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Wednesday 24 Sep 2014

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Mistresses: Shelley Conn plays Jessica

Shelley Conn plays Jessica

This interview ties in with episode 4

Having moved on from the heartache dished out by her lesbian lover, party girl Jessica, who is as promiscuous as ever, seems to have met her match in playboy millionaire, Mark.

After a whirlwind romance, the pair decide to tie the knot and embark on an open marriage. However, the more Mark enjoys his philandering flings, the more unsure Jessica is about the whole arrangement.

Jessica's jealousy over Mark's relationship with his PA, Carrie, starts to bubble over as she suspects there is more to their friendly flirting than just work.

Shelley Conn talks about pre-wedding jitters and what it's like to marry someone on the first day working with them!

What is Jessica up to when Mistresses returns?

The new series opens with the girls getting ready for a hen party - which turns out to be Jessica's. It's a bit of a shock as Jessica spent the whole of the first series claiming she was not into marriage, serious relationships or commitment.

She's getting married to a guy called Mark who is absolutely her match in that he has a free and easy attitude towards life… especially his love life. He's basically the male counterpart to Jessica. They've had a whirlwind romance, completely clicked and, in a very spontaneous act, decided to get married.

They have agreed that they should carry on having their own fun so the idea of an open marriage seems perfect for both of them.

As the series progresses we see the rules change and Jessica's bravado slip as her feelings get involved and she becomes vulnerable.

How did you feel when you read the scripts and discovered that your character was getting married?

I thought it was a very interesting way to pull the character forwards. It's always more fun to play a character outside of their comfort zone. By placing Jessica inside what you might call most people's comfort zone you put her completely outside of her own. It was a challenge for her and therefore a challenge for me.

Did you enjoy filming the wedding?

It was very romantic. We had the perfect location, the weather was beautiful and I had a lovely dress to wear, everything just went right.

I felt a bit nervous on the day of the scenes, as I can only imagine how a real bride feels; a bit different to a usual filming day!

When I arrived on set I felt as if they were real guests waiting for me to walk down the aisle and it was strange because I'd barely met Oliver Milburn, who plays Mark, before, so I married him on our first day of working together!

I had watched the film 27 Dresses before I filmed the scenes and in it they talk about the fact that, at a wedding, everyone turns to look at the bride when she enters, but only she sees the groom's reaction.

I was really thinking about that as I came on set; when Oliver and I looked at each other it felt like a secret between the two of us. I imagine that's what a wedding day is all about.

Was it strange to film such intimate scenes with Oliver on your first day of working together?

It was good in a way because it mirrored what our characters where doing; they hardly knew each other but were standing up in front of everyone making a huge commitment. It was a good place for Oliver and me to start from. We made a good partnership.

Was it nice to be re-united with Sarah, Orla and Sharon?

It was really lovely to be back with the girls. We bonded and became great friends last year, but this year we felt extremely close and were able to really support each other.

We shared a house that has been converted into individual flats, so we were all together. We could knock on each other's doors for a cup of tea and I'd go and see Sharon's kids and have a cuddle. We had loads of fun.

Were you surprised by how successful the first series of Mistresses was?

You work towards something that you hope will be successful but it's hard to predict how people will take to it. We've had a really positive, supportive response and it seems to have really captured people's imaginations.

I think Mistresses is so successful because it's a mixture of intriguing storylines with lots of twists and it is rooted very strongly in reality and it's really glossy.

People want to be entertained when they watch dramas. Mistresses has a mixture of escapism and reality.

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