*SPOILERS FOR SERIES 4 OF PHOENIX RISE BELOW*

Across all four series of Phoenix Rise, Lauren Corah plays Summer for her first major TV character, with the final series releasing last year and all episodes available on BBC iPlayer. Phoenix Rise follows the lives of six students – the boiler room six – and their bond they make, and Lauren worked alongside a cast including Alex Draper, Jayden Hanley, Krish Bassi, Tara Webb, Imogen Baker, and Eloise Pennycott (who joined in Series 2). Lauren has been in the cast of short films – Torr as Louise, Jackson as Amira, Please Care as Jas and Our Sister as Zoe, and she was part of Sam Ryder’s music video for Space Man. We found out from Lauren about filming as Summer for Phoenix Rise, what it was like being part of the cast over the four series and working on Sam Ryder’s music video for Space Man.

You play Summer – one of the leading roles in the BBC series Phoenix Rise, what was the character like to play and how did you prepare for the role?

Filming Phoenix Rise was the most incredible experience I’ve ever had, being able to say I’ve done four series of a BBC Three TV show is not something I ever thought I’d be able to say. Being able to become Summer also meant so much to me as I felt so close to her and so protective of her, since I understood her completely and went through similar stuff myself. I remember when prepping for the show, all us cast met up and worked on scenes, accents, ate a lot of food together, went bowling at one point, we did a lot of stuff! We learnt about PRUs and spoke to the writers about really making our characters a mix of our own and their vision. I even made a playlist for Summer and at the beginning of filming I’d listen to it in the background of learning my lines or on set.

Was there anything that originally drew you to Summer and do you remember how you felt finding out you’d booked your first major TV character?

I always said during filming that she was the perfect role for me. I shared so many similarities with Summer that I felt like I was just playing a younger version of myself. Initially, when I got the character description of her I thought YES, I need to get this role. Then I read the audition scripts and I again thought YES, I need to get this role. Then I auditioned and met the writers, producers, director and… I’m not gonna say it again, but I very much did want the role. I actually got booked on Phoenix Rise within a week. It was so quick. I found out I got the role in my sixth form café when my agent rang me, I screamed so loud. On the car journey back with my mum she asked if I had heard anything and I replied with a very sad face ‘nothing yet’. PRANKED! When I got home I set my camera up and told her, she was beyond thrilled. I felt so lucky and it felt so right to be playing Summer, I was overwhelmed with gratitude and couldn’t believe the creators believed in me.

Can you tell us about Phoenix Rise and how would you describe Summer?

Phoenix Rise is a BBC Three show that follows the lives of the boiler room six, six kids who have come from PRUs stepping back into mainstream school. Summer had to leave mainstream school due to her poor mental health. Phoenix Rise, for Summer, follows her return back to school, dealing with her anxiety/OCD, up and down relationship with her mum, her strong friendships and boys! More specifically, Billy Hopkins.

How did you find the experience on set of Phoenix Rise and what was it like working closely with your fellow leads?

A few older crew and cast would compare my experience to drama school. I was surrounded by a bunch of teenagers/young adults my age, learning as I went on, living alone and making friendships that will last a lifetime. Looking back, I had the most amazing experience filming. Looking forward, I’m so excited for the next time I get to see my friends I made on set. We all became so close, Jayden Hanley (Darcy), Krish Bassi (Khaled) and I all went on holiday together, Jessal Kullar-Bell (Cassidy) and I have quite literally done countless side quests together and Alex Draper (Billy) and I are currently backpacking around the other side of the world! My friendships on this show mean so much to me, I am so grateful I was able to experience this insane journey with everyone.

Have you had a favourite episode/storyline to film, and which have you found most challenging?

Season 1 storylines hold a very special place in my heart just because I remember being so wide-eyed and excited stepping into this experience, looking back on that season reminds me of the best times. I found it challenging when Summer wasn’t in a good headspace in the show during Series 1/2, most of my scenes were playing her very numb or teary-eyed, and some screaming. Ironically, I wasn’t in the best headspace myself. So trying to separate the two I found quite challenging. I realised how important it is to separate yourself from the character during filming, it can be quite difficult, especially when you care about your character so much and are playing them for so long, sometimes you can lose sight of who you are.

What are some of your favourite highlights from working on Phoenix Rise over the years and developing the character across all four series?

What a great question! Day-to-day stupid stuff on set is my highlight, like in between filming Jessal (Cassidy) teaching me how to drive or rushing to Maccies. Or Krish and Jayden (Khaled and Darcy) being Krish and Jayden. We got up to such funny stuff on set and after filming, never before filming though… that involved us all half asleep in the car on the way to work.

Thinking about Season 1 Summer compared to 4 makes me quite emotional, I really feel like I grew up with her.

Season 4 she feels unapologetically herself, she is so kind, after everything Cassidy put her through, she is still there for her. Her female relationships are so strong, with Rani and Daisy. Everything about Series 4 Summer is just mwah, chef’s kiss. Bar episodes nine and ten with Billy’s death, I won’t be counting those!

What do you feel you’ve learnt from having Summer as your first regular role on screen, and how was it seeing the viewers’ response to the final series released on BBC iPlayer last year?

