telly talk: ashley Jensen
Former Extras and Ugly Betty star Ashley Jensen is playing registrar Kate Dickenson in the Kay Mellor drama Love, Lies & Records on BBC1. She told us about juggling work and motherhood, keeping her accent and how filming left her emotionally drained…
You’re mostly known for comedy, so did you feel pressure having the lead role in a drama?
I think people know me from funny stuff, so it was exciting to do a drama. And because I started at the bottom, I feel as if I’ve served an apprenticeship and was ready for the challenge! I didn’t personally feel the weight as being on set is a collaborative thing and every job is vital.
Are you a fan of Kay Mellor?
I’ve loved Kay’s work for years and she writes television that people want to watch. Her writing is about human frailty and emotion and she taps into that really well! The script was a real page-turner. Halfway through reading the final episode I didn’t know how it was going to end!
Kate is torn between her family and her job. Is that something you relate to?
Yes, it’s the sort of thing a lot of women deal with, trying to be a superwoman. It’s that guilt people have of not quite ticking all the boxes all the time!
The drama is set in Leeds. Did you consider doing a Leeds accent?
I use my own Scottish accent for everything now. I didn’t contemplate a different one because I think there’s no need in such a cosmopolitan world.
Did you know what a registrar’s job involved before doing this?
I didn’t realise some of the stuff they deal with! We met these wonderful registrars for research and they deal with people at their most vulnerable – death, marriage, birth, all these high drama points. I like to hear people’s stories, but I think I’d get too involved. Just filming this, I felt I’d been through the ringer! It’s been emotional!