Irish Sunday Mirror

I’ll stick to playing Queen Vic

But Jenna faces made-up future

- BY HALINA WATTS Showbiz Editor and JAMES DESBOROUGH halina.watts@mirror.co.uk

JENNA Coleman looks set to make a regal return to our screens as Victoria – but it might be a challenge to keep up royal appearance­s.

The 34-year-old actress, currently starring in BBC drama The Serpent, is in talks about the fourth series of ITV’S historical hit and says there is enough material for her to carry on playing the monarch for decades.

But if Jenna is going to grow old on screen like the queen, who ruled for 63 years, it is more likely that she will need to face up to using prosthetic­s.

Asked about her future on the drama, Jenna said: ‘” We are in the process of discussing it at the moment and timelines. The problem is there’s too much story.

“Effectivel­y I could play this part until I am well into my 60s.

“But obviously, at the moment, there is only a certain age that I could take it up to – unless I am in prosthetic­s every day for hours on end. “I am working it out.” Victoria, who died at 81, was the UK’S longest reigning monarch until she was surpassed p by yq Queen Elizabeth II, , who is 94 and has reigned for 68 years. Jenna confirmed last year that th a t Victoria was t a akin k i ng g a “bi bit t of a breath e r ” after its third series, while producers decided where to take the story next. But the show ended on a cliffhange­r. Victoria had just given birth to her seventh child when her husband Prince Albert – played by Jenna’s real-life ex Tom Hu Hughes – collapsed. Writ Writer Daisy Goodwin has promis promised the fourth series will b be “an absolute humdi humdinger” when it hits our screens. Jenna shot to fame as Jasmine Jasm Thomas in Emme Emmerdale before hitting the big time on Do Doctor Who. She starred as sidekick Clara Oswal Oswald alongside two incarn incarnatio­ns of the Timelord – played pla by Matt Smith and Peter Cap Capaldi – from 2012 until 2017 B But she thinks her varied career path means her talents are appreciate­d by viewers of all ages. Talking about her fans she said: “If it is a family, then the p parents are Queen Victoria or the chil children are Doctor Who.” Jenn Jenna also revealed her dream roles

would be Hedda Gabler – described as the female Hamlet – or Cleopatra while speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends. But her latest role is another departure. She plays a serial killer’s girlfriend in The Serpent, which kicked off on BBC1 on New Year’s Day. Set in the mid-1970s and inspired by real events, the eight-part thriller follows the extraordin­ary story of conman and mass murderer Charles Sobhraj, played by acclaimed French actor Tahar Rahim. Jenna stars as MarieAndré­e Leclerc, who Soghraj manipulate­d into becoming his accomplice. Speaking about the role recently, Jenna said: “It’s definitely one of the most terrifying jobs I’ve done. “I knew I was going to be walking on set with Tahar Rahim. “Plus, Marie-andrée is actually from Quebec, and the French- Canadian accent is so specific.”

 ??  ?? SERIES 1 A fresh-faced Jenna makes her royal debut
AGEING Victoria at 1894 christenin­g of baby Prince Edward
SERIES 3 Looking young as ever with her co-star Tom
SERIES 1 A fresh-faced Jenna makes her royal debut AGEING Victoria at 1894 christenin­g of baby Prince Edward SERIES 3 Looking young as ever with her co-star Tom
 ??  ?? BIG TIMELORD Jenna as Clara Oswald & Doctor Who star Matt
BIG TIMELORD Jenna as Clara Oswald & Doctor Who star Matt
 ??  ?? KILLER ROLE In Beeb drama The Serpent with Tahar
KILLER ROLE In Beeb drama The Serpent with Tahar

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