SOAP LEGEND JULIE
Dustin was eye-opener
SIX words on a sign hanging around the neck of a young boy tugged at the heart of actress Julie Hesmondhalgh.
“Hello, I’m Jack, I have autism,” the message read.
It was there to explain apparent “misbehaviour” to passers-by.
Julie will never forget it. And it gave her added incentive for her new role – as a special needs teacher in BBC1’s The A Word.
The show, back for a third series, follows the life of autistic Joe Hughes – played by Max Vento, 10 – and his family.
And Julie, who made her debut last Tuesday, is happy to help shine a light on autism.
The actress – who played Corrie’s Hayley Cropper for 16 years – says: “I’ve seen a child with a sign around their neck alerting people to the fact they are autistic, just so that people aren’t like, ‘Oh, that mother can’t control her child’ or ‘What terrible manners that child has’.
“It was in a park in London and it said, ‘Hello, I’m Jack, I have autism’.
Space
“It wasn’t negative but was obviously designed to give people a little bit of space to respect what was going on and how difficult it was.
“I remember wondering how many times his mother had been eye-rolled or tutted at for her to make that decision, so her son could just be free in the park, being himself without all that judgment.
“It’s just heartbreaking when you think about what they must have been through as a family to get to that point.”
Julie, 50, has never shied away from tackling social issues through work – and has spoken passionately about social unfairness to Labour delegates.
She became a household name as Coronation Street’s Hayley in 1998, the soap’s first trans character.
Her departure 16 years later was equally thought-provoking as 10.6million watched her take her life as terminal cancer took its toll.
Then in 2017 Julie played rape survivor Trisha Winterman in ITV’s hit drama Broadchurch – drawing attention to a traumatic issue.
And Julie is glad to help initiate such public conversation.
She says: “I feel really lucky that I have had these roles because it’s the stuff I’m interested in as a viewer.
“I want to see shows that are talking about the big issues. I want to be entertained as well, but I want questions to be asked of me and I want to have my eyes opened to the world.
“I think Broadchurch was an extraordinary example of that. I feel so proud about that role
It is just so heartbreaking to think what they have been through as a family ACTRESS JULIE AFTER SEEING YOUNG LAD WITH AUTISM SIGN
because of the response from survivors about how it was shown in a way they hadn’t seen before. It was part of a really big conversation about the way sexual violence and rape is portrayed on television.
“The fact that they cast me, an ordinary looking middle-aged woman, was really significant. “That in itself had a lot to say about what sexual assault is, that it’s an act of violence, not an act of desire. So I feel lucky I’ve had these opportunities. I think this role on A Word, again, will start conversations, because you don’t see a lot of teachers in this environment on TV, what they go through every day and how tough it is educating the child but also supporting the wider family unit.”
Julie spent time with teachers in a special needs school to ensure she portrayed her character accurately and with “sensitivity and empathy”.
She goes on: “Anyone who spends a day in a school like this will leave