Singled
Best-known for her role as
mesmerising synth Mia in C4’s
sci-fi hit Humans, Gemma Chan
returns to our screens this week in
the final instalment of Dominic
Savage’s hard-hitting I Am trilogy.
This week’s standalone film,
co-created by Savage and Chan, is
an intimate portrait of Hannah,
who is unsure whether to have
children and settle down.
While embarking on a series of
internet dates – ranging from the
promising James (Arinzé Kene) to
the dangerous Tom (Ed Coleman)- Hannah explores the option of
freezing her eggs to quell her fears
about not conceiving in the future.
We met with Chan, 36, to learn
more about the programme...
What can you tell us about
Hannah? She’s 36, lives in London
and works in a marketing job that
she’s not necessarily fulfilled by.
She’s not in a relationship and she’s
feeling under pressure because
most of her female friends are
already married with kids. She’s
trying to find meaning in her
life and the people around
her have different
ideas about how
she should find it.Why did you want to tell this
particular story? I think it’s crazy
how when you’re a teenager and in
your 20s, it’s drilled into you that
getting pregnant is the worst thing
that could happen. Then suddenly
you hit your mid-30s and the
message is that you’re running
out of time to have children. You
essentially have about five years
when you’re supposed to meet the
right person, settle down and start
a family. I’ve had discussions
about this with my friends, but
hadn’t seen anything on TV that
approached it in this way.How personal is the film?
Hannah’s very much
a character; she’s
not me and I’ve
not had her
experiences, but
I’ve put myselfLAST ONE DRAMA
I Am Hannah
Tuesday, C4 HD, 10pm
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V
For Poldark fans, George Warleggan
has been the man we all love to hate.
His endless run-ins with Ross, cruel
business dealings and constant need
for one-upmanship have had us
booing from our sofas every Sunday.
But this series has seen a very
different side to George. His grief
over the death of his wife Elizabeth
has been so raw that last week he
even contemplated taking his own
life. Jack Farthing, 33, who plays
him, reveals what’s in store for
George in the final series...How have you found portraying
George’s descent into madness?
It’s been a massive challenge for me
as an actor. George has been struck
by Elizabeth’s death like he’s never
been struck by anything. It’s been
seismic for him – he’s had to go to
some very dark places. There are still
massive challenges ahead for him.Did you do a lot of research into
grief? I met three psychiatrists,
one of whom deals specifically in the
type of grief George goes through.
It was important for me to ground
it in reality. I haven’t experienced
anything as serious as George,
but hopefully we go somewhere
truthful. It’s a very authentic story.This week on TV
Hannah meets
James onlineGemma Chan
plays Hannah,
who isn’t ready
to settle downDRAMA
Poldark
Sunday, BBC1 HD, 9pm
Jack Farthing
on what lies ahead
for Poldark’s
grief-stricken villain
George Warleggan
Sea of
sorrow