Character: Elizabeth Lewes
Actor: Amanda Root
Episode: Fifty Ships

Amanda Root enjoyed portraying Foyle's (Michael Kitchen) long lost love Elizabeth in Foyle's War.

"Elizabeth and Foyle had a passionate and romantic relationship when they were younger but her father didn't approve. She married her second choice but it wasn't the love she experienced with Foyle. Over the years she's remembered their relationship, even naming her second son Christopher. She has regretted every single day and her marriage has deteriorated."

The couple meet again when Elizabeth and her husband Arthur (Nicholas Le Prevost) invite Foyle to a dinner party with visiting American Howard Paige (Henry Goodman).

"There is electricity when they meet. She is ready to leave her husband for him. She touches a chord with Foyle but he won't let his feelings for her come to life again because of his love for his wife.

"The great challenge for me was working with Michael Kitchen in those scenes, trying to crack the character of Foyle, which Michael protects. So I loved it when he warmed slightly to Elizabeth."

Amanda adds: "Working with Michael was terrific. I've always admired him, he's an extraordinary actor with his own particular style. He has such a talent and I learned a lot from watching him in a scene."

Amanda is used to a variety of period costumes, thanks to her roles in The Forsyte Saga, Daniel Deronda, Anna Karenina and Franco Zefferelli's Jane Eyre.

"Elizabeth has beautiful clothes, elegant and sophisticated. I love the clothes from that era, they were fantastic and comfortable to wear. The heels and skirts show off your figure very well.

"I've just completed an episode of A Touch of Frost playing a tango dancer, which is very different to my costume drama roles. Ballroom dancing at competition level is very tough, stiff and starchy. But I love new challenges and it was great to do something completely different."

Amanda has enjoyed a busy year, appearing in a film about Philip Larkin and Peter Ackroyd's BBC documentary about London. Her other credits include Midsomer Murders, Waking The Dead and The Buddha of Suburbia.

October 2003; Publicity Release