We see Lauren getting closer to Bobby this week, but we also know there's a mystery boyfriend lurking in the background. What’s going on in her head right now?
I think Lauren's very confused. There’s this so-called boyfriend that no one knows about, we kind of get the feeling that he's a lot older than Lauren, that he’s got more financial stability which is what Lauren needs in her life, but that’s all we know. I think her head is saying you're in the right place, you're getting given money towards your flat, he obviously cares about you. But then you've also got Bobby who brings a lot of excitement into Lauren's life. He understands Lauren and he's got that banter with her. Max and Lauren’s relationship started under false pretences, they were almost forced together when the group were indoctrinating Max, but with Bobby it happens completely natural. Bobby knows about Lauren's past and he looks beyond that. He comes from the same sort of background as Lauren and he accepts her for who she is where a lot of people haven't. Bobby looks at her for the positives rather than the negatives. Lauren has a massive guard up and I think she will for a long, long time. I hope Bobby is one of the people who can bring that guard down for Lauren but it's going to be a long road. I hope that in time she can settle down on the street and find some stability in a relationship or even a friendship with Bobby. However at the minute things seem very complicated and she’s being pulled in different directions.
Do you think she's torn between following her heart, which may be with Bobby, and her head, which is telling her that this older guy is a better option for her?
Lauren’s used to what she's used to, she was brought up around older men but always treated like a child and told what to do, what to say, how to think. Now she's on her own and she's becoming a woman but she hasn't got anybody to tell her right from wrong so she's making all these mistakes along the way. She now needs to make the right choice, but what is the right choice, if she goes with her heart then she's opening herself up to getting hurt again. But then if she follows her head is she being naive and potentially letting what’s happened in the past happen to her again. I do think she's stuck between a rock and a hard place and whatever she decides she’ll be taking a leap.
We see Bobby being really sweet, getting her the books, coming round with the flowers, but then he’s trumped when a delivery guy arrives with a much bigger bunch of flowers. Does Lauren feel bad for Bobby who’s trying so hard?
She does feel bad for him, he's stuck around, he’s seen her with her attitude and he doesn't care, if anything he tries harder. He perseveres and Lauren's never had someone like that before. Her guard has gone up, she’s been a bit feisty but Bobby has constantly persevered and I think this with the flowers is not just a kick in the teeth for Bobby but kind of a kick in the teeth for Lauren too as she doesn’t want to be in this situation. She wants it to be an easy decision but it's not because if she chooses her heart, then she loses the stability she's got with her other boyfriend. Bobby is such a likeable character whereas Lauren is always being labelled a troublemaker because of the mistakes she's made. She's not it's just she doesn't know anything different, she acts first and then she realises afterwards that she shouldn't have made those choices. But in the moment it's all she knows. I'm hoping that Bobby can balance Lauren out and maybe they can be a good pairing.
At the same time she’s dealing with money worries and getting final demands on her bills. We find out that she's been doing O-vidz, what do you think has driven her to that?
Her account got banned the first time because she was underage. She had that discussion with Ryan who tried to tell her that despite everything that happens online, you'll still feel worthless. Lauren has managed to convince herself she just needs the cash but I think at this point she does feel worthless, because she's in a situation that she doesn't want to be in. She just wants to be loved. No one has ever really loved her properly, she's not had stability in her life, hence why she makes friendships and then ruins them. Her mum's not in the picture, her dad's in prison, he's made some really bad choices and that's all Lauren’s had to go off. Lauren just wants to receive love back and she's never really got it. Her self worth is now so down the drain that she doesn't actually care anymore, the only way she can make quick money is by selling her body, by sending pictures, so she’s doing that. This is the lowest we've seen Lauren, because it gets to the point where she just doesn't care anymore. She doesn't care what happens, she just needs the money, so she’ll revert to doing something she's used to and sadly this is what she’s used to. From working on the character I can see that the love she needs is love for herself but she hasn't got that, which is exactly why she's doing what she's doing. She's putting her guard up because she doesn't want anybody to see the damaged side of her. She’s doing O-Vidz to pay the bills but it's not making her feel any better but she's got no other choice. If you've got that love for yourself, you know your worth, but there’s a massive lack of self worth with Lauren.
