After the Flood’s Lorraine Ashbourne talks Sherwood twist, Riot Women season 2 and living at home with her adult children

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I started the interview by wishing Lorraine Ashbourne a happy birthday, as it was the day before. She looked puzzled, staring at her computer in her north London home, and I immediately worried I’d made a mistake by bringing up her age.

“That’s not true!” she said with a laugh. “Lots of people have been wishing me a happy birthday, but I’m an Aries, and my birthday isn’t until April – I don’t turn 65 yet!” Despite the mistaken wishes, Ashbourne is actually excited about reaching her mid-60s. She feels fantastic, especially since she’s starred in four major TV shows in the last year and a half.

Sophie Rundle stars in the new ITV drama, After the Flood, playing a resilient widow coping with both personal loss and a disaster-stricken environment. She previously impressed audiences in Sherwood, where her character, Daphne Sparrow, was surprisingly revealed to be a former undercover police officer – a secret Rundle kept closely guarded and thoroughly enjoyed concealing.

I really enjoyed the experience! The most challenging aspect was portraying a character haunted by her past. However, I’m good at leaving work at work – I focus on being present and practical when I’m acting.

In the first two seasons of ‘Alma’s Not Normal,’ Maggie Ashbourne delivered a deeply touching performance as a beloved grandmother, making her lung cancer diagnosis particularly devastating for viewers. She finished last year strongly with a vibrant role as Jess, the drummer in the all-female menopausal punk band featured in Sally Wainwright’s popular BBC series, ‘Riot Women’.

This indicates a change in how older women are cast in meaningful roles. Over ten years ago, Meryl Streep shared that she received three offers to play a witch all in the same year, when she turned forty.

Ashbourne reflects that the latter part of her life has been positive and fulfilling, allowing her to truly come into her own. She notes a welcome change in how society views older people, with writers now recognizing their worth. ‘We have interesting stories, and a lot to contribute,’ she says, adding that she’s long believed older generations have valuable experiences and insights to share.

I often find myself watching TV and wishing the role was played by an older woman instead. Honestly, I sometimes get a little bored seeing the same young, attractive faces – it just doesn’t always grab my attention. It’s not that I have anything against young or beautiful people, it’s just not always compelling to watch.

As Ashbourne herself admits, she’s incredibly fortunate – it’s rare for an actress her age to appear in four successful shows in such a short time. However, few possess her exceptional talent; she’s able to convincingly portray a wide range of emotions, seamlessly moving between sadness, humor, and anger in every performance.

Sally Wainwright, who worked with Kay Mellor on the show Playing the Field in the late 90s, wrote scenes for Lorraine Ashbourne’s character, Geraldine, but didn’t actually meet her until they worked together on Riot Women. Wainwright knew Ashbourne would deliver a fantastic performance – sharp, funny, and realistic. She explains that Ashbourne is incredibly versatile, able to shift seamlessly between humor and genuine emotion, like going from making you laugh to breaking your heart in an instant.

Wainwright shared that while filming Riot Women in Hebden Bridge, actor Ashbourne stayed at Wainwright’s house and practiced on his drum kit. Ashbourne joined the project late due to other work, giving him only three weeks to learn the drums – much less than the other actors, who had five months to prepare – but he still delivered a great performance.

Wainwright notes that his environmentally conscious and ethical neighbor was very impressed with Lorraine. Lorraine naturally recycles and genuinely cares for both people and the planet.

Polly Ashbourne loves playing Mrs. Varley, the Featherington family’s housekeeper on Bridgerton, and is excited to attend the Paris premiere of the new season. But more than that, she enjoys roles that show women as strong, independent decision-makers.

The second season of After the Flood ends this week, with Molly Marshall now a town councillor for Waterside. She’s determined to warn people about the danger of moorland fires and prevent further environmental damage to the town.

I especially appreciate how the story focuses on climate change. The writer, Mick Ford, presents the seriousness of the situation in an engaging way. We need more people like Molly, who are actively working towards solutions. She’s strong-willed and inspires me to feel empowered and not worry about others’ opinions.

She particularly enjoys the dynamic between Molly and her detective daughter, Jo (Sophie Rundle), noting it’s often unclear who’s actually in charge. Ashbourne understands the complexities of parenthood firsthand; she met her husband, Andy Serkis, in 1989 while both were actors performing in a play at the Royal Exchange after she’d finished drama school in Manchester.

Andy Serkis and his wife have three adult children – Ruby, Sonny, and Louis – all of whom are actors with the last name Ashbourne Serkis. Ruby, 28, will be in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man. Sonny, 26, appeared in Masters of the Air, and Louis, 21, had a role as a young hobbit in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey when he was eight years old, and recently starred in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

All three of Ashbourne’s children still live at home with their parents. Ashbourne says she’s surprisingly finding herself taking on more responsibilities as she gets older, but she enjoys the challenge. She just wishes she had more time to get everything done.

People always ask if I had a crazy upbringing, but honestly, it was really normal! My dad was a plumber and always home for tea. Being a mom, daughter, sister, and wife definitely pulls me in a lot of directions, but I’m genuinely happy and feel so lucky. Honestly, staying with the same man for almost 40 years is amazing, especially with how much time acting takes away from home. But we’re still together, and I definitely don’t mind him at all!

I actually find a strange comfort in the messiness of my life. My house is constantly untidy, and with my husband leaving for a year to film a movie in New Zealand, I’m surprisingly excited about all I’ll be able to accomplish while he’s gone!

When their children were small, the family lived in New Zealand while Andy Serkis filmed the first movies in the series. Although his parents were great with the kids, he never turned down a work opportunity, and they often brought their children along. They even had the kids in school in New Zealand for nine months at a time. Taking a year off work felt risky, but he decided to trust his gut, and it ultimately worked out. His children have wonderful memories of that time.

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Ashbourne plans to bring her children to see Andy Serkis later this year. After that, she’s going to get her drum kit out of storage and start practicing again, preparing for the next season of Riot Women. She’s also asked if she expected the first season to be so popular.

It really struck a chord with people! I’ve had strangers stop me to say it was painful to watch, but ultimately very helpful. It’s opened up conversations about important topics like menopause, getting older, female friendships, and motherhood – absolutely. The show’s character, Sally, is pretty critical of men, and I was initially worried that might be off-putting. But surprisingly, men are really enjoying it!

She’s really drawn to writers, even though she doesn’t consider herself one – she’s tried writing, but it’s not her strength. She’s particularly impressed with Sally’s ability to understand people and relationships, which she believes is the key to Sally’s successful and relatable work. She admits she usually avoids watching her own projects, becoming protective if anyone offers criticism, but she enjoyed watching ‘Riot Women’ with her father, and he was a fan. She feels there’s a lot of demand for another season of the show.

Lorraine Ashbourne is an actor who truly connects with directors. Early in her career, she impressed Terence Davies during an audition for his 1988 film, Distant Voices, Still Lives. He was deeply moved by her performance and cast her immediately. Fellow director Wainwright echoes this sentiment, describing Ashbourne as ‘breathtaking’ to direct. She consistently exceeds expectations, bringing something unexpected and special to every role – she’s one of a kind.

Authors

Amy Raphael

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2026-01-26 20:38