Dante jouée par Amir El-Masry
Fils de Teddy avec sa première femme Shameem Shah. Complote avec son père. Meilleur ami de Lorelei. Homosexuel et petit ami du fils de Bel, Tyler. Révélation fracassante de son lien de parenté aux multiples conséquences.
INTERVIEW : Madeleine Mantock on Lorelei
Madeleine plays the young and beautiful, Lorelei - but her character stirs up a lot of trouble.
"Lorelei is a character that represents fun and youth, and the idea of something shiny and new, that you can have all of these great experiences with. Lorelei enters the story when her best friend, Dante, encourages her to get a new kitchen as a reward to herself for working so hard.
The person who comes to fix her kitchen is Wes (James Murray). The two of them strike up a really good friendship; they share a similar sense of humour and get on really well and their relationship stems from there. She is unaware that he is married."
Lorelei Bailey jouée par Madeleine Mantock
28 ans. Célibataire. Coach sportif privé.
Naturellement belle, en forme et dynamique, Lorelei veut se poser et fonder une famille. Son ami est Dante, le fils homosexuel de Teddy, qui va la mettre dans une situation difficile.
INTERVIEW : Vicky Myers on Heidi
Vicky had an immediate connection to her character, Heidi. She explains why she has enjoyed playing this role so much.
"Heidi is the youngest of the four sisters and she is very much the baby and she is treated and behaves as such. She is into the idea of fairy tales and magic and believes one day her prince will come and take her away from all of this madness, so she has built up this impenetrable bubble which allows her to cope with everything that goes on around her.
"Her daughter’s name is Disney and with a name like that you can just imagine what goes on in Heidi’s head. She is a wonderful character to play because she is always happy, even though inside her heart is breaking she will always have a smile on her face. You would never catch her without mascara on or her fabulous lipstick. The only person in her life as far as she is concerned is Disney.
Heidi’s relationship with her on-screen daughter, Disney (Isabella Gill) is incredibly important to her, and Vicky tells us a little about that bond they share both on and off screen.
"Heidi wants the best for little Disney and she has figured, to run along with the fairy tale theme, that Disney is going to be a beauty pageant queen - and she is going to win, no matter what. So she drills Disney on her routines and her performances but really Disney isn’t that bothered, as you could image most nine year-olds wouldn’t be.
"She just wants to play football, she doesn’t want to wear heels or make up and she certainly doesn’t want to wear a princess crown, but she does so for her mum and that is because they share a unique bond."
Heidi Regan jouée par Vicky Myers
35 ans. Célibataire. Une fille Disney 9 ans. “Lash Queen” et benjamine des quatre sœurs Regan.
Accro à la chirurgie esthétique, Heidi vit dans sa bulle et croit aux contes de fées. Elle veut le meilleur pour Disney qu'elle voit Reine de concours de beauté, au grand dam de la rondelette et peu motivée, Disney, qui préférerait jouer au football. Pourtant la petite fille répète indéfiniment ses chorégraphies pour faire plaisir à sa mère. Son autre obsession est les footballeurs. Plus que tout au monde, Heidi rêve d'être une WAG, une femme de footballeur. Heidi cherche désespérément à être la BFF de quelqu'un, une "meilleure amie pour toujours".
INTERVIEW : Lisa Riley on Tina
A tomboy, a tattoo artist and the family’s secret keeper, Lisa tells us about her unpredictable character, Tina Finch.
"The best thing about Tina is that she deals with things through her sarcasm. She is the confidante and totem pole who keeps the family together. When the chips are down and low within the family, she deals with it so brilliantly. Everyone confides in Tina and she doesn’t miss a trick, she knows everything that is going on.
"Robson (Green) and I decided one day that Tina is like the modern day Miss Marple - nothing gets past her. She is everyone’s sister and friend and that is because she is so direct and deals with things through truth and honesty and I love that about her. To me, Tina is the unsung hero of the piece, which I love.
"Tina gets her gratification by keeping the ship afloat, and in this drama the ship is her family. If they didn’t have her, the ship would sink. Society has a tendency to judge everyone before they get to know them and that’s what everyone has always done with Tina but they are wrong, she has this wonderful and shocking secret which is revealed."
Tina Regan jouée par Lisa Riley
45 ans. Célibataire. Artiste tatoueuse.
Tina a la tête sur ses épaules, elle est sensible et bien dans sa peau. Son look gothique est parfois déroûtant. Tina est clairement en désaccord avec les princesses blondes et soignées avec lesquelles elle a grandi. Tina est la sœur et l’amie de tous. Tout le monde se confie à elle car est franche et directe et porte un regard objectif. Elle sait tout ce qui se passe et rien ne lui échappe.
INTERVIEW : Sue Johnston on Ivy-Rae
Sue takes on one of the boldest characters she has ever played.
