Say Nothing and I Swear star Maxine Peake plays a woman caught up in the mystery of a child’s disappearance in Apple TV’s new series Last Seen.
Police detective Ian Ridley’s (Patrick Brammall) life fell apart when his young daughter Maggie went missing 11 years ago. Separated from his wife and now working as a police dispatcher, he receives a distress call from a teenage girl he is convinced is Maggie.
However, the girl – named Sarah (Chloe Jean Lourdes) – says she is the daughter of reclusive couple Henry (Brendan Cowell) and Jenna, played by Peake.
“Jenna is a complicated woman and has been through a lot of trauma,” Peake said to Royal Television Society about her character. “Some of the choices she makes are difficult and problematic. The main issue was trying to make sense of that and how she was trying to heal herself, but also trying to make it relatable and believable.
Apple TV
“That was quite a challenge. I read the script and thought, ‘This is not an easy gig, it will be a good mental workout for me’.”
Peake has tackled tough parts before, winning praise for her role as serial killer Myra Hindley in See No Evil: The Moors Murders and as campaigner Anne Williams in the harrowing drama Anne: One Mother’s Story, based on the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster.
“I think if you’re frightened of the part, then that is how you learn and keep developing as an actor. Those parts where there is a conundrum, I jump in feet first,” she said.
Peake added that Last Seen’s central story of a missing child is especially disquieting. “Anything where there are children involved is upsetting. I’m not a mother myself but I have two godchildren who I adore, and I can wholly empathise.”
“I am so in awe of mothers and fathers and parents,” she added. “It’s such a tough job and I have such respect for people who are bringing children into this world. It’s not an easy place and it’s not getting easier.”
Apple TV
Related: Best streaming services UK 2026 – including Disney Plus, Netflix, iPlayer and Apple TV
Peake shared that Last Seen goes to some “dark places” and reserved special praise for Chloe Jean Lourdes, who made her acting debut as Jenna’s daughter Sarah.
“Chloe is extraordinary… one of those young talents that only comes around every so often. I couldn’t believe it was her first time in front of the camera. She’s naturally gifted,” she said.
With a screen career spanning 30 years following her debut in the 1995 kids’ drama series Children’s Ward, Peake had some advice for young actors like Lourdes who are starting out.
Apple TV
“What I’m learning now is a little bit more about waiting in line. Hang on in there,” she said. “Do your homework. Work hard. Don’t take it personally. Patience.
“When I first started, you become so obsessed when you don’t get something and you are devastated and you think you are never going to work again. It can really get you down.”
Last Seen premieres on Apple TV on Wednesday 9 September.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online.
Freelance film & TV writer, Digital Spy
Critic and writer Jo Berry has been writing about TV and movies since she began her career at Time Out aged 18. A regular on BBC Radio, Jo has written for titles including Empire, Maxim, Radio Times, OK!, The Guardian and Grazia, is the author of books including Chick Flicks and The Parents’ Guide to Kids’ Movies.
She is also the editor of website Movies4Kids. In her career, Jo has interviewed well-known names including Beyonce, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Kiefer Sutherland, Tom Cruise and all the Avengers, spent many an hour crushed in the press areas of award show red carpets. Jo is also a self-proclaimed expert on Outlander and Brassic, and completely agrees that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.