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British Soap Stars Question

Kyliefan001Kyliefan001 Posts: 200
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in Showbiz #1
Unlike their US and Aussie counterparts British soap stars rarely have international success. Any opinions why?

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    grumpyscotgrumpyscot Posts: 11,354
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    #2
    I reckon Davy Jones did OK - he was Ena Sharples' godson in Corrie and went on to join the Monkees!

    And Anna Friel hasn't done too badly either
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    Mint-OpinionMint-Opinion Posts: 16,490
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    #3
    Ioan Gruffud and Sir Ben Kingsley both started off with long stints on soaps.
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    donna255donna255 Posts: 10,177
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    #4
    I'll add Jude Law, started in a soap.
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    Sorcha_27Sorcha_27 Posts: 138,871
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    #5
    Kyliefan001 wrote: »
    Unlike their US and Aussie counterparts British soap stars rarely have international success. Any opinions why?

    People from Britain like Ricky whittle and rob kazinsky left their respective soaps before they were in danger of being typecast.

    Same with Michelle keegan.

    The problem with many British soap stars is they stay too long in the soap.

    Aussie soap stars usually do a 3 year stint before cracking the USA so it's not too long and they avoid being typecast.
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    cahcah Posts: 24,689
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    #6
    Sarah Lancashire and Katherine Kelly have done quite well since leaving Coro
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    Rubbish NameRubbish Name Posts: 619
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    #7
    Michelle Ryan was Zoe in Eastenders and went on to be the Bionic Woman. Kiera Knightley and James McAvoy were both in The Bill. And wasn't either Elijah Wood or Orlando Bloom in Casualty?
    On the whole I don't think they've done too badly!
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    MrsceeMrscee Posts: 5,271
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    #8
    I seen Sean Macguire on US tv show Timeless (just last week) he was cast as Ian Flemming (yes that one)
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    tszujmetszujme Posts: 1,221
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    #9
    Being a guest star in one episode is very different from being "a soap star." There is a lot of prejudice against soap stars in the UK industry.
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    pfgpowellpfgpowell Posts: 5,347
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    #10
    Kyliefan001 wrote: »
    Unlike their US and Aussie counterparts British soap stars rarely have international success. Any opinions why?

    How do you know? The only way to check is to list every soap actor the world over and then follow their career. I mean how many US soap stars do you know? And the other point is that the US is a totally different market, with massives of TV stations, often with local soaps, and an actor can make a very good living but still only be known and recognised locally. I mean Britain can probably fit into just California many times over.
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    viva.espanaviva.espana Posts: 8,500
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    #11
    Kyliefan001 wrote: »
    Unlike their US and Aussie counterparts British soap stars rarely have international success. Any opinions why?

    ^ Who are your success-story examples?
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    dodradedodrade Posts: 23,859
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    #12
    The Australian TV industry is smaller than the UK so virtually every Australian Actor of note will have spent some time on a soap in their career whereas British actors have more drama alternatives.
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    dave2702dave2702 Posts: 2,394
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    #13
    viva.espana wrote: »
    ^ Who are your success-story examples?

    I guess the big one is Chris Hemsworth who went from "Home and Away" to become "Thor", to a lesser extent Jesse Spencer went from "Neighbours" to "House" and "Chicago Fire:

    American Soap Stars it's easier because they work in the industry so they have agents and get to work with a lot of people who're on their way to bigger Hollywood Roles
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    munkyfellovermunkyfellover Posts: 2,108
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    #14
    dave2702 wrote: »
    I guess the big one is Chris Hemsworth who went from "Home and Away" to become "Thor", to a lesser extent Jesse Spencer went from "Neighbours" to "House" and "Chicago Fire:

    American Soap Stars it's easier because they work in the industry so they have agents and get to work with a lot of people who're on their way to bigger Hollywood Roles

    Kylie and Danni Minogue, Melissa George, Margo Robbie.
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    dave2702dave2702 Posts: 2,394
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    #15
    munkyfellover wrote: »
    Kylie and Danni Minogue, Melissa George, Margo Robbie.

    I had to search and find out who Danni Minogue is :blush:
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    Pippa2012Pippa2012 Posts: 610
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    #16
    Guy Pearse.
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    MandarkMandark Posts: 47,964
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    #17
    Pippa2012 wrote: »
    Guy Pearse.
    Yeah, Guy Pearce is surely the big Aussie soap star Hollywood success story. I still find it odd to see him in so many movies and he's seen as a leading man as well which is impressive.
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    MandarkMandark Posts: 47,964
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    #18
    dave2702 wrote: »
    I had to search and find out who Danni Minogue is :blush:
    Shocking Dave considering she's one of that well known womaniser, Simon Cowell's conquests!!
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    LMLM Posts: 63,510
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    #19
    tszujme wrote: »
    Being a guest star in one episode is very different from being "a soap star." There is a lot of prejudice against soap stars in the UK industry.

    There is a lot of prejudice in the US as well
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    Sorcha_27Sorcha_27 Posts: 138,871
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    #20
    viva.espana wrote: »
    ^ Who are your success-story examples?

    Margot Robbie, the Hemsworths, heath ledger, Guy Pearce to name but a few
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    sheila bligesheila blige Posts: 8,012
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    #21
    cah wrote: »
    Sarah Lancashire and Katherine Kelly have done quite well since leaving Coro
    Add Joanna Froggatt to that as well.

    And Rob James Collier.
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    dee123dee123 Posts: 46,274
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    #22
    Kyliefan001 wrote: »
    Unlike their US and Aussie counterparts British soap stars rarely have international success. Any opinions why?

    I'm going to be controversial and say that the US and Aussie soaps are better training grounds than the UK ones. It's also probably because out of the three countries we treat the status of soap operas the best and that makes people wanna stay longer.
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    dee123dee123 Posts: 46,274
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    #23
    pfgpowell wrote: »
    How do you know?

    Facts don't lie.

    US stars who got their start in soaps:

    Julianne Moore
    Meg Ryan
    John Stamos
    Ray Liotta
    Ryan Phillippe
    Marisa Tomei
    Demi Moore
    Parker Posey
    Kevin Bacon
    Brad Pitt
    Ricky Martin
    Sarah Michelle Gellar
    Josh Duhamel
    Michelle Trachtenberg

    Aussie stars who got their start on soaps:

    Isla Fisher
    Russell Crowe
    Heath Ledger
    Guy Pearce
    Kylie Minogue
    Naomi Watts
    Ryan Kwanten
    Melissa George
    Julian McMahon
    Chris Hemsworth
    Liam Hemsworth
    Margot Robbie
    Alan Dale
    Natalie Imbruglia
    Jesse Spencer

    The UK just doesn't have lists like that.
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    nats18nats18 Posts: 8,221
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    #24
    As someone said before I think it's due to the amount of time people stay in the soaps. In h&a for example apart from a few, the longest anyone stays in it is 3-4 years so they are still really young when they are done and can go into hollywood. In britain though we have a lot long-term soapstars who after they leave are too old.
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