There is a smallish interview with Simone in Closer Magazine this week, where she discusses her roles in Bad Girls, WITB, Thief takers and Monarch of the Glen. I was quite surprised to read her comment on Bad Girls. She wasn't very complimentary about it in my opinion...what does everyone else think about it? I think it will be safe to say that there will be no Helen/Nikki spinoff. :huh:


Simone Lahbib shares her TV highs and most memorable roles.


Wire In The Blood

"I'd never worked with Robson Green before, so i was relieved to discover he's fantastic - warm, funny, and professional. I play DI Alex Fielding who's always battling with Robson's character, Tony Hill. It's pretty dark stuff - luckily, i don't suffer from nightmares.


Monarch Of The Glen

"This was a lovely show, shot in the most beautiful Scottish countryside. But it did get a bit lonely filming in such a remote part, especially as you couldnt get a signal on your mobile."


Bad Girls

"I wasn't all the impressed by the scripts when i first read them, and wasn't particularly keen on doing the show. My character was bisexual, which meant some cheap and nasty tabloid headlines, but it was a big hit, with a fantastic cast, so i'm not complaining."

Thief Takers

"I remember that for entirely personal reasons. I'd been single for a while and noticed an actor at a scrript read-through who looked cute. His name was Raffaello Deguttola and, like me, he lived in North-West London. He asked me out for a drink and, three years ago, we married! We now have a baby daughter, Skye."

i may be projecting nikki and helen's personalities onto the actors but i always felt simone was uncomfortable with the gay role, unlike mandana. that to me explained why she joked about a lot, as a sort of nervous thing people do when they are uncomfortable. that may be for professional reasons (not the kind of role she hoped for or worried about being typecast etc) or personal. and yes they did gel well together but i still sensed in interviews, bloopers etc Mandana was more relaxed about the whole issue. so i am not surprised simone has distanced herself somewhat. but hey this is my cynical opinion. i am sure many fans will differ. both were still awesome though!

Ouch. I have to say I am really surprised by this, because it doesn't gel with what I've read (or heard) her saying in other interviews. This doesn't sit well with me at all.

Strangely, if you read what she's actually saying, word for word, it's not actually homophobic--all she's saying is that tabloids are interested in lesbian storylines, which is a statement of fact. But on the other hand, when you contrast it with how Mandana speaks of the role (the chance to change people's minds when it comes to how they think about gay people), you can see a real contrast. On the other hand, I guess it's possible it was taken a bit out of context and that she said something inflamatory like this in the context of a broader statement about the character's sexuality.

But the part I cannot fathom is her suggestion that she didn't think the scripts were good. Huh? She did a brilliant, wonderfully nuanced job with this character. Where the hell did she think that came from? She didn't make it up, she based her character on the scripts! Again, the only way that quote makes sense is if there was another sentence after the first one that went something like "But then I realized what a wonderfully complex character this was."

Yeah, I've gotta agree with your observations, Abzug... but have been feeling too mopey since I read that to internally muster more than: But. But? But! etc.

Can CoolUK1 or someone give us a bit of a feeling of how trashy or not this mag is? --e

When it comes down to choice, my adoration for Mandana will always beat out my appreciation for Simone, so that should probably be taken into consideration when reading the rest of this post.

That being said, maybe it's time to stop trying to find reasons behind her quotes and accept that what she is quoted as saying is in fact what she meant. Why would one segment of quotes (about BG) be taken out of context, but not the (more positive) quotes about the other three shows? This isn't the first time her opinion on Bad Girls has been less than sparkling ("Bad Girls was voted Most Popular Drama in the National TV Awards last week - but Simone is frank about what the success of the show means to her. "Money," she replied "But it's fun as well." -Daily Record, Oct. 22nd, 2000). But rather than trying to find a way to justify the edge to her comments, why not accept them for what they are? For her, it was a job and she's moved on; it's not something that she spends a lot of time reliving. Granted, it would be nice if she just decided to go with the old adage, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything", but...

(As an aside, there is a certain irony in the fact that the idea of Helen being bisexual and Simone perpetuating that idea in the media was excused -as recently as today- as a season three ploy to keep viewers interested. Five years later, despite what MC and AM might have said, Simone still thinks the same thing about her character's sexuality. I don't think she was ever truly comfortable with the idea of being seen as, or playing, a lesbian.)

