Georgia Slowe

[SheWolf]

From the Jewish Telegraph.

ACTRESS Georgia Slowe had a 10-year break before landing a role in Emmerdale - but she's now having the time of her life.

North London-born Georgia landed the part of posh Perdita (Perdy) Hyde-Sinclair last year and has been involved in a number of meaty storylines.

Georgia said: "It's been absolutely fabulous - the cast are a lovely bunch."

The last 10 years has seen Emmerdale transform itself from a genteel, countryside soap to a raunchier, sexy programme - something which Georgia enjoys.

She said: "There's still an element of the countryside about it, but it's far more glamorous these days."

Georgia - whose character is married to the bisexual Grayson - has enjoyed a number of steamy scenes, including one with local businessman and all-round Mr Nasty Matthew King (Matt Healy). But she doesn't get embarrassed by the love scenes.

"I'm far too long in the tooth to be worried by that sort of thing," she laughed.

Georgia spends five days a week in Leeds, before heading home to see her two sons Benjamin and Joshua, both from her marriage to Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin.

Georgia and Ray are divorced, but remain on friendly terms and are currently arranging Benjamin's barmitzvah in December.

Georgia explained: "We're going to have it in Jerusalem behind the Western Wall, so male and female guests can mix together."

It won't be the first time that Georgia has visited Israel.

She said: "I used to go with my family when I was younger, as we had relatives who lived on a kibbutz.

"The last time I went was on holiday around 10 years ago, so I'm really looking forward to going back."

Georgia grew up in a traditional Jewish home - her Hungarian-born mother hid in a cellar for part of the Second World War and escaped the country after the 1956 revolution. Her father is of Russian descent.

Georgia said: "My parents and my ex-husband both attend Orthodox synagogues, but to be honest I feel more comfortable at the Reform services.

"I don't like the idea of being shovelled upstairs away from the male members of your family and also not understanding the service."

She admits she doesn't follow a religious lifestyle, but is immensely proud of her Jewishness.

"I love all the culture and tradition," Georgia enthused.

But her Judaism has helped her understand a lot of her roles, including that of Anne Frank's elder sister Margot in The Attic and of Hannah in Wallenberg: The Lost Hero.

Despite taking a long break from acting before she landed her role in Emmerdale, Georgia has a wealth of experience both on stage and screen.

She explained: "I trained as a ballerina, but realised it wasn't for me, so took up dance instead. Dancing gave me great confidence, which gave me a good grounding for acting."

Georgia is undecided when asked whether she prefers television or theatre, but her performance as Juliet in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Romeo and Juliet earned her an Olivier Award nomination.

And Georgia could collect another gong in May, as Emmerdale is nominated for best soap at the annual British Soap Awards.

She said: "I went last year and it was just completely bonkers. Beforehand I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, with everybody panicking over what they should wear, but once I was in the audience, I could see what all the carry-on was for - it's a massive night."

[SheWolf]

From the Sunday Mail

ACTRESS Georgia Slowe called in some help from her friends to make her heart-rending scenes for Emmerdale tear-jerkingly realistic.

Her character Perdy Hyde-Sinclair's world fell apart last week when she suffered her fifth agonising miscarriage, followed by an emergency hysterectomy, quashing her chances of having a baby of her own.

Georgia, 41, was close to tears when she read the script and vowed to make the scenes as true-to-life as possible. She knew exactly who to turn to for advice.

She said: "I think every woman has experience of miscarriage, regardless of whether you've been through it yourself or not.

"We all know a friend, a sister or a work colleague who has been through it and it's absolutely heart-breaking.

"Perdy suffered an ectopic pregnancy. I don't know anyone who's been through that but I know quite a few people who have had miscarriages - some of my girlfriends - so I turned to them to ask how I should play it.

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"One friend in particular had a terrible time. She had two beautiful, healthy children but began to have problems when she started trying for a third child.

"She suffered four miscarriages. It was awful.

Thankfully she did manage to have a third child and they're all well but it was a terrible time for her.

"Of course, for women in Perdy's situation, it's arguably worse. She doesn't have any children and now she's been denied the chance to have any of her own because she would have died if she didn't have the hysterectomy. That's just so cruel."

