Sheridan Smith has spoken about the emotionally gruelling experience of playing Ann Ming in the ITV drama 'I Fought the Law', a role she says may be the hardest of her career. The four-part series tells the true story of Ming's 17-year campaign to overturn the double jeopardy rule after her daughter Julie Hogg was murdered in 1989.
During filming near Hartlepool, Smith was seen crying on stage while portraying Ming's ordeal. The actor met the real Ann Ming several times during pre-production, studying her mannerisms to deliver an uncanny performance. Ming, a retired surgical nurse, said she 'gelled' with Smith immediately and praised her portrayal.
The drama focuses on Ming's fight for justice after Billy Dunlop was acquitted of Julie's murder due to a hung jury, then later confessed but could not be retried under the ancient double jeopardy law. Ming's campaign led to the law being overturned in 2006, allowing Dunlop to be convicted.
Ming, now in her 70s, said she refused to give up despite flashbacks and nightmares, writing letters to politicians in the middle of the night. She described her determination as stemming from a sense of injustice, not stubbornness. The series is adapted from her book 'For the Love of Julie'.
Smith described the role as one of the most challenging she has ever undertaken, and hinted she may never take on such a demanding part again. The drama has been compared to ITV's 'Mr Bates vs the Post Office' for its portrayal of an individual fighting officialdom.