We're looking at it as fans who pick over every bit of subtext and analyze every gesture and line. Why can't she love the show as much as we do? Because she doesn't, is the simplest answer. Yes, we all want the object of our affection to share our feelings on things, but the truth is, most don't. Does it taint future viewings of the show? For some, perhaps it does. But for me, no matter what she says, it will not take away a single bit of joy I get out of watching the show. What she (and Mandana) did was magical, even if she doesn't seem to care or believe it herself.

Thanks, Coolbyrne. That makes me feel the tiniest bit better.

I have to admit, Simone's comment stings. I wish I didn't care, but I do. I've always been more of a fan of Nikki/Mandana, but still... It just seems like an unnecessarily harsh thing for her to say. Not to mention untrue... I mean, she wasn't impressed with the scripts? Huh? Are we talking about the same show here?

If she didn't want to do the part, she never should have taken it. No money is worth doing something your heart isn't in. But that's just me.

Closer is a gossip/celeb mag but not the lowest of the low.

MAybe this far down the line and having other successful roles under her belt , Simone feels she can say what she really thinks ...!
Didn't she also say in a interview this year that while working on a show her Agent was asked if she was pregnant and if not why was she putting on wight. When asked which show she replied, 'BAd Girls'.
I mean how outrageous is that!!

So perhaps there has never been much love lost between her and Shed [she does say that the cast were fantastic..so this does sounds more like a dig at Shed themselves] ..but previously she's followed a more diplomatic line ...???

Who knows....???

COOL B)

Coolbyrne, I'm with you in everything you've said, and in truth I've never been as impressed with Simone in interviews as I have been with Mandana. I do think it's sad that Helen is probably the most complex and rewarding role she'll ever get a chance to play (sorry, Simone, but you're over 40 now, so the rich roles aren't going to be coming your way that much anymore) and she feels the need to shit all over it in public. Internalized homophobia of a sort, I guess.

I guess the reason I express some pain when reading something like that is that there is no longer hardly ANY coverage of BG in the press. And in particular, there is little to no coverage of the "golden" years (the first three seasons). So to have Simone being the only one saying anything about BG in the press, and to have her attitude be so dismissive, well, I don't like ANYONE shitting on my favorite show, or one of my two favorite characters, and when it's the actress who portrayed that character, who gave her life, it does make me pause and rethink my reaction to the character.

Let's also recall that we have a Mandana interview right now where she talks about how well-written the scripts are, full of subtext, and we've got Simone saying they are crap. I can't really see why Simone would want to badmouth the writing in the press--does she really think she's come so far in her career? Does she have some personal issue against Shed as others have suggested?

Anyway, regardless the whole thing leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth, and truthfully, I wouldn't be as bothered by it if it weren't for the homophobia angle. I'm a lesbian, and the portrayal of Helen & Nikki was deeply meaningful to me, and I think changed a lot of people's minds about gay people. So to have it dimissed so unceremoniously in the press by Simone is a dismissal (to me) of not only her entire lesbian audience, but also everyone who is gay in this world and has struggled with it the way Helen did. Her comments don't seem to have any awareness of the basic humanity of gay people, and I hate hate hate that the show is associated with this attitude in the press.

This was my post you are referring to, and I certainly agree it's ironic. But the general point still stands, which is that Simone is not a reliable narrator when it comes to describing or labeling her character's sexuality. So, just because she says Helen is bisexual doesn't mean Helen is. The only part that has changed is my understanding of the reason she describes Helen as bisexual. I thought it was calculated strategy, but instead it's just plain ole homophobia.

abzug, I hear you. I was going to make a larger comment on your posts, but there's really no need, because I agree with you on all counts. I will point out one thing that really caught my eye, because it was something I had spoken to RomanMachine about:

Not that Simone's comments in this latest interview would have been taken any less sharply, but the timing of the Mandana interview, in contrast to the moderately steady flow of Simone's interviews over the last couple of months, is hard to ignore. Whether through design or accident, the Simone interviews have been fairly light with not a lot of context. And in one single interview, Mandana gives more food for thought than the Simone interviews combined. (Just take a look at the conversations they have generated here on the board in comparison to the Mandana interview.) I don't think we can continue to say it's because Simone's not asked the right questions (though that is partly to blame)- I think it comes down to her not having anything to say about Bad Girls; certainly not anything we want to hear. What an amazingly sharp contrast between the two women. That is what stands out to me the most.

