Suranne Jones, 45, is one of British TV’s most reliable and recognisable stars. Her shows – often intense, claustrophobic dramas – include Doctor Foster, Gentleman Jack and Channel 4’s superb I Am Victoria. She also played uncompromising investigator DCI Amy Silva in BBC One’s Vigil, a murder mystery set on a submarine that attracted more than 13 million viewers in 2021 and won an International Emmy. The show is now returning for a second series. Jones lives in north London with her seven-year-old son and her partner Laurence Akers, with whom she has a production company, TeamAkers.
So, Vigil series two. We should say right from the start…
No submarine. When I signed on to Vigil one, as it now is, I just signed on to that, with the possibility that there may be another show. But my agent was like: “How can they do another Vigil? Vigil is a submarine…” So we didn’t expect it to go again. Or thought if it went again, like, what the hell would that be?
This time the case starts on a Scottish air force base, after deaths during a weapons test. Did you take any convincing?
Very loosely. When they said it was going to be about drones, I said: “Oh, OK, but where does the Vigil part come in?” I didn’t quite get that. And they were like: “The Scottish police has a motto: ‘Always vigilant.’” So I’m like: “OK, that all works.” Then, obviously, to have Dougray [Scott] and Romola [Garai] as our new faces was so exciting.
Did you know them beforehand?
Romola I’ve never worked with before and she’s funny as hell. I’d grown up watching her – even though we’re a similar age – and I’ve always respected her work. But I was like: “You need to do more comedy!” It’s funny when you see that side of people. And Dougray’s the same: hysterical, daft.
You’re known for darker roles. Do people make that mistake with you as well?
Yeah, people think I’m either the queen of trauma or disaster or… I don’t know how you’d describe Doctor Foster: the vengeful woman on the outskirts. An everywoman, so you relate to me, but slightly on the outskirts. But I love doing comedy. I love doing musicals. That’s why we set up our own production company, because the roles I was getting were very similar to the successful shows that I’ve done. I guess that’s what happens.
You’ve been in hit shows before. Did the response to the first Vigil feel different?
It did, but I think it was because it was after Covid. That was a special time for television where people absolutely needed the connection and we’d all watched everything that there possibly was to watch on Netflix or whatever. Sarah Lancashire did a speech for one of the many awards she has won and should be getting at all times. Love her, I really want to work with her. And she said that watching television is just a connection. And I think actors often do themselves down: “Oh, I’m just an actor…” But that time really solidified that storytelling is important for people.
You mention being associated with trauma. Is it hard not to take your work home with you?
With Vigil it was fine because I was so knackered. And I’m a woman during perimenopause so I’m just wiped out by this. We were also in Morocco, and it was boiling hot and there were other things to think about. But I’m big on wellness, because of the long hours and the fact that you’re doing stuff that is repeated bodily trauma, and sometimes your body doesn’t know the difference. So wellbeing on set is a big thing of mine that I want to keep pushing forward.
You’ve talked in the past of wanting to improve your work-life balance. How’s that going?
It’s very simple, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before: whenever my son is off school I don’t work. And it feels really good. So I never work in summer and Christmas, and whenever he’s on half-term I say I’m not working.
Do you ever worry that you will have to turn down great jobs?
No, I just don’t want to know about them. I’m in a very good position to be able to say that, but I’ve also worked for 20 years to be able to say that. So I think I’ve really found the balance. But that took a long time. A lot of mistakes and a very public breakdown to get to this point where it works.
Do you directly connect it to your experience in Bryony Lavery’s play Frozen in 2018, when you had to pull out of the production on doctors’ advice?
Yeah, absolutely. Because it [the lifestyle] just wasn’t healthy in any way. What does it mean to say your career is going well? Now I can say: “Well, my career’s going well, because I’m really happy.” And I’ve been in therapy for 20 years as well, so all of this has not come easy. But that’s what works for me.
What have you enjoyed culturally in recent times?
I saw Madonna, she was amazing. It was so evocative for me of my youth and also, she’s 65 and she’s doing amazing things. And [RuPaul’s] Drag Race, I was on it as well [as a guest judge] and that was like: “Oh, my God!”
Was that a long-held ambition?
Drag Race is so beautiful. It’s an entertainment show, and it’s funny, and it’s its own world. I’ve watched every season of wherever they’ve done it. It’s like my little church. So I was a little worried that it wouldn’t be everything it is, but I loved it. I want to go back. I want to live there.
Series two of Vigil starts on BBC One on 10 December at 9pm. Series one is on BBC iPlayer
