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JULY 9TH 2012
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Jodie was a popular character; while some of her
actions, usually in the face of siding with her ruthless father, showed a
bitchy, devious streak, she was vunerable too. The discovery that her husband
had a secret bisexual life, and the loss of a much-wanted baby took her into
new territory with the viewers, and many were saddened when both Jodie and
Lucinda left the series after an exciting season.
Lucinda’s varied career has gone from strength
to strength since Dream Team. In 2006 she played the well-remembered role of
‘Allo ‘Allo’s Yvette Carte-Blanche in a national stage tour of the much-loved BBC series.
While film roles have included “The Rapture”, “The Kid” and the vampire
thriller “Dead Cert” (2010).
Her ambitions as a producer saw her set up
KandLe, a film production company with her fellow actor Kelly George. Now
approaching it’s second birthday, the company has the honour of producing three
upcoming films; “A Landscape of Lies”, “The Crux” and set for a 2013 release,
“The Thompsons”. The next year will see four film releases for Lucinda as an
actress; “A Landscape of Lies” which she also co-produced and the Nick
Nevern-led “Riot” (both expected for autumn releases), while "The Fall of the Essex Boys" (Formally titled "Once Upon a Time in Essex") and “Billy” will follow later.
Alongside her co-ownership in KandLe, Lucinda provides a gateway for budding young actors into television and film with her agency, which she discusses below, along with details of the lost role that would have had international recognition, and how there’s the possibility of her returning to one of her pre-Dream Team characters… | |||||
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First appearance 8.1 [325] Down (17/10/04)
Flirting with Ryan 8.4 [328] Boot Camp (07/11/04)
Teased by Tommy 8.10 [334] Who Ate All The Pies (19/12/04)
Discovering Frank's secret 8.14 [338] Playing God (23/01/05)
Curtis' news has a profound affect on Jodie... 8.26 [350] A Champions League Outing (17/04/05)
...and she is led to desperate measures 8.27 [351] The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (24/04/05)
"Come on you Dragons!" 8.29 (353) Ten Green Bottles [08/05/05]
Learning the truth about her dad... again 8.32 (356) Play Off [29/05/05] |
How did
your casting for Dream Team come about?
It was my first adult role, because I did a lot
of children's TV. I was very nervous but the casting director was fantastic,
and working with Jane Hewland was an experience. She's a really intelligent, driven
woman. It was great.
I remember
there was a fair bit of publicity and excitement about your casting, yours
along with Shane Lynch's at the time...
That's right because Shane Lynch and I did it
together. Shane's great.
And so much
so I tuned into “Cavegirl” to see you for the first time...
We actually just remade a pilot for “Cavegirl”,
and I'm playing the mum. I'm older now so I've got to play the mum!
I hope it
gets off the ground...
I hope so, it will be fun.
Jodie's
relationship with her dad, Barker [Don], I found totally intriguing, like how
she was his right hand woman. She was very loyal wasn't she?
She was very loyal to her dad. I think her mum
had passed away when she was quite young, so the relationship with her dad -
not sure if it was a little bit odd, as well as close. But Jon Morrison who
played Don Barker was great to work with. He was very professional, quite tough
as an actor.
He came
across like that on-screen as well, very well...
I mean he's a very straight and tough Scottish
guy in real life too. He used to like listening to Radio 2 on his break. He was
nice to work with.
She was
very protective too wasn't she, Jodie. She would have done anything for Frank
(Colin Parry) wouldn't she?
I think she was protective of her family and her
'clan' (let's call it), because she'd been brought up by a man and then there'd
be the protective, bit like the 'caveman' scenario - they look after their
family. So if she's been brought up around men she has a very male driven
mentality. I think that mentality is to look after her family and protect her
'young', which is why she was so distraught that she lost the child and then
went on to steal somebody else's - it's an animal and male instinct inside of
her.
You could
say about her dad that he raised her as the son he never had?
Absolutely. Definitely raised her as that yes.
And that's why she's so cut-throat, she was so tough, and she would try and be
the leader at all times rather than some women that are happy to maybe sit in
the background a little bit, she wasn't having any of that.
There was
one early characteristic of Jodie's that I never got - when the first
descriptions came out, Jodie was described as "slutty" - but yet on
screen she clearly loved Frank, and she only slept with Fletch (Terry Kiely)
after Frank couldn't love her like she needed following the whole bisexual
thing.
I think the storyline was a bit confused at the
beginning because she tried it on with Ryan Naysmith, but I think you’ve hit
the nail on the head. She was very loyal to her husband and I don't think she
would have cheated on him unless it was necessary, which at the end it was.
She bounced
off well with the other female characters didn't she? From her rivalry with
Sofia (Lisa McAllister) to her friendship with Gina (Kara Tointon)...
Yeah that was nice that they brought Kara in to
do Gina, because I'd worked with Kara on another show before. She did
"Harry and Cosh" for maybe one or two episodes in the first series.
The writers
seemed to really value you as an actress, Jodie becoming the main female
character that season. One story where you really shone was the miscarriage and
aftermath. Did you think that was your best work with Dream Team?
