John Lewis Christmas advert's actress in huge TV show with Jenna Coleman
This year's John Lewis Christmas advert, titled The Gifting Hour, tugs at heartstrings with its poignant portrayal of a sibling relationship.
Audiences are introduced to Sally who is on a mission to discover the ideal Christmas gift for her sister Lauren. A magical moment unfolds as she delves Narnia-like into a plethora of shared memories by crossing through a wardrobe while searching for the perfect gift, experiencing flashbacks from their shared past filled with both turbulent disagreements and cherished moments.
Eventually, Sally snaps back to the present day in the store, having found the sentimental present, and shares a touching reunion with her sister, gift in hand.
The ad's central theme eschews the spectacle for raw emotion, focusing entirely on the sisters' connection and their compelling portrayals.
Charlotte Lock, John Lewis' Customer Director, affirms the importance of casting: "It's such a simple story that the performers need to carry it. We saw thousands on the casting table and we went again and again. We really, really looked hard to make sure we got the right heads and the chemistry between them as well."
Bringing Sally to life is the 37 year old actress Margaret Clunie, accompanied by Alice Handoll as the grown-up Lauren, and a younger performer named Bonnie fulfilling the role of 'young Lauren', reports the Mirror.
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Viewers may remember Margaret from her stint in the period drama Victoria, co-starring with Jenna Coleman.
Portraying Harriet, Duchess of Sutherland and Mistress of Robes to the Queen, she featured for an impressive 23 episodes from 2016 to 2018, where her character developed a romantic storyline with Prince Albert's brother Ernst.
const loadOvpScript=()=>{let el=document.createElement('script');el.setAttribute('src','https://live.primis.tech/live/liveView.php?s=118222&playerApiId=v118222');document.getElementById('ovp-primis').appendChild(el)};window.top.addEventListener('primisPlayerInit',e=>{try{if(e.detail&&e.detail.playerApiId==="v118222"){if(window.document.getElementsByClassName('jwplayer')[0]){e.detail.float('disable')}}}catch(e){}});window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',()=>{setTimeout(()=>{if(typeof flagTcfLoaded!=='undefined'&&flagTcfLoaded===!0){loadOvpScript();ExpressApp.Log('[Load] OVP flagTcfLoaded',new Date())}else{document.addEventListener("tcfLoaded",()=>{loadOvpScript();ExpressApp.Log('[Load] OVP tcfLoaded',new Date())})}},1500)})Margaret first graced television screens in 2012 with a guest appearance on BBC One's daytime medical soap Doctors. Her trajectory continued upwards as she captured the role of Natasha in the bleakly comic Sky Arts series A Young Doctor's Notebook, sharing the set with Daniel Radcliffe and Jon Hamm in 2013.
Furthermore, she made guest appearances in an episode of the murder mystery series Death in Paradise and in the festive rom-com Last Christmas.
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The ad wizard, Charlotte Hawkins from Saatchi & Saatchi, has revealed insights about the casting for the latest John Lewis commercial: "Our protagonist, she's done a couple of films [so] she's probably the most established. For the rest of the actors, it's probably their biggest role. Bonnie there, our lovely six year old, it's probably the first time that she's done anything of this scale."
This year's advert comes paired with a musical backdrop from Ivor Novello Award-winning Richard Ashcroft. It serendipitously coincides with next year's eagerly anticipated Oasis reunion tour.
'Sonnet' by The Verve offers up the quintessential 90s nostalgia for the piece. Breaking tradition from previous adverts, this one features the original song itself - yet promises an enticing exclusive cover come Christmas Day.
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The retailer has launched an exciting opportunity for budding musicians to showcase their talents by submitting covers of a particular song via TikTok, starting November 15. The contest, part of a national talent hunt, will see the victorselected by Richard Ashcroft and a judging panelrecord their rendition of "Sonnet" to be featured in the brand's Christmas advertisement on December 25.
Additionally, the winner's cover will be released by BMG, with all proceeds going to the Building Happier Futures charity. The prize package also includes a £3,000 shopping spree at John Lewis and tickets to a Richard Ashcroft headline concert in 2025.
She also appeared as Natasha in Sky Arts dark comedy A Young Doctor's Notebook (Image: Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Im)Charlotte Lock, John Lewis' Customer Director, shared insights with us: "It's definitely speaking to our customers and lots of people - 90s is getting a bit of nostalgia," she said.
"Richard Ashcroft is supporting the Oasis tour, he's about to release another album. My kids - who are in their 20s - love 90s music. They've got Green Day, Oasis and the Verve on their walls so it's definitely getting that moment but we wanted to have the music match the memory. But in doing the cover version we can modernise it as well, that's the intent. And music is a huge thing. Every year there's a lot of speculation and often the song will go to number 1. We're hoping that it does with our cover because it all goes to charity."
The initiative aims to raise funds for the John Lewis Partnership's Building Happier Futures programme, dedicated to assisting individuals with care experience in forging brighter futures.
John Lewis Christmas advert's actress in huge TV show with Jenna Coleman
John Lewis Christmas advert's actress in huge TV show with Jenna Coleman
John Lewis Christmas advert's actress in huge TV show with Jenna Coleman
John Lewis Christmas advert's actress in huge TV show with Jenna Coleman
John Lewis Christmas advert's actress in huge TV show with Jenna Coleman
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