The first time Anne Lister meets Ann Walker in Sally Wainwright’s trailblazing period drama Gentleman Jack, she resolves to make “wealthy little Miss Walker” her wife. The first time Suranne Jones met Sophie Rundle, like Anne Lister before her, she knew she’d found her girl. It was obvious from Sophie’s audition that she was the perfect person to help Suranne and Sally bring history’s ultimate lesbian love story to life. Suranne tells me, “We’d seen a couple of people and it was like, ‘Oh, it has to be her, doesn’t it?’ We did have the chemistry.”
Today Suranne, Sophie and I are at London’s BFI Southbank, ahead of this evening’s Gentleman Jack screening event. We’re sitting in a spacious room, the walls lined with thick red curtains. They both look gorgeous and chic in trouser suits, Sophie in slouchy beige and Suranne in a black satin tux. Fresh from being interviewed by the queen of breakfast telly Lorraine, aka DIVA Ally Of The Year 2021, they’re in a cheerful mood. In fact, they’re hilarious. When I gush, as all Yorkshire-born lesbians are surely entitled to gush upon meeting the stars of quite possibly the best sapphic period drama ever, and tell them that I feel like they made this show especially for me, Suranne doesn’t skip a beat exclaiming, “We did!” Sophie is instantly on board too, grinning warmly, hands outstretched, “We did make it for you!”
I learn that, after connecting in the audition room, Suranne and Sophie grew even closer while filming the first season. Suranne laughs, “And then by series two we were like two old nanas in a bed, ordering cups of tea!” Sophie chimes in, “How lovely is that? We’ve got, I think, a really beautiful friendship now.” Suranne beams, echoing her words, “A friendship!” Sophie continues, “What an amazing thing, because these characters met each other and then we met each other–” Suranne interjects, finishing Sophie’s sentence. “–And now we don’t leave each other alone!” The best of mates, they’re forever sending each other videos and voice notes. “ voice notes,” stresses Suranne. “Like 10 minutes. My favourite was us basically discussing shapewear.” Sophie chuckles, “O-oh yeah! That’s true friendship – sharing shapewear tips!”
