EastEnders legend says ‘it p****s’ me off when people make one comment

Natalie Cassidy says one comment ‘p****s’ her off(Image: BBC/Firebird/Natalie Seery)

EastEnders legend Natalie Cassidy has revealed that she finds it infuriating when people attribute her successful career to “lucky”. The 42-year-old actress has spent over three decades playing the iconic role of Sonia Fowler, which she first took on in 1993.

However, Natalie’s journey to stardom began long before her EastEnders debut. At just eight years old, she landed a role as a street urchin in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of The Beggar’s Opera at The Barbican.

In a 2008 article for The Mirror, Natalie fondly recalled this experience as a “magical time”. She secured the role after the RSC visited her school in London, scouting for young talent.

On her Life with Nat podcast, Natalie acknowledges that being in the “right place at the right time” played a part in her early success. Nevertheless, she takes umbrage with people labelling it as mere luck, reports Plymouth Live.

She explained: “I was with the RSC and it was the Beggar’s Opera by John Gay and they came into the schools in Islington and I got picked and I was at the Barbican for three months every summer and I just absolutely loved it.”

Natalie Cassidy joined EastEnders in 1993(Image: BBC/Eastenders)

Natalie believes that while circumstance may have played a role, it’s not just about being lucky. “Things are just meant to happen, you can say that you’re lucky, but that really p****s me off. Being in the right place, at the right time, is absolutely true, but then you’ve got to keep it.”

Her big break came at the age of 10, when a casting director from EastEnders spotted her while she was attending the Anna Scher Theatre School.

Natalie wrote: “Casting directors always came to Anna’s classes but none of us knew who they were or why they were there, which was great. The EastEnders people asked me to audition and then phoned to say I’d got the part.

Natalie left EastEnders earlier this year

“I was very excited although I had no idea what the soap was about. I’d never watched it. I remember my dad being concerned. He didn’t really like the show and didn’t know whether I should do it.

“But my brother, who is 15 years older than me, tells me that when he heard the news he went straight to McDonald’s and sat there on his own, staring into space and repeating, “My little sister is going to be in EastEnders!” He couldn’t believe it.

Natalie initially left EastEnders in 2007, making only occasional appearances on the show, but returned for a second, 11-year run, in 2014. Reflecting on the hiatus, she said: “I enjoy being me, I love acting, but I really enjoy just being me.”

Following Natalie’s most recent departure, EastEnders executive producer Chris Clenshaw stated: “Over the last 31 years in EastEnders, Natalie has been involved in some of the show’s most iconic and explosive storylines. Her portrayal of Sonia has made her a firm fan favourite amongst the viewers.”