Actress Suranne Jones visited the House of Commons to watch Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak “battle against each other” in preparation for playing the prime minister in a new Netflix drama.
In Netflix’s new drama, Hostage, Jones plays a fictional British prime minister whose husband is kidnapped.
On her preparation for the role, Jones said: “We spoke to people in positions of power.
“We went to the House of Commons, and we watched Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer battle against each other.
“We met with the Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle. We looked at Nicola Sturgeon. And Jacinda Ardern (the former prime minister of New Zealand).
“We looked at Theresa May. And Lucy Powell (MP for Manchester Central).
“We had fun developing it. It made me think about what being a woman of power means, and what it costs.”
She added: “The whole thing is about you, your family unit, how women split themselves between work and home, what the cost is, how you want to be portrayed, how the world perceives you as a woman, and what you have to battle with, before you start your day.
“All of that is going on before you put your heels on.
“And you might not want to put your heels on. And your power suit. But actually, you have to in order to make a mark in the room.”
The series, which will be released on the streaming platform on August 21, sees Julie Delpy play a fictional visiting French president who is blackmailed, leaving the two leaders to face unimaginable choices.
Jones rose to fame playing Karen McDonald on ITV soap Coronation Street, and the actress is due to star in the third series of BBC police drama Vigil, which is being filmed this year with a release date yet to be announced.
The full interview can be read in the latest edition of Radio Times magazine.
