Siobhan Finneran pays tribute to ITV Protection co-star Tilly Kaye, 13, with touching statement
ITV’s Protection star Siobhan Finneran has issued a glowing tribute to her 13-year-old co-star Tilly Kaye ahead of the series’ UK release.
The 60-year-old actress plays DI Liz Nyles, a police officer tasked with the high-stakes world of witness protection.
Finneran received a Bafta nomination for her role as recovering addict Clare Cartwright in the acclaimed BBC series Happy Valley.
Protection will debut this week on UK TV, after a run last year in the US and Canada.
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The show follows DI Nyles as she attempts to balance the incredibly difficult task of managing informants in her professional life and difficulties at home.
Nyles is also contending with a teenage daughter as well as her tricky former partner and being a carer for her father as he recovers from a stroke.
“Liz is trying to keep a balance between personal and professional, so hopefully her character will resonate with loads of people,” Finneran explained.
Her character’s life is turned upside down as someone is murdered in one of her safe houses, causing her to worry about corruption in her unit.
Worse still, she begins to wonder if she may have unwittingly compromised herself while carrying out a scandalous affair DS Paul Brandice (Barry Ward).
During the tumultuous period, Nyles come to care for youngster Amy McLennan – the pampered daughter of one of her most high-profile informants.
McLennan is played by Tilly Kaye, 13, whom Finneran could not help but gush about while discussing the series.
“I loved her. We’ve worked together before, but I had no clue that we had,” the 60-year-old began.
“She’s really good at what she’s doing and she’s only 12 (at the time of interview). It’s almost a bit annoying how good she it!” Finneran admitted to ITV while opening up about her young co-star.
“We had fun together, even in the scenes that weren’t fun,” she added.
Regarding the more difficult to film scenes, the Happy Valley star explained how she kept things grounded with Kaye.
Finneran revealed: “We just chat. I’ve got kids so I know how to talk to children.”
“You can’t mess about, but it’s just keeping the chat light: who you like, what groups they’re into, all of that stuff,” she concluded.