"It was an adventure playing Ivy-Rae because she is completely different to the role I am usually cast as. Debbie Horsfield (writer) doesn’t bow down to age when it comes to Ivy-Rae; she goes dancing, she works and she runs around with men young enough to be her sons. She is brutally honest with those around her and if you don’t like it, that is tough.
She doesn’t give a toss about what people think about her and there is a freedom in that. She also has this very upfront sex life, which you don’t see very often on television with women of my age. Most people are pretending it doesn’t happen but Ivy-Rae is very open about it. She is a dynamo."
Sue talks about the interesting relationship her character has with her on-screen husband, Chizzler, played by Struan Rodger:
"Her husband introduced swinging into their relationship and Ivy-Rae went along with it but it soon all went wrong. He is now in a wheelchair and so is no longer very active, but Ivy-Rae continues to be very active.
"She loves to dance and the men with whom she has these dalliances with are mostly her dance partners, who she is most likely just using for their fast cars and dance experience. She does have a fling with a Brazilian Northern soul dancer in the series. He is ‘Mr Smooth’. The actor who played him, Richard (Calkin), is a professional dancer and so could really dance which was great."
Ivy-Rae Regan jouée par Sue Johnston
Soixante ans passés. Mariée à Chizzler. Mère de quatre filles. Technicienne de bronzage.
Surnommée Razors, Ivy-Rae est la matriarche de la famille Regan. A une personnalité de tungstène. Se montre parfois dure et cruelle. Mince et tonique, elle garde la forme et danse la Northern soul (genre musical de la fin des années 1960) dont elle porte le total look. Ivy-Rae a une relation ouverte avec son mari maintenant en fauteuil roulant. A une brève liaison avec un brésilien à biceps appelé “Hector El Savior Del Santos de Macarena”. C'est une mangeuse d'homme à l'appétit féroce qui a eu de nombreux flirts. Mais rentre toujours à la maison auprès de Chizzler.
Leanne Roxton jouée par Kelly Harrison
40 ans. Mariée à Teddy. Sans enfant. Technicienne en manucurie et styliste. “Filler Queen” des sœurs Regan.
La bimbo des sœurs Regan. Jalouse de Bel. Leanne sait qu'elle est belle et cultive son look avec ses vêtements mode et son maquillage. Obsédée par elle-même et son apparence, elle est superfiecielle et égocentrique. Elle veut être remarquée et adore être le centre d'attention. Si elle s'aime en premier, aime aussi son "Teddy bear" qui la surnomme "baby bear" et soutient son ambition d'être un gourou anti-âge. Leanne a géré le salon jusqu'à présent et s'estime la seule légitime même si le Mirrorbel est au bord de la ruine. Elle a de bonnes idées, mais est incapable de les réaliser. L'objectif de Leanne est d'être meilleure que Bel et de poignarder sa sœur dans le dos.
INTERVIEW : Kelly Harrison on Leanne
Kelly admits she was instantly compelled by the out-there and audacious character of Leanne Roxton, and couldn’t wait to step into her shoes.
"From the moment I read Leanne I loved her and wanted to be her. She is fun, and sassy, she is bitchy, naughty and she couldn’t care less what anyone thinks about her. She opens her mouth before she thinks and she is extremely glamorous.
"However, while Leanne may be all bravado there is a huge amount of vulnerability to her, and as much as she says she doesn’t give a monkeys what people think, there is one person who’s opinion she secretly cares about a great deal. That’s Bel, her older sister and it is the fact that Bel barely thinks about her which makes Leanne incredibly jealous and bitter."
Kelly explains what is in store through this series for her larger-than-life character, Leanne.
"At the beginning of the series Leanne invites her older sister, Bel, to return to the family-run beauty salon, which Bel used to run 20 odd years ago. However, as the series progresses her jealousy of Bel grows rapidly, because she feels like Bel walks into the salon and takes over her world.
"So Leanne attempts to create her own self as a brand, a beauty guru, but underneath all of that she doesn’t realise the web of deceit which is being weaved by someone very close to her. Leanne is oblivious to anything outside of her own bubble, which she has created to make herself look bigger and better and more loved than anybody else, because she hasn’t had much real love from anybody in her life. Leanne’s story is one of glitz and glamour but also one of pain and turmoil."
Teddy Roxton joué par Robson Green
48 ans. Marié à Leanne. Beau-frère et meilleur ami de Bel. Meilleur ami de Wesly. Conseiller financier. Propriétaire du Mirrorbel.
Teddy, surnommé "Teddy Bear" par sa femme, est un homme d'affaires qui a très bien réussi. Charmant et séduisant, il cache un côté sombre. Teddy n'a rien d'un ourson mais possède des griffes acérées. C'est un intrigant et un manipulateur qui a toujours un plan pour obtenir ce qu'il veut. Son fils Dante l'aide dans ses machinations. Teddy tolère Leanne, supportant sa frivolité, son odieux caractère et sa méchanceté envers Bel, soutenant même son ambition, uniquement parce qu'il est amoureux de Bel depuis l'enfance. Un jour viendra où il épousera Bel.
