Black Mirror’s Anjana Vasan has praised the real-life character that she plays in new comedy Wicked Little Letters.
The film, which is released in cinemas this Friday (February 23), is inspired by a real 1920s feud involving a woman called Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) who receives a series of obscene letters, supposedly from her rowdy Irish neighbour Rose (Jessie Buckley).
Vasan plays police officer Gladys Moss, a character who is also based on a real person, and in an exclusive chat with Digital Spy, the actress reflected on what it was like to bring a historic figure to the big screen.
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She said: "We searched into her story. What was interesting about her is that she was the first woman police officer in Sussex. But her job was seen as pouring tea and being present in case women fainted or got a bit emotional. It wasn’t seen as a very serious job.
"There were some facts about her, but the way Jonny portrayed her in this movie, he gave her this beautiful arc and a beautiful journey. You see someone who is buttoned up and serious in the beginning, and then she really comes into her own and follows her own instinct and intelligence, she enlists the community and other people to really find out the truth."
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Vasan continued: "It was just so much fun to play her and imbue her with a sense of someone who felt like, she was from the 1920s, but also very much a woman that we can relate to now."
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Meanwhile, co-star Timothy Spall plays Edith’s conservative father Edward, who is shocked by the contents of the letters his daughter is receiving.
Spall explained the mindset of his character during the film and said: "This is a man who is so repressed and so buttoned up and fearful of any expression, in particular in relation to his daughter, sex and impropriety and filth.
"So he’s trapped. He is a victim of his own repression, so he is in a terrible dilemma, as are a lot of these people who pride themselves in their propriety."
Wicked Little Letters is released in UK cinemas on February 23.
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Soaps Writer, Digital Spy and Inside Soap
After studying for an English degree at the University of Exeter, Erin completed a PPA-accredited Masters in Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. She first joined the Digital Spy team in late 2023, writing across both news and features.
Erin is a fan of all things TV, from comedy and drama to reality TV and soaps.
Mireia (she/her) has been working as a movie and TV journalist for over eight years. Based in the UK, she is a former deputy movies editor at Digital Spy, and previously worked for the Spanish magazine Fotogramas. Mireia's work has been published in other outlets such as Esquire and Elle in Spain, and WeLoveCinema and GamesRadar+ in the UK. She is also a published author, having written the essay Biblioteca Studio Ghibli: Nicky, la aprendiz de bruja about Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service.
During her years as a freelance journalist and film critic, Mireia has covered festivals around the world and has interviewed high-profile talents such as Kristen Stewart, Ryan Gosling, Jake Gyllenhaal and many more. She's also taken part in juries such as the FIPRESCI jury at Venice Film Festival and the short film jury at Kingston International Film Festival in London. LinkedIn
