NTAs 2023: How do Sarah Lancashire and Ian McKellen know each other after her triumphant night at the NTAs?

It was a successful evening for Sally Wainwright’s popular BBC series ‘Happy Valley’ at the National Television Awards 2023 last night, with the show earning three awards including “Best Returning Drama” and “Best Dramatic Performance” for its leading actress, Sarah Lancashire.

But it was her becoming the recipient of the NTAs “Special Recognition Award” for her timeless work on screen that became a focus point at the event. Even more so when she was presented with the award by Sir Ian McKellen. Many of us at the live blog thought it was going to be Sir Patrick Stewart, given Joel Dommett’s comments about being McKellen being a co-star and friend to the recipient. 

Instead, we were treated to a vignette of Sarah Lancashire’s body of work, from playing bartender-turned-aromatherapist Raquel Watts in ‘Coronation Street’ playing Julia Childs in the Sky limited series ‘Julia’ and her first work with Sally Wainwright in ‘Last Tango in Halifax.”

Upon receiving the award, Lancashire was overcome with emotion as she took to the stage, and in her speech said “You have no idea what it’s like to have so many lovely things said about you by so many people that you love and admire. I have been so very fortunate to spend my working life doing a job that I love, made possible by brilliantly talented people, producers, directors, writers, actors and I am exceptionally lucky to have enjoyed every moment of it.”

“But there are also enablers, who stand quietly in the wings without expectation for credit, they are my family, my husband, my children, my friends, my agent… and of course, a very vital component in all this is you, the audience, because without you all this would grind to a crashing halt.”

How do Sarah Lancashire and Sir Ian McKellen know each other?

Apart from both being mainstays on British television, stage and screen over the years and no doubt will have bumped into each other through award ceremonies and industry events, the pair did in fact star in a feature film together back in 2015.

‘The Dresser,’ directed by Richard Eyre, saw the pair star in this film about the relationship between an ageing Shakespearean actor and his theatrical dresser, as well as the other members of his theatrical company, as he grapples with the approach of senility and irrelevance. 

Like the play which serves as its basis, the film's central relationship draws inspiration from Shakespeare's King Lear, with Shakespeare being a love of both McKellen and Lancashire, evidently leading to a mutual friendship between the two.

Where can I watch ‘The Dresser’?

‘The Dresser’ can be watched across a number of streaming platforms including Amazon Video, Google Play Video and YouTube from £3.49.

Can I watch the National Television Awards 2023 on demand?

Encore presentations of the National Television Awards 2023 can be viewed on demand through ITVX from this morning.