Bad Sisters' Anne-Marie Duff explained why starring in a new BBC drama with Rose Ayling-Ellis encouraged her to be "brave".
Reunion is a bilingual series featuring British Sign Language (BSL) and spoken English, following the journey of deaf ex-prisoner Daniel Brennan (Matthew Gurney) on his road to redemption.
Duff, who learnt to sign for the "valuable story," stars as Ayling-Ellis' on-screen mother Christine.
"I was so scared of just talking to Rose because I didn't know her lip reading was so incredible," Duff told Digital Spy during an exclusive interview. "But it was good because you have to leap. You have to go for it. You have to be brave."
The actress shared what working on the four-part thriller meant to her, saying: "I just felt like it was a real gift. I got to learn this beautiful thing and I got to learn how to communicate with people and tell a story that … even if it changes one person's mind, it's just so vital."
She continued: "When you're part of a story that actually is valuable to us as a species, it's just really exciting as an actor. You don't feel frivolous. You feel like, 'I'm engaged in the point of what we do.' So ,I loved every minute of it. I loved my signing lessons."
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Duff described herself as "an absolute beginner", at the start, stating: "It's easier in a way because you can make a fool of yourself, and it doesn't matter. You're starting in a more naive place."
Co-star Lara Peake, who plays Gurney's on-screen daughter Carly, also spoke fondly of her experience on the show.
"Honestly, if I could be around the deaf community more [I would]. Since doing this job, I really miss being around BSL so much," she told Digital Spy.
"I just feel super grateful because it is one of those jobs that's such a luxury. To learn BSL takes time. It costs money to have that tuition, and I was really fortunate in that I got that every day. I could throw my hat in the ring with these characters and the story and just be immersed in it. So I'm just massively grateful that I got to do it."
Reunion will premiere on BBC One on Monday, April 7 at 9pm.
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
