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Innocent series 2: Katherine Kelly on separating herself from character accused of murder while filming harrowing ITV drama
Katherine Kelly, the star of Innocent series two, has opened up about how she separated herself from her character while filming the harrowing ITV crime drama.
In the second season of the gripping show, which originally launched in 2018, Katherine plays Sally Wright, a teacher who several years previously was charged with murdering a 16-year-old boy called Matty Taylor who she was also believed to have had an affair with.
Having been released from prison due to the discovery of new evidence seemingly proving her innocence, Sally is determined to clear her name and resume the life that was taken from her, which involves coping with the breakdown of her marriage to probation officer Sam (Jamie Bamber).
During a recent interview with Metro.co.uk and other press, Coronation Street star Katherine explained how she was able to distance herself from Sally after she finished filming for the day, a feat that some may have thought would be difficult to achieve.
However, the Mr Selfridge actor outlined that she has always been able to separate herself from her roles, rather than bring them home with her.
‘I remember one of my first roles was a theatre role,’ she said. ‘Back then you did them for like a year, a year and a half. It was a real tragedy role. It was set in biblical times. Just think what a woman would go through in the First Testament, and it was harrowing that part.’
Katherine emphasised that ‘we’re all different’, stating: ‘We’re all programmed in different ways. I can really leave it.’
‘I can leave it with theatre but I think even more so with filming there’s always a next day and there’s always another scene,’ the 41-year-old said.
‘On set I’m very focused. I’m there to do the work and I’m there to do it to the best of my ability, so I think perhaps it’s that. Perhaps I just give it all when I’m there so there’s no residue afterwards.’
Katherine compared her work as an actor to being an athlete, explaining that when a sprinter is facing a race, ‘everything’s for that 100 metres’.
‘There’s no point having a good think about it. At the end, it’s gone, you’ve missed it. And the same with football players and rugby players. That analogy really works as an understanding,’ she said.
‘It’s like, everything’s got to be about that 90-minute football match. There’s no point thinking, I could’ve done this and I should’ve done that, because it’s too late, it’s gone.’
While Katherine would have wanted to spend time with people with experience of being in prison as research for her role, due to the coronavirus pandemic, she was unable to for this particular part.
Although she had spent time with individuals who had been incarcerated on previous occasions, to play Sally, she had to do her research ‘in a more remote way instead’, using books, documentaries and the ‘fantastic source’ of YouTube.
While watching Sally attempting to integrate herself back into society in Innocent, viewers will be left wondering – if she didn’t, who really killed Matty? Stay tuned to watch the mystery unravel.
Innocent series two starts tonight at 9pm on ITV.
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