A landmark photography project
Photography by Katie O'Neill
Suranne Jones is an actor and producer, best known for her performances in Coronation Street, Scott & Bailey, Doctor Foster, Gentleman Jack and Vigil. She has built a career spanning television, theatre and film, and is particularly associated with writer Sally Wainwright, with whom she has worked on several acclaimed dramas.
Suranne Jones at the 2016 BAFTA Awards
Born in Chadderton, Oldham, Suranne grew up in the area and attended Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton. She developed a passion for acting at an early age and joined the Oldham Theatre Workshop, where she studied performing arts and gained valuable stage experience. Her parents, Jenny and Chris, played an important supportive role in her early acting career, encouraging her ambitions and helping her pursue her dream of becoming a professional actress.
Suranne began her professional acting career as a teenager and made her first television appearance in Coronation Street in 1997, playing Mandy Phillips in a small role. Three years later she returned to the soap in the much larger role of Karen McDonald, Steve McDonald's unpredictable and ambitious partner. The character made Suranne a household name, and she remained with the programme until 2004. Her performance earned her two British Soap Awards for Best Actress and a National Television Award.
After leaving Coronation Street, Suranne deliberately moved into more varied dramatic roles. She appeared in Vincent, Strictly Confidential and Harley Street, before receiving considerable recognition for her performance as Ruth Slater in the 2009 drama Unforgiven. She subsequently starred as Detective Rachel Bailey in Scott & Bailey, beginning another important collaboration with writer Sally Wainwright.
One of the defining roles of Suranne's career came in Doctor Foster (2015–2017), in which she played GP Gemma Foster, whose life begins to unravel after discovering her husband's infidelity. Her performance was widely recognised, and she won the 2016 BAFTA Television Award for Best Leading Actress, alongside other major television awards.
Jones continued to take on challenging roles, including Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack (2019–2022). She also served as an executive producer on the series. Other notable work includes Save Me, Vigil, Doctor Who, and a range of theatre productions including A Few Good Men, Top Girls, Beautiful Thing, Orlando and Frozen.
With a career that began in Greater Manchester theatre and television, Suranne Jones has developed from a Coronation Street soap star into an award-winning dramatic actress, recognised particularly for complex, emotionally demanding characters.
The street's adjacent to Manchester Deansgate Hotel.
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Student reflection: Katie O'Neill
It was an absolute joy to photograph Suranne. She was wonderfully natural, warm and down to earth.
Suranne was back in Manchester to receive a Variety Legend Award at the Deansgate Hilton that evening. I met her in the hotel reception on her arrival, and we headed straight out to explore a few locations around the nearby Deansgate Viaduct.
We began against a typically Mancunian Victorian red-brick wall. It provided the perfect backdrop for easing into the shoot and capturing some classic portraits. Suranne was relaxed and engaging, taking direction effortlessly and embracing my posing suggestions.
For our second location, we moved to the polished stone exterior of the Deansgate Hilton itself. It was a bright but breezy autumn afternoon, and Suranne had to contend with the wind catching her hair. Rather than being a distraction, it added an element of spontaneity and a creative twist to some of the images.
Our final setting was Century Street, where the cobbled surfaces and gritty urban atmosphere offered a visual nod to Suranne’s Coronation Street days. At her own suggestion, she sat on the edge of the pavement, creating one of my favourite images from the entire shoot.
Katie & Surrane
Short but sweet, our 20 minutes together were incredibly productive. We covered three distinct locations, each bringing its own character and feel to the portraits, and I was delighted with the final results.
Suranne later shared her thoughts on social media, writing: “I think the images are authentically me, with a touch of Manchester energy”.