~*~ElLiE~*~
Ellie Hunter aka Sarah Baxendale
What’s happened to
you since you arrived? Since I arrived I’ve met so many
people in the space of one week it’s been unbelievable. But
everyone’s been really friendly to me here. I’ve had a
couple of days which have been quite short, doing non-speaking
scenes or scenes where I only have to say a couple of things.
But this week I’ve actually had some chunky scenes and that’s
really where I’ve felt like I’m getting into it and
getting to know people because you’re working opposite them.
That’s where I’m starting to enjoy it and settle in a
bit.
What were you doing before you got the part in HOLLYOAKS? Prior to working in HOLLYOAKS I was at drama college. I’ve done a bit of TV - small parts (a week’s filming here and there) and I’ve also done some theatre. And that’s about it really!
How has the day-to-day process of filming HOLLYOAKS compared to how you thought it would be? I expected the filming to be a lot quicker, but it does take longer than I thought it would. That’s because it’s so accurate. There are so many things they’re looking for - whether it be the smallest look, it’s all so important. And that’s good for me because in the end I want my performance to look good on screen. So it has been different and it just makes you work that bit harder. And your day’s that bit longer!
What’s it been like working alongside people you’ve seen on the telly? I thought it would be strange, but when you get here you realise that they’re all ... normal people! There are faces that you recognise - but they speak to you as though you’re the same as them, because you are! So at first it’s “Wow, that’s so-and-so out of HOLLYOAKS!” but then you get chatting and you think, “Actually, I quite get on with and I could act with you” … and I can!
How did you get the part of Ellie? I got the part in HOLLYOAKS through my agent. I came to an audition where there were quite a lot of people and I read through in front of a few people - and actually came back five times. So it was difficult. By the third time I was really, really nervous. There was no reason for me to be because I knew what I was doing and everyone was quite open with me but come the fifth time I had to really control my nerves - take deep breaths and read the script which I’d now read five times (so I kinda knew it quite well!). And that was it! Driving home I found out I’d got it from my agent and I was speechless. I was quite pleased!
What are your hopes for Ellie and for yourself in HOLLYOAKS? For me personally, I’m really looking forward to feeling like I’ve completely settled in, I know everyone really well and I’m really part of the team. As far as the character goes, I hope she gets some really meaty storylines. She’s quite a selfish person without trying to be because she’s been living off on her own for so long, living her own life. So there’s going to be a lot of arrogance about her but eventually I’d like to see it all crack and see the real reason - what’s been driving her to be like that and bring out a different side of the character. I think that would be a good challenge for me, and good to watch too.