Hollyoaks star Annie Wallace on trans storyline: ‘Sally is terrified when her secret is discovered’

From Digitalspy – 1 December 2015

“We’re helping to change hearts and minds from people’s living rooms,” says the show’s newcomer.

​She was once the secret advisor who helped to inspire the on-screen journey of Coronation Street‘s Hayley Cropper. But now Hollyoaks newcomer Annie Wallace is taking centre stage with a gripping soap storyline of her own.

The 50-year-old actress is playing Hollyoaks High’s strict headteacher Sally St Claire, who’s left fearful this week when her colleague John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) discovers her trans status. Sally is the first ever trans character on Hollyoaks to be played by a trans cast member.

 Digital Spy caught up with Annie this week for an in-depth chat about Sally’s future, her own real-life experiences and diversity in the soap world.

Why do you think 2015 has been the year that our soaps have finally brought in trans cast members?

“I think it’s largely just down to the willingness of casting directors and dramas themselves to go the extra mile. The problem is that trans actors aren’t immediately obvious if you’re browsing an edition of Spotlight, the actor’s directory. It’s not something you can tick a box for.

“What Hollyoaks did was hold casting workshops and they found an acting pool of trans people that they could work with. That was a year ago now and I believe that EastEnders did the same thing.

“I don’t think that would have happened if the public’s attitude towards trans people hadn’t shifted quite dramatically. Trans people are definitely getting more respect and understanding – the reactions are changing from fear and dislike to curiosity and support.”

Do you think there have been other influences on our soaps too?

“Obviously there have been dramas in the States with trans cast members likeOrange Is The New Black and Transparent. There’s also been quite a bit happening in the past 12 to 18 months here in the UK. Myself and Riley Carter Millington, who’s been cast in EastEnders as Kyle, are the latest.

“There are 4 trans actors in the UK who have a higher profile this year, but I’d expect it to be doubled or even tripled next year. As the trans acting pool increases, it makes it easier for casting directors.”

Do you think Caitlyn Jenner has helped to change perceptions too?

“I’m less inclined to quote Caitlyn Jenner on it. Most people in this country didn’t know Caitlyn in her former existence as an Olympic athlete – she was more known to the American public than the British. People who watch the Kardashian programmes will have known of her, but I think she’s had a much bigger impact in America than in Britain.

“Caitlyn can afford to spend a lot of money on herself, she’s very beautiful and she’s also American, so she’s had a very different experience. Someone like Sally St Claire is a working class Scottish woman who’s not had much glamour in her life. I think what’s important is that Sally is just doing ordinary things, rather than being glamorous and collecting awards.”

What do you hope to achieve with Sally’s storyline?

“Ideally just to show that Sally is a headmistress who’s doing the best she can, she’s very fair and doesn’t tolerate people messing her around. She goes to work and she goes home, so it’s the normality of it. I think that’s much more important.

“In the past, Hayley Cropper did that in Coronation Street. She eventually just became Hayley, and the trans element became less of a thing that was worth talking about. That’s what I’d like Sally to become. It’s a matter of normalising people and it’s a very important step forward when that’s seen in a show like Hollyoaks. We’re helping to change hearts and minds from people’s living rooms.”

Have you ever faced any prejudice yourself from casting directors or producers?

“Not really, because I only came out as a trans person this year. I transitioned 26 years ago, but the old-fashioned word is ‘stealth’, which is when you’re lucky enough to pass and you just get on with your life.

“Yes there have been people who have looked at me and gone, ‘Is that a trans person?’ or ‘Is that a man or a woman?’ But most people have just accepted me on face value for who I am. I personally have experienced very little prejudice, because they’ve not known I’m trans.

“I came out this year because I hit my 50th birthday in May. I spoke to all of my friends and said, ‘Some of you might know, some of you might have guessed, but I want to lay my cards on the line and say this is who I am’. They were all wonderful and the Hollyoaks audition came through a couple of months later. There was a wonderful karma to it all.”

Has Hollyoaks been an inclusive place to work?

“Completely and totally. It’s a very LGBT-friendly environment. In fact, it’s not even that it’s LGBT-friendly – it’s just not an issue for anyone! My trans status has been referred to a few times, but it’s not really important – it’s just about making friends and doing good work. Hollyoaks has got the largest proportion of LGBT characters out of all the soaps and they pursue that with absolute honesty and fairness.”

Would you say there’s a lot more to explore with Sally?

“Yes, I think so. She’s come into the school and she’s determined to lay her policy out. She has a real problem with bullies and sneaky people, so that’s where it comes from. Sally is not vindictive or punishing people for no good reason, and she does have a softer side. Maybe her strictness is a bit of a front and hopefully that will play out in time.”

John Paul is the first character to discover Sally’s trans status this week. How does Sally react?

“Sally had quite a hard time in her previous school. That can happen in the real world, as not every school treats trans people the same. It’s just a silly accident that leads to John Paul finding out, but it’s the last thing Sally wanted to happen so soon after joining. She’s terrified really, because she fears that what happened in her old school might happen all over again.”

How does John Paul deal with the situation?

“He’s very surprised as you would expect, but he’s also very supportive and he wants Sally to fit in. There will be a few little bumps along the way, but I would say generally it’s going to be quite a positive thing for Sally at the moment. I really enjoyed filming the scenes with James Sutton – he’s a lovely person as well as a great actor. He’s very supportive and he’s given me lots of good advice, so he’s been a real rock.”

We’ve heard that more characters will find out next year. How will Sally deal with that?

“It’s the very last thing she wants, but by the time it happens, Sally has been there at the school for quite a few months. She’s put down roots, she’s earned respect and she’s enjoying her time there, so I wouldn’t expect her to just run away crying. On the other hand she’s got a very soft soul, so it will be an extremely dramatic time, that’s for sure.”

You were previously an advisor for Corrie on Hayley Cropper’s storyline, weren’t you?

“I was, but for many years I kept very, very quiet and I was just the ‘secret advisor’ who was occasionally quoted! I didn’t really do it for fame or anything like that – I did it because I thought I was doing something worthwhile and I loved the character of Hayley.

“When Hayley first came on telly in 1998, she reminded me so much of myself maybe eight or nine years previously – when I was really nervous, mousy and kept my head down. Subsequently I was invited to go and speak to the researchers and it all happened from there.”

How long did that process go on for? 

“It was pretty full-on for 18 months and it tailed off after that. Eventually my input became less important to Hayley’s actual journey as a character, but I went to Hayley and Roy’s weddings and I had a few little cameos.

“I’m extremely proud of the Corrie writers for tackling it at a time when trans people were still very much the unknown quantity. I’m also really proud of Julie Hesmondhalgh for portraying Hayley so impeccably.”

Did you enjoy your first chance to meet EastEnders newcomer Riley when you both attended the Rainbow List party recently?

“Absolutely. He’s a good Northern lad from Manchester and a very nice person, so we hit it off quite well. Next year there’s going to be something amazing, which is two major British soap operas having a trans character. They’re going to have different stories to tell because of their age and circumstance, but the fact that there are going to be two trans characters in drama is unbelievable. It’d never have been thought of a year ago.

“I really think it’s a fabulous opportunity that’s been taken up by [Hollyoaks producer] Bryan Kirkwood and [EastEnders producer] Dominic Treadwell-Collins. I can’t wait to see how it’s all going to pan out.”