ITV Dramas - Keeley Hawes Interview (After Thomas) (Dec 2006)

Keeley Hawes plays Nicola Graham

It is hard playing real people as opposed to fictional ones?
It was difficult because it was based on a true story, we met the real parents and so you get that real image of somebody.

They were almost traumatised because people in the early nineties didn't recognise autism.

You've said you felt it was a great responsibility….
Well there is, especially as it's not even like the children's family are no longer with us but they're on set.
They came on scene where I was pushing the dog out of the room and having a fight with Andrew (Byrne, who plays Kyle).

Was it hard doing scenes with the young actor, Andrew, who played your son Kyle?
Yes it was, it was harder than I imagined to work with a child.

I have got three of my own but it was more difficult then I thought. I thought I would be better, calmer and more sensitive really.

It is difficult when you have a child on set and they're having fun with the dog and going to be on TV and within ten minutes they think ‘I've had enough of this now' and you know that we've got another eight weeks to go with ten hour days. That is hard.

But he was lovely, does an excellent job and I think he was brilliant in it.

What research did you do?
Well, we went to the school and sort of tried to read up as best I could because when you act and do something like this quite often you're then expected to become and expert.

The main thing that concerned me was knowing how to act because if you don't see someone in your day to day life with an autistic child then you don't know how you're supposed to respond, or talk to them even.

You see this woman doing it so valiantly at the school, and it's not any different from talking to anyone else.

You don't want to get it wrong in front of all those millions of people that are going to watch it.

The pupils were taught the social things, which is very difficult when you're autistic, they are almost trained to be sociable and it was perfect and lovely to see completely beautifully behaved children. I wish mine were half as good.

Did you find filming After Thomas difficult?
Things are hard for different reasons and like in any job you've got to try.

Emotionally and physically everything is just pushed to the limit and I'm glad it turned out quite well and it is worth it.

Andrew kept pulling your hair quite a lot did you say it was alright?
I did, I was very aware of what it would be and I didn't encourage it.

It had to be real so dramatically we had to show him assaulting me and he couldn't keep punching me in the face so the hair was quite a good way to go.

He is quite strong and big for a six-year-old, but he was lovely.

Was anybody aware that you were pregnant while filming this?
No I didn't know I was pregnant because I don't suffer from morning sickness and I've never been sick with any of them. I'm very lucky, I can't imagine going to work and being sick, it's not enjoyable for anybody.

How did you relax after filming?
After Ralph was born I did a couple of days on the last Vicar of Dibley, which was amazing and they were the nicest people I have ever worked with.

Its lovely watching brilliant actors and it was really good.

In the film, Kyle fits are a bit like toddler tantrums times by about ten. Have you ever had that with your own children?

I haven't actually no, well the second one is starting to kick off but she is a girl and she is just two.

But my son Myles, who is six, is just terribly well adjusted and confident and grown up and funny.

How is your toddler reacting to Ralph?
Not that well, Maggie won't let him have anything. If you put a hat on him she will take it off, if you put a scarf on, she will take it off, shoes off, tops off.

I don't know what that means, maybe she doesn't think highly of him. She is only two so you have to keep an eye on them, but luckily she has got Myles to balance it really.

Ralph was huge, she was expecting a proper baby but when we brought him back from the hospital he was nearly as big as her. She is quite dainty, he was 10lb and very red, her reaction was just ‘Yuk Yuk'.

I think she liked dolls and he was just a sicky fat thing.But she is coming round to him, we all are.

What are your plans for Christmas?
We have about three or four weeks off, we have banned everybody from coming over.

Last year we had about sixteen or seventeen people over for dinner and that won't be happening again. We're going to have a countryside Christmas.

Thanks to hayz of MMOnline