Suranne Jones

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Suranne Jones (born Sarah Anne Jones; 27 August 1978) is an English actress. She first rose to prominence playing the role of Karen McDonald in ITV1's soap opera Coronation Street over a period of four years. In 2004, she left Coronation Street, later remarking: "I just thought, while [Karen]'s brilliant and I'm enjoying her, I've got to get out".

Upon leaving, Jones took on roles in many drama series broadcast on ITV1 and BBC1, such as Vincent, Strictly Confidential, Unforgiven, Five Days and Single Father, whilst also appearing in various theatre productions, earning her critical acclaim, described by Andrew Billen of The Times as being in a category of "those brave, talented few who earn their wings on a soap and then fly gloriously beyond it". In 2011 Jones starred in Scott & Bailey as DC Rachel Bailey, with the television series being an original idea conceived by Jones herself and fellow actress Sally Lindsay.

Early life

Suranne Jones was born Sarah Anne Jones in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, on 27 August 1978, the daughter of Chris and Jenny Jones, an engineer and a secretary, respectively. She also has a sibling, an older brother named Gary. Jones was raised a Catholic; her priest suggested to her father she be christened Sarah Anne, instead of Suranne, her great-grandmother's name, as Suranne was not "a proper name". Jones grew up in a house surrounded by two farms and their fields and commented that one of her earliest memories is of "cows looking in the window as we ate our tea". As a child she was talkative, and later recounted that her priest would say "I'm praying you can concentrate just a bit more". Jones suffers from carpophobia (fear of wrists), which she believes possibly developed from viewing imagery of Christ's crucifixion and stigmata as a child. Talking of her childhood, Jones commented that "I think I always wanted to be different and felt very stifled at school". Jones also stated, "I was bullied at school and I let that get hold of me and withdrew into myself - I regret letting that happen". She became a member of the Oldham Theatre Workshop, where she befriended Antony Cotton, who now plays Sean Tully on Coronation Street. She completed a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts, though she felt "that [wasn't] quite the same as drama school".

Career

Career beginnings

Jones began acting professionally aged 16. Andrew Billen of The Times, while acknowledging her professional career beginnings at 16, noted that "she took to the stage at 8". Jones later recalled that her first role was at the age of 8, in Wait Until Dark as Gloria. Upon joining the trade union Equity, Jones took on the stage name 'Suranne', as her birth name was already taken, and union rules dictate that each union member must have a different name. Having secured herself an agent aged 15, she soon after began to act in the theatre. Jones' television career began, however, in 1997, where she had a very small role in Coronation Street in April 1997 as Mandy Phillips, a girlfriend of Chris Collins. She was then cast in a television advert for Maltesers, guest starred in episodes of series such as City Central and had a small role in My Wonderful Life. She auditioned for the role of Charity Dingle on the soap opera Emmerdale, becoming one of the final four actors considered for the part, though the role was eventually given to Emma Atkins. She also auditoned for the part of Geena Gregory on Coronation Street, though she felt she knew Jennifer James would win the role—which she did—upon seeing her at the auditions.

In 2000, some weeks after her unsuccessful audition for Geena Gregory, she was contacted by Coronation Street bosses, who offered her a part of a new character. Jones took on the role of Karen Phillips (no relation to Mandy), making her first appearance on 21 June. The character, after marrying Steve McDonald, took on his surname, and became Karen McDonald. Described as "a bulldog in hoop earrings" and a "Victoria Beckham wannabe", the role garnered Jones public attention, with episodes involving feuds between her and rival Tracy Barlow receiving millions of viewers; the episode featuring Karen and Steve's (second) wedding, ruined by Tracy Barlow's revelation that her daughter Amy Barlow was Steve's love child, received 16.3 million viewers. In May 2004 it was announced that she was to leave Coronation Street in the end of that year after four years of playing Karen. Jones described working on a soap opera as "exhausting", remarking, "I was living and breathing Karen McDonald". Jones made her last appearance as Karen on Boxing Day 2004.

Departure from Coronation Street

You have to believe you can have a life after a soap.

Jones, in an interview with The Observer

Jones stated that upon her departure from Coronation Street, she received numerous offers to appear in reality TV programmes, which she declined, quipping: "lots of money to go off and eat a crocodile's knob, or whatever". Ignoring reality TV offers, in Autumn 2005, Jones starred in an ITV's detective drama series Vincent, with Ray Winstone in the title role; this was Jones' first television role since leaving Coronation Street the previous year. In the same year she starred on the West End stage in A Few Good Men opposite Rob Lowe and John Barrowman, which earnt her the Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also appeared in the musical special Celebrate Oliver! which was screened on BBC1. In 2006, she starred as Snow White in the pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the Manchester Opera House alongside Justin Moorhouse and fellow Coronation Street actor John Savident. She also appeared in Kay Mellor's Strictly Confidential in which she played a bisexual sex therapist.

On New Year's Day 2007, Jones starred in a Yorkshire and London based black comedy, Dead Clever with Helen Baxendale and Dean Lennox Kelly on ITV1. In autumn 2007, Jones undertook a national tour in the stage run of the film Terms of Endearment, where she played Emma, opposite Linda Gray and John Bowe. In 2008 she played Martha, one of the female leads, in the ITV medical series Harley Street, though the programme's tepid critical reception, combined with poor viewer ratings signalled the end of the programme after its first series.

