Sheridan Smith broke down in tears ‘every night’ while filming the upcoming BBC drama Four Lives.
The three-part series is based on the harrowing true story Grindr Killer Stephen Port and his four victims Anthony Walgate, Gabriel Kovari, Daniel Whitworth and Jack Taylor.
The story follows the victims’ families as they worked tirelessly to uncover the truth about what happened to them, with Sheridan taking on the role of Walgate’s mother Sarah Sak.
Reflecting on the part, Sheridan admitted it was one of the hardest jobs of her life.
‘Every night I was going home in bits, crying – you can’t help but take it home,’ she said.
‘I have so much respect for her and what she must have gone through. I really beat myself up with it because I want to do a good job for them.’
Sheridan added to The Sun that she was able to form a ‘connection’ with Sarah to help her get into character.
‘I think it brings something different out in me when I play a real person,’ she continued. ‘I love to get a connection with them.
‘I mean it from my heart that I want to do my best for them, it’s not like I meet them to go ‘oh, what are your mannerisms’ and then just dump them.
‘I’m invested in them. I know their lives and I’ve got so much admiration for them. They’re special jobs.’
Port received a life sentence with a whole-life order in November 2016.
An inquest into the four deaths concluded with the jury ruling that failings by the Met Police contributed to the deaths of Port’s final three victims.
Four Lives will air over three consecutive nights from Monday with all the episodes available on BBC iPlayer.
Four Lives airs on Monday at 9pm on BBC iPlayer.
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