I thought it was great, I was really pleased
that they gave me some good storylines. I think it was a compliment, and I
really worked hard on it, and so did Colin actually. Him and I really bonded,
and he was my first on-screen husband as I was his first on-screen wife. And it
was very emotional for us on and off camera. It was great, and the writer, that
wrote my storylines, Jesse O'Mahoney, he now writes for "EastEnders"
and he's still my friend.
Coming to
your exit, a lot of viewers were disappointed Jodie departed when she did. Was
there any offer for you to stay on at the time?
You know what it was, I think the storyline for
me had finished because my dad had blown up all the players, and I don't think
there was any room for Jodie because she had no more family. I would have liked
to have taken over the club - that would have been wicked.
The whole
mass-murdering father and husband dead sadly made it difficult for her to stay
on, but I always hoped she'd return in some capacity. I think a lot of the
viewers would have liked you owning the club as well...
That would have been great. I had a great time
in Dream Team, it was my favourite job, and I loved the storylines, and I
really liked playing Superbitch Jodie Stone.
I loved it, all the characters I worked with,
including the friends I still have which is Ricky Whittle, Tim Smith, Phil
Brodie, Chucky Venice, Kara Tointon. I still keep in touch with them, and Phil
Brodie (Jaws) just played my husband in a film I produced "Landscape of
Lies". Phil was great as my husband, and I'm really pleased he did that
for me.
Before and
since Dream Team you've starred in dozens of projects for stage, TV and film,
any of these sit particularly as your favourites?
I enjoyed working with Chucky, on "Rapture". You know what I'm going to be cheesy and say I enjoy every
part of the industry, everything's my favourite! I love it. I sing every Friday
and Saturday...
You were in
a band as well weren't you [From Above]…
I was yeah. With one of the S Club Juniors.
One project
I haven't seen yet which looks good is "Dead Cert"...
That was brilliant. I'm not a huge part in it
but I enjoyed working with Dexter Fletcher.
And I
noticed on your imdb page, it says “Evita” was your first ever credit?
I did “Evita” with Billie Piper. We went to
school together…
It sounds
like an amazing place to start your career...
It was great. I was in a scene with Madonna and
Jonathan Price. It was very brief, and I was like thirteen. And they came to
audition at Sylvia Young and they picked Billie and I. She's actually a very
nice actress.
And for
stage work I see you played Lady Macbeth...
I was very young when I did Lady MacBeth, but I
toured with 'Allo 'Allo, I took over from Vicki Michelle.
And the
internet drama “KateModern”, that was recent as well wasn't it?
With Ralph Little. It was aired on Bebo. We were
up for a BAFTA, we were the first online web-series in the
Another
role I remember there being a lot of anticipation, for yourself in the lead
role, was “Moll
Oh yeah what a shame. Well Ken Russell was
obviously cast as the director, and the producer
I was
wondering if it had ever been made. Online there seemed to be such little
information about it...
No, it would have been fab.
How big
would it have been, would it have been cinema released?
Yeah - it would have gone everywhere.
That really
is a shame. So your film company, KandLe, you are a director alongside Kelly
George. How did you get started with that?
It stands for K-and-L-Entertainment. I was fed
up with keep auditioning and asking for jobs, as an actress. So I thought, I'm
going to set up my own film company, because, being an actress for fifteen
years I've learnt so much, that I thought I might as well do it myself. Kelly
George, my partner in this, did “RocknRoller” and he played the lead in “Grange
Hill” for fifteen years. So we helped out with three movies in the first year; "The Thompsons", "A Landscape of Lies" and "The
Crux"
And our new movie that’s just been financed is called "New Lake." We’re in talks with
agents as we're looking for a solid lead name, but alongside him will star Rob
Fucilla. He’s an up-and-coming star.
And you've
a lot of upcoming projects, some you've produced and/or starred in. Any of
those you'd like to talk about?
I just did the new 'Essex Boys' movie ("The Fall of the Essex Boys"), "Pilot Season" and "My Former Self", and of course "Landscape of Lies".
Will "Once Upon a Time in Essex" get a cinema release?
Oh I bloody hope so! Fingers crossed yeah?
“Landscape
of Lies” looks awesome. And wonderful casting it seems with you and Philip
Brodie playing husband and wife...
Yeah I really enjoyed those scenes with Phil.
We're both strong actors and of course friends.
At times I
even thought there was a spark between Viv and Jodie, so now seeing “Landscape
of Lies” will show us what we never saw with that!
I think so. I think we've always had good
on-screen chemistry.
And in the
film you're both parents to a teenaged daughter...
She's also my student, because I run an agency for children and youths called Rhodes. So she's my student and she's on my family's
agency, and so is my daughter on "Once Upon a Time in
I figured
you were playing older and maybe she's 13 or something, cause I was like, no
way you're not old enough to have a teenaged daughter!
They made me quite a young mum, so I had her
when I was young.
One last
thing, I notice you're credited as Lucinda Rhodes only now, do you no longer go
by Flaherty?
No not anymore, I just thought I'd be simple.
Lucinda's official film company website http://www.kandlents.com/ and it's Twitter page | |||
