Ripple Effect
I am so excited to be writing my first blog in the new ‘Actor’ section of my website. I actually designed my website when I was in hospital in the middle of my chemotherapy. I knew I was about to lose my left leg to bone cancer and that my life was about to become unrecognisable so I spent time with my mum figuring out what my new life might look like. In a way I guess we designed a new dream.
I’d always wanted to be a sportswoman so we added an Amputee Athlete section. I’d always wanted to be a model so we added a Diversity Model section, and I’d always loved to travel so we added a Travel Blogger section. The whole process gave me hope, and my website was actually up and ready to go while I was still fighting for my life. Looking back I realise how clever my mum was. She’d just decided that I was going to survive and she’d decided I was going to have an incredible future, and I believed her, and that’s what’s happened.
I won the Golden Boot at the World Cup in Colombia. I became a para swimmer. I walked London Fashion Week. I modelled for Primark. I travelled the world looking for the best ski destination. I did indeed achieve all of those initial dreams and more. And as much as I’ve enjoyed the past few years saying yes to absolutely everything and grabbing every new opportunity that came my way, I’ve started to realise my heart is being pulled in one direction over all of the others.
I think it started when I performed at Eurovision in front of 180 million viewers. I found the whole thing so magical. Everything that went on behind the scenes. All of the rehearsals. All of the notes you’d get about your performance that needed perfecting. The buzz. The extravagance. The literal razzle dazzle of it all.
Being with like-minded people who want to give the performance of a lifetime. I just felt like I belonged. And there were no nerves. Knowing we were going live to 180 million viewers didn’t scare me at all, I just couldn’t wait to perform.
I felt exactly the same way when I was going live on BBC Breakfast talking about the World Cup and when I was a guest on Channel 4’s New Year’s Eve Last Leg Programme. I loved the buzz of it all. In fact every time I have been in front of a camera I’ve loved it more and more. I think maybe, with the actual acting side of things, it’s the idea that I can live many different lives. Having almost lost my own life I want to squeeze as much living out of my time on this planet as I possible can, so what a wonderful way to do that by living the lives of many different people on screen.
I spoke to my wonderful agency ZBD Talent about moving the focus from modelling into acting and they’ve been so incredibly supportive. They told me to take as many lessons as I could and ensure my American Accent was top notch. So that’s what I’ve been doing. And I’ve been loving it. I’m currently having two acting lessons a week and American Accent coaching when I have an American script come in… and the variety of self tapes ZBD have secured for me is just brilliant!!
Now, I must be doing something right as I am currently under NDA for a mind-blowingly sensational series that’s coming out in December this year. Yes I have 4 words. Yes my screentime is about 4 seconds. But I’m in it! I was on set! I was in hair and makeup next to the main characters! There were food trucks! I had my own trailer! I was picked up by a Mercedes S-Class every morning! And that’s all I can say for now, but it absolutely confirmed to me that this is what I want to do with my life. I want to be an actor.
I want to be an actor.
So here is the new section of my website: ‘Actor.’ And the first acting job that I can tell you about is the Chase Bank Commercial that I filmed in May:
Now the wonderful director Billy Boyd Cape has given me permission to share the audition process and my audition tape. So the way it works is like this. You get an email from your agency with a self-tape request and instructions on what you have to film. This one said:
We would love to request a self-tape please: Role: JO
SELF-TAPE DETAILS:
Film in a medium close-up – waist to head – so we can clearly see your face and upper body.
INTRODUCTION
Begin with a short introduction to camera: Tell us your name and where you’re based.
SCENE:
We would then like you to film / improvise the following scene.
Jo is gathering their things from the locker room after their football match has finished.
Leaving the locker room spotless – collecting bottles, brushing down surfaces and bagging spare bibs.
They are wearing their muddy kit still.
They leave the room; slinging their bags over their shoulder.
We see from their attitude that they are lively and jovial.
On the way out of the building Jo sees their mate Ryan who has been playing in another match…
Ryan is weighed down by one too many bags.
Jo quickly steps forward saying “I got you”.
Jo takes one of the bags off Ryan without being asked.
Jo flicks the light switch off with their elbow as they leave.
AND THAT’S IT!
Now anyone who has an agent will know, you get tons and tons of self-tapes and it’s really hard to know how long to spend on them. Obviously you try your very best to give a flavour of what you can do, but on average it’s suggested that:
Newer actors: Often 50–100+ auditions/self-tapes per booking.
Experienced actors: Closer to 1 booking per 20–50 auditions.
Seasoned pros: Sometimes 1 in 10.
So when you flick the light switch at the end of the scene and the lights turn on instead of off you need to decide if it warrants a re-take.
Now I’d already filmed this twice with my mum tripping over herself as she tried to walk backwards to get me in shot, so when the lights flicked on instead of off, I left it. It was good enough. And it must have been, as a week later I got an in-person call back in Manchester. The difference with in-person call backs is that they’re paid, so you know you’re in with an actual chance.
I took myself off to Manchester (no I didn’t, my mum drove, she drives me everywhere, unfortunately not in a Mercedes S-Class) but off to Manchester we went where I met Billy Boyd Cape himself and various other people from production and Chase Bank.
I had to re-enact my self tape but with more actual direction. I acted alongside a male character called Ryan and we were asked to chat about our football matches as we cleared away the changing rooms. And that was it, they said I’d hear shortly.
Now the thing that happens next is you either get ‘pencilled’ or ‘optioned’ (they mean the same thing) or you get released. If you’re pencilled it means they really like you and you need to hold the shoot dates and can’t book any other jobs until you’re either confirmed or released.
Two days after my recall I was pencilled and five days after that I was booked… and when you get that email from your agent saying you’re booked the only thing you can do is email back a big: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Now that’s what I do with my agent. I have no clue if that’s professional or the done thing, but I do it as it really is a WOOOOOOOO moment! And then you wait for details.
My part in the advert was shot over an 8 hour day on-set. Again there were food trucks and trailers and massive cameras everywhere. Again, I felt that absolute buzz that this is where I belong. Everyone was so lovely, supportive and friendly and then to see the advert playing between World Cup Matches and in the IMAX before The Odyssey, is literally the craziest thing ever.
So thank you so much to Billy Boyd Cape and everyone at Chase Bank for the opportunity. I’ve loved every second of it.
I can also announce that I’ve been booked for another show filming in September that I am so excited for – a very small part and a modelling focus, but tons of fun, and I’m waiting to hear about a Netflix series that will absolutely launch my career if I get it!
I guess I’m just having the time of my life, and if I do have a successful acting career I’ll be having the time of so many different lives, which after what I’ve been through, is a total and utter miracle. So thank you to all of the people who continue to clap for me. I see you and I’ll remember you when I’m on that red carpet.
Chase your dreams, people, they might just come true.
