Sophie Rundle is “living her dream”. The star of Sally Wainwright’s Gentleman Jack, the BBC’s superlative period drama, enthuses: “I could just wax lyrical about Sally all day. She’s one of the best writers we have in the country. Gentleman Jack’s got a sense of humour, and it takes everything with a pinch of salt. It’s a bit rock ’n’ roll, it’s a bit cool, it’s high-brow, smart intelligent drama.”
A lot of that is down to the effervescent chemistry between the two leading players. Rundle is Ann Walker, the lover of pioneering Victorian lesbian Anne Lister — portrayed by Suranne Jones. “I think we’re a really good foil for each other,” says Rundle. “She’s a very tall, striking, dark-haired presence, and I’m very soft, feminine and fair.”
The secret to good screen chemistry? “Whether romantic, or sensuous — make sure you bounce off each other in the right way.” But it doesn’t come easily. “I feel people are bored when actors say I’m really shy but it’s true, so many of us are awkward. Part of the appeal as a kid is getting to be someone else, and getting told what to say.”
At parties her “game plan is to find the comfy seat, not leave from there, and if people want to say hello then hopefully they’ll come to me. I’ve got to start sneaking in Buddy [her five-month-old golden terrier] — he can be my emotional support dog.”
Rundle always wanted to tell stories. “When we talked at school about poetry and language, Shakespeare, London and the theatres here, I just thought it sounded impossibly exotic, glamorous and was just desperate to be a part of it,” she laughs. Luckily, “it just came very naturally”. The actor, 31, moved from Bournemouth to the capital at the age of 19 to study acting at Rada. “I guess if you’re good at it as a kid you want to be good at it as an adult.”
Gentleman Jack — like Wainwright’s Happy Valley — is set in the stunning environs of Halifax, in 1832. But apart from that, “nothing seems particularly appealing for a woman living 200 years ago. I mean, the clothes are uncomfortable, you weren’t allowed to do anything”, and Rundle says she’d hate the loneliness. “I think lack of communication and therefore lack of education is what I’d struggle with. “That was key with Ann — you’re so isolated. I think these days we take it for granted — we’re constantly connected with anyone and anything at any time.”
Wainwright insisted on including an intimacy co-ordinator on set to consult on sex scenes, which Rundle lauds in a post-#MeToo acting environment. “We’ve also pushed forward hugely in creating a structure and a language,” she says. “It feels like there’s a massive gang in which to be able to talk about being a woman in this industry.”
Off set you’ll find her in her new paddling pool at home with her fiancée, actor Matt Stokoe, whom she met on the set of Jamestown, and Buddy. “We bought it because I thought it would be a good way to cool the dog down, but he wasn’t interested so we’ve just been sitting in it.” Talk about making a splash.
The Gentleman Jack DVD will be available from July 15
