Jenny Seagrove is one of Britain's best loved actresses. Her acting career has spanned theatre, film and television in the UK and America and she's currently starring in a Somerset Maugham play, The Letter, in the West End.
Brian Claridge talks to Jenny about her highly successful acting career, including her role as barrister Jo Mills in the long running BBC drama series, Judge John Deed.
ACTRESS Jenny Seagrove's early ambition was to become a vet. "I had all the right qualifications, however, I was too soft to be one," she reflects. "I decided instead to become an actress. However, my mother was slightly hesitant and suggested I take up a cookery course just in case things didn't work out. Fortunately, I have never had to use it as a fall back, although I love cooking."

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya (now Malaysia) in 1957, Jenny enjoyed a privileged childhood, though it was marked with sadness when her mother suffered a debilitating stroke when Jenny was less than a year old. Her father ran a successful import-export firm and she has an older brother. She attended St Hilary's boarding school in Godalming, Surrey, and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Her first film role was as Sally in the 1982 Oscar winning film, Shocking Accident, starring Rupert Everett. Her career took off with roles in the 1983 film, Local Hero, and the TV mini-series A Woman of Substance, which achieved Channel 4's highest ever viewing figures of 13.8 million.

A year earlier she made her movie debut in Jerzy Skolimowski's Moonlighting, followed by roles in Appointment With Death, A Chorus Of Disapproval, Miss Beatty's Children, and Don't Go Breaking My Heart. TV credits include Casualty and Peak Practice. She's also an accomplished stage actress appearing in plays like Brief Encounter, The Constant Wife and The Odd Couple.

Her first marriage to Indian actor, Madhav Sharma ended in divorce. She was also involved in a long term relationship with director Michael Winner of Death Wish fame, whom she met on the set of the Agatha Christie mystery, Appointment with Death (1988).

Today Jenny lives in North London with theatre impresario and chairman of Everton Football Club, Bill Kenwright CBE. They have been partners since 1994 and have worked on several stage and screen projects together including The Miracle Worker, Present Laughter, The Constant Wife and The Secret Rapture.

After a 15-year break from regular television work, Jenny landed the part of Jo Mills in the long running BBC1 drama series, Judge John Deed, played by Martin Shaw. The pilot episode was broadcast in January 2001, followed by the first series later that year. In the series, Jenny played a barrister and a widow with two teenage boys who had an on-going romance with Judge John Deed.

The series touched a nerve with viewers, with people going up to Jenny in the street and asking about her on-screen relationship with the Judge. "I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked when we were going to marry. It's almost as if they believe the relationship is for real." She has been in 25 episodes of the series and has learnt a lot about the legal system in her role as a barrister.

Would she like to be a barrister in real life? "I would hate it!" she sighs. "All that sitting round in courtrooms for hours on end. However, I really admire them for their logical minds and the way they follow a particular case through. It takes a special type of person to be a barrister and I'm not cut out for it, other than playing one."

The Judge John Deed series was shot entirely on location in a purpose-built set in Hertfordshire. "We used the International University at Bushey," says Jenny. "It's a big campus with lots of old buildings. The production company created sets especially for the series, including the courtroom, the Judge's chamber, Judge John Deed's apartment, my apartment and some other sets.

"We filmed in some beautiful locations around the home counties, including Buckinghamshire and Middlesex, and used the working courtrooms in St Albans on occasions."

Jenny is currently starring in The Letter, at The Wyndhams Theatre in the West End, alongside Anthony Andrews. The play is based on a Somerset Maugham story and Jenny plays the wife of a Malaysian rubber planter who is accused of murdering a local playboy, though she claims it was in self-defence.

Convinced of her innocence, her husband hires a family friend to defend her. However, a mysterious letter subsequently comes to light, casting doubt on her integrity and threatening to cost her everything.

Like most people in her profession, she gets the odd bout of nerves before she goes on stage. "It's perfectly natural and results in a better performance," says Jenny. "The Letter is a complex play and the biggest fear for any actor is to dry up, especially if you have a long sequence of dialogue, which I have at one point.

"It's based on a true story," says Jenny. "The irony is that I grew up in Malaysia and mixed with people from the rubber plantation community, so it's rather coincidental that I should be playing this role. I have always been a huge fan of Somerset Maugham and even have his autograph. I'd like to think he's up there looking down saying Go for it, girl!'"

1:38pm Tuesday 3rd July 2007

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