I will also make a quick comment about this:

Ah, sorry, it wasn't my intent to refute the character's sexuality. What I meant to point out was the fact that Simone said the character was bisexual, but that was sort of glossed over as a media ploy. She still thinks the character was bisexual, which says a lot of what she thought about the character, even back then. It's only now, with the years separating the actress from the show that we can see it. That was my point.

Reality check here chaps...

Actors take on a role do their best in said role ...which Simone did brilliantly as Helen, because imo she's a great performer.
The Observer reviewer said of her recently 'the ever reliable Lahbib'

BUT actors are not obliged to take on the ethics, morals or life style of their character.. they don't have to like the character or enjoy the role ...they do it for money ~acting can be a vocational career so with luck they enjoy the experience too.
BUT they don't *have* to.

Simone isn't a grumpy police officer who dashes about looking at dismembered bodies but she plays the part bloody well!! Would you expect her to philosophise about the criminality or mental illness in the UK or enthuse about pathology. Very few actors would be interested enough or go to the trouble.

Just because BG was about emotions [rather than gruesome killings] it doesn't mean she has to go over board about Helen or Helen's circumstances and lifestyle choice.
When still working for Shed and for some years after she was fairly positive[for PR purposes?] even though she *did* have a few unpleasant experiences at the hands of over enthusistic fans, at the time she seemed remarkably tolerant....now she has distanced herself does that make her a bad person or homophobic?

Life should be about freedom of speech so long as it isn't offensive or determental etc Simone is entitled to her opinons. If they don't coincide with what *we* thought *she* thought is that her fault ..no.

I think Mandana is truly exceptional in being so thoughtful and considered but it's a shame to be critical of Simone because she doesn't fullfill our expectations of her..

COOL :(

[QUOTE][QUOTE]



Hello Simone

'I want a women'

Whats bi-sexual about that?

Shed intially and for some years said that Helen was bisexual..it was only at a Q&A session years after that they said catagorically that Helen was a lesbian. Simone is only repeating what she was told for 3 years or so.

What's the big deal ?

'I want a woman'..she does at this particular time in her life after being with men. Anyway who's to say that in years to come she might fall for a man after she and Nikki had slpit up.[Heaven forfend]

I don't get the aversion to allow people the freedom to fall for a person rather than a gender...?

COOL

I admit, when i first read the comment i did a double take and had to go back and read it a second time, because i was certain i had misread it. When i realised i hadn't, well, i guess it took it with a pinch of salt. Like COOL said, Simone didn't have to like or enjoy her time as Helen Stewart, but to us fans who adore Simone and her character, it is more than a little disappointing to hear her say she was unimpressed.

Personally, to me, it sounded like a classic case of a woman scorned - probably largely to do with a Shed producer's insistance she lose a few pounds (or however it was put to her), and possibly the fact, from what Claire King tells us in her autobiography, that the character Helen almost being "dumped" from the show. So it really does seem like she was there for two reasons only; money and stardom...a stark comparison it seems to Mandana.

Hmmm....i think Simone and other people's understanding of helen is that she is bisexual becasue altho she was in love with Nikki she had also been in serious relationships with men. i think its only if you have been in that situation yourself that you can understand how it is a person can be stuck in a relationship with a man but still feel like deep down there is a lesbian screaming to get out and just the right circumstances falling into place would set her free. For example for a couple of years after i came out of a relationship with a guy, people woild insist i was bisexual because i had had a boyfreind. Now its years after the event nobody calls me bisexual and they are quite happy with the explination 'i made a mistake!!' Funnily enough that wasnt good enough at the time :huh: But these interpretations are not a reflection on us as lesbians but on the inability to comprehend just how it is you can fall in love with someone of the same sex by heterosexual people.

