~*~StEpH~*~
Steph Dean aka Carley Stenson
How did you first get into acting? When I was really young I was interested in any kind of performing; I was always telling jokes, and from the age of four I used to tape myself singing and dancing! My mum always wanted to be a dancer, so she kind of thought she could live her dream through me. I went to a dance school, then started doing drama classes on Saturday mornings, so it all kind of like snowballed. The dancing led to singing, which led to acting. And one of my drama teachers was also an agent, and she said would you like to be in my agency? So I went for an interview, and she gave me a few auditions, including one for HOLLYOAKS!
What was that audition like? I came with one of my school friends at first, and because the outside of Mersey TV is made to look like a police station, at first we thought the taxi had dropped us off in the wrong place! Inside I was really nervous; I sat there checking everybody else out and thinking oh, they're well good, they're going to get the part. It was really nerve-wracking, and my hands kept twitching, but I kind of enjoyed it as it was a challenge and I like anything that's a challenge. We left at about 4pm, and then they rang up to tell me I'd got the part just as Neighbours was coming on, at half past five. I remember I thought, oh, I'll just watch Neighbours - then ring everybody!
What were you told about Steph before you started in HOLLYOAKS? All I knew was that she was Zara's friend, and a teenager; and at that time in the show Zara was the very confident one, and I was her tag-along friend. Then, on my first day, I was sitting in the make-up chair and the runner came over with three scripts, because I got three episodes at first, and a call sheet! It was all gobbledigook to me, I didn't know anything, I just read the scene and listen to the director and just pick up as much as possible.
What's your take on your character? I relate to her, because I don't think she's down and out evil. I think she's just naïve, she thinks, what's wrong with that; she has that kind of "oh get over it" attitude. Her family are the same: be independent and do what you've got to do to survive. I try and play her more comical, and I don't think she's as vindicative as she appears to be. Some of the things she does and some of the things she says probably happen accidentally, she doesn't know the effects of it; then once it happens it's like, oh, I've done that, I'll play on it now. I like to think that she's a cocky teenager, but she's not evil; a bit of a nasty cow, then, but funny.
How did you approach the storyline involving Scott? I don't think I've addressed it as much myself as a lot of other people have. When I go out and people recognise me it's always that story that they bring up, and I've been like, wow, that did make a big impact. Steph's just a little floozy and naïve, and no matter what Scott says, she's always stuck with that. In this case she just went for it and didn't think, and there are people out there like that. It is a good slant, and it showed two sides to Scott, because with this teenager besotted with him he couldn't be all bad. It also showed that Steph's got a weak side; that Scott is the one person who's been able to break her.
Would you get on with someone like Steph in real life? I'd probably laugh at her, and take everything she said with a pinch of salt. She always tries to make light of everything, even Lisa's self-harming. But you need that kind of slant on it to make it more interesting.You do need someone like her who goes along, bouncing off life, saying "there's always tomorrow", rather than "woe is me" all the time. I wouldn't want to be with her for a long time, though - I'd probably hit her!