Vicky McClure Steps Into the Dark: Inside Her Transformative Role in Paramount+ Thriller 'Insomnia'

Vicky McClure has long been a fixture of British television—known for her fierce yet grounded performances in gritty procedurals. But with her latest role in Paramount+'s Insomnia, the actress is stepping into uncharted territory. And she's not looking back.

“I feel like I’ve grown up, I’m 40 now,” McClure told a recent Q&A in London. “There’s a lot of procedural drama that I do and I enjoy it, but I was excited to step into something that felt different.”

That “something different” is a psychological thriller that trades police radios and bomb suits for sleepless nights and creeping dread. In Insomnia, McClure plays Emma, a high-powered career woman whose life unravels when she suddenly loses the ability to sleep. The series—produced by Left Bank, the team behind The Crown—borrows from horror and supernatural elements to visualise the psychological disintegration that follows.

A New Chapter for McClure

From DI Kate Fleming in Line of Duty to bomb disposal expert Lana Washington in Trigger Point, McClure has spent years mastering the high-stakes world of procedural television. Those roles demanded intense physicality, quick decision-making, and a certain cool-headed authority. Insomnia flips that script entirely.

Instead of running toward danger, Emma is trapped inside her own mind. Her breakdown is quiet at first—forgotten keys, a shaky hand, a moment of blankness in a meeting. But as her sleeplessness persists, the line between reality and nightmare begins to blur. McClure said the role forced her to explore vulnerability in a way she hadn’t before. “Just a bad night’s sleep can take you off kilter,” she said, “let alone weeks of none.”

The challenge was made more intense by the fact that McClure herself has never suffered from chronic insomnia. But the research and preparation left her with deep empathy for those who do. “I can only imagine how insomnia when left on its own can destroy your life,” she said. “I have a massive sympathy for people who face insomnia on a day-to-day basis and then just go to work.”

The Challenge of Portraying Sleep Deprivation

To authentically capture Emma’s deterioration, McClure leaned heavily on the script and the direction from Left Bank. The series employs eerie visual flourishes—shadow figures, distorted soundscapes, sudden cuts—to externalise what insomnia does internally. The actress described the experience as both liberating and exhausting.

“I quite enjoyed walking in heels for the entirety of the series,” she admitted, laughing, referencing the contrast to her usual roles where she might be in combat boots or trainers. But the emotional toll was real. “You have to let yourself go to dark places. But that’s the fun of it, in a strange way.”

Insomnia is based on the novel by Sarah Pinborough, who also penned the screenplay. The initial idea came during a meeting between Pinborough and Left Bank for their previous collaboration, Netflix’s Behind Her Eyes. “We came up with this stay-at-home dad, this woman who runs the family, and then a complete lack of sleep,” Pinborough said. “I owed a book at the same time and then I thought, ‘Why am I writing a separate book when I can write a book and a show?’”

Behind the Scenes: From Book to Screen

The dual development of novel and series allowed Pinborough to craft a story that works on both page and screen. The structure is tight, with each episode peeling back another layer of Emma’s unraveling psyche. Joining McClure in the cast are Tom Cullen, Leanne Best, Lyndsey Marshal, Dominic Tighe, Jade Harrison, Corinna Marlowe, Robert Gilbert, Michelle Bonnard, India Fowler, and Smylie Bradwell.

Notably, Insomnia is one of the UK originals that survived Paramount+’s pivot toward Hollywood franchises under former CEO Bob Bakish. The series retains a distinctly British sensibility, rooted in domestic drama and psychological horror rather than spectacle. It’s a gamble that appears to have paid off, with early buzz praising McClure’s layered performance.

Casting and the Human Touch

Interestingly, McClure wasn’t initially considered for the lead. Pinborough said she didn’t think McClure would agree to take the role. “I don’t know what this says about me, but I’m not very good at writing warm human beings,” Pinborough added. “Vicky brought a warmth to [Emma], who was written as quite a contained character.”

That warmth is essential to the story. Without it, Emma could come off as cold or unsympathetic. McClure’s natural charisma and emotional transparency allow the audience to stay with her even as her grip on reality loosens. It’s a performance that builds on the actress’s earlier work, notably her BAFTA-winning turn as Lol in Shane Meadows’ This Is England and its subsequent TV series.

Looking back on her career, McClure sees Insomnia as a natural evolution. “I feel like I’ve grown up,” she said. “I’m not the same actress I was at 30. I want roles that challenge me, that scare me a little. Emma scared me.”

Insomnia launches on Paramount+ UK and Ireland on May 23. If early reactions are any indication, it will be one of the year’s most talked-about thrillers—a showcase for an actress willing to risk her comfort zone for something genuinely unsettling.

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