
Suranne Jones has played her fair share of serious roles.
Before starring in BBC's gripping six-part thriller, Vigil, the acclaimed British actress appeared in various television series (some of which you'll recognise her from), films, and stage shows.
But in 2018, when starring in the West End production of Bryony Lavery’s Frozen, the intensity of the characters - combined with aspects of her personal life falling apart - became all too much.
"I look back and go: wow. I’m not surprised it affected me along the way. Something had to give," Jones told The Guardian in 2019.
If you haven't seen it, watch the trailer for Vigil below. Post continues after video.
Suranne Jones was born Sarah Anne Jones in Middleton, a small town outside of Manchester. Speaking to The Guardian, Jones shared she came from a "happy working-class background".
"My brother was older, very bright. He went to university. I wasn’t academically bright – maybe at first, when I was little, but it was lost. I started doing a drama workshop and got really into it, then I did a BTec in performing arts and started to work," she said.
"I left home at 16, toured [with regional musicals], did some theatre education in schools. I would get home for little moments, to drop in, get my clothes washed, then go again."
When Jones started acting she chose the stage name Suranne after her great-grandmother, as someone had already registered the name Sarah Jones with the actors' union. It was the name her parents originally chose for her.
"My great gran was called Suranne and when my dad told the priest he wanted to call me Suranne, too, he said, 'Now, that's not a proper name', so I was christened Sarah-Anne," Jones told Scotland's The Herald in 2008.
"When I got the chance to pick a stage name, my dad asked if I would consider Suranne," she added.
At 22, Jones was offered a six-month contract on Britain's longest-running soap opera, Coronation Street, playing the mouthy, ambitious Karen McDonald.
As the show's popularity grew, Jones' contract got extended, and those six months turned into four years.
Suranne Jones in Coronation Street. Image: ITV.