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Gritty script was a draw for Keeley.

Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) | Date: December 16, 2006

Keeley Hawes was drawn to the film's unsentimental account of her real-life character's struggle.

After Thomas is a powerful story. What was your reaction to the script ?
I liked it. It's not sugary and, with a TV drama, it could have easily gone down that route. I read it in one sitting, which is always a good sign. And you care about the characters, which is so important. With any drama, you have to care about the characters.

Was there any added pressure on you knowing that your lines were based on real life events?
Yes, it comes with quite a lot of responsibility. If you play somebody famous, you sort of feel like you know them anyway, which is a different kind of responsibility. I know the writer Lindsey (Hill) and worked very closely with the real family so a lot of the dialogue has actually been spoken by somebody. That weighs quite heavily.

You're a mother. Did that make After Thomas more emotional for you?
Having a child without a disability is so difficult sometimes, it's almost unimaginable to identify with people who cope with children with disabilities.

Did you do any research into autism?
A lot. We went to a school for autistic children, where we met children the same age as my own son. The older children were so beautifully behaved because they are so well looked after and sort of 'trained' in social behaviour - the ones I met were much better behaved than most other kids their age. I didn't know there are so many levels of autism. It's a really complicated, grey area.