EastEnders’ Tracy-Ann Oberman on returning as Chrissie Watts and the first face to face reunion with Sharon Watts

After greater than 19 years aside, Sharon comes nose to nose with Chrissie Watts, the girl who killer her beloved father, in jail. With Sharon now harbouring a murderous secret that has uncanny parallels to that of her step-mothers crime, solely time will inform if their reunion will provide area for forgiveness, or whether or not will probably be purses at daybreak…

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Interview with Tracy-Ann Oberman (Chrissie Watts)

Tonight, Chrissie’s return storyline was lastly revealed. How did you react when Chris Clenshaw first advised you in regards to the storyline?

“I did say to Chris earlier than we even mentioned Chrissie coming again, ‘what’s the storyline?’ and he rang me, and I bear in mind sitting down on a bench outdoors a espresso store as a result of it was such storyline. It was enjoyable, and I simply stored pondering it’s like Orange is the New Black. It’s sensible.”

What did you suppose if you learn the script?

“After I learn the script, I simply stored pondering that is like Orange is the New Black meets Prisoner Cell Block H, meets Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. It was simply nice. I’ve had so a few years of individuals asking me what occurred in Chrissie’s court docket case, and if she would ever come again as a result of individuals liked that character. I generally would surprise what Chrissie was as much as so it’s actually beautiful to have the ability to come again and revisit that girl. I’ve to thank Tony Jordan and Sarah Phelps for creating that character and writing for her so nicely.”

What influence has jail had on Chrissie?

“I feel she went to jail longer than most actual murderers! And I’ve all the time stated if she had a greater lawyer, she would have gotten off for mitigating circumstances. I feel it’s made her more durable. I feel it’s made her very singular in her personal survival and I feel it’s given her a very long time to consider that relationship with Den, and what he drove her to. I don’t suppose she’s softened, if something I feel she’s gotten more durable as a result of she’s needed to survive. She’s clearly had a very robust time in jail and let’s not neglect that she put Sam Mitchell behind bars, and the Mitchell’s have gotten lengthy arms that attain into all types of areas.

I stored having to try to work out why Chrissie had been in jail over the past 19 years as a result of as I say, it’s longer than most murderers, so clearly stuff has gone on in jail that has stored her there! She’s not the youngest of the prisoners, and she or he’s not the bodily hardest of the prisoners however she’s undoubtedly received one thing about her. She’s received charisma and attraction, and the important thing factor for Chrissie is that she’s received very highly effective abilities of persuasion so she has risen to the highest.”

Does Chrissie harbour any guilt for killing Den? And do you suppose she sees herself as a sufferer or a villain?

“I feel she’s had time to grasp what a horrible, poisonous man Den Watts was. She additionally understands that relationship rather a lot higher, and the way he was the type of man that might get beneath your pores and skin as a girl, and the way he may push you to the sting. He was an arch manipulator, a liar and a coercive controller, and twenty years on, the truth and understanding of that relationship has actually sunk in.”

Chrissie and Sharon are about to return face-to-face with one another in jail. What are you able to tease about that first reunion?

“It’s the assembly of two sturdy Watts ladies, however 19 years have elapsed. Is Chrissie happy to see an outdated pleasant face? Or has she used the final 20 years to fester on what Sharon did to her which was not letting her escape with Jake, the love of her life.”

What was it prefer to work with Letitia Dean once more?

“Oh my god, Tish [Letitia Dean] is a pleasure. We have been very shut twenty years in the past, and life takes you down completely different paths so we hadn’t actually run into one another. We each checked out one another after a few scenes and went ‘wow, that is actually good’. We work extraordinarily nicely collectively. We each work actually exhausting, however we snicker rather a lot, and she or he is an absolute pleasure; I simply love her.”

What was it like on that first day of filming?

“Appearing in a scene is like enjoying tennis, and having companion means you get a very good volley. After we each met up, there was an acknowledgement of how a lot we get pleasure from one another’s firm, and the way good it was going to be to performing in these two-hander scenes.”

Was it enjoyable enjoying out these scenes collectively?

“A lot enjoyable. I’ve spent the final yr in Shakespeare land enjoying a really intense character in Shylock towards a really harsh setting of 1936 fascism, so to return straight out of that and to go in enjoying Chrissie with Sharon in jail was the most important pleasure. I don’t suppose I ended laughing from the minute I arrived on the primary day, till the day I left. She’s a superb girl, and I really like her dearly.”

With out telling us an excessive amount of, are you able to tease among the drama that’s forward on your character?

“It’s an actual rollercoaster of a trip as Sharon and Chrissie come nose to nose once more. They have been as soon as extraordinarily shut however Chrissie murdered her father and lied to her about it, however equally they did belief one another, they usually each understood one another very nicely. I feel all of the feelings can be current – love, jealousy, hatred, ardour, pleasure and revenge. Will there be a decision? That’s the large query over the week and can they each come out of it alive and can they each come out of it with some closure? Who is aware of…”