ACTING can be a strange job.
Take Esther Hall, about to star in BBC1’s Manchester filmed and set True Dare Kiss.
Her CV includes a string of top roles in productions like Waking The Dead, Spooks, Queer As Folk and Sons And Lovers.
But the Stockport-raised actress is now best known by the public as Kris Marshall’s partner in the BT TV ads.
I caught up with Esther earlier this year when she was still filming the part of Alice (above) in Debbie Horsfield’s new drama serial.
Sitting in a TV trailer in a city centre car park, she told me about her latest involvement in the popular small screen commercials.
“I had to go to South Africa for two days when I was filming this – to ride a bike. Can you believe that?

“The BT ads are one of those things that you do as an actor and you don’t think about it as a drama or a part.
“But now if I do get recognised, it’s from playing the BT girl, not from anything I’ve done in the past 10 years.
“Sometimes I think, ‘Oh God…OK.’ But then, of course, it’s going to be like that.
“It’s on the telly a lot of the time, people are watching and relate to it. And it’s a great gig. I’m very happy to have got it.
“There has been a lot of recognition from that and a lot of people are really into it.
“It’s like a modern soap opera – a modern family. They’re not married, they’re not his kids. I think people relate to it.”
Fans of Esther and industry insiders know just how versatile an actress she is.
If you only recognise her from the BT ads, take a look at Esther on screen over the next few weeks.

At the same time as being seen as childlike Alice, she is also appearing as Lyde (right) in the second and final BBC2 series of Rome.
“That was mad – very different to Alice.
“She was a barren, alcoholic, bitter, desperate woman who has gone from debauched harpy to slave to worshipping purity.
“It was fantastic to be in such an epic production.”
Rome, South Africa and a car park in Manchester?
As I said, acting can be a strange job.
*True Dare Kiss begins on BBC1 at 9pm next Thursday. You can read more in next week’s MEN.
*The second series of Rome began on BBC2 last night. You can see a repeat of that first episode on the same channel at 11.20pm tonight. The series then continues at 9pm on Sunday.
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