‘She managed to dust herself off’: Suranne Jones reveals that playing pioneering lesbian Anne Lister helped her during mental health battle
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Suranne Jones has revealed that playing the pioneering lesbian, Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack helped her during her battle with anxiety and depression.
The actress, 43, has spoken openly about her mental health in the past as she struggled to deal with the death of her mother in 2016 and then the death of her father in January last year.
The tragic events had a profound effect on Suranne, who detailed that her characters ‘robust’ and ‘positive’ mental health was inspiring to her.
‘She managed to dust herself off and move on’: Suranne Jones, 43, has revealed that playing the pioneering lesbian Anne Lister helped her own mental health battle
Speaking at the press launch for Gentleman Jack series two in Halifax, she explained: ‘I’ve talked a lot about my own mental health. Anne Lister’s mental health was very robust and she was so positive.
‘She felt things very deeply but managed to dust herself off and move on. That’s what you need to do.
‘That’s something she has taught all of us. I feel it when I watch it.’
Trailblazer: Suranne detailed that her characters ‘robust’ and ‘positive’ mental health was inspiring to her after she struggled with the death of her parents (Pictured with Sophie Rundle)
The award-winning TV period drama, created by Sally Wainwright and set in the 1830s is based on Anne’s diaries, which were part-written in a cryptic code.
Sophie Rundle is also reprising her role for the new season as she plays Suranne’s on-screen lover, Ann Walker.
All eyes are on Anne and Ann as they set up home together at Shibden Hall as wife and wife, determined to combine their estates and become a power couple.
The BBC official synopsis teases: ‘Anne Lister’s entrepreneurial spirit frightens the locals as much as her unconventional love life and, with Halifax on the brink of revolution.’
Inspiring: The BBC official synopsis teases: ‘Anne Lister’s entrepreneurial spirit frightens the locals as much as her unconventional love life and, with Halifax on the brink of revolution’
Suranne admitted her anxiety peaked as lockdown restrictions began to ease while she was grieving her father and revealed that she was taking medication in August.
Speaking on an episode of Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast, she explained she had been unsure whether or not to touch upon the fact she was currently medicated, however decided: ‘I think there’s a huge taboo around it. I decided last night I should because it’s important.’
In the aftermath of her father Chris’ death at the beginning of the year, Suranne explained: ‘I wasn’t coping again so I had to go on medication.’
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The actress also revealed that she had been on medication the year before the pandemic hit, however made the decision to stop taking pharmaceuticals because she ‘felt really good’.
Heartbreaking: Suranne’s father Chris died of COVID in January, she said: ‘He was there for three months in ICU. He didn’t make it’
Suranne told Fearne, 39: ‘The pandemic hit, and my dad got sick. I got a call from my dad and he was grey and he couldn’t breathe and he said that he’d done a COVID test and it was positive.
‘So my work – Gentleman Jack – sent him a medic and the medic said he needed to go to hospital.
‘He was there for three months in ICU. He didn’t make it and then I got COVID myself at Christmas.
‘At that point I felt like I wasn’t coping again so I had to go on medication.’
Tragic: In 2016, Suranne lost her mum, Jenny, after she passed away from vascular dementia (Pictured: Her parents on their wedding day)
Suranne added: ‘I think it’s important to say that I’m doing great and I’m still filming my job and professionally I’ve always been really strong and on point.
‘But I’m on medication, and at some point I’ll need to get off that.’
Suranne also revealed that she had been prescribed medication in the wake of her mother’s death in 2016.
‘She slowly got worse and she developed dementia and she was in a home. In 2016 I had my son, and by the end of 2016 I lost my mum.
‘What I did was go straight into work because I thought well, I’ll take a job because I want to show that I’m back in the game.’
On set: She added: ‘What I did was go straight into work because I thought well, I’ll take a job because I want to show that I’m back in the game’
She continued: ‘I had a very public breakdown on stage in front of the audience and there was a build up to it that I didn’t recognise.
‘I thought it’s OK, I’ve got this brilliant opportunity – Gentleman Jack – I’m going to do it because I think it will help me. It did to a certain point.’
The eight-part BBC series, will make its return to the channel on April 10 with new episodes premiering weekly.
All new: The eight-part BBC series, will make its return to the channel on April 10 (Lydia Leonard as Mariana Lawton, Anne and Sophie as Ann Walker)
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Source: Daily Mail
