Hesmondhalgh plays Suzanne Sercombe in the new ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and has compared the series to the soap that made her name.
Julie Hesmondhalgh has opened up about how she got ready for her role in Mr Bates vs The Post Office, and how her time on Coronation Street played a key part in the preparation.
In preparation for her role, Hesmondhalgh met with Sercombe, whom she was able to spend an afternoon with.
“I got a little bit of a sense of who she was,” she explained, “and her background and her life and relationship with Alan, and what they’ve been through.”
Speaking about her role in the new drama, Hesmondhalgh revealed portraying Sercombe was one of “the most satisfying jobs” she has done, due to her being able to tell stories she “really believe[s] in”.
She said: “I knew about the Post Office scandal and was incredibly interested in it. And to play a real person? I mean, it’s everything that I would want from my career, actually.
“The most satisfying jobs that I’ve done in my life have been telling stories that I really believe in, and that I feel shift people’s perceptions about something or bring something to the forefront of people’s minds in ways they hadn’t considered before.
“I’m absolutely passionate about drama being able to do that.”
Read more:
Hesmondhalgh, who appeared in Coronation Street between 1998 and 2014, noted how a programme can have “such a far-reaching impact” when talking about an issue – something she realised when she was a part of the soap.
She added: “That’s probably in no small part because of being in Coronation Street for so many years and seeing hearts and minds change, witnessing it for myself, how that programme has such a far-reaching impact when it talks about an issue.”
Mr Bates vs The Post Office will air on ITV1 and ITVX from Monday 1st January 2024. For more, check out our dedicated Drama page or our full TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
Want to visit Death in Paradise locations in Guadeloupe at a discount? Radio Times is offering savings of up to 7% for registered users booking their next holiday with travel website Expedia. Claim your exclusive Radio Times Expedia holiday discount now.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.