Back in BUSINESS
SARAH JAYNE DUNN IS THANKFULLY DOING A MUCH BETTER JOB THAN MANDY OF JUGGLING HER CAREER WITH MOTHERHOOD…
It’s been ages since we’ve had a catchup with Hollyoaks star Sarah Jayne Dunn – but when we call her for a natter about reprising her role as Mandy, her son Stanley wants to hog the limelight!
“Can you hear my little one in the back of the car?” giggles Sarah, as she chats to us on her day off. “I think he wants to join in our conversation! Stanley has just turned one, so coming back to Hollyoaks was perfect timing for me. There’s a nursery here, and it’s been good for me as a new mum to get back into work – and back into adult conversation.”
Life off screen is clearly fabulous for Sarah – it’s just a shame the same can’t be said for her long-suffering alter ego, thanks to her alcoholic partner Luke…
How did you react when you found out Mandy and Luke are together?
I thought it was brilliant! I didn’t realise that Gary [Lucy, who plays Luke] was coming back initially, so it was a bit of a shock when I opened my scripts! But I was excited. We’ve kept in touch via social media, and it was lovely to actually see him in person and catch up again.
Luke is putting Mandy through the ringer – why does she stay with him?
They’ve found themselves in troubled times, that’s for sure. Luke has a drinking problem, and that’s something they’re both trying to deal with. But what’s nice about their relationship is that they really love each other – there is genuine affection between them. And I think that’s what’s kept them together for so long.
Mandy gets a visit from social services this week, though…
Yeah, there’s a lot of drama going on for Mandy, Luke and Ella, thanks to their interaction with social services. But Erin Palmer who plays Ella is brilliant, and it’s been fab to work with her. I’ve been working with Ellis Hollins, who plays Tom, since he was four – so I’m used to having kids around on set.
Tony agrees to help out Mandy with social services. Could there still be unresolved feelings between them?
Possibly. That’s something really nice to explore – Mandy and Tony have so much history, and genuine love and compassion between them as they’ve helped each other through a lot. Working with Nick Pickard [Tony] is brilliant, and it’s an easy relationship to go back to.
Is there any of the newer cast that you’d like to work with?
Do you know who I’ve not worked with yet, even though our characters are related? Amanda Clapham, who plays Holly. She’s such a sweet girl, and Mandy knew Holly
when she was little, so it would be good to explore that relationship. Mandy has a lot of connections to people in the village that I’m still trying to figure out!
You guest starred in Casualty. What else have you been up to since then?
I did Doctors and some theatre, and qualified as a personal trainer, too – which has been useful in keeping fit after having Stanley. As an actor, you’ve got to have things to do in between jobs, so it’s nice to re-educate myself. I’ve found it really interesting!