‘The most challenging role of my life’
Joanne Froggatt chats about her latest role in ITV’s gripping six-part series Liar
Midway through ITV’s psychological thriller Liar, the truth begins to emerge – and there are far more twists, turns and shocks to come. And for Downton Abbey actress Joanne Froggatt, who plays Laura, the role has been truly demanding. “I’ve played quite a few demanding characters throughout my career but Laura is possibly the most challenging – both emotionally and physically,” she says. “Quite often she makes decisions that I wished she wouldn’t; she makes some wrong turns certainly, and, as an actress, I had to do a lot of research to find some reasoning for the way she behaves and the way she reacts. She’s angry, quite reactive, and doesn’t always think about the consequences of her actions. She deals with things by diving in head-on rather than trying to work things out and taking a step back, looking at things as a whole. “But as with all the characters in this show, she is flawed, she is human, as we all are, and that’s what interested me about her really.” With the question of sexual consent being such a sensitive one, Joanne wanted to make sure she got it right. “My worst fear would be that somebody at home watching, having experienced a similar situation, would not believe my performance – or that they wouldn’t believe I’d put
my heart and soul into it,” she reveals. “So, I feel it is a massive responsibility. But I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It all helps you to push yourself even further, to ensure you’re always checking yourself and checking it’s the best work you can do – and to keep the standard up.” It's not the first time Joanne, who played lady's maid Anna Bates in Downton Abbey, has dealt with the controversial subject of rape. In 2014, viewers were left shocked when her gentle character was brutally attacked by a visiting valet. She won a Golden Globe for her performance but did she worry about playing a rape victim – or at least a woman who believes herself to be one – for the second time? “It did make me question whether to take on the role of Laura,” Joanne goes on. “I did read the script of Liar and think, ‘Oh, if only it was a different subject matter’. But then I told myself this character Laura is so completely different in every way; I’ve played a murderer three times, so actually it’s OK. I’m an actress, I’ve been doing it for 20 years. Sometimes subject matters are going to come around again. “Obviously, when I started Downton, my character wasn’t going through a traumatic time and it was sort of a love story. I didn’t know I was going to be given that storyline but I still stand by it completely and utterly.” Speaking of Downton, does Joanne (37) have any insider news on the rumoured, and much talked about, film version of the award-winning period drama? “Everyone would like to do it if we can but it’s tricky – there has been a lot of goodwill from all of us but logistically, it’s a bit of a minefield,” she says. “It’s very difficult to get all 22 actors together.” Joanne’s slight, almost fragile frame betrays a determined ambition. She wanted to become an actress since primary school. “I’d heard about The Stage newspaper, so used to get my local newsagent to order it in for me specially,” she says. “I think my parents were hoping I’d be a vet. My most vivid childhood memory is of making a home movie with my family when I was about six. My brother was director and it starred me and my cousins and was about a mountain rescue.” Three years at Redroofs Theatre School (Kate Winslet’s old school in Reading) followed before the powers-that-be, so impressed with Joanne’s talent, gave her a grant to cover the fees. It meant leaving home at just 13, but she was determined to succeed. Twenty four years later, her career is flourishing, plus she’s happily married to IT manager James Cannon, who she met on a night out with old Redroofs school friends. The couple live in rural Buckinghamshire and although she has been thinking about working in the US, she says the UK will always be home. “The best thing about Britain is that the people I love, live here. My favourite part of the countryside is the North Yorkshire moors where I grew up. I have always found it a beautiful, romantic and wild landscape.” And as far as work is concerned what are her plans for the future? “It would be nice to do lots of different roles and swap between television, film and theatre like Judi Dench and Helen Mirren do,” she reveals. “Now that would be the perfect mix.” Liar is on ITV on Mondays at 9pm. Catch up with episodes on the ITV Hub