Keeley Hawes compares Crossfire role to Bodyguard

Hawes revealed the main difference between Bodyguard's Julia Montague and Crossfire's Jo.

Lidia Molina-Whyte

Published: Tuesday, 20 September 2022 at 9:23 am

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Keeley Hawes's latest drama Crossfire is set to land on BBC One tonight (20th September).

The Bodyguard actress plays Jo, a woman who goes on holiday with her family when what was meant to be an idyllic stay turns into a nightmare as gunmen open fire on the holidaymakers.

When comparing the new series to Jed Mercurio's hit, in which she starred as ambitious Home Secretary Julia Montague, Hawes revealed the one difference about her character in Crossfire.

"I've been asked, 'How does this differ from other action-based pieces that you've done?' Well, it's the only one where I haven't been passive," she told RadioTimes.com and other press.

"So something like Bodyguard, it's an action thriller, but I wasn't part of that action. So that was very exciting [on Crossfire] and very telling about the way that things have been."

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Anneika Rose as Abhi and Keeley Hawes as Jo in Crossfire. — Anneika Rose as Kate and Keeley Hawes as Jo in Crossfire. BBC / Dancing Ledge Productions

Co-star Josette Simon added: "Unusually, women are the drivers of this drama. None of them are passive, really, in any way."

Writer and creator Louise Doughty agreed, and gave viewers a hint of the kind of relationships to expect between Hawes, Simon and co-star Anneika Rose's characters.

"The primary relationships are between the three women leads – yes, the husband and the kids appear [...] but it's the three women who are at the heart of it," she explained.

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Additional reporting by Morgan Jeffery.

Crossfire starts on Tuesday 20th September 2022 at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

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