Logistically, I have learnt so much about being on a set. I didn’t even know some of the jobs behind the scenes existed, it’s just little things like that I’m so grateful to have had my eyes opened.

Mentally, I have learnt I am a lot stronger than I thought. For me, living away from home at 17 is quite a strange thing, although most days on set were a dream, like every job some days aren’t the best. Being able to get myself out of that mentality taught me I’m very resilient.

Fans’ responses to Series 4 were mental. No one was expecting that ending, I even knew the ending, I was there, but when watching it I felt like I had no clue what was going to happen. Apart from the obvious shock of episodes nine and ten, viewers seemed to have really liked this season. I’m filled with gratitude that I am a part of this show, seeing Summer has helped so many people makes me feel so happy.

We understand you were part of Sam Ryder’s music video for Space Man, what was this like to film?

When I went onto this project I actually had no clue it was for the Eurovision music video! I wasn’t told the song, and I don’t think at the time we knew Sam Ryder was going to be that year’s performer. I found out when I was in my sixth form café and someone came up to me and asked if the girl in the video was me, to my own surprise it very much was me. I was on that shoot for only a day in London, there’s a close-up shot of me in that video and I’m singing to the lyrics. I had to sing in real life so it didn’t look like I was fake singing on screen. I was 16 years old and I had never sung in front of people, let alone on a music video set, I hadn’t been sent the lyrics before so I had to learn them on the takes, thankfully you cannot hear me! You can just hear Sam’s beautiful voice!

You have been in the cast of short films – Torr as Louise, Jackson as Amira, Please Care as Jas and Our Sister as Zoe, can you tell us about some of them?

I absolutely love doing short films! Throwing yourself into a character for such a short amount of time, but still with as much passion as say Phoenix Rise when you know you are living as that character for a year in total, is so fulfilling. Every short I’ve worked on has been such a positive experience, I have been so lucky every time to have worked with such great directors. Each film tells such a different yet captivating story, I am so proud to be a part of them all!

What are short films like to work on and how different do you find them to long-running series?

Before Phoenix Rise, I had filmed several short films. So to go from the longest shoot being a week, to filming Phoenix Rise in six months, and on top of that moving to Coventry at 17, it was crazy!

I would’ve assumed from an outsider’s perspective you wouldn’t be able to form close bonds with people from short films, or not equally as close as people you live with for six months while filming a TV show but that is just not the case. The director of Jackson, Emma Miranda Moore, is practically my second mother and I still see her, four years after filming!

Phoenix Rise, for me, felt like my whole life at the time. I had dropped out of sixth form and basically had moved away from home. So it kind of felt like my world went upside down or I was living someone else’s life, it was all very surreal. But because it was my whole life for six months, it was sort of like everyday life at sixth form. Some days were amazing, some not so much. Had all my friends around me, set times when I was filming, when I was eating, when I could go home. The sense of routine was very helpful and oh so very good for my brain!

Is there anything you enjoy most about being an actor and working in the industry?

I love how you just take on a story and feel the character through your body and just go for it. Like, it is playing dress up but to a totally new and extreme level. Being able to be someone else, from your head to your feet, make up your character’s niches and play pretend. That is just the dream.

I find it crazy too that you are basically one or two people away from everyone, I’ll see someone in a show I like and go on their following and there’ll be someone I know. I find that bizarre, such a small world and industry.

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

Since I was little, I always loved to perform. My mum always tells me, and any new people we meet, that I would go to a separate room with scissors and a pair of leggings and come out with a new outfit, in hindsight I don’t think the outfits would’ve been very good.

I have always known I wanted to do something creative, I thought for the longest time I wanted to be a professional street dancer, turned artist, turned designer, then this turned into actress. I’ve always looked up to Zendaya (anyone who knows me knows how much she has inspired me). Seeing her on TV made me not feel so alone and like I could do it too, her role in Shake It Up showed herself and her mixed race brother and their friend group, who were all white. The show also focused on her love for dance, which felt very similar to me growing up.

When I was 14, I did my first short film Our Sister. This film still means the world to me. It really showed me my dreams could come true, I had the most incredible experience filming it. After that film, my love for acting grew even stronger and I knew this had to be my career!

Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?

My favourite film for years has been The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and on our first table read for Phoenix Rise we found out it’s Summer’s favourite movie too. ‘We are infinite’ is a quote from the movie and is a huge part of Phoenix Rise as well. I knew this role was made for me when I found out this niche similarity between myself and Summer. Alex (who plays Billy) actually got me an infinity necklace as a gift for when we wrapped and I wear it every day!

How do you like to spend your free time?

2024 is basically the first year I’ve ever been on my own ‘terms’. I’ve been in school since I was tiny and went straight from school to filming Phoenix Rise, which I finished in January 2024, so I really spent the year trying to figure out what I want and I still don’t know! I’ve picked up old hobbies of sewing, painting and my boyfriend and I manage to go on a lot of fun side missions together. I’ve started this year in Asia, travelling. Just trying to take it day by day and not put too much pressure on the future, but knowing my love for acting is what I will continue to pursue.

What are you hoping this year brings for your career and do you have any acting projects coming up that you can share?

I’d love to play Catwoman, but if I can’t play that I would love to be a part of a project that tells a meaningful story. All my past projects have told such deep and different stories, I just want to carry that on and be back on set.

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