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Insomnia on Paramount Plus stars Line of Duty’s Vicky McClure as a woman who can't sleep and fears she’s losing her mind.
Based on the bestseller Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough (the
drama follows Vicky's character Emma Averill, a successful career woman who inexplicably stops being able to sleep and must unravel the secrets to her painful past before her insomnia takes her over the edge.
The gripping series also stars
The Gold (https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/the-gold-cast-plot-and-all-about-the-true-crime-robbery-drama) star Tom Cullen as Emma's husband Robert.
Insomnia follows Emma Averill (Vicky McClure), a successful career woman, wife and mother who starts to suffer from insomnia (sleep deprivation) a few weeks before her 40th birthday.
What’s scary is that the exact same thing happened to her mother, who suffered a violent psychotic breakdown on the night of her own 40th.
Emma's mother had warned her that she had the same "bad blood" and would suffer an identical fate, so when history starts to repeat itself Emma is terrified for her future.
As events worsen, Emma’s world begins to unravel and she realises she must delve into her painful past to find the answers to her present and prevent a second tragedy in the family.
For Emma, it’s not just the insomnia but the stuff she’s doing when she’s asleep, which she has absolutely no control over, like sleepwalking, which is very disconcerting for her.
This has come off the back of something that happened to her in her past with her mother, and it’s important to show the authenticity of that, but some of the story is quite supernatural too.
The actress says - We’re merging those two worlds and it looks really interesting and different on screen. The series has got a really freaky edge to it but still feels rooted in real life."
Emma’s sister, Phoebe [played by Leanne Best], comes back into her life at the same time, which she finds very triggering – how important is that dynamic in this story?
"Their relationship is a huge element of the series, which was part of the appeal for me as I’m so close to my sister.
There’s a massive underbelly of trauma from the past that tore them apart as young kids, but you still can't break a sisterhood. I love Leanne, and actually we look frighteningly similar on camera – I saw some footage the other day and I thought I was looking at myself, but it was her, we even share some of the same mannerisms."
Insomnia also stars Tom Cullen (Gunpowder, Knightfall (https://www.whattowatch.com/news/knightfall-star-tom-cullen-tragic-sets-burnt-down-540990), Downton Abbey, The Gold) who plays Emma’s loving husband Robert. He is a a hands-on dad and dedicated family man who thinks life is going swimmingly until his wife’s insomnia spirals out of control.
Smylie Bradwell (Wisting) and India Fowler (The Nevers) play Emma and Tom’s children Will and Chloe.
Corinna Marlowe (Hysteria) is Emma’s mother, Patricia.
Leanne Best (Compulsion (https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/compulsion-cast-plot-and-all-about-the-drama-on-gambling-addiction), Bolan’s Shoes) is playing Emma’s estranged sister Phoebe, who
shows up in town without a word of warning.
She is a free spirit who has recently returned to the UK after a spell working in South America. She reappears in her family’s life with big secrets to reveal.