Anne continued on ITV this week, following the harrowing story of Anne Williams, a mother who lost her 15-year-old son Kevin during the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster.
Throughout the course of the four-part series, we've seen Anne struggling to come to terms with what happened during the match between Liverpool and Sheffield Wednesday, which resulted in the deaths of 97 football fans.
Maxine Peake has taken on the role of Anne Williams, who worked tirelessly to get justice for Kevin and the other victims, after discovering that there were inaccuracies reported about what really happened at Hillsborough. She enlists the help of the local community to try and get answers, but it's a fight that takes decades, as the series covers many years of Anne's life following Kevin's death.
Viewers everywhere have praised Maxine's performance, with many pointing out how raw and honest it feels as we witness harrowing moments such as identifying Kevin's body from a polaroid, and visiting Hillsborough, the Sheffield Wednesday ground where the disaster took place and Kevin lost his life.
Recently, viewers saw the grieving mum visiting Anfield, where she and other family members broke out into a chant of "Justice for the 96" in front of Andy Burnham, a particularly poignant scene that concluded the third part of the series. All of these moments have really resonated with viewers, with many sharing their thoughts.
So moving Maxine Peake is so believable quite something..#AnneJanuary 2, 2022
#Anne#MaxinePeake will surely win an award for her portrayal of #AnneWilliamsA superb, poignant and very moving performance. 👏👏👏⚘ pic.twitter.com/56hd8DCmJIJanuary 5, 2022
Just finished the first episode of #Anne and it is throughly harrowing. Such a heartbreaking tragedy. I cannot even contemplate. Maxine Peake is a breathtaking.January 5, 2022
#Anne is insanely good and Maxine Peake is an absolutely incredible actress. What an incredible portrayalJanuary 4, 2022
Well that was a tough watch, Maxine Peake is outstanding #AnneJanuary 4, 2022
Catching up on #Anne - if Maxine Peake doesn’t win a BAFTA for this there’s something very wrong.January 4, 2022
Speaking about taking on the titular role of Anne, Maxine Peake said: “Anne Williams was an extraordinary woman who spent half her life campaigning for the truth of her son’s death and the other 95 victims who were unlawfully killed at Hillsborough.
"Anne and her family’s story really is inspirational. She was a magnificent role model. Her fearlessness and drive to take on the British Establishment is mind-blowing. I hope we can go some way to bringing the story of Anne, the families, victims, and survivors of Hillsborough to an even wider audience.”
The fourth and final part of Anne airs on ITV at 9pm on Wednesday 5th January. Episodes are also available on ITV Hub.
