Annette Badland shares tidbits about her career and new ventures [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]
From Dr. Who to Outlander, EastEndersto Midsomer Murders there are many ways to love Annette Badland.
Annette Badland has had an enviable career as a character actress. She has played all sorts of characters in theater as well as in some of the world’s most famous shows including Margaret Blaine in Dr. Who, Mrs. Fitz in Outlander, Babe Smith in the EastEnders and she will be seen next on the hit show Midsomer Murders.
A quick sidebar on something cool and related to this story…
The past nineteen seasons of Midsomer Murders are now available on BritBox, the number one video-on-demand streaming service from BBC Worldwide. It launched in the U.S. in 2017 and Canada in 2018.
BritBox has more than 3600 hours of popular British programming and it is adding new programs every week. They boasted 250,000 subscribers in the first year. It is available in the US for just $6.99 per month after a free seven-day introductory trial that is available on Roku, Apple TV, all iOS and Android devices, Chromecast and online at www.britbox.com.
Now, back to Annette…
Annette Badland received her training at East 15 Acting School in London and began her professional career in 1972. She has starred in many theatrical, television, film and radio programs, including Bergerac, The Archers, Cutting It, Wizards vs Aliens, The Sparticle Mystery, A Little Princess, Bad Girls and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to name but a few.
Most people’s Twitter accounts can verge on the boring. If you like an eclectic mix of art and lovely photos and supportive tweets, check out Annette’s Twitter here. It joyfully lacks much political drama, but it has a point of view. The art, her passion projects, retweets of co-workers and others is inspiring in this sometimes petty social media landscape.
The kind, talented and ever-so-lovely Annette Badland spoke with Michele Tompkins for TheCelebrityCafe.com about her training in the theater, a sweet story about the late great John Hurt, the fun she had playing Margaret Blaine on Dr. Who, how she got the coveted part of Mrs. Fitzgibbons aka Mrs. Fitz on Outlander, who she keeps in touch with from that cast, a bit about the EastEnders, her new role on the iconic Midsomer Murders, which charities are near and dear to her heart, how she is about to join the Harry Potter universe, what she likes to do for fun and more.
Annette Badland: Hello darling.
Michelle Tompkins: Hello. I’m glad we’re finally well-connected. It is wonderful.
Annette Badland: Yeah, it’s good, isn’t it, that we’re on the landline now. I think it was impossible for the technology to grasp me in the London traffic [laughter].
Michelle Tompkins: Oh, well, I’m glad you’re home safe but I am jealous to hear that the weather was nice there. It’s storming everywhere around here.
Annette Badland: Apparently, yes. But they’re saying we’re going to get it again. So today is the only spring-like day we’ve had in about two weeks. We’ve had it like you, it was dreadful hail and storms. It was horrible. But anyway, let’s all think of this summer [laughter].
Michelle Tompkins: Now, what was your first professional aka paid acting job?
Annette Badland: Well, I got it while I was still at drama school, I did weekly reps, which means you do a different play every week in a seaside town called Salford. Which meant that I had my equity card when I left drama school, which was fantastic. I had a friend to do the season and I suddenly got a telegram, in the days when there were telegrams, saying, ‘Female ASM awful. Bring own cap and apron.’ So I got to be the maid in Private Lives, Coward’s Private Lives and lots of other little roles. And then I also had to wind the curtains down and help with the sound thing and things. But that was terrific because it meant, as I said, I left drama school with an equity card which made things much easier. So I actually from drama school went with the Actors Company which was started by Sir Ian McKellan and then into the RSC at Stratford and the Aldridge playing things like Audrey in As You Like It and oh gosh, the hostess in Taming of the Shrew and all manner of parts, really [laughter]. The lead door mouse in Toe to Toe Toward Christmas. I can’t think of the lady’s name. Not Lady Capulet but…
Michelle Tompkins: Lady Montague?
Annette Badland: Yes!
Michelle Tompkins: What a great background!
Annette Badland: It’s been varied, which is fantastic as an actor to have different things. I did seem to mainly do theatre for the first 10 years of my career. The first television I did was a bit with John Hurt. And I had a tiny part. He was meant to — as according to the script, he was meant to know how to tap dance but he didn’t. So he used to learn in the mornings and then try and teach me in the afternoons [laughter]. John and I got on terribly well and laughed a lot. He was such a clever, good actor and a delightful, witty, kind man. So luckily, I did work with him again last — saw him again last year before he died, so yeah. Terrific, terrific time and a very good director. I liked it enormously.
See more at: https://starsandcelebs.com/2018/05/annette-badland-exclusive-interview/