And the annoying thing is Simone had the best chance to understand this by playing helen. As lesbians we can accept how it is that women fall in love with men and get married because heterosexuality is around us everywhere. Understanding how two women fall in love is perhaps harder outside of the gay community coz there is little exposure to it. So with Nikki and Helen being a love story watched by millions of people both gay and straight it was a real leap foward. And of course the line ''he's everything you could want for in a man, but i want a woman'' tells siomne and everyone else that helen is a lesbian. She dumped the 'perfect' in her opinion man to be with a woman, because with the men in her life there was always something missing. And that final line is like Helen's realisation of what was wrong in her life until meeting Nikki. So for Simone to still not get it is a real shame and in my opinion backs up what i said before about beleiving Mandana to be more intelegent.

Or just a fun theory could be that simone has her own doubts deep down about herself- interviews where she claims she would like to be a man all that off camera frolicking with Mandana for three years.....or maybe she just feels that now she is a mother she needs to reasert her heterosexuality and avoid the salascious press that playing Helen attracted.

Perfectly put Helen&Nikki3ever

I love everything you just wrote!!! :clap

>>>and when it's the actress who portrayed that character, who gave her life, it does make me pause and rethink my reaction to the character. <<<

Abzug, i hear what you are saying. I think i'll find it harder to look at the BG DVD's and not remember this tread. But try to remember that Helen isn't Simone and vice versa. Helen is the woman who is all rules and regulations. How ever much we speculate about Simone, none of us know her. Simone is a beautiful woman, but if that is all she is, if her character was mediocer and shallow, i don't think this board would exist. (or certainly not have as many members)

>>>Simone isn't a grumpy police officer who dashes about looking at dismembered bodies but she plays the part bloody well!! Would you expect her to philosophise about the criminality or mental illness in the UK or enthuse about pathology. Very few actors would be interested enough or go to the trouble.<<<

Simone said in interviews that she research the part of Helen. She visited a prisona and talked to a gouveror who was a young woman as well. So, yes. I do expect that Simone would do research for the roles and with that from an opinion on the subject. Whether or not i like the opinion is beside the point.

>>>....now she has distanced herself does that make her a bad person or homophobic?<<<

No, but it makes me wonder.


@SIAA, do you have a link for the Clair King biography? Or do you remember what else she wrote about BG?

For me, it isn't a matter of Simone not living up to my expectations. When I first discovered Bad Girls, I had no expectations of either Simone or Mandana. I don't assume that any two actors will approach a role in the same manner - one may bring an emotional component to a character while another may view it as just a job. Which, I think, is what we have here. But when considering the impact that Bad Girls has had, and continues to have, for so many people, reading a glib dismissal of the show by someone who played a major character is bound to sting.

Personally, I think Simone's continuing lack of depth in interviews isn't helping her any. In this case, it's damaging the perception of her for a lot of her supporters, and while she can't exactly control how others view her, she does seem to go out of her way to be diplomatically derogatory towards Bad Girls. I've read of her problems with Shed and with obsessive fans, but I think most of us see the show, and Helen Stewart, as a phenomenon very removed from her bad experiences. It's just sad that she doesn't agree.

I completely agree with you that Mandana is a beautiful exception to the rule of self-absorbed celebrities. I would hope that her fans appreciate her for what she is, rather than as an example of what Simone isn't. I know I do. :)

i also want the king biography info pls

Interestingly enough, I've always thought that Simone's interviews seemed shrug off the lesbian bit. After I found the show earlier this year, I remember reading at least three old articles that quoted Simone talking about her grandmother in France. Her grandmother's only concern with the role of Helen was that it was alright for Simone to PORTRAY a lesbian, as long as she really wasn't one. There was humor in the interview and I kept thinking, Is this funny? Does she realize what she's just said? And she repeated the story a few times in different magazines. And the other story she repeats is how the crazy fan(s) freaked her out.

From what I understand, the Nikki/Helen arc ended in three seasons because Simone was ready to leave. Mandana would have stayed on, but they wanted a happy ending for those two characters. Personally, I'm glad for the happy ending considering there aren't many in dramas these days. When they asked her to come back (perhaps to defeat Fenner finally), she said the money was tempting but she'd closed that chapter in her life and she had moved on.

