Maxine Peake 'lucky and honoured' to play Anne Williams

Ahead of the final episode charting Hillsborough campaigner Anne Williams' extroadinary fight for justice, the actress playing her says she's honoured and lucky to have been cast to play such a special lady.

Episode 4 of Anne hits our screens tonight with Maxine Peake in starring in the ITV drama series documenting a mother's fight for truth after her son was killed in the crush on Leppings Lane in 1989.

Over the last three nights viewers have seen how Anne, from Formby, was devastated by the loss of Kevin and, alongside other parents and relatives, fought tirelessly to reveal the truth and prove he had been unlawfully killed.

Speaking about stepping into the shoes of a brave Merseyside icon, Maxine Peake said :

“I haven’t got children so I don’t know but I can imagine very much what that connection to a child is. What that can feel like when your child has been taken away from you in such a horrendous way at so young an age. And to want the people in charge who, we know, lied and covered up constantly, for them to turn round and admit what they have done was wrong.

“I used to think, ‘How do people carry on with this fight for justice?’ Because it affected families and your mental health when you’re constantly being lied to and pushed away and doors are being shut. When you’re seeing people in authority closing ranks. But that kept her going.

“Injustice is something that really makes me furious. Whether it’s friends, family, people I’ve never met, things that you hear about. That’s what presses my buttons when there is injustice. We know what goes on. It’s a constant cycle throughout history. A constant battle. You look at Hillsborough, you look at Peterloo, you look at Grenfell. It’s something we are continually fighting. When the establishment decides on who gets justice and who doesn’t.

“When you look at Hillsborough, people, parents, sisters, brothers, friends, make that difference. It feels like a superhuman strength to take on the establishment and it is getting worse.”

“There’s a scene in the drama where Anne goes to Hillsborough with a radio crew. I remember getting really overwhelmed filming that. It was quite harrowing at Hillsborough. Looking at how the ground is now and people pointing to the areas where things happened and talking through it.

“Then shooting that last memorial service at Anfield that Anne attended only days before she died. That was emotional. Sometimes you have to go, ‘Why am I getting upset? Is Maxine getting overwhelmed by what’s happening?’ Sometimes you have to rein it in and go, ‘How would Anne really have felt?’ Even before playing Anne, every time I hear You’ll Never Walk Alone, it’s really emotional. I couldn’t keep a dry eye.

“People felt so passionate about filming this drama and so involved and engaged in it. They just wanted to be a part of it. We all knew how much it meant.

“Everyone was there because they really wanted to be a part of this storytelling and everybody was so integral to the whole thing. They were so focused and dedicated. Coming together to do their best. Everyone was very sensitive about the subject matter. Very respectful.

“I met some amazing people who came down to set to chat and talk about Anne. There was so much love and respect for her. You dip into a small part of somebody’s life and then, at the end of the day, you go home and you finish. I had that privilege. I got to see a bit through Anne’s eyes and I got to represent this woman and meet these amazing people. But at the end of the day I can turn that off and go to bed. And you realise that for other people this doesn’t go away.”

“The mind boggles sometimes. You think, ‘Why couldn’t they admit that? Why couldn’t they admit they were wrong? Why couldn’t somebody stand up and go - we made a huge mistake. We were at fault here. It won’t bring your loved ones back but we are sorry?’ I think that’s all the families wanted. The families just wanted the truth and justice. That is devastating.

“We must remind people of what happened. We must never forget. Because it isn’t over. These constant battles of the people against the establishment are not going anywhere. And they’re going to get harder and fiercer and demand more strength and commitment from people.

You look around the country and there are people taking on these battles in big and small ways. We need to tell those stories of individuals who are taking on the status quo.

“It’s part of the people’s history of this country and very important that it’s not forgotten. I have had people say to me, ‘Oh, it’s 30 years ago. People need to move on.’ But it feels to me the trauma just goes through generation to generation.

“There are some extraordinary human beings in the story of Hillsborough. Starting with what the fans did on the pitch on the day to try and save others. Doing a job the emergency service should have been doing. Those people were so selfless and yet then faced terrible lies in the media about what had happened.

“It’s important we get these stories across into people’s living rooms. I have got so much faith in human nature. We can be the cruellest. But we can be the kindest and most amazing. I’m always surprised by people’s generosity and kindness and selflessness. It wasn’t just people in Liverpool. It was nationwide and worldwide that people wanted to get involved and show their support.”

“I feel very lucky and honoured to have played Anne. These roles are real gifts because they are bigger than just a job and the time you are on set or the drama being screened afterwards. I’ve done a few of these roles where I’ve got to meet brilliant people through them. And those relationships are something you take with you. It’s not a case of just switching them off after you finish. Somebody gave me that gift of being able to step into Anne’s shoes and represent her.

“I was very nervous about playing Anne because she is so very special. As all of the families are who worked so hard for justice and are held in such high esteem in Liverpool. It’s a very compassionate, proud city and I thought, ‘How would they feel about it?’ But when I was filming everyone in Liverpool was so lovely and supportive. And all of the local actors were just brilliant. It was difficult but we were also celebrating these people and their achievements.

“As every good job does, it opens up different dimensions. You take something away from it, not just from the people you’ve played but also from the people you meet along the way. The stories, the experiences.

That’s why I feel very lucky as an actor because you get a lot of experiences that most people probably don’t have on a day to day basis. I feel very honoured to have met the people I have met along the way who have shared their stories.”

You can catch episode four of Anne on ITV tonight at 9pm or on the ITV Hub.

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