‘Phantom Thread’ star Manville shifts to TV comedy in ‘Mum’

LOS ANGELES – If Lesley Manville’s Oscar-nominated portrayal of an icy, unyielding family gatekeeper in “Phantom Thread” sent shivers down your spine, “Mum” is the antidote.

In the U.K. sitcom on streaming service BritBox, Manville plays the polar opposite of her film role, a gentle soul with never a harsh word to say.

The second season of “Mum” debuts appropriately on Sunday, Mother’s Day.

Manville plays Cathy, a recent widow who is tested by her loving but clueless son and other family and friends. The actress said that an emoji depicting Cathy would have to be “one big heart.”

Manville is on stage as well as screen. She stars with Jeremy Irons in a production of “Long Day’s Journey into Night” that opens in New York next week after an acclaimed London run.