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 Five nights a week, Tyldesley-born actress
Leah Hackett appears on TV screens across the country as Tina McQueen in
hit Channel 4 soap, Hollyoaks.
The LINC caught up with Leah at the opening of the newly refurbished
Tyldesley Library to talk about her days working at the library, life in
Hollyoaks and her character’s big wedding. Just don’t ask her who pushed
Claire!
We’re at the opening of Tyldesley Library today; didn’t you used to work
here for a while?
Yeah, I was brought up round the corner from here, and worked at the
library as a Saturday girl when I was fifteen/sixteen, just doing bits
and bobs over the holidays and that.
I worked at a few other libraries when I was younger so I’ve always been
involved with them but I really enjoyed working at Tyldesley Library.
The place just has a really nice atmosphere, you get the same people
coming in every week and there’s always loads of little kids, it’s just
a really nice place to be.
What made you want to get into acting?
I’m not really sure to be honest. I think I’ve always been a performer,
probably since I was a two year-old screaming at my mum!
I suppose I really got into acting through school. The primary school
that I went to was called TCP, but it’s now Tyldesley Primary School, we
did a show every year which I always got involved in.
After that I went to Fred Longworth in Tyldsley which is an art college
so things carried on there, then I went to Winstanley after that so I
was given the opportunities to keep learning, and gaining GCSE’s and
ALevels in performing and always just really enjoyed performing whilst
at college
After college I got into Paul McCartney’s drama school in Liverpool and
I just graduated there last July, a year ago, and then I got this job
[in Hollyoaks] straight away.
How did the Hollyoaks role come about?
Well, in your final year at drama school you do loads of shows and that
allows for loads of different agents come and watch you. So I just got a
really good agent and she sent me for the Hollyoaks interview, it was
only my second interview, and it was a long process but I actually got
it
You’ve been in the show for around a year now…
I have yeah, I’ve been there for a year now and I am contracted for
another year so god knows what they’ll do with me!
How’s your first year been?
It’s gone really well. It’s gone so fast and I think it has for
everybody. Every day seems really long, but when you think about them
all together as a year I don’t know where the time’s gone! It’s weird in
that it feels like I’ve always been there but at the same time it feels
like I’ve only been there for five minutes. It’s going really well
though, I’m really enjoying it.
Your character, Tina, got married a short while back, what was it like
filming those scenes?
It was very eventful! We filmed that about two months ago now and it was
a lot of fun. There were lots of people in every scene so it was a
hectic schedule for about a month or so while we did that, but it was
good fun.
Is there quite a lot of work involved in making Hollyoaks?
Yeah, definitely. You’ve got to shoot at least five episodes every week
because obviously that’s how many episodes come out a week.
I think we’re about six or seven weeks in front with filming, so we have
already filmed what you will see in August. It’s always a lot of
pressure on everybody, crews, actors and directors, because it’s a very
short time that you have to film it in really, but we always get enough
time to do it.
Are you all good friends off screen?
Yeah, everyone’s really lovely. I think any actor just wants to get a
job and you forget to think about whether you’ll like the people you’re
working with because you’ll have to spend a lot of time with them, but
I’ve made some really nice friends. It sort of becomes like school,
where you get used to all your groups and it’s really nice.
Are you quite close to the actors who play your on-screen family?
Yeah I’d say so. The girls that play my sisters have ended up being like
my best friends, it’s probably because I spend a lot of time with them,
but they just happen to be really nice people as well so I was really
lucky.
If Hollyoaks came to an end, what would you like to do next?
I don’t know. At the moment I’m really enjoying TV so I’d just quite
like to do another type of TV [show] or another type of film, but
something that allows more time, like I said the schedules on Hollyoaks
are so heavy.
I’d quite like to be in some sort of drama series, or something where
you get your beginning, middle and end. I’m used to working with plays
so it would be really nice to get the opportunity to do something for
ITV or anything really.
Saying that, I love musicals and I love theatre, that’s what I’ve
trained in so, I’ll obviously do anything, god knows what ill be offered
when this finishes
What advice would you give to young people who want to get into acting?
Just to keep going at it and persevere. Acting is something that I
really really enjoy and like I said I’ve been given the opportunities to
do it and get qualifications along the way. I had some really good
teachers, and I was fortunate enough to get in drama school but if that
doesn’t happen naturally for you just keep going.
If you really enjoy drama just keep going to your drama lessons. I’m a
firm believer in that one day you will end up doing something related to
what you want to do. You might not end up on TV, but as long as you’re
happy and doing the things that you love, that’s the only thing that
matters. Just keep going to your acting classes and have fun.
And finally, we have to ask…
I can’t tell you who tried to kill Claire, I really can’t. No chance! In
fact I’ve been unsure about who did it myself!
When are we going to find out?
I’m not quite sure; I think this one drags on for ages, but to be honest
I don’t know for definite. I was watching it the other day, because
obviously I don’t get the scripts that I’m not involved and I was really
trying to work it out myself.
I mean I’ve got an idea, I think I know who it is, but then again people
could be lying to me. It’s a really good storyline, but I don’t think
you’ll get to find out for a good couple of months or so. Since she’s
been pushed off the balcony I’m trying to make sure I catch the
programme and record it if I have to!
Do you get asked about the ‘Who Pushed Claire?’ storyline a lot since it
happened?
Yeah loads of people are like ‘Oh come on tell me’ and I’m like ‘I
really can’t’. Every script we get is totally confidential and you’re
not supposed to tell anyone. Even if its only ‘Tina opens a can of
beans’, you know you can’t disclose any information, so something like
that no I definitely can’t say anything, sorry!
Recommended Link:
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http://www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/H/hollyoaks/
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