Life begins at sixty
THE NEXT FEW weeks promise to be exciting times for Lesley Manville. After starring with Daniel Daylewis in the movie Phantom
Thread, the 61-year-old is heading to the Oscars in LA, where she’s up for a Best Supporting Actress gong.
‘I’m like a giddy 12-year-old about it,’ admits Manville, who also returns this week in the second series of BBC2 comedy Mum.
The Bafta-winning show, which has already been commissioned for a third run, sees her as teaching assistant Cathy, who is enduring the trials of early widowhood while dealing with her demanding family.
‘We all felt it was good but we weren’t prepared for how well it was received,’ says Manville. ‘What I love is that it straddles drama and comedy. You can laugh and then in the next five minutes you’re crying.’
As the new series begins, Cathy’s family are about to celebrate her 60th birthday. While her son Jason (Sam Swainsbury) and his fiancée Kelly (Lisa Mcgrillis) constantly remind her about her age, her brother’s snobbish partner
Pauline (Dorothy Atkinson) is appalled at the prospect of heading to a carvery for lunch.
Thankfully, Cathy’s friend Michael (Peter Mullan) is on hand to offer support while trying to hide how much he adores her.
‘Cathy is a kind and generous woman and lets it all wash over her,’ says Manville. ‘She and
Michael are still the emotional centre because you view this mad world through their eyes.’
But can romance finally blossom for them this series?
‘Love takes time, doesn’t it?’ smiles Manville. ‘Michael’s an old friend and her husband’s only been gone a year. His interest is clear, but maybe Cathy will show flashes of feeling something too.’
For Manville, another highlight of making Mum is that the series is part of a growing shift towards better roles for mature actresses.
‘Things are getting better for older women,’ she says. ‘People realise there is a huge audience of over-40s who want to see things that deal with their lives.’
as her career hits new highs, LESLEY MANVILLE reprises her role as cathy in the bittersweet sitcom ‘Cathy is a kind and generous woman and lets it all wash
over her’ lesley manville