Stainforthonline Interview

Adge Covell - Christine Tremarco (Michelle / Faith) 15/11/04

Adge: Hello Christine

Christine: Hello

Adge: Would you mind telling me your date of birth

Christine: Yes. (Laughs) I don't want anybody to know

Adge: That's OK. So, where were you born?

Christine: I was born in Liverpool

Adge: I could guess that by your accent

Christine: Yeah

Adge: There are some sites on the internet that have you down as being born in the USA

Christine: No, I was born in Liverpool

Adge: Doesn't that surprise you that they think you were born in the USA?

Christine: It was Broadgreen Hospital where I was born

Adge: OK, Broadgreen Hospital. What about your education?

Christine: I went to St Cecilia's Infant School, and then I went to Holly Lodge All Girls School.

Adge: Did you have a happy childhood?

Christine: Yeah, lovely

Adge: Is that when you decided to be an actress?

Christine: Yeah. I did a school play, and a lady called Collette Fenlon Byatt came and seen me in the school play and was opening a dance and drama school in Liverpool and she invited me along to that. And that's how I got into acting.

Adge: So you were hooked there and then?

Christine: Yeah., from when I was about fourteen, I went to a drama group. And then, what happened is, I was at the drama group, we used to pay a pound, and we used to go one night a week and do improvisations. We had a lovely teacher, Richard Gardener, and he was also an actor. And then casting agents came over from Australia, and they were looking for kids, two kids, to star in "The Leaving of Liverpool", which was a series set in the 1950s about the English government shipping off kids to Rhodesia, New Zealand and Australia, and I got offered the co-lead in that. I'd never been on a plane before, let alone seen a script before, and I went out to Australia and did my first TV job.

Adge: It must have been really exciting

Christine: It was really exciting, and I feel very lucky, 'cos I sort of fell into it and got great opportunities when I was younger. And I got to work with good people, and I carried on doing so. I have had a very amazing, wonderful time.

Adge: Who would you say has been an influence to your acting career?

Christine: I love so many actors and actresses from all over. When I was younger I used to love Jodie Foster, she was one of my favourites. And I love people like Samantha Morton, Emily Watson, Steven Macintosh….., actors like that. There's quite a big list of actors that I like actually. So I've been influenced by watching good people and working with good people.

Adge: A lot of the things you've done before, such as Priest, which you did with Lisa Unsworth, are about things to do with the darker side of life…...

Christine: Hmm

Adge: ….the 'grey' side…., subjects that make people feel uncomfortable.

Christine: Yeah, I suppose so... I mean, I never sort of set out to be an actress, I just sort of…, you know, 'cos I was so young, that I thought this is what I am, this is what I do, that's my job now I'm fourteen. It just so happens that my first ever job was… based on true facts and was… about hardship and abuse, and a story about truth, in a way. And I've done stuff that has been, like, light humoured, but…., actually I prefer as an actress to have a journey… within any role that I'm lucky enough to be cast in. So it's more interesting, because it's real life as well.

Adge: Most people will be more familiar with you from the role you played in Clocking Off.

Christine: I did the first series of Clocking Off, which I really enjoyed, and she, the character I played in that, was in a bit of turmoil too, wasn't she?

Adge: It was immensely popular

Christine: It was yes, brilliant. There was a brilliant cast of people in that too

Adge: Can you tell me something about Michelle, who you play in Faith

Christine: Yeah, Michelle… Well first of all, as soon as I read the script for Faith, I really wanted to be in it, and I really wanted to play Michelle. And I think, you know.., I think she's just one of the girls. She loves her husband…., and loves life, and enjoys her life. She's just a nice working class girl…. I hope! (Laughs) The way I play her she is!

Adge: You're playing a miner's wife. Do you have any mining connections in real life?

Christine: I haven't, no.

Adge: Do you have any particular political leanings? What I mean is, do you find it easy to sympathise with the Socialist aspect of this?

Christine: With this? With our story? I totally sympathise with it, yeah. I'm totally for it, you know. Totally

Adge: Any romance at the moment?

Christine: Erm, no.

Adge: Not that you'd like to say anything?

Christine: No (Laughs)

Adge: What about your future plans?

Christine: Future plans?...Well, I think… Well first of all, because I've got two weeks left of filming, I think I'm really going to miss playing Michelle. And…, I'm going to miss working with the actors I'm working with. I'm going to miss the supporting artistes, and I'm going to miss the director, David. I'm just going to miss this job so much, because I'm very emotionally, like we all are, connected to it. So, future plans.., I think…, I haven't got a clue. You have those jobs which you do feel strongly about, and this is one of them, and, I think it's going to take a lot to top this and the experience from this. Future plans…, I'd just like to carry on working on good stuff.

Adge: You mentioned David, David Thacker. Is this the first time you've worked with him?

Christine: It's the first time I've worked with David Thacker, yeah, and it's been an absolute pleasure. I don't know what I would have done without him. He's amazing. I love him. I love him and respect him and trust him as a director, and thank God for him, he's been brilliant.

Adge: I know he's very well respected, and, and…….

Christine: Yeah, he's very well respected. He's just a lovely man. You know, everyone's lovely on this…. So I'll be in tears by the end of it! (Laughs)

Adge: I've run out of questions now, so I'll just ask you, what do you think of this area of South Yorkshire?

Christine: I think it's great, yeah, I love it. I haven't had much time to discover it because I've been filming so much, but I love the atmosphere and I love the people. We've been made very welcome, and we're making a film about truth.

Adge: OK Christine. It's been great talking to you. Thank you very much.

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