Hollyoaks star recalls it was a close run thing
Hollyoaks actress Tamara Wall has admitted her character, Grace Black, was almost axed from the C4 soap.
Confessing that she managed to swerve being cut from the award winning programme back in 2014, when her role's addition to the lives of the Hollyoaks characters didn't go down well with viewers.
Tamara made her first appearance in the Hollyoaks corner of soapland in 2013 as as Clare Devine's nasty sister but was almost written out after less than a year.
Speaking on Hollyoaks podcast The Dog In The Pond, hosted by ex Hollyoaks star Kelly Condron, Tamara said, "If you look at me then, I was always dressed in black leather, never smiled, never laughed. I thought I was doing the best job in the world – being this evil person and going around being horrible to people.
"I remember getting a phone call from Bryan one night saying: 'I'm going to be really straight with you. I'm worried that if we don't change your character, we're going to have to lose her'.
"He phoned me up, apologised and literally said that at the end of the day, the people at C4 have the last say on everything – C4 had said 'This is not going to work'."
Explaining that a plan was devised to change her entire character to make Grace softer and more likeable, Tamara went on, "Bryan, being Bryan – who is honestly one of the most talented, conscientious people I've ever met in my life – rather than say 'we'll get rid of her and change things up', he brought me in for a workshop.
"I'd only been there for six or seven months. We literally hammered out all these ideas."
Recalling how Grace was given a whole new look to match her reformed personality, Tamara added, "Literally I walked out of Price Slice one day with this giant hair on. All of a sudden, Grace was born."
Hollyoaks airs on Monday and Tuesday nights at 6.30pm on Channel 4.
