Lucy Boynton Was Hesitant About Playing Ruth Ellis Until She Learned the Truth

British actress Lucy Boynton is currently starring in A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story as the titular character Ruth Ellis. She was the last woman hanged in the UK, and her case changed the judicial system. Now, Boynton is opening up about her transformation for the role and what it means for her.

Prior to landing the role in the series, Boynton had no idea who Ruth Ellis was, and she regrets that her story isn’t more widely known despite its major impact on the judicial system. Boynton explains that she immersed herself in the research about Ellis and used the book on which the series is based as her “Bible.”

Initially, she was hesitant to sympathize with Ellis, but she found it increasingly hard not to, due to Ellis’ history of abuse. Boynton also expressed how the role deeply affected her, making her realize the ongoing crisis of domestic violence, which has worsened over time and remains a global issue.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series itself came to life in an unexpected way—when one of Ruth Ellis’ grandsons sent an unsolicited email to producers, explaining that his grandmother’s full story had never been properly told. This led them to Carol Ann Lee’s book A Fine Day for a Hanging, which became the foundation for the show.

A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story premiered in the United States on BritBox on February 17, and recently, ITV confirmed that the miniseries will begin airing on ITV1 and ITVX on March 5.