Casualty star Amanda Mealing reveals how Connie Beauchamp’s attack was filmed
Clinical lead Connie Beauchamp has clocked up a considerable amount of enemies in her time in Casualty. Whether it’s co-workers, patients or exes, the forthright medic has never been afraid to cross swords, but has her clinical approach to work and life made her a violent enemy?
Prior to a horrific attack this Saturday, Connie rules the overcrowded emergency department with a rod of iron. Senior nurse Louise Tyler in particular comes in for criticism from Connie, for providing nursing staff with cameras. Louise (Azuka Oforka) is also emotionally invested with homeless patient Ernest, even offering to take care of him after a scheduled operation.
Here Casualty star Amanda Mealing, who expertly glints between steeliness and vulnerability as Connie, explains more…
“Connie, in her inimitable way, is very removed emotionally and very pragmatic, so it causes a lot of frustration with Louise who is experiencing a personal plight with nursing,” says Amanda, talking to What’s on TV about Saturday’s shocking storyline.
“Louise is emotionally involved with a patient called Ernest and wants to deal with the whole person, their home life as well as medically, but Connie only wants to deal with the medical. It brings her into conflict with patients and their families, and maybe someone in particular… Connie always rubs people up the wrong way!”
Speaking about filming the visceral assault scenes, which will air after the watershed, Amanda reveals: “It’s a brutal attack. It was really brutal when we were filming it. I took a bit of a knock when we were doing it.
“To get the close up of Connie’s head hitting the floor, the padding had to be taken away and I really did bash my head for real.”
Like many of Casualty’s considered stories, Connie’s attack is going to have long-term consequences for the character.
Amanda explains: “This is an important story to highlight because there are physical, emotional, verbal and cyber attacks [on medics] now. This is a catalyst for post-traumatic stress disorder in Connie. The attack happens once, but Connie ends up living it much longer.”
Casualty continues this Saturday on BBC1 at 9.10pm
For more from Amanda Mealing, who plays Connie Beauchamp, on what happens next in this story, pick up What’s on TV magazine, on sale from Tuesday 12 February 2019
