Character: Violet Davies
Actor: Christina Cole
Episode: Among the Few

Christina Cole enjoyed being transformed into a 1940s glamour girl - with the help of some teabags.

"Violet is very girly and has a sort of Marilyn Monroe look. It took hours to get the look - I had about four sets of rollers in my hair and very red lips. In one of my scenes I have a pair of paint-on tights and we really did use tea stain and eyeliner up the back of my legs!

"It was great to do all that to get into the character. I loved dressing up in the costumes and being surrounded by that era. Girls in the 40s used every scrap of what they had left. It was hard for them, but they wanted to look good. The blonde is me, but my own look is a lot more laid back and casual."

Violet is friends with Connie (Lisa Kay) and is dating Andrew Foyle (Julian Ovenden).

"She is bubbly and innocent and fun-loving. She's a very good friend to Connie but she can be a bit of a madam when she doesn't get her own way with Andrew. She likes to be treated like a lady and loves going out with a pilot. She's got a job as a filing clerk and has her own money - so she's having a ball."

Christina enjoyed working with Michael Kitchen - and going dancing for her role.

"We were taught to foxtrot but it didn't come naturally to me. I really enjoyed it in the end, though, and feel proud that I can foxtrot now.

"I had a scene with Michael when he interrogates me. He doesn't know his son is dating Violet and she speaks before she thinks and digs herself into a huge hole. Michael gave me lots of tips on the language and he was fantastic to work with."

Christina left drama school in 2002 but has already made an impression.

"My first job was What A Girl Wants, a feature film with Colin Firth. I play Clarissa, a snobby, upper class cow, not much different from Violet really. I also play Sarah, the girlfriend to Jasper Carrott's son in All About Me, and I played Juliet at the Welsh National Theatre for Terry Hands. It's great to be getting lots of experience quite quickly."

Christina's other TV roles include The Project and He Knew He Was Right.

October 2003; Publicity Release