Former EastEnders star Lorraine Stanley, best known for her portrayal of Karen Taylor,

has made an exciting return to the screen in a brand new project following her exit from the BBC soap. After playing Karen for seven years, Lorraine was written out of the show in 2023,

which marked the end of a significant chapter in her career.

Now, the actress is making her mark in the world of film with a daring role in the upcoming LGBTQ+ romance movie Departures.

Departures explores a tumultuous and toxic relationship between two men, Benji and Jake, with former Hollyoaks star David Tag playing Jake.

The film dives deep into themes of love, heartbreak, and emotional turmoil, with the characters experiencing intense highs and lows throughout their passionate and problematic romance.

Lorraine, however, will take on a very different character in the film, playing Janet, the mother of Benji.

Her character, Janet, promises to be a memorable one. Described as bold and old-school, Janet doesn’t hold back when it comes to expressing her opinions. Lorraine explains that Janet is a no-nonsense type of woman who is incredibly honest with her words, often making blunt remarks without a second thought. According to Lorraine, “She would probably have preferred her son to be straight. She’s bold and honest with her words and choice of language – that’s probably putting it mildly.” Despite her straightforward demeanor, Lorraine adds that Janet is ultimately a loving mother who is there for her son through thick and thin, especially when it comes to dealing with his complicated love life.

Janet’s role in Departures involves telling her son to move on from his toxic relationship with Jake, advising him to leave the troubled romance behind. Lorraine shared that her character is quite direct with her advice, telling her son, “Just leave him. He’s a p****. Just move on with your life.” Though Janet’s words may sound harsh, Lorraine notes that they carry a deep truth—one that many people can relate to when they find themselves in unhealthy relationships. “But we’ve all been there – when you’re in love, you don’t want to hear that, do you? You just want to be with that person. It doesn’t matter what your mum or anyone else says.”

While Lorraine’s role as Janet is far from the film’s raciest moments, the movie is not shy about its explicit content. Departures features a significant amount of nudity and sex scenes, as it follows the complicated and steamy love story between Benji and Jake. Leading actors David Tag and co-star Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, who plays Benji, have spoken openly about the intimate scenes. They were guided by an intimacy coordinator, Aimee Cross, ensuring that the filming process was comfortable and respectful for everyone involved. Lloyd described the experience as “super chill,” and both actors, having worked together previously, found that it helped ease any initial awkwardness.

Lorraine’s character Janet isn’t involved in the steamy scenes but plays a critical role in her son’s emotional journey. Despite the film’s intense focus on romance and raw emotion, Lorraine is excited about the balance of drama and comedy in Departures. She believes that the film, with its mix of heavy moments and light-hearted humor, is a story that reflects the complexities of love and loss. “It’s a story of love and loss. It’s the yin and yang,” she explained. “It’s so heavy in places, but then there are moments of comedy throughout it. That’s what I want to watch and I like being involved with projects like that.”

For Lorraine, the role of Janet represents a significant departure from her work on EastEnders, where her character Karen Taylor was known for her tough yet caring nature. While Karen’s life was filled with family drama and community struggles in Walford, Janet’s life in Departures is less about the day-to-day grind and more focused on navigating complex relationships and offering tough love. Lorraine’s new role in the film marks an exciting new chapter in her career and shows her versatility as an actress.

Departures is set to premiere later this month and promises to be a gripping, emotional, and bold exploration of love, loss, and personal growth. Fans of Lorraine Stanley can look forward to seeing her bring a different, more assertive character to life on screen, proving that her talents extend far beyond her time in EastEnders. With a powerful story and a talented cast, Departures is shaping up to be one of the must-see films of the year.

𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 “𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 & 𝑾𝒆𝒃𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆: 𝒇𝙞𝒍𝙢𝒔𝙥𝒐𝙞𝒍𝙚𝒓𝙨.𝙞𝒏𝙛𝒐” 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧-𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬.