Acting legend Suranne Jones, 44, explained how she was familiar with grief due to the loss of both of her parents.

Maryland recently concluded on ITV and as well as starring as a protagonist in the three-part family drama, Suranne also co-created it with screenwriter Anne-Marie O’Connor.

The story follows sisters Becca and Rosaline (played by Eve Best), who have become distant as their lives took very different paths.

After the sudden death of their mother forces them together, the sisters have to love and respect each other again as they find out the truth about the mother they thought they knew.

Speaking to Express.co.uk and other press about her character's experience, Vigil star Suranne talked about the loss of her parents.

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"I think it's no secret that I've lost both my parents, so obviously I know grief," the actress commented.

"And it's either going to come or people have experienced it and I think this show doesn't deal with it quickly, it deals with it over three episodes.

"It's the stages of grief that we stay with but there's humour in it and it's not an easy ride or a straightforward ride."

Suranne continued: "And you don't get a blueprint of how you're going to feel.

"I think knowing sickness, knowing illness, knowing grief, and knowing death was a huge part of it and we're really proud of how that turned out."

Maryland viewers saw the two sisters journeying through their grief together, with some twists and turns along the way.

The duo were forced to head to the Isle of Man for answers after their mother was found dead on a beach on the island.

By the end of the series, the sisters learned their mother had taken her own life and found her suicide note addressed to them.

The two sisters had become estranged due to their very different lives and priorities, with Becca a family-oriented mother and older sister Rosaline a high-flying career woman.

Speaking about her role as Becca, Suranne explained: "I guess with Vigil and Gentleman Jack, I've done a lot of shows where I've been leading and I've been very front footed and I felt like I wanted to play a younger sister.

"I wanted to play someone who was kind of dragged along or felt stuck rather than all clued up and ran the show."

Maryland is available to watch on ITV Hub.