Anna Friel's street research

Friday, 19 June 2009

Anna Friel met with a prostitute to research her role in 'The Street'.

The 32-year-old actress plays single mum Dee, who earns cash by selling her body so she can move house with her bullied son, and says meeting a woman in a similar position in real life helped her relate to her character.

She said: "She taught me when she's at work she puts her mind in a different place. I didn't have a sex scene as Dee but I got the sense from the woman I met of the prostitute's disregard for men.

"In a sense the woman has power over the man. She manipulates the situation and is in charge of how it goes."

Anna - who has a three-year-old daughter, Gracie - also revealed she could sympathise with her character because all she wants to do is protect her child.

The former 'Brookside' star told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "I prize my own daughter above everything else in the world. Having a child completely changes your perspective on everything.

"The drama demonstrates what a woman will do to protect her children, and I quite understand that feeling."

'The Street' will be aired next month.