JODIE’S A PORN AGAIN SCOUSER
Actress thought about losing Liverpool lilt but it’s perfect for her new role in Alan Bennett’s blue movie monologue
straight to the camera, it becomes clear to the audience that she’s signed on to appear in a pornographic movie.
Jodie admitted she initially couldn’t watch Dame Julie Walters’ original monologue.
“I watched the first two minutes, then switched it off,” the younger actress revealed.
“I love Julie Walters but I didn’t want to be influenced and end up mimicking her in some way. But once I started working with (director) Josie Rourke and found my confidence, I did watch it and I’m glad, because I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
As the monologue progresses, Lesley changes, starting off as quite middle class and actress-like but then becoming more northern. Jodie then used her normal accent but admitted she was worried what viewers would think.
She said: “When you first see her, it’s like she’s presenting this idea of herself. I love this idea of the way we all have a phone voice.
“It’s like Scouse, only it’s all a little bit better pronounced, but it’s still where she’s from. And then the more she relaxes and is more honest with the audience, you see who she truly is. I thought, ‘Oh God, do you think people are going to think that I just got the accent wrong?’” For the new series of Talking Heads, all the actors had to film while socially distant, which created challenges. “Usually, when you’re on set it’s chaotic,” said Jodie. “With this, when I got to set you could hear a pin drop. It was so quiet. “And there must’ve been about two people, I think, on the actual set at any given time. That was so surreal.”
Asked whether things have improved for women in the acting industry since Bennett wrote Her Big Chance in 1987, Jodie exclaimed: “Oh my God, I hope so! I do think now we’re in an age where women have more voice within the industry. My voice is something that I find more each time as I’m kind of navigating through my work.”
In the era of Zoom calls, the look of Talking Heads is perfect for our times. And it seems Jodie is also like the rest of us.
Asked how she had been spending lockdown, she said: “I’m in Liverpool and it’s been fine for me. I’m full of biscuits.”
Read the full interview in this week’s Radio Times. Talking Heads is on BBC1, June 23, at 9pm.