Actress Siobhan Finneran opened up about starring in new ITV thriller Protection, admitting she had “never done a job so intense”.
The 60-year-old has featured as big roles in plenty of other hit dramas such as BBC’s Happy Valley and Time, but labelled her most recent work as “exhausting”.
Finneran stars as DI Liz Nylesa, with a synopsis for the drama reading: “Navigating the morally-grey, clandestine world of witness protection, Liz’s mission to find the truth will take her deep into the heart of the criminal underbelly and beyond as she becomes more and more torn between caring for her family, her loyalty to her lover and her duty as a police officer.
“This is the story of a smart, tough cop, out of her depth in a world where nothing is as it seems.”
Siobhan Finneran stars as DI Liz Nylesa in the new ITV thriller
ITV
The drama also stars Finneran’s former Coronation Street co-star and Mr Bates vs The Post Office actress Katherine Kelly.
Sharing her experiences of shooting the series, Finneran explained: “I loved filming in Liverpool, it’s a great place to potter about and look at buildings.
“It was great to work with Katherine again, and working with Nadine was great as well – I’d not done so before, but we’ve got some great scenes together.
“I just enjoy being on set with good actors and being able to play with the scenes.”
Siobhan Finneran admitted filming for the ITV series was ‘intense’
ITV
However, she also revealed the tougher aspects of the job, reflecting: “Although, I’ve never done a job this intense.
“I was in every day and pretty much every scene, so it was exhausting.
“Your day starts at five and doesn’t finish till ten. But I loved it.”
Delving into what drew her to the role, the actress recalled during the ITV interview: “When I read the first episode, within minutes, there’s a big event, a major disaster that draws you in immediately.
“From early on you’re ready to go on a journey with Liz to find out what’s going on.
“It’s a great hook and the story is so complex. It’s fascinating to me that a writer can fit all that together and it still makes sense at the end.”
When asked about how she went about preparing for the role, the actress replied: “I read a really great article and the gentleman whose experiences inspired the series, he even came on set one day.
“However, even if you do talk to someone from the world you’re portraying, you’re never going to be fully immersed in it – ultimately, we’re dependent on the scripts.”
Siobhan Finneran also starred in Happy Valley and Downton Abbey
ITV
Despite touching on the intense nature of the drama, Finneran is more than used to taking on hard-hitting roles.
She starred alongside Sarah Lancashire in award-winning BBC series, Happy Valley, which ran from 2014 to 2023.
Finneran also featured in period drama Downton Abbey from 2010 to 2012, securing an award during her stint for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2012.
She was also nominated twice for Best supporting Actress for her portrayal of Clare Cartwright in Happy Valley.
