Who is Julie Hesmondhalgh? Broadchurch actress who plays rape victim Trish Winterman and former Coronation Street star
SHE'S best known for her role as Coronation Street's Hayley Cropper, but Julie Hesmondhalgh has revealed her appetite for hard-hitting drama.
Broadchurch is Julie's first big lead role since she left Corrie in 2014, after spending fifteen years on the soap. And what a role it is.
Who is Julie Hesmondhalgh?
46 year old Julie is a British actress from Lancashire, her acting career began in 1994 when she featured in The Dwelling Place, and shortly followed up with roles in The Bill.
Julie is married to Ian Kershaw, who is a playwright and has also played five minor roles in Corrie over the years, most recently in 2002.
Julie and Ian live in Derbyshire with their two children, she is a member of the Labour party and campaigned for the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader.
What has Julie Hesmondhalgh been in since Coronation Street?
Since leaving the soap in 2014, Julie has not been short of work.
Her first major role after leaving Corrie was in 2015, playing the part of Cleo Whitaker in E4's Cucumber and Banana TV series.
In the same year she featured in Inside No.9, Black Roses: The Killing of Sophie Lancaster and in short film Closets.
Last year, Julie starred in the BAFTA award winning series Happy Valley, playing the role of Amanda Wadsworth. Julie said she initially got involved as director Sally Wainwright asked her to be in it.
How did Julie's character Hayley Cropper leave Coronation Street?
Hayley Cropper's Corrie exit was one of the most talked about soap exits of its time.
First appearing in the soap in 1998, Julie's character Hayley was the first permanent transgender character in serialised drama. Hayley Cropper had a number of major story lines in the soap, but none bigger than her exit in January 2014.
In 2013 Julie's character was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, after seeing a friend from her cancer support group in hospital, Hayley decided that once the cancer spread, she would take her own life.
This caused arguments with husband Roy, however he eventually accepted his wife's decision. On January 20, Hayley died in husband Roy's arms after drinking a lethal cocktail of drugs.
The episode had 9.7 million viewers, which was the show's highest figure in almost a year.
Speaking about her exit, Julie said: "I've had the most wonderful and happy time in the lift changing 15/16 years I've been in Corrie, and I owe so much to the show and the special team that make it happen.
"The decision to hang up Hayley's red anorak was a tough one, but doing the play at the Royal Exchange last year made me realise that there's life in the old dog yet, and that there are other things I want to try."
After the cancer/suicide plot line, Hesmondhalgh won an NTA for the Best Serial Drama Performance, and was also nominated for Best Actress at the British Soap Awards.
Who does Julie Hesmondhalgh play in Broadchurch?
Julie plays the character of Trish Winterman - the victim of a sexual assault being investigated by Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller.
As the dramatic trailer shows, it becomes clear that the case will be a harrowing and difficult one, as they try to help a distraught Trish find the person who viciously sexually attacked her.
Speaking to the at a screening last month, she said: “It was a pretty amazing phone call to get and to hear what the story that was going to be explored was something that was really interesting to me and a little bit scary for me.
“Because obviously there’s been a lot of discussion in that time too about the televising of sexual violence and the way that has almost become normalised unfortunately, and putting your face to that is something I really had to think about.”
What is Broadchurch about?
Broadchurch is the name of the fictional, small coastal town where the series is set.
Series one focused on the death of Mark and Jodie's 11-year-old son Danny, with the search for the murderer being led by DI Alec Hardy and DS Ellie Miller.
DI Hardy was new to the area, after leaving his old patch: Sandbrook, after a failed case.
At the end of series one, Joe Miller - the husband of Ellie Miller, was discovered as Danny's killer after he confessed the murder to DI Hardy.
Series two opened with the murder trial of Danny Latimer, Joe Miller was found not guilty by the jury and the members of the Broadchurch community threatened him to leave the area permanently.
The remainder of series two focused on the reopening of the Sandbrook case, which Alec Hardy had worked on before coming to the town of Broadchurch.
The plot of the third series of Broadchurch focuses around the rape of Trish Winterman.
Writer Chris Chibnall said: ";This is the final chapter of Broadchurch.
"We have one last story to tell, featuring both familiar faces and new characters.
"I hope it's a compelling and emotional farewell to a world and show that means so much to me."
When is Broadchurch on and is there a trailer?
The series returned on Monday February 27 at 9pm to ITV, and continues every week at 9.00pm.
