Known to a young adult audience for her role as one of the Three Ks in the well-received TV drama Wolfblood, Rachel Teate spent many years playing Kara alongside Bobby Lockwood and Aimee Kelly, who played the lead characters. Rachel could recently be seen in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and has finished filming a short production Metroland, which is due to be shown later this year. We spoke to Rachel about portraying the role of Elise in Transition, her time on Wolfblood and new short comedy drama Metroland.
You will be appearing in short drama Metroland, can you say what it’s about?
It’s about a brother and sister whose mum has died and they decide to go on one final adventure with her. I am so proud to have been involved with it, it is a brilliant short film.
Where will it be released?
Metroland is due for festival release and we have just found out that it has been selected to screen at the BAFTA and Oscar recognised Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival in August, which is really exciting!
Can you tell us about Transition and your character Elise?
Transition is based on a true story; it’s about a woman called Sarah and what happens to her after her fiancé is killed in a car accident. She comes into contact with Elise who helps her to try and deal with her grief and her issues with her mum. Elise is a quirky character who is mischievous and fun. She likes to inspire people and give hope to those who might have lost it.
When and where was the film first shown?
It was first shown in February this year at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema in London.
What was the storyline for your character Charlotte Rutherford in Hollyoaks?
Charlotte was a social worker who was brought in after concerns about Ella, Mandy’s daughter, due to her fiancé Luke’s drinking habits. Hollyoaks was a completely different experience filming-wise; I was amazed by how quickly soap moves, I would love to do more of it.
You played Kara in hit CBBC series Wolfblood, what was your experience like on the show?
Wolfblood was incredible; I was so lucky to be part of the show for four years. I learnt so much being on set and can really see the journey I made acting-wise from the first episodes we filmed to how I act now.
Can you describe your character Kara in five words?
Smart, witty, bitchy, fun, amazing.
How was it being part of the Three Ks?
Being part of the Three Ks Girl Gang was so much fun, we had some amazing costumes and brilliant storylines. Kara was sharp, smart and I loved that she didn’t take herself too seriously, plus Shorelle (Hepkin) and Gabby (Green) were awesome to work with and we just spent the whole time laughing!
Is it strange playing a teenager?
I was twenty-four when I was cast as a fourteen year old in Wolfblood and the oldest of the ‘school’ cast! I had always played younger than my age so I was used to it. The hair and make up team cut me a fringe to make me look younger on screen too!
What was the social media response like whilst on the show?
Social media went crazy for Wolfblood and it seemed like it had an audience that was wider than just the usual audience for a CBBC show. The amount of fan mail we all got was amazing too, some beautiful drawings and letters, which I’ve still kept.
Do you still meet up with any of the other cast members?
We are all still in touch with each other, I keep in touch with Shorelle the most, saw Leona (Vaughan) and Niek (Versteeg) at an event a few weeks ago, and I randomly bumped into Mark (Fleischmann) who played Mr Jeffries in London at the beginning of the year!
You filmed for an episode of The Dumping Ground, how much did you enjoy this role?
The Dumping Ground is a brilliant show and they used some of the same crew and locations as we had on Wolfblood so I felt very at home during filming. We were on location at a beautiful stately home during filming and we had rehearsals for the dance we had to do so I knew the rest of the cast really well by the time we got on set.
Where was it filmed and how long were you on set?
It was filmed in Morpeth and I think the filming took two or three days for the scenes I was in.
Was Persona your first acting role, who did you play and what can you remember from your time on set?
Persona wasn’t my first acting role, I had previously done a lot of theatre work, but it was my first time on a set with a main role, I played a character called Emma who was caught in a love triangle with two best friends. I remember loving being on set and thinking that I wanted to do more of this.
Is there anything you can tell us about the productions you will be appearing in – The Middle Man and As The Sun Rises?
Can’t really talk about either – sorry.
How did your acting career come about?
From a young age I wanted to act. I went to a fabulous primary school where we always did drama, we even entered drama festivals and I was always performing on weekends and after school. I never wanted to do anything else, I went to university to get a degree in Performing Arts but spent all of my spare time doing work as an extra on local shoots and I was in pretty much every student film going! I was lucky that I worked hard when I graduated to get an agent and I got lots of auditions and work.
What are your plans for the rest of the year?
Who knows what might happen for the rest of the year! That’s the excitement of being an actor, I could get a life changing phone call tomorrow! Until then, I will be concentrating on auditioning. I also work as a voiceover artist so have plenty of work lined up to keep me busy.
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