Imelda Staunton has opened up about meeting Karen Edwards, who she plays in the new ITV show A Confession, and revealed that the experience was both overwhelming and exhausting. Karen's daughter Becky tragically went missing in 2003, with her killer, Chris Halliwell, only confessing to murdering her in 2011. The crime, and detective Steve Fulcher's unlawful interrogation to gain a confession from the culprit, is the basis of the upcoming drama.
Imelda opened up about the role
Speaking about meeting Karen while preparing for the role, Imelda told HELLO! and other reporters: "Exhausting because she has got so much energy - which is fueled by grief and rage - and yet is so active with Steve Fulcher, the police officer who discovered the body, supporting him. She was very supportive of him and she felt he did the right thing. She has such armor, it was overwhelming and exhausting to deal with all that for me- I had to let it all settle into me."
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Imelda plays Karen Edwards
She added: "I'm not there to imitate her or do an impression of her but I had to get her essence and energy and the story poured out… Of course it's devastating, I had to do it in the way I imagined it would affect me." She also spoke about her highly emotional role, explaining: "That woman lived through it, the least I could do was to try and do it justice. With any part you want to do it the best and as honestly as you can, and if it is very emotional, that's what it is and you can't shy away from it, you have to do it the best you can… From the actors to the writers to the directors- you feel a huge responsibility to honour what has gone on before." A Confession airs on Monday 2 September at 9pm on ITV.
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