Despite being a straight woman herself, Charlotte Chimes is well-known for playing the ‘genuine’ lesbian character Nicolette Stone on Neighbours.
The 29-year-old actor has now discussed how she was cast in the legendary role despite never having met the casting directors on the Wildfemmes podcast.
She stated to host Emma Maggs that it took a lot of time and effort to send out numerous self-taped auditions before she was offered a role on the serial opera.
Maggs remarked, “You and I were actually working together as producers at the time you got cast on Neighbours, and I just remember you were doing oodles and gobs of auditions.”
It was also in the midst of a pandemic. You were making so many self-tapes, and it is simply amazing that you were cast in the middle of a pandemic without ever having met anyone.
Chimes recalled her virtual callback interview with her mother Mama K, where they both read the script.
The soap actress recalled her callback: “I often think about my callback, which was on Zoom in my parents’ kitchen, and my mum was leaning along the kitchen bench, flirting with me in one scene and then angry with me in the next, and that was it.”
She continued by talking about what it was like for her to play a lesbian character even though she is a straight lady.
Out of respect for “the lesbian experience,” the Verge actor said she wanted to play the character “justice” and as “authentically” as she could.
I made sure to get in touch with friends of mine who are lesbians in the queer world to hear about their experiences so I could remember them, she said.
Chimes’ discussions with her friends gave the actress insight into how to portray Nicolette’s motivations “from a place of realism and respect.”
Four months after the final episode aired, Amazon salvaged the cherished soap opera Neighbours from cancellation last month.
After 37 years, it was originally set to stop in July. However, Amazon Freevee and Fremantle unexpectedly announced that the show will be resuming.
Next year, a brand-new series will start production in Australia, and actors including Stefan Dennis, who plays Paul Robinson, Alan Fletcher, who plays Dr. Karl Kennedy, Ryan Moloney, who plays Toadfish, and Jackie Woodburne, who plays Susan Kennedy, will all reprise their prominent roles.
It’s unknown if Chimes, who was given the job in 2020, will return for the upcoming campaign.
You can listen to Charlotte Chimes’ entire interview with Emma Maggs on the Wildfemmes podcast on Spotify.
