Michelle Gomez is
Michelle
Scottish-born actress Michelle Gomez is probably best known to television
audiences for her role in the cult Channel 4 comedy drama series The
Book Group. She played Janice McCann, one of three unhappy women in
a mismatched reading group married to European footballers.
However, viewers will have a feast of Michelle on Friday nights from
3 September - Carrie & Barry is screening on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ ONE from 9.00pm and
is immediately followed over on Channel 4 by the new comedy drama series
Green Wing in which Michelle also stars.
Michelle Gomez is married to the actor Jack Davenport, star of Hartswood
Films' hit situation comedy Coupling, so she has known Beryl and Sue
Vertue socially for some time.
She relished playing the part of Carrie's acid-tongued best friend
and fellow beautician Michelle:
"It is always nice to play somebody who is slightly dour, and a Scot
seems to manage to do that quite well for some reason.
"I got to be quite sharp-tongued and aggressive and I don't think
it was in a scary way, it's just that Scottish accent that is useful.
"I don't think that Michelle is aware of how she comes across
- she's her own woman."
She continues: "The relationship between Carrie and Michelle is really
well observed on Simon's part because when you have been old friends
for a long time, all the barriers are down and you can just say anything
to each other.
"You can even be pissed off with each other and there is still
a friendship there.
"I loved working with Claire as well as it was just so easy. We
hadn't met before the casting."
She adds: "I don't know who was scheduling the filming of the scenes
in the hot-tub first, but that was a nice ice-breaker! It was a real
bonus as it was also during a lovely sunny and warm spell and the four
of us had to quite literally dive in!"
Michelle was initially apprehensive about filming in front of a live
studio audience: "I did one episode of My Family so I had a bit of a
taste of what it would be like.
"We knew that the scripts for Carrie & Barry were great and we
all fell in love with it immediately, and that meant we could appear
relaxed on the surface but there was a wee bit of mad paddling underwater!
"But by the last episode I really got into my stride and I thought,
'Oooh! I really want to do more now!'
"But if you had asked me that in my first week... I remember the
first live recording I felt like I was being walked to my execution,
it was horrendous, but as soon as I heard the audience laughing I started
to relax. We did have fun!"
On completing Carrie & Barry Michelle went on to film Martha Fiennes'
(Onegin) new film Chromophobia opposite a stellar cast:
"Ralph Fiennes, Penelope Cruz, Kristin Scott Thomas, Joseph Fiennes
and me! Completely different from Carrie & Barry!"
She adds: "I think Carrie & Barry is really warm and gentle and won't
alienate anyone - it's entertainment that everyone can watch."
Printable version