How is Lisa feeling now she’s off the Joel case, was this an important one for her to crack?
Oh, absolutely. This was personal for so many reasons – on a professional level, the fact that Joel was a trusted professional, and he used that position of trust and abused it, obliterated it. Also the nature of the crimes that he committed, and the fact that it had been going on so long and it was under everybody's noses. And he took great delight in it, that cat and mouse and the Machiavellian side of it. But also because of who it concerned, obviously, Betsy first and foremost, and the nature of what he was doing to women. We know that Lisa has extremely strong views about that. She prides herself on the fact that she tries to change the system, and she tries to educate men and boys against violence against women. He's completely abused all of that and he knows that because he knew Lisa, he worked professionally with Lisa. So, yeah, it was very personal, she's furious about it.
Kit’s now leading the case. He's quite reluctant to take advice from Lisa. Does this annoy her? And how would you describe their working relationship?
Of course he's not taking advice from Lisa! He's headstrong, he's stubborn, he's arrogant, he thinks he knows it all, he's confident. I think that Lisa can see a lot of herself in him, and that's why they rub each other up the wrong way, because they are quite alike. They're so dedicated to the work, they're so passionate about it, sometimes that comes across in the wrong way. They commit all hours to it. Also, there is that almost sibling rivalry, even though they're not brother and sister. There is that rivalry there. But I do think underneath it all, there is this – dare I say it, from Lisa's perspective – slight bit of respect. Or maybe not that far! She can see there’s potential and she wants to help him. Also he's got a sense of humour and a twinkle in his eye, and she's got somebody to banter with, because she hasn't really had that along the way.
Do you think she trusts him? Because obviously we as the viewers have seen a few things that Lisa doesn't know about
I don’t think Lisa trusts anybody and in some instances she doesn't trust herself. She needs to learn to trust herself again. She's so unsure about her feelings and all the emotional turmoil that she's going through, and how she's trying to deal with it and juggle so many things, it starts with her. Even though she's got this facade of being in control and covering it, the cracks are starting to show. So no, she doesn’t trust anybody. But that's not just aimed at Kit. She doesn't trust Carla. She doesn't trust anyone. And also the profession that she's in, she knows that in any given circumstances, anybody is capable of anything, including herself.
Are you enjoying as an actress playing that dynamic at the station now there's Lisa, Kit and Craig all working together?
Yeah, I think it's a great trio. The dynamic of that, the difference in characters, characteristics, personalities, both on and off screen. I'm really hoping that lands, because we really do have a lot of fun and banter, we get on well and really enjoy the scenes together. I hope that the writers like it, the powers that be like it, and they write some more. That would be lovely. It's great that we have our own police station now, our own office and our biscuit tin!
Does Lisa have her suspicions about who's responsible for Joel's murder? Or do you think it's still very much a mystery at this point?
It is very much a mystery, I feel, and she doesn't want to make mistakes, as she did with Roy earlier on in the investigation. Obviously this is Joel's murder, but this all goes back to the beginning of the year when Lauren went missing, because that was down to Joel. She wants to continue to get to the truth, because her thing is very much getting to the truth. But she doesn't mind taking along another prisoner if she needs to.
This week, we see her bruises. Could Lisa herself have something to hide?
Perhaps! Yeah, she absolutely has something to hide. But being a person in the profession that she's in, there are different scraps and scrapes that you get into, but maybe not to the magnitude that would present with bruising like that. So what has happened there? And the fact that she has lied and said to Betsy about body combat, that adds more question marks to it. So hopefully the truth will out in time.
How does she react when Betsy questions her? Obviously, she comes up with this cover story, doesn't she?
Yeah. So there's that straightaway. I mean, the fact that she's come out with something not really convincing, and also Betsy knows her all too well, says a lot. She was put on the spot, because the way that it happens, she's in the safety of her own bathroom and she doesn't for one second feel that Betsy is going to just come barging in. So she was caught off guard. She's been out of sorts for a few weeks. We've definitely seen her in pain. So what has happened here?
