‘Hat turned me into her’
IN HER final interview for our sister paper the Sunday Mail in June 2020, Gwyneth spoke of how the role that cemented her as a Scottish soap legend almost didn’t happen. When she auditioned for the part of Mrs Mack in 1983, she was unaware that the character was meant to be a battleaxe. She recalled: “My agent said they need a nice, kind gentle person, so I went along and did that. I got really cross when I was then told the person they were looking for Mrs Mack was a difficult busybody.” Not one to be deterred, Gwyneth headed off to a charity shop and bought a coat and a hat she thought would suit Mrs Mack. She then went back to ask for another shot. She revealed: “I said, ‘Stop searching, Mrs Mack has arrived’. It was a metamorphosis. The hat I found was a real cracker. And I told them I wasn’t going to wear any make-up or lipstick.” Mrs Mack went on to be well known for her unflattering hats and Gwyneth would even enlist her family in her search for them. Her daughter Debbie said: “Whenever we were in a charity shop, we were told, ‘Look out for bad hats’, which was really embarrassing when you’re a teenager.”
Despite the popularity of the show and her character, Gwyneth did not watch herself back.
She said: “I’ve never watched myself because I know myself and I just thought that’s not for me. If you’ve got a big ego, there isn’t room to bring in the characters.”
And she told how despite having a career in theatre, radio and TV productions over the years, it was Mrs Mack that saw her recognised wherever she went. Mrs Mack even enjoyed a royal audience as the Queen and her mum were avid viewers.
On meeting the Queen, Gwyneth said: “She was wonderful company and we laughed and laughed. She said, ‘Do you sometimes have a little sweetie out of Blair’s store,’ I said, ‘Oh yes’. She was so laid back and lovely. It was a thrill to meet her.
“The Queen Mum also really enjoyed it and watched it when in Scotland. She was so proud of Scotland. I went to a couple of garden parties and met her.”
And she shared why she felt Take the High Road was such a hit.
She added: “The scenery was beautiful and it was well-written. It summed up a lovely era of how people lived in Scotland and how they treated other people.”