Siobhan Finneran: From Shy Librarian to Bold Performer
When Siobhan Finneran was navigating her school years in the vibrant town of Oldham during the 1980s, she took a careers test with the hope that it would guide her towards a future in theatre. “I imagined it would suggest I pursue acting,” she recalls. Instead, the results pointed her towards a career as a librarian, a notion that made her chuckle. “I would never want to work in a library!”
Despite her self-proclaimed shyness, Finneran’s on-screen personas have been anything but retiring. In the acclaimed series Happy Valley, she portrayed Clare, an ex-drug addict whose dynamic relationship with her sister, played by Sarah Lancashire, brought raw emotion and depth to the screen. Clare, while not as vocal as Catherine Cawood, certainly knew when to express her thoughts candidly. In another iconic role, she brought to life the wicked and sharp-tongued maid Miss O’Brien in Downton Abbey, whose merciless nature left a lasting impression. More recently, she embraced a wildly different character, Lin, a former addict in Alma’s Not Normal, donning outrageous dentures and a collection of increasingly eccentric wigs. “I adore how childlike Lin is,” Finneran muses. “When my child throws a tantrum in a supermarket, I think: ‘I feel like doing that too! I’m frustrated I can’t have Coco Pops for breakfast every day!’ Lin would just go for it.”
Finneran found joy in the character’s childlike antics but also appreciated the show’s underlying social commentary. “Sophie Willan’s writing is incredibly observant,” she notes, referencing a poignant moment in the final series where Alma passionately defends her mother in court, highlighting the failures of the state’s social care system. “I genuinely believe that if Lin had received better treatment, she wouldn’t be in the position she is now,” Alma asserts, channeling her inner Erin Brockovich.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Finneran admits. “Even for those who may not engage with the political aspects, the message still resonates. I just hope those who need to hear it have tuned in.” Her first foray into acting was in the politically charged film Rita, Sue and Bob Too (1987), which depicted the lives of two schoolgirls from Bradford who become romantically involved with an older man. The film was lauded for its authentic portrayal of working-class life in Britain, but its controversial subject matter raised eyebrows. At the age of 20, Finneran was well aware of the film’s impact, stating, “It was intimidating. I was completely unaware of what it meant to be part of a film until it was released and I saw the media reaction.” She recalls a press conference where a journalist questioned the film’s authenticity, particularly regarding the housing estates depicted. “Well, the art department didn’t construct an entire estate just for the film!” she laughs, still incredulous.
Having disregarded the librarian career path, Finneran enrolled in a theatre course at Oldham Technical College, which also nurtured talents like Suranne Jones and her future co-star Sarah Lancashire. “We fancied ourselves like the kids from Fame,” she recalls. “I was supposed to study A-Levels alongside it, but my heart was in performance. Why would I focus on academics when I could sing and dance all afternoon?”
During her college years, Finneran grasped the practicalities of the acting world, learning how to secure an agent and get into drama school. “None of my family had any experience in this field. I didn’t know how to transition from enjoying acting to making it a career,” she reflects. “I still find it somewhat shocking that I get paid for this.” She chuckles, recalling her father’s suggestion that she pursue a secretarial course, a choice she sometimes wishes she had made. “In the dry spells, I could’ve walked into a temp job for a week.” Thankfully, such dry spells have been rare. After her debut in Rita, Sue and Bob Too, Finneran landed her first television role on the beloved soap Coronation Street. “It was quite the initiation,” she says. “On my first day, I found myself sewing knickers between Vera Duckworth and Ivy Tilsley, two icons of the show.”
Coronation Street remains one of the most-watched programs in the UK, but it faces declining viewership. “Soaps often get a bad rap,” Finneran laments. “Many of my friends, like Lindsey Coulson and Diane Parish from EastEnders, never receive the acknowledgment they deserve for their work. Their performances would rival those in any serious drama… It frustrates and upsets me. There’s even a separate awards ceremony for them!”
In her latest role, Finneran takes center stage for the first time in ITV’s Protection, playing DI Liz Nyles, a witness protection officer responsible for ensuring the safety of a family as they prepare for a crucial trial. When a major incident occurs, Liz finds herself entangled in a web of secrets and under investigation. “What I love is that the pivotal event happens within the first ten minutes,” she shares. “Then we follow someone trying to juggle a multitude of challenges.”
Liz isn’t the first police officer Finneran has portrayed; she also played a detective in the BBC’s The Moorside, centered around the real-life case of Shannon Matthews, and later starred as DCI Lauren Quigley in The Loch. In Harlan Coben’s The Stranger on Netflix, she took on the role of another detective chasing a serial killer. Despite her extensive experience, Finneran remains puzzled by the British fascination with crime dramas. “I’m just as captivated,” she admits. “Perhaps it’s our desire to understand human behavior. It’s about unraveling the complexities of people.”
Of course, Finneran is perhaps best recognized for her role in what many regard as the pinnacle of British crime dramas, Happy Valley. In 2023, she reprised her role as Clare, returning for a surprise final series after a seven-year hiatus. Her enthusiasm is palpable when discussing it. “I could talk about it endlessly. It was an absolute joy from start to finish,” she beams. “I cherished playing Clare, especially the beautifully chaotic dynamic between the two sisters. That’s what resonates most with the audience.”
Finneran reflects on how Happy Valley evolved from a procedural focused on a police officer tracking down her daughter’s rapist to a stunning exploration of family struggles and support. “There’s a scene where Clare comes home intoxicated,” she notes. “The tenderness with which Catherine puts her to bed is striking. There’s no judgment, no reprimand. She understands Clare’s fall from grace and knows tomorrow will be a tough day for her. It’s a brilliant portrayal of a family dynamic—so beautifully flawed.”
As for the possibility of another series? “We’ll never continue it. That’s the end,” she asserts. “It deserves to be left as it is.” Sorry to bring the disappointing news, folks. Protection premieres on Sunday, 16 March at 9 PM on ITV1.
