Based on the classic book of the same name, A Woman of Substance is BritBox’s latest female-driven period piece — and another triumph for the modern British television landscape. The show, focusing on different chapters in the life of Emma Harte, highlights the strength you gain through hard times, as well as the sacrifices you have to make along the way.

While Brenda Blethyn plays the older version of the character, it’s Outlander veteran Jessica Reynolds who shines in the show as the version of Emma who goes from a down-on-her-luck maid to an enterprising force to be reckoned with. During an interview with TVBrittanyF, Jessica Reynolds chatted about her experience joining A Woman of Substance, why it was important for her not to copy the previous take on the story, and what surprised her the most about Emma Harte.

TVBF: When figuring out your approach to Emma, did you look to the source material and earlier iterations of the character — or was it more important to find your take in this version?

Jessica Reynolds: It was absolutely the screenplay for me. It would have also been the book if I had more time. I was cast three weeks before production began, so I started reading the book. I got about 100 pages in. But then, as soon as I started production, I basically did not have the time, because I was on set a lot. .

In terms of other versions of A Woman of Substance, it was similar. I did start watching it, and I was like, ‘Oh, interesting.’ But then I stopped, because I didn’t want to copy or take too much from it. ,I wanted to bring as much of myself as possible instead, make it something new and my own interpretation of it.

Did you work with Brenda to find out more about her version of Emma?

No, we didn’t work together at all. We met each other maybe a month pr so into filming. I was already quite a bit of the way into my Emma, and then I met her on set one day when I was leaving, and she was coming in. It was nice, we gave each other a big hug and a really sweet wee moment. But there was no communication between us in terms of character.

How do you approach the period piece setting as a performer and retain that modern touch without losing the historical period influence?

I think it’s interesting. I think realistically, like, no matter how many hundreds of years we go back, we’re all still human. People haven’t evolved as much as we think we have. The same issues are relevant today, the same power struggle, the same feminist issues are absolutely still present. Not much has changed at all, really. So they relate in that way, but I suppose the tricky thing about modern period drama is that we have such modern cameras.

Everything is so modern, so there’s not much I can do about that. If we shot a film that was set in the 80s, we would film it as if shot on film or something, as in the 80s. I think that’s my taste. It was also about the accessories and the accents. I had to have this broad West Yorkshire voice, but listening to old videos of people from Yorkshire from way back in the day. Kes was a big inspiration for me, hearing the way they communicated with each other. I wanted to bring that in as well, so that it didn’t sound like a modern 2020s Yorkshire.

What surprised you the most about Emma and A Woman of Substance?

I think I was surprised by how much she kind of became a part of me. I was spending more time being her and with her voice than I was being myself. I was away from my home in London and my home in Ireland, and I was really thrust into this new atmosphere and this new world. I think it swept me away a bit. I was also surprised by how much I missed younger Emma.

As I was growing into the more business-minded Emma, I really didn’t like the way I felt being her. For her, in real life, all that happened over the years — whereas for me it was happening within over a weekend. I was going from working-class Emma to business Emma, and that always felt a little like a betrayal. [Laughter.] I was grieving early Emma, and I still am. I miss being the maid Emma, and I probably always will.

A Woman of Substance is now streaming on BritBox.