‘Christina is a real fighter’

Anna Friel, 40, plays a harassed, penniless single mum-of-three in gritty new BBC drama Broken. Sean Bean is the priest who tries to save her from a car crash life…

his drama is written by Jimmy Mcgovern, who also gave us the award-winning The Street, which you starred in…

TThe Street gave me one of my most rewarding roles. I’m a massive fan of Jimmy Mcgovern, I don’t make that a secret to anybody. I watch and love everything he does. I did The Street about seven years ago, and ever since then I’ve wanted to work with him again.

You play Christina Fitzsimmons – a struggling single-mother?

She’s a real fighter and I like that. Come what may, no matter what’s thrown at her, she still fights to protect her kids. I think it represents truthfully what a lot of women and mothers are forced to face these days.

Your character is bloody and battered at one point; did you do anything special to prepare for such a gritty role?

For me, my preparation was daily concentration and becoming that character. I also spent all my time with Macy (Shackleton), who plays Lisa, my daughter. I think the bond of making a believable mother and daughter can be challenging, but we had an amazing rapport – to the point that I want her to play my daughter in everything!

Was it tough to play such a hardon-her-luck character?

For me, it can be tough not having your family there when you get back to the hotel [Anna is mum to Gracie, 11]. You get back to the loneliness of your room and the older you get, the less exciting travelling is. It’s been good that Christina is lonely.

You filmed in Liverpool. Was it enjoyable being back in that neck of the woods? [Anna hails from Rochdale...]

There are so many things filming in Liverpool right now, which is amazing. I’d not been there for 23 years and I realised that I didn’t get to see any of it. The whole city rocks; with the music and the wonderful people.

So it’s not grim up North then?

Being a Northern girl, I hate the portrayal of the North as being gloomy. During filming I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen, which was just setting behind Liverpool cathedral. The North is beautiful, and in Broken, each vista is like a painting.