From feisty Franky to rural living
Nicole da Silva made a big impact in the Australian prison drama series Wentworth as the charismatic top-dog Franky Doyle. And the actress is making just as big an impression in her latest series Doctor Doctor. However, this role is far removed from feisty lesbian Franky, a fact which Nicole is loving.
In Doctor Doctor, Nicole plays Charlie, the former girlfriend of the show’s lead character Dr Hugh Knight (Rodger Corser) and she has now married Hugh’s brother Matt (Ryan Johnson).
Doctor Doctor has been described as Rake for the medical profession, instead of lawyers. Nicole says Doctor Doctor is certainly naughtier and sexier than a lot of Australian TV series “and I love that”.
Nicole, 35, who studied dramatic arts at the University of Western Sydney, had roles in All
Saints and Dangerous before making her name in Rush as Senior Constable Stella Dagostino.
But it was her role on the other side of the law, as a Wentworth inmate, that stamped Nicole as one of Australia’s leading actresses.
The sparkly-eyed Franky stood out as a forceful presence in a series littered with colourful characters. “The team they chose to create
(Wentworth) was world class,” Nicole says. “Everything came together in a really high-quality, drama-driven way and audiences were crying out for that. It also came at a point where people wanted to see strong, complex females on screen.”
Nicole says Franky has a fierce fighting spirit and a strong will – qualities which she possesses as well.
“She won’t give up,” Nicole says of Franky. “She’s scrappy, she’s a fighter. And I think in many aspects of my life I am a fighter.”