part in the families' fight for justice, which saw original inquest verdicts overturned and new inquests which found that the victims were unlawfully killed. McGovern said his work did not change anything, apart from the agenda. He said: 'The change was all brought about by the sheer determination of the Hillsborough families. 'But I take great pleasure in the fact that my docudrama did change the agenda for a short time.' He said writing drama offered the opportunity to give a different perspective on an issue. 'That's why the powers that be are always sniffy about docudrama, because the camera goes to the places where they don't want it to go,' he said. The writer said he was in a Manchester pub in 1982 when news came through that Argentine Navy cruiser the ARA General Belgrano had been sunk by the British during the Falklands War. He said: 'People in the pub stood up and cheered. 'And I said to myself, they should be on that ship. They should see what it's like. 'Well, the camera can do that. The camera fights against that kind of cheap, easy, bloodthirsty reaction.' McGovern's new drama, Unforgivable, airs on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday 24 July.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Delays to Hillsborough Law ‘extraordinary', writer Jimmy McGovern says
McGovern, whose Bafta-winning 1996 drama Hillsborough drew attention to the families' fight for justice, said he had been following the progress of the legislation, which would include a duty for public bodies to tell the truth in the aftermath of major disasters, as well as legal aid for families. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had pledged to bring in the law by the 36th anniversary of the tragedy, which was on April 15, but Downing Street said more time was needed to redraft it, amid fears it had been watered down and would not include a legal duty of candour. McGovern told the PA news agency: 'I just think it's extraordinary. What's going on there is people are demanding the right to lie. 'That's what it's all about. 'They don't want a law that will tell public officials that they must tell the truth. 'It killed 97 people, Hillsborough, and so they are demanding the right to lie over another Hillsborough. 'We demand the right to lie again'. Extraordinary.' An attempt by Liverpool West Derby MP Ian Byrne to introduce the Bill was blocked in the House of Commons earlier this month. McGovern's drama told the story of the tragedy at the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, in which 97 men, women and children died, and examined the build-up and aftermath. It has been credited as a key part in the families' fight for justice, which saw original inquest verdicts overturned and new inquests which found that the victims were unlawfully killed. McGovern said his work did not change anything, apart from the agenda. He said: 'The change was all brought about by the sheer determination of the Hillsborough families. 'But I take great pleasure in the fact that my docudrama did change the agenda for a short time.' He said writing drama offered the opportunity to give a different perspective on an issue. 'That's why the powers that be are always sniffy about docudrama, because the camera goes to the places where they don't want it to go,' he said. The writer said he was in a Manchester pub in 1982 when news came through that Argentine Navy cruiser the ARA General Belgrano had been sunk by the British during the Falklands War. He said: 'People in the pub stood up and cheered. 'And I said to myself, they should be on that ship. They should see what it's like. 'Well, the camera can do that. The camera fights against that kind of cheap, easy, bloodthirsty reaction.' McGovern's new drama, Unforgivable, airs on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday and will be available on BBC iPlayer.
