EXCLUSIVE: Former EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook has taken a cheeky swipe at fellow Sam Mitchell star Kim Medcalf and proposed an interesting future for the character
Danniella Westbrook, the actress who originally brought Sam Mitchell to life in EastEnders, has never been one to shy away from speaking her mind. In an exclusive interview with Daily Star in collaboration with casino.org, the soap star, 51, had some strong opinions about her iconic role and a subtle dig at the actress who later replaced her, Kim Medcalf, 51.
When asked who she thought played Sam Mitchell best, Danniella didn’t hesitate. “I didn’t really watch the other girl play Sam Mitchell,” she said with a laugh. “So, I’d have to say I’m the best.”
Her cheeky response is bound to stir debate among EastEnders fans, many of whom have long been divided over which actress embodies the feisty Mitchell sister more convincingly.
The star also revealed that she wouldn’t rule out a return to Albert Square but only under the right conditions. For Danniella, reprising Sam would require a major shake-up at the Queen Vic.
She explained: “I’d only go back if they gave Sam Mitchell the Queen Vic. If they put Sam behind the bar and made her the next Peggy, I’d go back. But if they didn’t, I’m not interested. The show needs some great matriarchs again, and they don’t have loads now, do they?”
Imagining her version of Sam at the helm of Walford’s most famous pub, she said: “If Sam was running the Vic, she’d be a lot like Peggy, I think. But I think she’d have poker nights and all sorts going on.”
The actress also reflected on the stark differences between her portrayal and Medcalf’s. “I think if she came back, she’d have to come back a bit differently, because the other girl who plays her does it so differently.”
She added: “The way I play Sam and the way she plays Sam, it’s like two completely different characters.”
According to the former BBC actress, the differences extend to the scripts also. Danniella claimed: “Even the writing changes. What they write for her and what they write for me are like two different personalities. Kim plays her a lot posher, not as East End, not as flirty, she’s more middle-class in her version.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
