EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy reveals real reason she was snubbed for Gavin and Stacey role
EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy recently revealed she auditioned for an iconic role of Gavin and Stacey, but unfortunately didn’t get the part.
The actress, 41, who is best known for playing the character Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap, admitted she auditioned for a role alongside James Corden, 46, more than 17 years ago.
The star had hoped to take on the role of Rudi, sister of James’ character Smithy, but was turned down in favor of 43-year-old Sheridan Smith.
She has since reminded James of her audition during a special episode of her and Joanna Page, 47’s, joint podcast. From the television.
During the podcast, Natalia and Joanna spoke to Gavin and Stacey stars Adrian Scarborough, 56, and Robert Wilfort, 47.
However, they were shocked when Natalie revealed her link to the iconic British sitcom.
EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy recently revealed she auditioned for an iconic role of Gavin and Stacey, but unfortunately didn’t get the part
The actress, 41, who is best known for playing the character Sonia Fowler in the BBC soap, admitted she auditioned for a role alongside 46-year-old James Corden more than 17 years ago (pictured LR James Corden, Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, Ruth Jones)
Natalie asked the couple, “Can I tell you a secret?” to which they agreed and she continued with, “It’s not about me, but I have a little connection with Gavin and Stacey.”
She then shockingly revealed: ‘I auditioned for the role of Smithy’s sister’ and both guests audibly gasped as Adrian said: ‘You could have been Rudi? Oh my god.’
Natalie confessed that she had previously told Joanna her secret, but had not “said it out loud” to anyone else.
She continued: “I went up Oxford Street to Baby Cow, read with James and unfortunately it didn’t go to plan. But yes.’
After the women said goodbye to Adrian and Robert, they were joined on the podcast by James and the show’s director, Christine Gernon.
After saying goodbye, Natalie quickly reminded James of her audition more than 17 years ago.
She told him: ‘I only told Adrian Scarborough earlier and Rob how I almost got to play Rudi. Do you remember that, James?’
James replied, “I know. You were there. You were the person we were thinking of. I remember talking to you about it on the phone. You would have been great.”
The star had hoped to take on the role of Rudi, sister of James’ character Smithy, but was turned down in favor of Sheridan Smith, 43 (pictured in the show)
She revealed on her and Joanna’s joint podcast Off The Telly: ‘I auditioned for the role of Smithy’s sister’, leaving Gavin and Stacey guests Adrian Scarborough, 56, and Robert Wilfort, 47, in shock
Natalie is vying for a future role with James and joked: “It’s fine. Next sitcom, yes?’
The critically acclaimed series follows the lives of main characters Gavin from Essex and Stacey from South Wales, documenting key points in their long-distance relationship and events that bring the two families together.
Gavin and Stacey first aired on BBC Three in 2007 and ran for twenty episodes over the course of three series.
In addition to James and Ruth, Mathew Horne, 46, and Joanna became household names.
The ‘last’ ever episode will air on Christmas Day this year in a 90-minute special, after fans of the show begged for an end to the story.
It comes after James and Ruth revealed that Gavin & Stacey fans will be treated to a lot more Smithy and Nessa in the final episode, musing that their characters’ ‘messy’ relationship is the beating heart of the BBC show.
Appears on the podcast Table manners Featuring Jessie and Lennie Ware, the actors and writing partners teased the Christmas special, saying fans will learn a lot more about Ruth’s character Nessa’s past and her future with Smithy.
“Nessa has had an incredibly eventful life and you’ll find out more about that in this special – some really fun pieces we’ve written,” James explained.
Gavin and Stacey first aired on BBC Three in 2007 and ran for twenty episodes over the course of three series. In addition to James and Ruth, Mathew Horne and Joanna became household names
Fans were stunned when the show’s previous festive special ended with Nessa declaring her love for Smithy and proposing to him, but his answer was not revealed
The ‘last’ ever episode will air in a 90-minute special on Christmas Day at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer after fans of the show begged for an end to the story
He mused that the reason fans have taken Smithy and Nessa to their hearts is because ‘ohOn television or in movies you rarely see people who look like Ruth and me falling in love.’
‘You just don’t do that. I’d hand the TV off to Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones and Ruth, like working on a newsstand when someone buys a newspaper.’
‘What I love about the show is that it’s so messy and complicated and they just have fantastic sex. I really enjoy that confidence.’
However, Ruth added that the writer’s partners weren’t sure how to pitch the unique relationship at first, explaining, “The first time they had sex was in the very first episode and I think because we didn’t quite knew what the show was. we were probably doing quite a sitcom about it.”
‘We were there, just the two of us, on that road that had meant so much to us and I, like Ruth, looked at my dear friend James and when I said, ‘I loved you with all my heart’, it was me say to you [James]’, Ruth recalled.
Despite the pair now promising that the upcoming special is actually the finale, there has been a wave of speculation among fans that there could be more to come.
However, James is adamant that this is it, and gives viewers an ominous warning, saying: ‘It cannot continue. When you see it, you know it.’
Gavin and Stacey: The Finale airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Christmas Day at 9pm.