Renee Bailey and Natalie Quarry, stars of Call the Midwife, have hinted at some “sad” storylines in the upcoming Season 13. Joining the cast as pupil midwives Joyce Highland and Rosalind Clifford, they exclusively shared with Digital Spy about the emotional impact of certain episodes.
Bailey mentioned, “Episode 4 stands out. No spoilers, but it’s a poignant episode. It’s interesting because you receive the script a couple of days in advance, and as you read through it, you think, ‘Alright, what’s my part in this? Cool.’ So you prepare accordingly.”
“And then, when you actually read the script, you’re like, ‘Okay, this is fine. It’s going to be… oh.’ This season has a lot of sad moments, to be honest, but that particular one really stood out. I remember it was the first time I had a strong emotional reaction to sadness. I thought, ‘Oh my God, this is really tough.’
“It’s always challenging because there are two stories happening simultaneously in each episode, the A story and the B story. I feel like both of them are quite sad,” she added.
Sharing her most emotional moment, Quarry disclosed, “I have a different episode, either 6 or 7. I can’t quite recall which one, as they’ve all sort of merged together.”
“I can’t say, but that one was really tough for me… There were scenes where Rosalind wasn’t supposed to be upset, but I found them hard to sit through without crying. It made me cry. So, that episode was quite challenging to film because it was just really sad.”
During the conversation, the two stars also talked about how they unwind after emotionally intense days on set. Quarry shared that she watches familiar comfort shows like Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares to let her brain switch off.
“It’s to let your brain switch off,” she explained. “You have a cup of tea. Because it kind of stays in you, especially if you’ve had to do the prep on the day and you’re in a very difficult, upsetting scene.
“You finish the scene, and you’re like: ‘Do-do-do.’ But it does stay with you for a while,” Quarry admitted. She mentioned taking advice from an interview with The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey.
“You create fake trauma in your own body. Your body doesn’t know the difference,” she recalled. “I’m completely stealing this from Bella, so this is not me. They said this, not me. But your body doesn’t know the difference between real trauma and fake trauma.
“Your brain does, but your body doesn’t. You’re creating this fake trauma in your body. And when you get home, your body still feels it. You have to do what you would do if you were actually upset.
“I spend time with my loved ones, watch TV, and eat something nice. Me and my neighbor will chit-chat about rubbish. That’s what I do, anyway – just really relax.”
Bailey added that there are some “sad turns for Joyce” in the episodes and emphasized the importance of preparation for her.
Reaching these emotional scenes – I’m not the type to cry on command, not in real life, definitely not as an actor. Going through the preparation, researching, and talking to people – some of those experiences are sadly relatable, not for me thankfully, but for many people I know or have encountered. There are numerous stories about it.
When you engage in these conversations, it’s easy to forget that it starts to weigh on you after a while. In the moment, it’s okay, but eventually, you think, ‘Wow, this is quite sad.’ Then you perform the scene, and it’s emotional. But I don’t know.
On one hand, there’s the realization that, well, I’m fortunate this isn’t my life. So, there’s that perspective. It’s like, ‘Okay, I get to feel this for a moment, let go, and not have to deal with the consequences.’
But I also think, similarly, it’s about chatting, having a good conversation. Before you know it, we’re talking about something random or something we’ve watched. And it’s like, ‘Alright, that’s gone.’ Then you’re talking to loved ones or watching TV. I believe it’s about truly being able to separate from that afterward.
Call the Midwife season 13 premieres on Sunday, January 7th at 8 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Source: Digital Spy
