Merlin: a new 13-part drama series on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ One
Angel Coulby plays Gwen
Rising star Angel Coulby sensed she was joining a special production the moment she arrived on the set of Merlin.
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"From the first read through we felt we were at the beginning of something great. It just seemed like something of high quality, the writing is so good and there's a fantastic cast," she explains.
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Angel, 28, plays Gwen, a lowly handmaiden to Uther Pendragon's ward Morgana. But she's destined for greater things – one day, history tells us, she will become Queen Guinevere.
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"Gwen is Morgana's handmaiden. She's a very kind, sweet person who falls for Merlin on first meeting him. She doesn't know Merlin has these magic powers. She just sees him as an incredibly brave man and his boldness encourages her to take a stand on things she feels strongly about," she explains.
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"In the beginning she is this quite shy, reasonably innocent character who bumbles her way along. But as things go on a bit more of the queen within begins to emerge.
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"She always has a strong sense of right and wrong of justice and injustice. She talks about ordinary people and how they need to be represented, which is a bit revolutionary in Camelot."
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After growing up in Finsbury Park, north London, Angel studied drama at the Queen Margaret College in Edinburgh before breaking into acting with a part in 'Orrible with Johnny Vaughan seven years ago.
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Since then she has been a regular on our television screens appearing in a range of hits, from Holby City to the acclaimed prison comedy The Visit.
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"I've been doing it for seven years now. I feel more comfortable in front of a camera now. I'm sure all actors are the same, they think at the start of every job 'I can't do it' and then it's always fine. That phase is shorter now," she says.
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Whilst she didn't have as many stunts to perform as her colleagues Bradley James and Colin Morgan, Angel did have her moments of high excitement.
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"The most fun moment was when I had to measure Santiago Cabrera's inside leg. He is in one of the episodes and was lovely, he was gorgeous too," she explains.
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"Normally he would have to hold the tape at the top but it was only after we'd done the scene that I realised I was holding the tape at both ends. He was very good and professional. We had a laugh about it on set," she smiles.
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There is no doubt that Merlin represents her biggest role yet. If the show is successful here and in the US, she may try her luck in America.
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"I will probably go over there at some point. I love living in London, it's where my home and my heart is and I can't imagine living there. But to go over there when you've got a big show on one of the networks is too good an opportunity to pass over," she says.
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