NATALIE GAVIN........PRISONERS' WIVES

Natalie is one of the stars of the new BBC series Prisoners' Wives and she has kindly agreed to come here for us.

From the Bradford Telegraph and Argus (31st January).....



Bradford actress Natalie Gavin stars in a new television drama about a group of women struggling to cope with their men behind bars.

Natalie, who got her break playing Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar in a film about her life, is in Prisoners’ Wives, starting tonight.

In the series, about four different women, Natalie plays Lou Bell, a feisty young mother determined to give her son opportunities she never had. A tough upbringing has made her volatile and cynical, but with her boyfriend serving time on her behalf, having taken the rap for her drug-dealing, and her son struggling with his father’s absence, Lou has never needed the support of others more.

Natalie, 25, and the other actresses visited a prison and met real prisoners’ wives to prepare for their roles.


AS ANDREA DUNBAR IN THE ARBOR

Natalie started acting at Buttershaw School, the same school Andrea Dunbar went to, and went on to play Andrea in The Arbor, the 2010 Bafta-nominated film about the playwright.

She said she felt a strong connection with Andrea. “Some of my family are from Buttershaw and I found out while making the film that my dad lived on Brafferton Artbor, where Andrea lived, and he knew her,” she said. “We went to the same school. It was where I found my passion and where Andrea found hers.”


AS LOU IN PRISONERS' WIVES

I will do my best to answer a few questions but I am restricted what I can say about episodes that haven't been seen. is that ok?

Thanks Natalie. It must have been eye-opening when you met real prisoners' wives in preparation for the series. Are there any stories you can tell us about that? (no names of course!!)

Hi, I think you are a great actress. I have tried googling you but there doesn't seem to be very much about you on the net yet and I am sure there will be much more soon as you become more and more famous. I expect you will soon have a wikipedia page.
Can you tell us a little about yourself please, like your biography in a paragraph or two??

Hi thanks. You have done film and TV work, which do you like best? And have you acted on the stage?

Hey there, do you have any other TV programmes that we will be able to see you in? Is there any way we can let the BBC know how good we think you are so that we get to see more of you?

I would love to see you in things like Waterloo Road, Casualty, Coronation Street, Shameless and Hustle. What programmes would you really like to be in?

Have there been times things have not gone quite right? Any embarrassing moments you can tell us about?

Have you performed in or visited Southampton? Do you have any memories of the place?

Do you like football? Which team do you support?

You're so beautiful and sexy, I envy you your looks. Do you have to work hard to keep your figure or does it come naturally? Is there a part of your appearance that you're specially proud of? Anything you'd change?

Hi, do you like it when fans recognise you and come up to you? I think I might get annoyed by it after a while!

Hi, are you superstitious? Are there things you do or things you wear for good luck?

As a child did you always want to be an actress? Did you get leading parts in plays at school? Which actresses did you admire? Who did you want to be like? If you had not become an actress what job would you have liked to do?

Have you ever appeared naked or semi-naked in front of the camera? How do you feel about it?

How do you feel about programmes like Strictly Come Dancing? Would you be willing to go on it?

Hi, If you were offered a contract in advertising, what product would you most like to advertise?

Hi.......In real life would you describe yourself as a dresses or jeans type of girl? Do you have any tattoos?

Hi Natalie, Great series, are you good friends with other members of the cast? Are you able to suggest that one or two might answer questions for us too? Jonas Armstrong and Emma Rigby would be awesome!

Hiya, do friends or relations have a pet name or nickname for you??

You have a face that I reckon could do well in situation comedy, would you like to do comedy? (and I wasn't being nasty about your looks, you are really attractive)

Hi, Can you tell us some actors and actresses that you would really like to work with?

Hi, If we were to ask your partner or a close friend to tell us your most annoying or disgusting habit what do you think they would say? (Please be honest! )

SaintMike wrote:Thanks Natalie. It must have been eye-opening when you met real prisoners' wives in preparation for the series. Are there any stories you can tell us about that? (no names of course!!)

all the main cast visited a prison for our main research , and was guided around by a pop worker, they are an organization that deal with the well fare of the prisoners and the families of the prisoners, we worked very close with them, for research and we visited the prisoners visiting centre which was unpleasant. you really felt you was intruding on there personal space but we got a warm welcome, they knew what we was there for and was pleased that they was going to have a chance to be heard. . i personally know people that have loved ones in prison, and have children/child similar to my character and talking to them really helped.

North End Mam wrote:Hi, I think you are a great actress. I have tried googling you but there doesn't seem to be very much about you on the net yet and I am sure there will be much more soon as you become more and more famous. I expect you will soon have a wikipedia page.
Can you tell us a little about yourself please, like your biography in a paragraph or two??

yes of course i can, i am 24 born and bred Bradford girl, i studied at leeds performing arts college and then a BA honors at Huddersfield university. i stared in an ep of shameless ep4 serie 4, a character called anna sampson in 2006. i did a little part in the rollem production of the chase in 2008, i played Andrea Dunbar in a film/doc called the 'the arbor' in 2010 and in 2011 i started filming for prisonerswives.and that's me !! i hopes that's enough any more questions i would be pleased to answer them.

saint marie wrote:Hi thanks. You have done film and TV work, which do you like best? And have you acted on the stage?

i love stage i once performed at the Bradford Alhambra, in a production of MY FAIR LADY, stage flows you are constantly in character and coming off stage from that is the biggest high. i love theatre because you can be a bird, which i once was in a play called (cage birds) and the other ex stream a old man if you wanted. tv is a little different i love portraying the reality of certain circumstances, and with a little added music speaks volumes and really can touch people hearts. but you are on and off in and out of character allot of the time and can be really difficult to maintain but both are a art form in my opinion.