Adam Woodyatt's daughter calls Gillian Taylforth "nana."
Adam Woodyatt
The 62-year-old actress has developed a strong bond with Adam over the years because she's played his on-screen other Kathy Beale in 'EastEnders' on and off since 1985 but, although they're not really related, his 23-year-old daughter Jessica, whom he has with his wife Beverley Sharp, is really fond of his mature co-star.
Speaking to Inside Soap magazine, Gillian said: "I absolutely love the bones of Adam, I adore him. He's always bee there and always supported me.
"Even when I wasn't in 'EastEnders', we'd keep in touch. I knew he was rooting for me to come back, he kept coming up with different storylines.
"And he's always called me mum - and I've always called him son or Sonny Jim. His daughter calls me nana! Adam is a lovely person, and a wonderful actor."
Gillian was convinced she had no future on the soap when she was told her alter ego had been killed in a car crash a few years after she left for South Africa in 1998, but she was pleasantly surprised when bosses asked her to reprise her role in 2015.
She explained: "Kathy was dead, so I'd always thought that was it. Dominic [Treadwell-Collins, 'EastEnders' boss at the time] wanted me to come in for a meeting, so I thought that it was for something to do with EastEnders' 30th anniversary - jumping out of a cake, maybe! When they told me, I couldn't believe it. I got very emotional - then I went home and celebrated. The worst thing was not being able to tell anyone."
And, although she'd been away from the show for 20 years, Gillian had no trouble settling back into the role because Kathy will always be running through her blood.
She told the publication: "I've played a character I love for so long. How the writers come up with these plots all the time, I'll just never know - but hat's off to them! 'EastEnders' will always be in my heart, and in my blood."
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