INTERVIEW : Robson Green on Teddy
Robson reveals all about his devious role...
"On the surface Teddy Roxton is a very good, caring, loving individual who you think has nothing but positive things to say about life, people and relationships - but everything isn’t quite as it seems and underneath there is an undercurrent of something deeply uncomfortable.
"As individuals we all have a side to us where we will do anything for certain emotions we are experiencing, and one of them is love - and love can send you in very strange directions. It can make you feel euphoric one moment and absolutely traumatised the next, it plays with your mind and your heart and to be reckless with people's hearts is one of the most harmful things to do in life - yet we all have it in us, including Teddy."
While his character is deceitful, Robson explains why he believes audiences may empathise with Teddy.
"The way Teddy behaves affects every single relationship in this story on a massive level, which is amazing to play. He is a pathological liar but his actions are routed in truth and circumstance and everything Teddy does in this series stems from an absolute devotion to love. What he does is so devious, but you understand why he does it, and there will be moments when you really care for him and even feel sorry for him because we have all experienced similar emotions. I hope the audience will squirm watching Teddy because so many people will identify with these situations.
INTERVIEW : James Murray on Wes
James tells us about his role, Wesley Finch, and what is in store for him in the series:
"Bel is the heart of the piece, she is strong, but she is also weak. Bel represents lots of women who have given up careers to look after children or families, and then due to circumstances she is forced to re-evaluate everything, including herself. It feels very apt for me, at my age, to be playing this part."
Polly reveals a little about the tumultuous journey Bel goes on throughout this series:
"After taking her teenage children off to university, Bel begins a brand new life without being at the beck and call of everybody else. Initially, she feels a little lost but she is soon roped into helping out at her family beauty salon. As the most business-savvy member of her family, Bel was about to launch her own beauty product range but she gave it all up to raise her children, which she was happy to do. However, feeling her role of older sister strongly, Bel has a fervent sense of loyalty so she agrees to return to help out, temporarily.
"It is all fine until something happens that completely rocks Bel’s world. It is a momentous event in her life, to find out that the man she has loved and sacrificed things for has betrayed her. Up until this moment Bel and her husband, Wesley shared a good relationship. As far as she was concerned, she felt happy and they had settled into a routine after 20 years of being together. She trusted him with her life but she doesn’t recognise him anymore. So she rethinks everything."
Wesley Finch joué par James Murray
48 ans. Marié à Bel.
Il a sa propre entreprise de menuiserie et est le père de Lexie et de Tyler. Plutôt beau gosse, Wesley est bien dans sa peau et heureux en ménage. Il voit toujours le meilleur chez les gens. Après 25 ans de mariage, que pourrait-il arriver ? Peut-être de rencontrer une jeune et jolie coach avec qui il a de nouveau 18 ans ?
INTERVIEW : Polly Walker on Bel
Polly Walker believes her role in Age Before Beauty is one that will strike a chord with women:
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"Bel is the heart of the piece, she is strong, but she is also weak. Bel represents lots of women who have given up careers to look after children or families, and then due to circumstances she is forced to re-evaluate everything, including herself. It feels very apt for me, at my age, to be playing this part."
Polly reveals a little about the tumultuous journey Bel goes on throughout this series:
"After taking her teenage children off to university, Bel begins a brand new life without being at the beck and call of everybody else. Initially, she feels a little lost but she is soon roped into helping out at her family beauty salon. As the most business-savvy member of her family, Bel was about to launch her own beauty product range but she gave it all up to raise her children, which she was happy to do. However, feeling her role of older sister strongly, Bel has a fervent sense of loyalty so she agrees to return to help out, temporarily.
"It is all fine until something happens that completely rocks Bel’s world. It is a momentous event in her life, to find out that the man she has loved and sacrificed things for has betrayed her. Up until this moment Bel and her husband, Wesley shared a good relationship. As far as she was concerned, she felt happy and they had settled into a routine after 20 years of being together. She trusted him with her life but she doesn’t recognise him anymore. So she rethinks everything."
Isabel Finch jouée par Polly Walker
47 ans. Mariée à Wesley depuis 25 ans. Mère des jumeaux de 18 ans, Lexie et Tyler. Gérante du salon.
Bel a ouvert son salon de beauté Mirrorbel dans les quartiers nord de Manchester quand elle avait une vingtaine d'annés. Elle a ensuite raccroché sa blouse d'esthéticienne à la naissance des jumeaux, il y a dix-huit ans. Maintenant que ses enfants partent à l'université, Bel ressent un vide dans sa vie et ne veut plus rester femme au foyer. Bel est une personne de confiance, fiable et compétente. Elle posséde toutes les qualités de chef d'entreprise et Teddy, popriétaire du salon, compte sur elle pour sauver l'affaire familiale au bord de la faillite. Bel est la seule femme pragmatique, raisonnable et sensible de la famille.