'She burst into tears when she saw me' - Sophie Turner opens up on playing Joan Hannington

Game of Thrones histrion Sophie Turner takes connected the portion of a notorious jewel thief successful caller ITV bid and speaks retired astir the affectional of gathering her real-life counterpart

Sophie Turner, known for her relation successful Game of Thrones, delves into the life of infamous jewel thief Joan Hannington successful a six-part bid inspired by existent events. The histrion recovered herself drawn to the project, stating: "There was truthful overmuch astir the amusement that appealed. First of all, it was a communicative astir a existent woman. Joan had an obscene appetite for escapade and doing caller things. I was drawn arsenic good to the mode she could compartmentalise her life."

Turner besides had the accidental to conscionable the real-life Joan Hannington, describing their brushwood arsenic profoundly emotional. "The infinitesimal Joan walked in, she burst into tears. We hadn't adjacent said anything. She conscionable said, 'It's perfect.' I deliberation Frank [Dillane] cried, too. It was conscionable a very, precise affectional meeting. I learned specified a batch from her. I learnt astir her bravado, the mode she owned the country arsenic she walked into it it was similar she had the world wrapped astir her small finger."

Frank Dillane, who portrays Joan's 2nd husband, Boisie Hannington, has since formed a adjacent enslaved with the "]real Joan". He shares, "I'm precise blessed to cognize her. Joan and I speech each the time."

Set successful the 80s, the bid follows Joan's tumultuous life arsenic she seizes an accidental to flight her abusive hubby and commencement anew with her daughter. Sophie takes connected the relation of Joan, adopting assorted identities and forming caller relationships on the way, including 1 with Laura Aikman's character, Val.

Speaking exclusively to OK! astir the show, Laura reveals, "We conscionable Val astatine a clip successful her beingness wherever things haven't panned out. She had the beingness she ever wanted, past she and her hubby Albie (played by Gershwyn Eustache Jnr) determination to Spain wherever she doesn't cognize anyone, and she's truly bored."

"Then Joan comes into the representation which challenges the presumption quo successful presumption of what women are allowed to bash it's the 80s aft all. Joan shakes the foundations of everything that Val knows."

Albie is the 1 who introduces Val to Joan and her hubby Boisie [Frank Dillane]. Skilled successful managing her hubby and his friends, Val thinks she's the queen bee, but soon realises Joan is much funny successful Albie than her.

"Val believes she'll amusement Joan however things are done," Laura explains. "That she'll instrumentality Joan nether her wing, but it doesn't enactment retired similar that Joan's not interested. And Val ends up feeling resentment towards Joan for that, arsenic good arsenic a unusual respect for her."

As the bid progresses, Joan evolves into a skilled jewel thief. She embarks connected an exciting, high-risk journey, motivated by a tendency to supply a unafraid location for her daughter, and she isn't acrophobic to measurement connected anyone to execute that.

"Joan is single-minded," Laura reveals. "She knows what she needs to bash and I don't deliberation anyone becoming collateral harm crosses her mind. As the bid goes on, Val realises that erstwhile Joan's with her husband, they're plotting unneurotic – and Val astir looks astatine Joan similar she's swapped sides."

To get into the mindset of her character, Laura curates playlists and had a circumstantial tune for Val. "This peculiar playlist was truly amusive due to the fact that it's the 80s," she says. "I was a kid successful the 80s, and I retrieve my parents listening to that music, truthful it's rather nostalgic for me. For Val, I heard Dolly Parton's, Here You Come Again, astir idiosyncratic coming backmost and hurting you – which is wherever Val is."

Star of the amusement Sophie gets to play dress-up with wigs and costumes, but she wasn't the lone 1 who relished the manner aspect."Val is the benignant of pistillate whose wardrobe is similar her armour," says Laura. "So she's precise done up each the time, which was large fun. I was successful the make-up seat for an hr and a fractional each morning. There's a batch of precocious hairsbreadth and precocious fashion."

When it comes to moving with Sophie, Laura couldn't beryllium much complimentary. "She's great, bully amusive and incredibly professional. Sophie's not 1 of those actors who volition spell backmost to her trailer successful betwixt scenes either, she was determination with everyone having a bully time."

Screen favourite Laura has graced our screens for implicit a 4th of a century, featuring successful deed shows including Gavin & Stacey, The Job Lot, and Archie. However, she admits it's the quality Mysti from The Mysti Show that garners the astir recognition. "It's Mysti from The Mysti Show," she laughs. "It was a occupation I near schoolhouse for successful 2004 it indispensable correspond nostalgia to a batch of people."

Watch Joan connected Sunday 29 September, 9pm, ITV