Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Why doc’s looking abs-solutely great
SURANNE Jones has planks to thank for getting her in shape for the return of Doctor Foster.
The actress is back as Gemma Foster next month and series two will see the revenge-loving GP clashing with her ex-husband Simon, who returns to her life.
Suranne, 38, became a mum for the first time when her son was born in March last year, and she did daily planks to give her abs a boost.
She says: “Gemma takes her clothes off at some stage and I’d just had a baby so that planking helped.”
Suranne found her thoughts about the role changed when she became a mum in real life.
She says: “Any actor can play any role, I have played mothers without being a mother.
“I think what it did do, being a wife and a mother, it made me realise the gravitas of that unit falling apart. I would go home at night and would have a baby to put to bed.
“I think it made me realise when two people get together and have a child and then split, what it is to parent a child and be in each other’s lives when you are damaged and hurt.”
Suranne is taking time out to be with her son.
She says: “I feel very grateful because I did a lot of work and now I am taking a lot of time off. So I am there until Christmas now, just down playing in the park.”
Fans won’t be disappointed with the first episode, which features some furious driving by the Doc – who you would not want to share a car with.
Suranne says: “I had quite a lot of fun doing the driving scenes. I did all the driving myself.
“The stunt people said, ‘Would you like to do a day with us?’ and I did promise my husband we could go do some stunt driving so maybe it can be our next date.”
Suranne thinks the BBC One show has been a huge success because her character is “an everywoman”. She says: “You know her. You know someone in your street like her, she is affordable and obtainable. Her life was aspirational until it blew up.
“Men and women will recognise a bit of themselves in our story and it is uncomfortable.
“There is this edgy vibe to it and a weird sexy edge, which is good.”