Bad Girls is over for Simone and she's not sad about that. She's moved on to other things and I guess we should stop waiting for her to get as nostaglic over the experience as we are. I mean no disrespect to Simone because she's certainly entitled to her own opinion. She's a fantastic actress and I continue to be impressed with her work. I guess I should leave it at that.

what she says is " ...I learned i would be going into the show as prison officer Karen Betts, who would soon go on to become wing governor, a role at the time which was being played by Simone Lahbib. Unbeknown to me at the time, my casting had followed some "politics" on the show. The ITv network apparently wanted t re-jig the role. I was completely unaware of this. I wouldnt know until later, that essentially i would be brought in to take someones elses job and when i found out i felt really bad. There was never any slight on Simone as an actress - they'd just wanted a different direction..." she later says about her leaveing Bad girls "I wondered if what had happened to simone's character was happening to mine..."

Simone said in interviews that she research the part of Helen. She visited a prisona and talked to a gouveror who was a young woman as well. So, yes. I do expect that Simone would do research for the roles and with that from an opinion on the subject. Whether or not i like the opinion is beside the point.

Hi Jules 2 ..the whole cast 'researched' when they started their roles in BG ..they all went off to prisons to look round and speak to inmates..Simone just did what the others did and what she was asked to do by Shed

>>>....now she has distanced herself does that make her a bad person or homophobic?<<<

No, but it makes me wonder.

That's a shame :(


Personally, I think Simone's continuing lack of depth in interviews isn't helping her any. In this case, it's damaging the perception of her for a lot of her supporters

Why RomanMachine *should* Simone give in depth interviews? Maybe she's not articulate or deep thinking enough to be able to. Maybe she has so many other things going on that she hasn't time or maybe she can't be arsed.

Simone gave a marvellous performance in her portrayal as Helen ..how can what Simone says as a person detract from her acting???


People are getting confused between Simone the real person, Simone the 'perceived' person and Helen the character.

Much hype has grown over the years, drivel has been written about BG by the media. Simone is a jobbing actor not a moral crusader. Can you name many other actors who give 'in depth' interviews about their chacarters OR get pilloried for *not* doing so?

Something has been said along the lines that Simone's 'supporters' are disappointed by her attitude. Fans took S & M to their hearts because they portrayed their characters so brilliantly.
The fact they they aren't gay or don't openly support a lesbian lifestyle is more the problem of the fans surely ..that the fans are disappointed that S is not 'one of us'...no??

Someone said that Simone's supposed comments might make them re evaluate her role ....what???
If people think that Simone is bad mouthing BG and/or is homophobic then if anything it makes her performance all the more remarkable!!!

I'm sorry but I just don't get it??
She's a cracking actress, we don't know her as a person [ what we read via dubious magazine articles could be totally misquoted] so shouldn't make judgements about her..give the girl a break is all..she's wonderful imo!!

Thank god Brian Park had the genius to cast Simone and Mandana in their roles

COOL

There were two things that stood out in the Mandana interview. One was that the questions asked were really good and helped Mandana to give the very fine and thoughtful answers that she gave. Even in adverse conditions, I imagine that Mandana would acquit herself well. Simone's answers fly in the face of what she said in the series 1 interview that the part was 'groundbreaking.' OK, she can't be expected to keep 100% consistency through various interviews and over the years but the contrast does sticks out. The whole thing comes over as very flip and really doesn't do her any credit. What isn't published are the questions but I suspect that Simone might be giving answers that the magazine audience would want to read.

I've mentioned before ...As I remember Simone's initial contract was only for 12 episodes. Series 1 and episodes 1 & 2 of Series 2 ..she was to leave after Shit Happens.

Due to the debate about Series 1 ratings and the fact that series 2 nearly wasn't commissioned ITV stepped in and wanted to bring in a well known Soap actress to bolster viewings figures. Claire King was well known from Emmerdale and she was brought in to take over as Wing Gov. Up until then no one in BG was a star or particularly well know which added to it's quedos.

However, in the mean time the groundswell of fans grew and the feedback that Shed received was that Helen was much liked even though ITV didn't like the way her character was going. Shed stuck to their guns and a new post was quickly written in for Helen to run the lifers unit . ..after a few missing episodes, 'irons in the fire' etc and Simone stayed.

So in some ways it could be said that it was the fans saved Helen from the scrap heap..??

