Sophie Turner reveals how motherhood helped her prepare for emotional scenes in ITV's Joan

Sophie Turner revealed how being a mother to her two children helped her prepare for emotional scenes in her new ITV drama, Joan.

The actress stars as real jewel thief Joan Hannington in the 1980s-set series, which follows the young mother as she delves into the criminal underworld in the hopes of starting a new life for her and her six-year-old daughter, Kelly.

At a press conference ahead of the show's premiere, Sophie was asked how she prepared for the emotional scenes.

"I'm a Pisces. I'm very emotional," said the Game of Thrones star, who shares her daughters, Willa, three, and Delphine, one, with her ex-husband, musician Joe Jonas. "I do listen to music and things like that but I'm a mother, so anything to do with children, it just kind of flows out."

On how much of a driving force Kelly is in Joan's decision-making, Sophie said: "She's the crux of everything in this story. While we would be filming scenes that weren't involving Kelly, Richard [Laxton, director] would always come up to me almost every scene and go, 'And where's Kelly?' And so it was always a constant, constant, constant reminder of this is why she's doing it.

"Because I think sometimes when you're doing a show like this, and it's heist-y and there's diamonds and glamour, you get swept away by it all and you have to remember that this is to provide a solid and stable life for her daughter so she can get her back," continued the 28-year-old. "It's really a heartbreaking story, and so we had to constantly be reminding ourselves of that to keep it grounded and to not get too excited."

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The drama introduces viewers to Joan, a young mum who is desperate to escape her toxic relationship with violent criminal Gary. But when he goes on the run, Joan grabs the chance to start a new life with Kelly.

"Delving deeper into the criminal underworld, Joan meets Boisie, an enigmatic antiques dealer whose allure introduces her to new levels of danger and passion," the synopsis continues.

"Through sharp intelligence, irresistible charm, and a talent for impersonation, Joan's journey is a high-stakes game of survival and reinvention. Every heist and every stolen diamond is driven by her singular purpose: to create a secure future for her daughter."

Joan premieres on ITV and ITVX on Sunday 29 September at 9pm. The second episode airs at the same time on Monday 30 September.