Lauren Lyle reveals emotional, "cathartic" Karen Pirie scene that had her crying throughout
"I bawled and bawled and bawled as I did it, and I was like, 'I'm f***ing acting!'"
All three episodes of Karen Pirie season 2 are now available to stream on ITVX, and this new run sees Karen in a position of greater power, having been promoted to the role of DI.
As she leads her team on a new investigation, looking into the 1984 case of Cat and Adam Grant's kidnapping, the pressure starts to build, with it coming to a head in one particularly emotional scene.
It's one which was also emotional for Lyle to film, as she revealed at a recent screening and Q&A for season 2.
Lyle said: "It all gets a bit meta sometimes. Things get weaved in. Emer [Kenny] would write stuff in, not because it was going on in our personal lives, but stuff might be going on in our personal lives, and I think it would inspire some stuff. We would weave certain things through.
"And she'd come to me on set and say, ‘This might be a bit much. This might either be cathartic or it might be quite hard to do’. And most of them were quite cathartic. There's a scene that opens episode 2, and I found it extremely cathartic, and I bawled and bawled and bawled as I did it, and I was like, ‘I'm f***ing acting!’"
The scene in question involves an emotional discussion between Karen and Zach Wyatt's Phil, when Karen is at her lowest point.
Lyle also revealed that director Gareth Bryn had told her to "bring it right down" for a following take, and that the scene viewers are ultimately able to see is a composite of both options, with some of the more emotional take still included.
Read more:
- Karen Pirie writer explains key book change – and why the era had to stay the same
- Karen Pirie writer and star reveal new season 2 character is hiding a big secret
Lyle previously told Radio Times about Karen's newfound authority, saying: "With a slight sense of not wanting it, she has become the boss and doesn't quite know what to do with that. She has the authority now, but she doesn't know what to do with it.
"As she was in season 1, she naturally goes against the rules, and she naturally is very good at her job, but she doesn't necessarily know why or how she's doing it.
"So we find her as the head of everyone, and it's still quite funny that she's very small and sarcastic and unsure, but somehow has to pull it all together."
Karen Pirie season 2 is available to stream in full on ITVX now.
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Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