Hi Cool. Your memory on this point may be better than mine but my impression was that so far from the 'cheap and nasty tabloids' concerning Helen's role, the critics panned the show as a whole when they didn't ignore it rather than Helen's role while by contrast, the fan base grew as an underground thing, unknown to the critics. I may be wrong on this one and I'd appreciate your input on this one.

There were two things that stood out in the Mandana interview. One was that the questions asked were really good and helped Mandana to give the very fine and thoughtful answers that she gave. Even in adverse conditions, I imagine that Mandana would acquit herself well. Simone's answers fly in the face of what she said in the series 1 interview that the part was 'groundbreaking.' OK, she can't be expected to keep 100% consistency through various interviews and over the years but the contrast does sticks out. The whole thing comes over as very flip and really doesn't do her any credit. What isn't published are the questions but I suspect that Simone might be giving answers that the magazine audience would want to read.

Hi Richard..good points raised there. Whiel working for Shed as with the Series 1 interviews Simone could hardly diss Shed or BG could she the were paying her wages, she had to follow the company line. Now 5 years later she is under no such obligation.

BUT I think more to the point, as you say, is that it's the questions she is asked !!!
Mandana for some reason has never been interviewed by a tabloid or trashy magazine ..she doesn't seem to appeal to them , or her agent isn't canny enough to get her interviews. Therefore, the only interviews we ever read or see by Mandana are more serious ones.

You've reminded me ...It is revealing that while still in BG the interviews Simone gave to tabloids were flippant and dismissive, all giggly and 'l love show bizz' but when she talked to Diva and the Pink Paper her answers were more considered ..are those interviews still up anywhere. I have them on my old hard drive but don't know if I can get at them?
In other words it seems that Simone might have played to her audience ..to tabloids she says [sadly] what she thinks they expect her to say. To Lesbian magazines she said what she thinks they wanted to hear. Does that make sense?

Which to be honest is what I think a lot of celebs do...??

Mandana doesn't seem to be so into the 'celeb' thing so is perhaps more honest with her answers...?

How intriguing would it be if Simone gave an interview to AfterEllen. Would she agree to do so even?

All conjecture of course..we none of us know.

Hi again Richard ...lol

To be honest I can't remember any critcs saying anything at the start of BG everyone seemed to ignore it. Maybe it was the lack of publicty that resulted in the viewing figures being low at the beginning...?? It is often papers and magazines showing pics and doing articles that draw people's attention to a new show?

The rare critic who did write about BG sort of missed the point..it was a long time ago though so my memory may be a bit hazy.

It was word of mouth by fans who particulary picked up on the H&N story who provided feedback for Shed. Perhaps youngsters watched it and their parents got into it on different levels..so the viewing figures went up.

On one of the first sites there was no massage board but people left comments and messages in the Guest Book ..then message boards started and everything took off. Shed must have tapped into that early on.
BG was always watched by the 'general public ' who got to like it as an entertaining prime time drama[with as a sideline a sweet lesbain love story] AND by those interested in the N&H love story BIG TIME..who in comparison were a drop in the ocean.

But I like to think that it was the 'underground' fans who kept BG going ...lol

COOL B)
B)

I've struggled with separating the actresses from their roles on this show. If I didn't know anything about either actress, if there were no interviews with them, and if there were no extras on the DVDs, I don't think they would matter to me at all. When I first starting watching BG, I tried really hard not to read interviews with the actresses because I figured I could only be disappointed by them. But they're out there, and I couldn't stop myself. I would love to have the show (the text itself) stand on its own, but the fact is that it doesn't occur in a vaccuum, so in fact my perceptions of the actresses do (fortunately or unfortunately) affect how I see the show.

I do take this show very personally. I have rarely identified so strongly with a character as I do with Nikki Wade. I wanted her love affair with Helen to work out. The illusion that it was a TV show with made-up characters fell away, and I believed in its reality. I don't believe any of that would have happened without great scripts and great acting. Which is why, despite myself, I do care what one of the principal actresses has to say about the show.

I have an idealized belief that actors are artists and that artists shouldn't take jobs they don't believe in. But I understand that acting is a job and actors take what they can get many times.

Whatever politics occurred behind the scenes to influence how the show went, how the actresses were treated, etc., I don't know.

