SHARLENE Whyte has revealed why she kept her distance from Stephen Lawrence’s mum as she prepared for a harrowing new drama.
Sharlene plays Doreen Lawrence in ITV’s new three-part series, Stephen.
Stephen was just 18 when he was killed in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in South London in April 1993.
It left Doreen and Stephen’s father Neville devastated, as well as determined to get justice for their son.
The new drama follows their plight more than a decade later as they team up with detective Clive Driscoll (played by Steve Coogan) to secure the conviction of two of the gang members who killed Stephen, after the original case failed to convict those responsible.
Speaking about Doreen, Sharlene admitted she had never met her during preparations for portraying her on screen.
Explaining her reasons to The Celeb Report and other media at a Q&A for the drama, Sharlene said: “I haven’t met Doreen, I feel like I was trying to keep a respectful space from Doreen.
“I didn’t feel that it was right that I go to her and start asking her questions or asking her to relive the experience again as I can imagine how raw and dramatic that would be.
“So I haven’t met her but I’m hoping that I’ve got her blessing and she’s happy with the story that we’ve told and the way that I’ve portrayed her.”
She added of them not meeting: “It’s unfortunate but at the same time, I really didn’t want to be too coloured by what she had to say or her feelings about it as I wanted to give an honest portrayal by servicing the story and servicing her well.”
Despite not meeting the 68-year-old, Sharlene is full of admiration for what she has fought for and achieved since the horror of losing her son.
She said: “There’s something about Doreen and she has this inner world which is very much alive and just shows little glimmers of faith but everything is going on inside.
“I learned that by reading her book and her inner life is absolutely fascinating, you don’t see any of it on the face.
“Of course if it was my child, I would be shouting and screaming, I don’t know how she kept it so composed but so bright and intelligent and measured, it was almost a single-mindedness.
“Fight for justice for her son was at the forefront of her mind and nothing would get past that, and that was the main thing for her and the main drive, so she was able to concentrate on that and focus on that.”
Stephen airs later this year on ITV.
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https://thecelebreport.com/television/the-repair-shop-viewers-left-sobbing-as-woman-reveals-how-her-dogs-burned-to-death-in-family-home
