jenna coleman new© Photo: Getty Images

Jenna Coleman opens up about 'compelling' new role in upcoming TV drama

Jenna most recently starred in BBC's The Serpent

Senior Features Writer
April 27, 2021

Jenna Coleman is set to appear in brand new upcoming TV drama, The War Rooms. The actress, who recently appeared in BBC's The Serpent, will be taking on the role of Joan Bright, the woman behind former Prime Minister Winston Churchill's "secret bunker" in Whitehall.

MORE: The Serpent's Jenna Coleman's former £2.5million house with Tom Hughes is what dreams are made of

The War Rooms follows Joan and her colleagues amid the trials and tribulations of the war,  from its initial outbreak to the final push for victory, driven by Churchill.

WATCH: Oscar highlights - Nomadland triumphs as director Chloe Zhao makes history 

Joan, who was a former girlfriend of James Bond writer Ian Fleming (and rumoured to be the muse for his character Moneypenny), wrote a memoir about her time working within the political sphere during the height of World War Two titled, The Inner Circle: A View of War at the Top, which forms the basis of the series.

Jenna has opened up about her upcoming role, describing Joan as unconventional and the project as "compelling". She told Deadline: "Joan Bright was never going to live a conventional life – a young woman who lived her war days under the official secrets act, undercover and underground in the war rooms.

MORE: The Serpent's Jenna Coleman talks challenges of her role in dark BBC drama

MORE: Conversations with Friends reveals exciting filming update - and fans are thrilled

© Photo: Getty Images

Jenna Coleman will play Joan Bright

"This story is so compelling not only because of her unique and liberal mind, wryness of spirit and curiosity to live, but because of the opportunity to examine this endlessly fascinating period of time through an intimate and human lens.

"The closeness and proximity of days and nights lived within this small space, the carriers of the truth amidst the oblivion of propaganda above. The beauty and fragility of human connection when living through a time when no one knows what tomorrow will bring. I'm so excited to unearth these hidden lives and at a time where it feels so shockingly relevant right now."

A release date is yet to be announced as filming has not begun, but it seems there's a strong team behind the scenes. Oscar-winner David Parfitt is one of the names working on the project as well as David Chidlow, best-known for his work on Moving On.

Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up to Off Camera for all the gossip and goings-on from the wonderful world of TV and film

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More TV and Film

See more