At the same time, we also see Ryan asking Carla questions about where she was the night Joel died. Do you think both Lisa and Carla are maybe keeping secrets?
Yes, they both definitely have their own secrets. I think nobody in any walk of life is 100% honest with anybody else. So who knows what secrets people hide? Who knows what skeletons are in the closet, especially this time of year! So hold on, because it's going to be a rocky ride, and nothing's ever plain sailing in Weatherfield, is it?
Do you think if Lisa found out that Carla or even Betsy were involved, she would risk her career? How far do you think she might go to protect those people she loves?
That's a really tricky question, I was going to say her career means everything to her, but Betsy does. There's a lot invested in her career, she's fought to get where she's managed to be and she wants to get better. She's heavily invested in her cases, especially where women are concerned and violence against women. So it’s that muddying the waters, I guess, between professionalism and her personal life. So what would she do? I think she would shop them, because she's so straight, but she will push the boundaries, she will stretch it and bend the rules if it means that she gets the right outcome. But I think with this there’s such a conflict of interest for her and emotional turmoil, it’s hard.
How would you describe her feelings for Carla? We've seen her quite reluctant to get involved with Carla but do you think this is something that's going to be too hard to fight?
I think for her, there's a lot of emotional baggage there. She's been through so much with Becky, who was taken so unexpectedly in the job that Lisa is still doing, and in the job that Becky loved doing. It shattered the family dynamic completely and I happen to think that Lisa was a completely different person before all of this. The grief, the way that it's now moulded her and built up this harsh exterior and this façade, means she's so deeply broken that it's all from fear. She is petrified of opening up. She's petrified of loving somebody and even getting into a relationship again. Because again, she doesn't trust herself, and we've already seen with her saying that she doesn't need any complications. That's absolutely true, but she's meaning it from herself. She doesn’t want that confusion. She's already dealing with enough, and she's a person that would fall in love. She doesn't just go on one-night stands, it's not a frivolous thing. She will fall in love, and she knows that about herself, because she feels things really personally and deeply, and she just doesn't want to go there right now. But who knows? Maybe the feelings will become too strong.
Would you like to see her in a relationship? Because that's a side of her we've not seen as yet.
I think so. I'd like to see her softer side, which is slowly coming through. But to be authentic, things just don't change overnight. And if your world has been turned upside down like that, and you try to put a brave face on it and carry on, these things can manifest in different ways. Over time, the cracks start to appear, you can only coast for so long. She’s facing different triggers, especially from the job that she's in and then with Betsy getting older, that family dynamic, she knows herself she's not been the best mother. She knows herself she's not been the best person. So the way that she is dealing with it is in a protective way, and she feels that she is doing it the right way, protecting Betsy and protecting herself, both from the exterior world and emotionally, by putting up these walls. But we have seen the occasional softer side, the odd smile here and there, which is really lovely. And the humorous moments, which are relatable to everybody. So yeah, I would like to really explore that and experiment with her, because this is a new side to her that we haven't seen yet. So that would be lovely and challenging. Because to play this formidable woman who's so complex, then bring this side out to explore – because we all have that side – it'd be really something.
Have you been shocked about just how popular a possible Swarla relationship is with the fans?
Well, my initial response to that is yes, but then when I come to think about it, no, because representation is so important. And we really don't see enough. We are all so different, and relationships are so different, that I can really understand why the reaction has been so strong and positive. Which has been a little bit overwhelming, but quite lovely and very special. I feel really privileged to be a part of that and to hear what the fans have got to say about it because it's very much about them. We want to make sure that whatever happens going forward, that it is the most authentic we can possibly portray it. Everything that we do, we want to tell the truth of it and for it to resonate with people and to help people and to educate people. They're the most important things. That's why we do what we do. And to interest people and hopefully change the narrative that this is happening, people are having same-sex relationships and that is perfectly fine.
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