ACTRESS Jodie Whittaker has landed a top role with the National Theatre.
And her husband, Christian Contreras, is this week set to star in one of the BBC’s hotly tipped dramas, The Syndicate.
Jodie, a former Shelley High School pupil who grew up in Skelmanthorpe, had flown to Los Angeles for a three- month stay for auditions in what is known as pilot season, when parts in new series are cast.
But within days of being in LA, a call came through from the National Theatre to see if she was interested in auditioning for the stage play of Greek tragedy Antigone.
Jodie auditioned via a makeshift video emailed to the play’s director Polly Findlay and she got the part.
She had expected to stay in the sunshine of California until the summer but will now be heading back for rehearsals.
But this week the headlines will focus on her husband, Christian Contreras.
The couple, who met at drama school, have been together for almost a decade.
Christian appears in the five-part series alongside Timothy Spall, Joanna Page and Harry Potter’s Matthew Lewis in Kay Mellor’s latest drama.
The Syndicate follows the story of five supermarket workers who win £18m on the lottery.
It shows the repercussions the windfall has for the group, and propping them all up is Christian’s character Andy Faraday, the lottery representative.
It is a first major TV role in the UK for Christian, who has made his name as a writer in the past.
Jodie’s dad Adrian said: “Christian has done plenty of writing but this is a big part for him.
“It looks as if it’s going to be a good show.”
Adrian added that Jodie was “over the moon” about the role with the National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre, alongside former Dr Who star Christopher Eccleston.
Antigone runs in May and June.
