Sophie Rundle on the huge impact Gentleman Jack’s lesbian relationship had on viewers

The queer romance stole all our hearts, but how did Suranne Jones’ co-star react to the huge response?

BY SOPHIE GRIFFITHS

Gentleman Jack has had a huge impact on the lez/bi community over the past few months. The response to the show was overwhelming, with six million viewers tuning in and series two was quickly commissioned. 

For a primetime television show following a lesbian relationship set in the 1800s, that’s pretty special, don’t you think?

The historical drama is based on the coded diaries of 19th century heiress, Anne Lister played by Suranne Jones. Its plot follows her love story with Sophie Rundle’s character, Ann Walker, from their meeting to their secret marriage. 

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Sophie said in a recent interview with the Daily Star: “So many people have got in contact with me and Suranne. They say they feel represented in a way they haven’t before.”

“That’s why it’s so important to have all sorts of different characters from all different areas of life. 

“People can watch and say, ‘That’s me…that’s what I do.’ That’s a really beautiful thing to be a part of.” 

She added: “The reaction we had to the series was beautiful. I was really surprised by how moved I was by the comments.

“People were saying they’d never seen a primetime period drama about two women falling in love before.

“The great thing is the women weren’t sideline characters and it wasn’t done to be titillating. It was a really heartfelt and beautiful story.”

We couldn’t agree more, Sophie. 😍 You can still give it a watch (or a rewatch) over on BBC iPlayer!

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