Emily is appearing in the upcoming tour of ‘War Horse’
Emily in ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’
STYLE EXCLUSIVE
ACTRESS EMILY ASTON Local actress Emily Aston is probably best known for her childhood role in the Bafta nominated BBC drama series Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit.
Since then she has had a string of high-profile TV roles, including Funland, Doctors and Heartbeat. She can also lay claim to being the first Aston to walk on those famed Corrie cobbles, before her younger brother Sam turned up as Chesney.
Style caught up with Emily to discuss her upcoming tour of War Horse, her future career hopes and finding an agent in the Yellow Pages! What was your first acting role & how did you get the part? I was in my school in Bacup (St Saviour’s) and one day a casting director and director came in. They were looking for a little red headed girl for a drama called Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. The headteacher said to my mum, ‘Janet the BBC have been in today, they had a chat with your Emily, but don’t worry I don’t think anything will come of it’. They saw 200 girls and I was one of a shortlist of six and ended up getting the part. After that my mum went to Bacup Library and found me an agent in the yellow pages! You once received a Bafta nomination? Yes, Best Actress for Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. I was only 7 years old, it was mad!
You have eight siblings, three of whom are also actors! Why do you think that is? Well our Joe did do it for a while but doesn’t anymore. So it’s just me and our Sam now. It
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all happened by accident really and we have been very lucky.
Do you still live locally? I kind of live everywhere at the moment as I am on tour with a show.
You’ve had a varied acting career so far, but which role has been your favourite? This is always a hard question for me. I have quite a few. Obviously Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit because it was my first ever part and it is what got me into acting, but then I enjoyed working with Shane Meadows in Dead Man’s Shoes. Do you prefer stage or screen? I love stage, as you can’t beat a live audience and having to think on your feet if anything goes wrong! But I do love television and film. I just feel lucky to be doing either of them! What are you up to at the moment? Well I am in rehearsals for the UK and Ireland tour of War Horse. I have never done a theatre
show on this scale; it is amazing… I am so excited! I feel so so lucky to be a part of it. Everyday I keep thinking someone is going to come up to me and say they got the wrong Emily or something!
What roles would you love to play in the future? I would love to do a really gritty drama or film. Something I can really get my teeth into.
Are you a Coronation Street fan?! I do love Corrie. I think it’s got a bit everything in it. I have always enjoyed my soaps! You used to be in Coronation Street yourself, as Becky Palmer… would you like to return to the cobbles? I would love to return to the Cobbles! I love Corrie and I would feel so lucky if I got the opportunity to do it again!
What advice would you give to young actors? It is a very hard business to be in, but don’t give up! There will be ups and downs but just keep going! Make sure you get your education as it is always good to have something to fall back on. Just follow your heart! War Horse will be playing The Lowry, Salford, between 20th Nov 2013 – 18th Jan 2014.
Ruth Meredith