Emily Atack has expressed her gratitude for being a woman working in television today, following her role in the hit series Rivals. The actress, who plays Sarah Stratton in the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel, said the experience made her realise how much harder it was for women in the 1980s.
Pregnancy Plotline Hits Close to Home
In the show, Sarah Stratton is an ambitious TV presenter who becomes pregnant. Her boss, Lord Tony Baddingham, portrayed by David Tennant, reacts angrily, calling the pregnancy 'hugely inconvenient' and suggesting she consider a termination. Atack, who gave birth to her son Barney in June 2024, found the scenes deeply resonant.
'I feel very lucky,' she said at a screening for the new series. 'I went through pregnancy and having a baby before this role, so I could truly find that emotion. I was still hormonal. Just having a man say those words to you, even David Tennant, the loveliest man in the world, but as Tony, he is terrifying. Watching it back, I saw the panic in my face.'
Atack continued: 'It makes me feel lucky in my life and in these times. We like to think we've moved on, not in all areas, but I had a baby and I'm doing TV shows and I'm not being sacked. That's good. I can't believe women have had to go through that.'
Women Hold the Secret Power
In the second series of Rivals, Atack noted that while the male characters appear to be in control, it is the women who ultimately come out on top. She highlighted characters like TV producer Cameron Cook and Tony's wife Monica as examples of hidden strength.
'The men are really powerful with their helicopters and money, but the secret power is with the women,' she explained. 'The writing is beautiful because it's hidden and not obvious. Throughout the series, you'll see the secret powers of the women come through and mess up all the men.'
More Romance for Freddie and Lizzie
Fans of Jilly Cooper's bonkbuster will be pleased to know that the passionate fling between Freddie and Lizzie, played by Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson, continues. Despite Lizzie's guilt over cheating, the pair cannot stay apart. Katherine Parkinson, 48, said: 'They don't stay away from each other for long. It's not just her marriage and younger children, but Freddie's children at a tricky teenage age. She pulls herself up, but then Freddie says things...'
Rivals returns to Disney+ on May 15.
