On 24 March 1953, the serial killer John “Reg” Christie was found out. He had moved out of his home in London’s then-downtrodden neighbourhood of Notting Hill. As the new tenant was trying to fix a wireless to the kitchen wall, he peeled back the paper to discover three dead bodies hidden in an alcove. When police searched the house, more bodies were found in the back garden (a human thigh bone was holding the fence up) and Christie’s collection of his victims’ pubic hair was uncovered.
Over 10 years, he had murdered many women – including his wife Ethel – by strangulation and gassing. Four years earlier, he had also testified against another, innocent man named Timothy Evans, leading him to be hanged for one of Christie’s crimes. This week, Samantha Morton will play Ethel and Tim Roth Reg as the BBC delves into the story of the notorious murderer and his home life in three-part thriller Rillington Place.
Here, Morton opens up about monsters, miscarriages of justice and making a difference.
Ethel is a symbol of humans’ capacity to love or at least accept monsters. How did that resonate with you?
I find it absolutely fascinating, the psychological aspect of love – how far love will go and what women in abusive relationships will often do for their partner, like protect them in court. You hear a lot of horrific cases of child abuse where the woman will support the father to the detriment or even the death of their child. I cannot get my head around that, but then I’ve never been in that position. So nothing on a personal level, but it really developed my acting chops. It was a challenge to play someone so submissive.
How did you find out about Ethel’s life?
I don’t have any recordings of her like I did playing Myra Hindley in Longford. I don’t have any letters, and a lot more is known about him. But the main thing I drew from reading about them and looking at pictures was absolute love and happiness. They look like a happy normal couple. I know why the police destroyed most of his photographs, but it’s a shame they did because there might have been extra evidence of other women he murdered.
Were you drawn to the story because of the miscarriages of justice?
The police were so shockingly poor at their jobs back in the day. I have a huge issue personally with the justice system, to do with my childhood and how the police have not punished people who abused me because it’s too far gone now. So yes, I do have a huge issue with the police: I do not trust them, I do not believe them, I’ve never felt safe or protected by them. They’re like the biggest gangsters in the world. They can do what the hell they want. Occasionally they do come through, and there are good individuals out there within the police force, but I mean come on …
You seem to gravitate towards less conventional roles. Why is that?
I see myself as an old-fashioned character actress: I am a leading lady in that old-fashioned way, but I like the excitement of working on something that is absolute entertainment, and tapping into the childlike element of being an actor – the dressing up, having different hair and a different walk. I love all of that. But you have to have a balance. It would be a bit boring if I did the same thing all the time. I wouldn’t get any better as an actor. It’s like going to the gym and only running: you’ve got to try different things. You can’t constantly play the Ethel Christies or the Myra Hindleys.
How do you buffer yourself against harrowing scenes?
Over the years, you learn how to protect yourself. It’s never pleasant, but then you take a role because you go, “I want to make a difference. I want people to think differently.” I always try to have a social justice aspect to what I do. It’s not just a career. I’ve never chosen roles like, “Oh, that’ll get me to Hollywood.”
• Rillington Place starts tonight at 9pm on BBC1.
