Interview by Madeleine Ringer
This is Going to Hurt and Empire of Light actress, Hannah Onslow, shines as Diana Williams in BBC One’s This City is Ours, a Liverpool-based crime drama with enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning. Onslow’s character is the girlfriend of drug lord Michael Kavanagh, played by co-star James Nelson-Joyce, but intelligent, chic, and with her dark secrets, she is every bit as interesting as her companion.
Playing Diana Williams in This City is Ours, your character and Michael Kavanagh have this blooming relationship and potential family future - all amidst the chaos of gang rivalry and crime. What was it like to read with James the first time?
We had a chemistry read together during the audition process and straight away it felt so natural. I love acting with him so much, I really felt we had this instant trust in each other, which is obviously so important, especially with a relationship like Michael and Diana’s. People seem to have really bought into their relationship, which both James and I are so thrilled about. It’s integral to the storyline, so I’m so pleased that’s something people really love about it!
Diana is such a resilient, determined, and complex character in the show. Is there anything specific you do to get into her “zone”?
Definitely the scouse accent, which I love so much - it’s so different from my own and when I slip into it, the rhythm, the pace, the directness of it – I found it really grounding. I think her style too; a lot of Diana’s clothing is structured, there’s a slightly ‘held’ nature to her as the series goes on and everything around her begins to unfurl. The costuming allowed her to keep that façade of control as the chaos unfolds around her. It changed the way I walked, sat, felt and psychologically, I think that was super helpful.
If you had to pick one other character you’ve played to spend the day with Diana, who would it be?
Janine from Empire of Light, because they both would take issue with how the other one dresses!