Ask Nicholas Bailey transcript
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| This event took place Tuesday 10th July 2001 |
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Nicholas Bailey
We talked exclusively to EastEnders' Nicholas Bailey AKA 'Dr Anthony Trueman'
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Question from Katie: How did you first get into acting and where do you see yourself in 20 yrs time?
Nicholas Bailey: That's a good question. I have to cast my mind back ... I started acting at primary school. I started to get involved in nativity plays and things like that. I was quite boisterous as a child so my Mum took me to the Old Rep theatre school in Birmingham on Saturdays with 20 other kids between 8 13 years old. I liked the feel of that which I did for the next 5 years or so. I continued when I moved schools, which was big on Shakespeare and stuff so I managed to learn about the classics and we did a big production once a year. It was a great plus point. It has to begin with enjoyment. I finished school and A Levels and I joined the National Youth Theatre and took it from there.
Question from Jennie M: Who is your best friend on set?
Nicholas Bailey: think of it as a team atmosphere at work, and I'm not just saying that. Everybody gets on very well. Gary Beadle who plays my brother Paul and other people like Jack, Natalie, Wendy Richard but it is very much of a team atmosphere.
Question from Anna: What did it feel like to have a major storyline as soon as you joined EastEnders?
Nicholas Bailey: Great in a word! I was really quite blown away by it. You can imagine not doing any acting for months and getting a call from my agent saying I've got a part in Eastenders and then being on set filming a few weeks later was great and then being thrown into a big storyline straightaway. To balance storylines is a huge job for the writers to make sure everything is filmed, and we all seem to take it in turns really. There are times when it cools down.
Question from Sarah: How are you coping with all the attention that being in EastEnders entails?
Nicholas Bailey: With blind panic I think! It's surreal. People talk a lot about fame and I didn't really know what it meant. Being in such a huge show is difficult to put into words really.The reaction from people in the street changes daily. People come over and ask for your autographs and point at you in the street. It is part of the job though, if you sign for a major drama series. That is going to raise your profile. It took a bit of time to get used to.
Question from Andrea Nohr: Is it hard playing a doctor convincingly - how do you get the medical background you need?
Nicholas Bailey: None whatsoever. I tell a lie, I was in Casualty once but I played a policeman! Apart from watching the occasional episode of ER, no. I was terrible at science at school. Occasionally they do get people in to show us the correct procedures, such as when Phil was shot. I had to be taught to do some procedures properly, like eye examinations. We didn't want doctors phoning up and saying we were portraying it wrong.
Question from Christina Tran: What do you prefer - doing films like King Lear,which you were very good in or EastEnders?
Nicholas Bailey: I don't think it's really a preference. You get into the business of acting because you enjoy acting. I love Shakespeare, I have a lot of experience in this, but I enjoy films just as much. I played a street thug in ID. Just being an actor is enough.
Question from Sophie K: Are you anything like Doctor Trueman in real life?
Nicholas Bailey: Those who know me probably say yes. Whenever you play a character, there is something of you in it as you're interpreting the character. The beauty of playing a character is that you can really flesh out the character and get to know it properly, which was a new challenge for me.
Question from Cookie: What is your most memorable moment of working on EastEnders so far?
Nicholas Bailey: Probably the bedroom scene with Kat and the scenes around that. All highly embarrassing. I didn't know Jessie that well at that stage and filming a love affair with someone can be embarrassing at times. All the scenes are hilarious but I like the one where I try to leave the Slater house and Charlie catches me.
Question from Amy Smith: What did you get for your Birthday?
Nicholas Bailey: A couple of people sent me birthday cards which was a surprise. I got loads of stuff. I got a Miles Davis CD, an all-in-one tool kit, a corkscrew set, an Oscar Wilde complete works and 9 bottles of champagne!
Question from Natalie Shaw: What has been his favourite Eastenders storyline of all time?
Nicholas Bailey: I think it's probably got to be the storyline with Den and Angie where Angie pretended to be dying. I think they were great. I loved all the things they did together but especially that scene.
Question from Robert Keeley: Have you ever had a crush on one of the actresses in EastEnders?
Nicholas Bailey: I'm far too discreet to tell you that! Letitia Dean is great, but we've definitely got some lovely girls in it at the moment.
Question from Ian G: Do you feel pleased to be representing a positive, but with human faults, black character on TV?
Nicholas Bailey: Yes. When I first started out in drama there weren't many positive images on television and it's important for people to see the whole black experience in the UK now.
Nicholas Bailey To be able to play a black doctor and that the character's blackness isn't negative is really liberating. It was a departure from a lot of other black characters on television which was great.
Question from Sam Austin: How do you feel about going to the doctors in real life?
Nicholas Bailey: I don't mind surgeries actually. The only time I've had a serious complaint was when I was 2 years old so I haven't really had too many run-ins with the doctors. My family doctor in Birmingham was your typical kindly old gentleman and he have me sweets and he would get his receptionist to read me stories and things so I haven't really had any sleepless nights.
Question from Richard Fyfe: Which part did you play in Coronation street?
Nicholas Bailey: I played Fiona's brother Lee Middleton. At that time I had hair. I still have hair but I shave it. That was about 3 years ago. I did about 12 episodes and had a great time. Eastenders is far better though!
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