As mum to two boys, Benjamin, 12, and Joshua, 10, it's a situation that Georgia finds particularly sad.

She said: "It's unthinkable. I don't know what I'd do without my boys - they're amazing. It's unfair for anyone to be denied their chance at motherhood."

This week sees the aftermath of Perdy's traumatic experience and she and husband Grayson are still in shock.

Georgia said: "I don't think she can quite take it in and she's just acting as though she has to get on with it.

"There will come a time, though, when it all hits her and she breaks down. Scenes like those are difficult to film because you don't want to overplay it but at the same time she's so distraught.

"It's a difficult subject matter but it's a great role to get your teeth into so it's very exhilarating."

Georgia admits there was one plus side to the storyline - she enjoyed giving her skin a break from the heavy TV make-up she usually needs to wear on set.

She said: "We were playing Perdy's trauma for real so that meant having her lying in a hospital bed looking like hell.

"A lot of actresses would hate the idea of appearing on screen with no make-up but I loved it.

"I don't wear much make-up normally and I hate being plastered with the stuff for work every day. This gave my skin a welcome break."

Georgia first appeared on the soap a year ago, after a 10-year break from acting.

After blossoming as a child star in TV dramas such as The Mill On The Floss and The Enchanted Castle when she was 14, she went on to make a big name for herself in her 20s.

She starred in TV mini-series Marco Polo opposite Denholm Elliott, Burt Lancaster and Anne Bancroft and The Attic: The Hiding Of Anne Frank, with Mary Steenburgen and Tom Wilkinson.

She famously got tongues wagging in 1992 when she appeared nude in raunchy Beeb drama Witchcraft.

But the following year was to bring a more tame turn of events in Georgia's life as she ditched showbiz to concentrate on being a wife and full-time mum.

She married fashion designer Ray Kelvin, founder of the Ted Baker clothing chain, in 1993. Son Benjamin was born in 1994, followed 18 months later by his brother Joshua.

Georgia's decision to stay at home and look after her kids was one of the easiest of her life. She said: "My career was going incredibly well but my children came first and it was my priority to be a full-time mum to them.

"Sure, it was fantastic to be working with the likes of Burt Lancaster but I always hoped acting was something I could take up again later in life.

"I knew, however, that I'd never get the chance to relive those first precious years of my sons' lives and I didn't want to miss that. I don't regret it for a second. I've had a great 10 years with them.

"If I'm being honest, I never planned to be away from work for so long - the time's flown in. They're both now nearly teenagers and the time was right for me to come back to work. I felt truly ready for it."

Georgia, who has split from Ray, says there are no signs that her boys have plans to follow in her footsteps and become actors - and she jokes that she'd prefer them to have "proper jobs".

She says they're getting used to seeing their mum on TV but they think it's funny that she's taken on the role of posh Perdy with her country tweeds and plucky women's institute resourcefulness.

The character caused a stir last year when she had a brief flirtation with Hari Prasad. Although this is her first foray back on to the screen in a decade, Georgia has been busy off screen too. For the past six years she has been working on her debut novel, Us And Five Others, and she is now hoping to get it published.

It's made up of five interconnected short stories which Georgia describes as a domestic fairytale.

She said: "It's been such good fun to do. It's aimed at a female readership and I'm looking for a publisher now. I've got a literary agent so it's going well.

"I've started on my second book. I've definitely got the writing bug."

During her working week, Georgia lives in a flat in Leeds near the Emmerdale set while her boys stay in London with their nanny.

Weekends are precious for the family and Georgia loves nothing more than getting back to her boys and going for long walks with them and their dog, Sadie, a labrador cross they found in a rescue home.

Georgia and ex-husband Ray have remained friends and she says they get on better now than when they were together.

But she insists there are no other romances on the cards. She said: "I've got two boys and that's enough for me. Besides, where would I find time in my life for a man? I'm quite happy as I am.

"I've made lots of new friends since I joined Emmerdale. The cast are amazing. They really are like one big, extended family, so I'm never short of friends to go out and grab a glass of wine or a bite of dinner with.

"I'm loving every minute of playing Perdy. She's having a rough time but hopefully she'll be a regular fixture on the show for a while to come and she will be able to have children one day, even if it means adopting. She deserves happiness."