Sheridan Smith donned a short greying wig on Friday to embody Ann Ming as she filmed upcoming drama series I Fought The Law in North Tyneside.
The Gavin And Stacey actress, 43, who starred in the ill-fated musical Opening Night, looked in good spirits as her character greeted her neighbours.
Sheridan sported a dark mauve padded jacket and a patterned black and white shirt for filming in Shiremoor.
Her character Ann is a real woman who got the UK's 800-year-old 'double jeopardy' law overturned following the murder of her daughter Julie Hogg.
Julie was murdered byWilliam 'Billy' Dunlop but jurors failed to find him guilty - twice.
Sheridan Smith, 43, donned a short greying wig on Friday to embody Ann Ming as she filmed upcoming true crime drama I Fought The Law in North Tyneside
The Gavin And Stacey actress who starred in the ill-fated musical Opening Night , beamed as her character greeted her neighbours
Sheridan's character Ann (right, in 2006) is a real woman who got the UK's 800-year-old 'double jeopardy' law overturned following the murder of her daughter Julie Hogg
This meant that even when Billy confessed, he could not be trialled again, in accordance with the law at the time.
However, after almost 17 years of campaigning with her husband Charles, who died in 2013, Ann got this law amended, and Billy is currently serving a life sentence.
Julie, who was a mother to three-year-old, Kevin, and a wife to Andrew, was only 22 when she died.
Tragically, Ann found Julie's body concealed in the bathroom of her terraced house in January 1990, 80 days after it was hidden there by Billy.
This was in spite of extensive searches of the property by police forensics teams in the days after her disappearance, who failed to detect her body.
Her daughter's killer had strangled and then sexually mutilated Julie, before hiding her body under the bath in her own house.
Ann, now in her late 70s, is acting as a consultant throughout the production process of I Fought The Law.
Filming began on Mondayin Hartlepool, County Durham, and Sheridan was dressed as a nurse, Julia's former profession.
Sheridan sported a dark mauve padded jacket and a patterned black and white shirt for filming in Shiremoor
Julie was murdered by William 'Billy' Dunlop and hidden in her own bathroom but jurors failed to find him guilty at both the trial and the retrial
Filming began on Monday in Hartlepool, County Durham, and Sheridan was dressed as a nurse, Julia's former profession
Sheridan's portrayal of Ann is sure to be accurate as the real-life Ann, now in her late 70s, has signed on as a consultant (right, Sheridan pictured in April)
On set on Friday, Sheridan laughed has her hair and makeup was retouched
She then sat happily as her co-stars spoke amongst themselves
What is double jeopardy?
Double jeopardy is the principle that you can't go on trial for the same crime more than once.
Its purpose was designed to protect the innocent against judicial tyranny that could see them convicted arbitrarily, even after being found not guilty by a jury.
In 2005, the Labour government repealed the law after a number of campaigns, which persuaded senior judges and legal figures that a more nuanced approach was needed to deal with complex cases.
One of these was a campaign by the family of the murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence in 1993.
Five suspects were charged but not convicted after an initial investigation.
In 1999, a public inquiry led bySir William Macpherson concluded that Metropolitan Police was institutionally racist.
As a result he that recommended double jeopardy be repealed in murder cases where extraordinary evidence later emerges.
The law came into effect in 2005, and since thenretrials have been allowed in cases where 'new, compelling, reliable and substantial evidence' has comes to light.
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Sheridan appears to be very busy with work, as alongside the new ITV role she has reportedly 'signed a deal' to return for the last ever episode of Gavin & Stacey.
The actress, 42, is said to be joining the iconic cast for the Christmas special, which will mark the finale of the beloved sitcom.
Just earlier this month, sources told MailOnline there have been 'no conversations' about a return to the BBC sitcom, which co-creators James Corden and Ruth Jones confirmed in May would be back for a final instalment on Christmas Day.
Despite recent reports Sheridan's character of Rudi Smith - James' Smithy's sister - would not be involved, sources say informal discussions with the star have already taken place - as per The Mirror.
Sheridan appears to be very busy with work, as alongside the new ITV role she has reportedly 'signed a deal' to return for the last ever episode of Gavin & Stacey