How does she feel when Max and Sabrina find out, is she bothered about what they think, or is she at the point where she doesn't care?
She knows that it's wrong, as much as she's saying it’s under control she's trying to convince herself that it is. Max takes it the hardest, he's seen Lauren at her worst and he's seen her at her best. There’s that vulnerability between them, there's always going to be that trauma bond. I think he's just seeing this really broken girl in front of him that he can't do anything for. It's hard for Max because he's with Sabrina now so there’s a line he can't cross anymore despite how close they are. Lauren can see that pain in Max but I think she almost chooses not to see it, to convince herself that it's okay, she's fine and he'll get over it. Deep down I think a lot of people, if they knew the extent Lauren was going to to survive, would help her but she thinks that no one cares and because of this barrier she has up she won’t let anyone see how much she’s struggling. In reality, I think if she did let that guard down and speak to someone it would make things so much better.
Do you think we could get to a point where rather than ask for help, Lauren will start thinking about just cutting her losses and moving on?
I think deep down that's what Lauren wants. She’s been through that much heartache and that much trauma on the street, that there's not really anything to make her stay. She's got no family on the street, she hasn't got any stability, there’s her friendship with Max but they're never going to be back where they were. And I think for Lauren, that's still something that plays on her mind every day. Yes the cafe is great but it's not paying the bills and I do think that there's a part of Lauren that wishes she never came back. She's got money problems, she blackmailed Ryan and broke that friendship, she has to watch Max move on with Sabrina. But then again, she would never have met Bobby. I do think there's a part of her that's like what now? There's only so much that you can deal with at 18 on your own. I think moving away from Weatherfield and making a fresh start is something that she does think about a lot, whether she'll go through with it, I don't know.
How do you find playing Lauren, it must be quite tough at times looking into the life that she's leading?
I’ve got to the point now where there are triggers that just get me into the character. At first it was quite hard because I didn't really know her backstory and I was just here for a few months but now I've come back it's given me a massive opportunity to dive into who she is and why she is the way she is. I think with the more emotional scenes it's quite hard because you want to do it justice, there are young women out there that do feel like Lauren. Lauren's a very streetwise girl and I do relate to her, she's not come from a lot but she's very grateful for what she does have, even if she doesn't show it 99.9% of the time. I’m really enjoying working with different characters and exploring where those paths can go between them.
Do you enjoy playing her?
I love playing her, I think she's such a complex character to play and I think there's so much more to her than we know so far. I'm hoping that by interacting with other characters like Bobby and Daniel, that we’re going to see different sides to her because she's not just this stroppy teenager who spits her dummy out of the pram when things get tough. There's a reason why she is the way she is and I'm hoping that whatever happens, whenever my time's up here, that I've done a good job and been able to show people that Lauren is not just what you see is what you get, there's more to it than that.
Do you like her?
I really like her. At the start when I came in I wasn’t sure I liked her but the more I've learned about her and why she is the way she is the more I really care for her. You never know how she's going to react, I think you love to hate her. There are things that she’s done and will continue to do that I don't really agree with but they make her her and I don't want to be a character that everyone likes, I want to be a character that people are intrigued by. I want her to be loved but also hated at the same time. There’s so much more of a journey for this character to go on. So I love that people don't like her sometimes, because half the time I don't really like her, yet at the same time I've got all this feeling underneath that explains why she is the way she is. People on the outside don't really see that but I'm hoping that in time they’ll understand. I have had people approach me saying they don't like Lauren, and as much as you can be taken aback it’s also quite reassuring because it makes me feel like I'm doing a good job in portraying her. I want to be able to show the vulnerable side too because I do think deep down underneath that hard shell she's very vulnerable and she needs a support system. She just needs someone to hold her and give her a hug and say that everything's going to be okay, which is really sad.
3 comments:
I have already said that I believe she is a star in the making - let us hope for the long term.
I think her mystery fella is Joel, Dee Dee's chap.
Soooo, not Joel then?
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