Forgive me for the silence, you knew was going on but I had to keep schtum. Contrary to what you might think, moving too quickly from one continuing drama to another is a big deal. Soap is real! So my task was to make Joanie history and reinvent Denise O. Bye bye Joanie, I loved playing you.



Step 1: Corrie archives helped me reconnect by sending me vids (see 'Media') and stills. This is who she was 'then'.


 
Step 2: My job is to work out who she is now. How does she feel inside?
This passage rocked my world. 

Mothers Who Abandon Their Children

"I will never abandon my children, but I will say that when a woman is sick inside with grief and hurt and there seems to be no end to it, when she feels like she wishes to sleep and not wake up, when she can barely breathe and cries behind closed doors, it may very well be better for her to leave. This is no life for a child. That mother that leaves is desperate, survival kicks in, and although she loves her children, our OWN nature is to survive, so sometimes unfortunately that means running, and running fast and far before its too late. Self preservation is in our instinct. A hurting heart can drown in tears before anyone knows the wiser. Don't ever assume you know why a person has left or that they are selfish or do not love the entire family. Some grief is as bad as death, it kills the person inside, swallows them up."



Hairdresser David Walls has overseen all my characters - including Hazel - since Denise O in '92. But merely changing hair won't do. I worked out, I fasted, I talked to Corrie's producer Kate Oates about what she needed (thank you so  for trusting me Kate), studied the scripts, worked with the brilliant Corrie creatives. And here's the result...

How did I do?