Paula Lane auditioned for 'Emmerdale' several times before landing a role.
Coronation Street icon Paula Lane is now starring in Emmerdale
The 37-year-old actress is best known for having played Kylie Platt in 'Coronation Street' from 2010 until 2016 and is now playing receptionist Ella Forster in fellow ITV1 soap opera but revealed that she actually wrote to bosses of the Yorkshire-based serial asking for a part when she was a student more than 20 years ago.
She told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "It feels like it was meant to be. When I was just starting out, my very first audition was for the part of Gennie Dingle, so it’s come full circle. I was still at drama school at the time – I hadn’t even finished my training – and I wrote a letter to them, including a picture. I said I was from Yorkshire, that I was training as an actor and that I loved the show and would love to work there.
"I auditioned to play Gennie and, unfortunately, I didn’t get the part, but then later I went up for a few more roles. I was up for Holly Barton – I was screen-tested for that and got down to the last four – and I then auditioned for another part as a lawyer."
After leaving drama school, Paula worked in a coffee shop before taking guest roles in 'Heartbeat' and 'The Royal' before getting her big break in 'Coronation Street' and insisted that she doesn't take her success for granted after her mother struggled to help her get where she is.
She said: "I never went to an acting class as a child and we couldn’t afford dance lessons – I had to do all that much later on. But it means I never take anything for granted. It cost £40 a time to audition for them and also the cost of travel to London. My Mum, bless her, put it all on her credit card, but sadly I didn’t get any of them."
During her time on 'Coronation Street', Paula's character Kylie sold her young son Max to half-sister Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) for £20,000, battled drug addiction, married David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd), and endured a fractious relationship with mother-in-law Gail Platt (Helen Worth) but was dramatically killed off when she was stabbed in broad daylight by teenager Clayton Hibbs (Callum Harrison).
Since leaving the Manchester-based soap, Paula has appeared in 'Father Brown' and 'Call the Midwife' and starred in the 2018 UK tour of the musical 'Kinky Boots', playing the female lead of factory worker Lauren.
She got her role in 'Emmerdale' after inviting producers to see her in a production of 'Quality Street' early last year.
She said: "It was so different to anything anybody has ever seen me do. I never left the stage and I went through every single emotion with the character, so it was a great showcase. Afterwards they got in touch to say they wanted to meet me for the part of Ella. I was extremely flattered. Now, when I’m there filming in the village, I think – ‘oh my gosh, this is just the right fit for me.’ Emmerdale has always been there and at this time in my life it feels very welcome. It’s exactly where I feel I should be right now."
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