In January 2009, she appeared in Unforgiven, a three-part drama on ITV1, where she plays Ruth Slater, a woman released from prison after serving a 15-year prison sentence for the murder of two policemen. Naturally brown-haired, Jones dyed her hair "tobacco yellow" with "big roots"; Jones joked that whilst not filming she "really should have worn a wig". Additionally, the character of Ruth wore no make-up throughout, with Jones stating she was left feeling "quite exposed", but nonetheless saying "Ruth wouldn't have worn any make-up, I don't think". Jones received favourable reviews for her portrayal, with Brian Viner of The Independent writing: "a stunning performance, the stuff of Bafta nominations if ever I saw it. Heck, on the back of it she might even get propelled into the movies, and bring a bit of North Country sense to the Golden Globes". Viner summarised his review of Unforgiven by stating, "Five stars all round, and six for Jones". Suranne later stated, "I loved that role. They don't come along that often. It was seen by the broadsheets as well as the tabloids. It gave me a little bit of credibility, I suppose".

Later in the year, in November, she played the role of the Mona Lisa in the two-part episode "Mona Lisa's Revenge" in The Sarah Jane Adventures. In December, Jones starred in the Manchester Royal Exchange's production of Blithe Spirit, by Noël Coward, which ran until late January 2010.Jones was nominated for the Times Breakthrough Award at the 2010 South Bank Show Awards, the last ever ceremony, but lost to David Blandy. When discussing her nomination she said, "You do question 'What am I breaking through?' Am I breaking through the perception of people who just thought I was a screaming banshee in Coronation Street? Is it that I've worked hard and I've got better? Is it that now it's alright to say that I'm alright? I don't know what I was breaking through, but I knew that it was nice to feel included and patted on the back for a lot of hard work". In March 2010 Jones starred in Five Days, a non-connected sequel to the 2007 series of the same name, as the female lead DC Laurie Franklin. Later in the year she starred as Sarah in Single Father on BBC1, a character who falls in love with a widower, Dave (David Tennant), who was married to her best friend before her death.

On 14 May 2011 she played the central character of Idris in the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Wife". Jones was cast due to writer Neil Gaiman wanting an actress, in the words of Jones, who is "odd; beautiful but strange looking, and quite funny" to play the role of Idris. Dan Martin, reviewer for The Guardian, noted that "Suranne Jones arguably sets the standard by which all guest stars must now be judged here Jones was electrifying throughout". Later, Jones played DC Rachel Bailey in ITV's new six-part detective series, Scott & Bailey, alongside Lesley Sharp, who plays DC Janet Scott. The series is based upon an original idea by Jones and Sally Lindsay, a former Coronation Street co-star. In July, Jones starred as Marlene, a career-woman living in Thatcher's Britain, in the Minerva Theatre's production of Top Girls by Caryl Churchill in Chichester. Michael Billington, reviewer for The Guardian, remarked that "Suranne Jones captures excellently the hidden regrets of the go-getting Marlene". The production was later transferred to the West End's Trafalgar Studios.

In August it was announced that Jones would star alongside John Hannah in a spoof detective drama written by Charlie Brooker and Daniel Maier called A Touch of Cloth. The programme, which as of yet does not have an air date, is set to be broadcast on Sky1. Jones plays DC Anne Oldman, the "plucky, no-nonsense sidekick" of DCI Jack Cloth (John Hannah).

Personal life

Jones remains in Manchester and lives in a "150-year-old cottage", though stated in 2010 she was searching for a flat in London too, due to her career requiring that she spend most of the week there. She lives with her Jack Russell Terrier, Baxter. Whilst playing Karen McDonald in Coronation Street, Jones became engaged to Jim Phelan, an IT consultant, however, the couple separated.

Jones has been involved with various charitable organisations; as a teenager, Jones' mother Jenny was diagnosed with breast cancer, with Jones saying "at the time we did a breast cancer campaign together. I still do a lot of charity runs". Jones also has worked with Christian Aid, travelling to Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo (the latter accompanied by Sally Lindsay), helping with projects concerning HIV, women's rights and child soldiers.

Filmography

Year Series Role Notes

1997 Coronation Street Mandy Phillips

1998 City Central Emma

1999 My Wonderful Life Linda

2000–2004 Coronation Street Karen McDonald British Soap Award for Best Actress 2004

British Soap Award for Best Actress 2005

National Television Award for Most Popular Actress 2004

Nominated— National Television Award for Most Popular Actress 2003

2004 Punch Judy Short film

2005 Celebrate "Oliver!" Nancy

2005–2006 Vincent Beth

2006 Strictly Confidential Linda Nelson

2007 Dead Clever: The Life and Crimes of Julie Bottomley Julie Bottomley Television film

2008 Harley Street Dr Martha Elliot

2009 Love and a Long Shot Sarah Film

Unforgiven Ruth Slater Nominated—Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor (female)

The Sarah Jane Adventures Mona Lisa Episode: "Mona Lisa's Revenge"

2010 Five Days DC Laurie Franklin Nominated—National Television Award for Outstanding Drama Performance

Nominated— TV Choice Award for Best Actress

Single Father Sarah

2011 Doctor Who Idris/TARDIS Episode: "The Doctor's Wife"

Scott & Bailey DC Rachel Bailey Pending—TV Choice Award for Best Actress

A Touch of Cloth DC Anne Oldman

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''Doctor Foster'' set, Hertfordshire, Sept 21 '16

 

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BAFTA Breakthrough Brits, London, Oct 25 '17

 

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Theatre Royal Haymarket arrival, London, Apr 21 '18

 

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London, Jun 17 '20

 

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