They ANSWER!
...faces your questions!
Gina has been keeping her big sister Sally on her toes since moving to Weatherfield – but answering your questions is no trouble at all for actress Connie…
“What’s the best thing about playing a character like Gina?”
She’s quite complex. She’s got a heart of gold, although she gets it so wrong sometimes. There’s no badness to her – or at least she never means to be bad. And she and Sally have seen each other through some really hard struggles, so there’s a real love between them. Working with Sally Dynevor,
“What’s your strongest memory of Cathy in The Bill?”
who plays Sally, is an absolute dream. She’s a phenomenal actress and a lovely person.
“Where’s the most exciting location in which you’ve filmed?”
I played a mechanic in a Lynda La Plante series in the 90s called The Lifeboat, and we were out on a lifeboat every day. The real lifeboat guys were on set with us, so they’d just throw us off if they had a shout to attend! We filmed on the Pembrokeshire coast, and it was incredibly exciting.
“What’s your strongest memory of playing PC Cathy Bradford in The Bill?”
Probably when Cathy started to murder people! And my last episode was almost a two-hander, down in the bowels of Sun Hill. That was great. I’m really sad The Bill came to an end – it was a great family show. Apparently the Queen tuned in for Cathy’s final episode, but I don’t know for sure. The episode got record ratings – but the Queen hasn’t invited me round for tea yet…
“Do you have a secret skill?”
Oooh, I used to be very good at arm-wrestling! I used to swim a lot and was quite strong. But those days are over now, because I ripped two ligaments in my arm.
“What do you make of Gina getting together with Dev?”
I love it! And I really enjoy working with Jimmi Harkishin, who plays Dev. Gina’s had such a terrible life, so for her to find love would be great. Dev is very forgiving of Gina and supports her, so I hope they have some kind of future together.
“What’s the best thing about playing a character like Gina?”
“I understand that you are of Danish descent. Are there any Danish traditions you stick to?”
I always celebrate Danish
Christmas on Christmas Eve.
We all hold hands and dance around the Christmas tree! And we have proper candles on the tree, so a couple of times it’s gone up in flames…
I still go to Denmark a lot, and my taste in food is very Danish. I have open sandwiches every day if I can.
“What would you buy Gina for a birthday present?”
I think I’d buy her a spa day! She looks like she’s been hit by a bus most of the time, so I think she needs a bit of TLC. I don’t think she’s ever had a massage or her hair done. Gina has probably never experienced anything as nice and luxurious as a health spa. Maybe Dev might treat her one day.
“What’s your favourite thing to do on a day off?”
I have an allotment that I absolutely love. I’m not that good at it, but it feels like a different world, getting in touch with nature like that. And I like to educate my children that you can plant a seed, and some time later it’s on the table. There’s nothing better than that for me.
“Is there anyone you’d particularly like to work with?”
My old friend Julie Hesmondhalgh, who played Hayley Cropper.
We were at drama school together, but we always used to crack up back then. So it’s probably good she’s not still in Corrie, because I don’t think I’d ever be able to do a scene with her without laughing!
“What’s Gina’s dream job?”
I reckon Gina would like to take over the factory. She’s a talented seamstress,
I was born in the north, so it’s part of my DNA. I recently watched [2010 docudrama] The Road To Coronation Street, and I love Ena Sharples in that. I like when the make-up artist asks what she wants and she says, “Well, God gave me this face…”. I asked for no make-up for Gina, but they said, “Erm, maybe a little bit”! but she wouldn’t be a good boss. Things would go very badly financially!
“If you hadn’t been an actor, what would you have done instead?”
Probably something like drama therapy. My mum was a nurse and my dad was a mental health nurse, and I used to volunteer at a mental health charity. In fact, that’s what my careers teacher at school told me to do, because that was a time when being an actor wasn’t considered an option…
“Were you a fan of Corrie before joining the show?”
…asks reader Mel Bowen from Beckenham