‘Gemma’s anger has become dark and twisted’
Hurrah! Doctor Foster will be returning to our screens this autumn with Suranne Jones as GP Gemma Foster. We can’t wait to find out what’s in store after the last nail-biting series. Here, Suranne, 38, who has an 18-month-old son with husband Laurence Akers, tells all…
Hi Suranne! So, tell us everything about the show…
It feels so good to be able to talk about it now. It’s been two years and we’ve been working on it for so long! It’s sexy, edgy, dark, thrilling and bold, and there is so much to come for Gemma and Simon. I’m excited to be a part of it.
How did you find juggling filming and being a new mum?
I feel very grateful because I did a lot of work for this series and now I’m taking time off. Basically from now until Christmas I’m in the play park in my Converse! I brought my son to set and everyone was cooing over him. I had him on my hip whilst lining and setting up, and he has very beautiful lips and looked better on camera than I did!
What’s it like to play Gemma?
Gemma is an everywoman, and if you aren’t similar to her in some way then you know someone who is. She was comfortable with her work and family and life with Simon. She would have been happy to have continued with that but everything went catastrophically wrong.
Did becoming a mum change the way you played her?
Being a wife and a mother has made me realise the gravitas of that family unit falling apart. It made me realise when two people split, what it is to be in each other’s life without damaging the child. So it certainly made me more aware of that.
Are you and your on-screen ex-husband Bertie Carvel pals?
I was doing ‘plank squad’ for charity so I was exercising off set, and Bertie decided to plank with us. He could do five minutes without even trying! It didn’t feel like we had many scenes together this time round actually, but when we did they were really intense, so other than planking we just got on with the work.
Should people forgive a cheater?
In series two it shows what betrayal can do to a person. It can make them ugly and act out. Gemma doesn’t behave well at all. In the first series she did that through hurt, but now she’s channelled her anger and it becomes dark and twisted. She doesn’t believe in redemption for Simon, that’s the beauty of our story.
What was the best part of filming?
I did all of the driving myself and had so much fun! The stunt team asked if I wanted them to teach me some tricks, so I’m thinking of taking my husband for some stunt driving – that would be a fun date.