Girl Taken’s Jill Halfpenny says thriller explores “special kind of hell” she wouldn’t wish upon her worst enemy

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Jill Halfpenny describes her newest project as dealing with a deeply disturbing topic, one she wouldn’t wish on anyone, even someone she dislikes intensely.

The Paramount Plus drama Girl Taken portrays what one actress described as a uniquely terrible experience for a parent – the abduction of a child. Based on Hollie Overton’s novel Baby Doll, the series centers on Eve, played by Halfpenny, whose life is shattered when one of her twin daughters is kidnapped and held for five years before finally escaping.

She explained that the uncertainty of not knowing someone’s fate is even more painful than learning they’ve died. The constant wondering – are they alive, are they suffering, are they being harmed? – would be a living nightmare she wouldn’t inflict on anyone.

The role also brought back childhood memories for Halfpenny, reminding her of shows she used to watch about missing or kidnapped children.

I was amazed watching the parents being interviewed. Just the fact that they could function – get out of bed, sit there and think clearly – was incredible to me. I felt like I would have fallen apart under that much pressure, overwhelmed by anger and grief.

It’s awful, what happened, but the worst part is the uncertainty. When faced with that, people often look for comfort elsewhere – whether it’s through faith, keeping busy, indulging in things like alcohol or relationships, or anything that helps them cope with the feeling of helplessness.

“But my God, you have to turn to something.”

Girl Taken follows the story of twin sisters, Lily and Abby. Their lives are turned upside down when Lily is kidnapped by Rick Hansen, a well-liked teacher in their small English town.

After being held captive and mistreated for years, Lily finally breaks free. But she soon realizes that being free isn’t easy. The world she dreamed of returning to has changed, and life isn’t what she remembered.

Abby, Lily, and their mom, Eve, are trying to heal and move forward as a family, but they’re still dealing with the emotional scars of the past. They also face the frightening possibility that Rick is still trying to manipulate the situation and avoid being held accountable for his actions.

Explaining the show’s focus, creator Nicola Halfpenny stated that ‘Girl Taken’ deliberately doesn’t dwell extensively on the actual abduction. Instead, it explores the lasting effects on Lily and her family afterward. She emphasized that recovering from a traumatic crime – whether it involves being held captive or not – isn’t simple. It requires a long process of understanding and dealing with what happened, and life doesn’t just immediately return to normal.

Hearing from people who’ve experienced sudden attacks reveals that recovery is a long journey. It involves understanding what happened, avoiding self-blame, questioning why it occurred, and considering if different actions could have been taken – a process that can last a lifetime.

It’s hard to even picture having to undo five years of something like that. It’s truly unimaginable, and Lily would need a lot of intensive therapy – likely years of it – to process what happened and not let it control who she is.

Alfie Allen, known for his roles in Game of Thrones and Atomic, stars as Rick, and Jill Halfpenny, from The Cuckoo and After the Flood, plays Eve. Tallulah and Delphi Evans, sisters who have appeared in The Forsyte Saga and My Fault: London, portray Lily and Abby.

The show also features performances by Vikash Bhai (known for Limbo and Virdee), Niamh Walsh (from Smother and Jamestown), Levi Brown (seen in This Town and Invasion), Victoria Ekanoye (with roles in The Turkish Detective, The Royals, and Coronation Street), Holly Atkins (who has appeared in Mobland and Criminal Justice), and Kiran Krishnakumar (from What It Feels Like for a Girl and Everything Now).

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The new series, Girl Taken, will premiere on Paramount Plus on January 8th, 2026. You can currently stream Season 1. New subscribers can try Paramount Plus for free for seven days through Amazon Prime Video.

Don’t forget to add “Add Girl Taken” to your watchlist on the TopMob app! Download it now to get daily TV recommendations, exclusive features, and stay up-to-date on everything happening in the world of TV.

Authors

Abby RobinsonDrama Editor

Abby Robinson is the Drama Editor at TopMob, where she writes about TV dramas and comedies. Before that, she was a TV writer for Digital Spy and a content writer for Mumsnet. She has a degree and a postgraduate diploma in English Studies.

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2026-01-08 13:35