Earlier this month award -winning British actress Lacey Turner Launched a brand new podcast series, which celebrates famous TV and movie icons, both on and off the screen, and tracked their stories back to their start in SOAP Opera.
Titled ‘We started here’The series sees Turner chat with a lot of talents, each of whom takes listeners on a journey about how they got started in soap – the auditions, interviews, the failed attempts, heights and flames and how it gave them all the essential skills needed to start their international careers.
After growing up in front of viewers as the formidable stacey slawer in Eastenders, Lacey also gives the audience a “Exclusive insight” into her story about how she broke into the industry over two decades ago.
Guest confirmed to show up in the series includes Jessie WallaceThe Jimmy McGovernThe Ricky whiteThe Sarah PhelpsThe Mandip GillThe Rakhee Thaks and Davod Ghadami.
In the coming weeks, Lacey will host an extra special episode that celebrates with the 40th anniversary of Eastenders where she will be united by former Albert Square -Bosatt Anita Dobson.
Lacey, tell us about your new podcast?
The ‘We started here’ Podcast is a celebration of people who started their career in soap, whether in front of or behind the camera. We have a lot of directors, writers and actors who all talk about how they got into their roles, where it led them and how they went from soap to where they are now.
Why did you want to be a part of it?
I just love to hear other people’s stories. Of course, I have spent 20 years in a soap and I have been lucky enough to do other things too, but it is really nice to hear stories from other people, especially people who are not on the same side of the camera as I am. Someone like Sarah Phelps; To be able to listen to her and how she has come where she is, I think it is fascinating.
Can you tell us about some of the guests you’ve come up with the podcast?
As I mentioned, I have talked to Sarah Phelps who has had a huge role to play in my career when she wrote a lot of Stacey and Jean’s stories in the beginning. Jessie Wallace, my wonderful friend. Mandip Gill, Ricky Whittle, Davood Ghadami and Rahkee Thaks, plus Jimmy McGovern, he was fantastic.
Do you have a favorite story that you’ve told you about it so far?
There are so many fantastic stories. When you are in this world, people think they know you, and what is really wonderful to talk to these people is that you hear stories that you have never really heard before. You are used to hearing the questions about their career now, but not necessarily how they started. I mean Jessie (Wallace), I think everyone thinks they know Jessie but actually not at all. It is one of the main reasons why I wanted her to come up with because she has the most incredible story of how she got from a young girl to the actress she is today. There are so many that I couldn’t choose.
Was it something you learned from it about the soap world that you were not already aware of?
Plenty. I learned so much, especially from the authors about all the planning that goes into a scene and stories, before I see any of it. How you create a character and how from that character comes a story. I thought the whole process was very fascinating.
Lacey Turner – ‘We started here’
Why do you feel soaps are so integrated into the audience and the television and film industry?
Soaps give you real people in real time. You get to play stories for a long time because there is not necessarily a beginning, middle and an end. They can continue as long as people want them to continue. Months or years even. What soaps do really well is to portray real stories and questions and touch on things that real people experience at that time. It gives people sitting in their living rooms an opportunity to relate to what they are looking at and it is really important.
Would you ever be interested in getting involved behind the scenes on a soap?
I would be the most terrible director (laughs) and the most terrible writer, because I can’t write a story for love or money (laughs). But to say that I would love to work in the art department, I am fascinated by the fact that they can make rubber plugs that look identical to the real!
You said in your quote about the show to “Nothing is compared to working with soap”What do you mean by that?
I love soaps. So for me, being in a soap and being in people’s living room four nights a week, telling related stories, it doesn’t really get any better than that. When you work with a soap you have a brand new family and you sometimes see these people more than you see your own family. At Eastenders in general, all the roles feel like a large family. As cheese -like as it sounds it is true!
What is something you really are keen for listeners to know about working with soaps?
I am asked a lot and have been asked for the past twenty years “How did you get into spectacle?”, “How did you get into a soap?” and “Where did you start?” I am asked by many parents or young people or family members for advice. I think what the podcast gives you is an insight into how you get into this industry and how you can survive in this world. Each guest gives their words of wisdom on the podcast with tips and advice on becoming a director or writer or an actor.
What advice do you have for someone trying to get an actor on a soap?
My advice for anyone who wants to go into acting in general is to trust your instincts, they are usually always correct. I have always been told that I am an instinctive actor. I’m not sure what it really means (laughs), but I know I was not trained in a traditional way. I didn’t go to actors. I also think it is important to be professional. It’s a huge part of it, because in the end you are never bigger than the show you are in.
If you could have played any other character in any soap ever who would it be and why?
I wouldn’t want to play any other character! I am very happy to be a slater.
Section of ‘We started here’ are available to listen to here.
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