I don't want to judge Simone Lahbib harshly because I don't know what she has faced in regard to this show. It can't have been an easy position to be in--the pressures from all sides, the homophobic responses to her character, the tabloids, the rumors, etc. I think it is only fair to judge her as an actress, and I think we can all agree that she is a damn good actress.

Anyway, I'm rambling. I'll leave it at that.

Hi, just speaking for myself, I'm not confused at all between these three. I'm definitely jarred that the 'perceived' (by me) Simone is so vastly different than the (possibly) 'real' Simone. I also have a really hard time with any actor who makes homophobic comments. What is so difficult in this case is that Simone seems to have not gained any sympathy or understanding for gay people through playing the role of Helen. This depresses me because I think the only possibility for eliminating homophobia in this world is for straight people to get to know gay people, and if possible to walk in their shoes a bit. In playing Helen, Simone did this more than most human beings. If she wasn't changed by that to the point that she no longer makes flippant remarks about gay people or how they are treated in the press, then I am definitely disappointed in her as a person, and in the possibility for change in this world.

Second, to reiterate what I said in my post this morning, Simone is the only one talking about Bad Girls in the mainstream press right now. BG is a show which, at least initially, had a very progressive and political point of view about lesbians and about women in general. Simone, by default, is a mouthpiece for the show, and she is shitting on it, and in fact completely undermining the progressive activist politics of the show. That's not cool, I don't care what Shed or the fans or whoever might have done to her.

None of this makes me like Helen or BG any less, but I tell you it's not making me rush to put WitB in my dvd player....

I didn't think you thought Helen was bisexual--I was just referencing a poster in the other thread. But yeah, I totally agree with everything else you've said here--that's what I was trying to get at by saying that, due to some internalized homophobia, Simone is not a good person to ask whether Helen was a lesbian or bisexual. If she could, she'd probably tell reporters Helen was straight!

I don't think of Simone's comments as homophobic. If she were truly against homosexuality in any way there is no way I can imagine her taking on a role such as Helen Stewart even if it was for alot of money.

Maybe she did have some bad experiences with a few crazed fans but as we know that is certainly not just a phenomena connected to actors or actresses who play gay people. I am also sure she got really tired of the media asking her the same thing over and over and over( ie 'what was it like to kiss a girl?", heck, I got tired of hearing those same question asked:) I think the media is what got her concerned that she was going to get "typecast" and was probably the main reason she decided to leave the show after three seasons and go on to other things.

When she talks about the scripts there may be some bitterness there in relation to the fact that her part was not that big, especially after season 1. But I can't imagine her being that petty, she did know it was going to be primarily an ensemble cast but the Nikki and Helen storyline was vert prominent in the first season and in second and third season it took a bit of a backseat. If there was any bad taste connected with the show to me it would have benn that it couldn't have felt good knowing the "big dogs" in their high tower didn't like her character and how she was playing it. Obviously they were clueless as to what worked and what didn't because Helen was modeled after a real life person. I am sure there are politics in all things connected with tv and movies as there are in any aspects of life and not all of them pleasant.

Anyway, I think all the comments from all the shows she talks about in this recent interview are snippets and certainly do not tell the whole story or convey her whole experience she took from each job. We don't know if that is all that she was asked or if that was all she said or if the editor just took out the highlights he/she wanted to print. I truly think that Simone had alot of positive experiences with her character and her job on Bad Girls and she certainly appreciated her fans according to the videos I have seen.

Mandana is certainly of the two actresses the better one to go to get a serious, thoughtful and insightful interview. No wonder even Shed asked her to analyze the "Helen and Nikki" relationship on the dvd extra features. I praise MJ for continuing to talk and obviously care about her character and her impact on her fans. Obviously she was interviewed by a lesbian magazine and therefore the character of Nikki was the prominent area of interest. Simone was interviewed by someone who probably wanted a more broad range of topics covered. I really don't think Simone was being "homophobic" by not focusing on BG or by saying Helen was bi-sexual. The mere fact that she chose the role knowing essentially what was to be expected of her down the road with her character makes it hard for me to think of her as being homophobic. I think she is alot more extroverted and maybe likes to play more of the clown in interviews because she is uncomfortable or nervous speaking her own thoughts. I know I would be nervous in front of a cameral speaking my own mind rather than spouting out words that were written for me. You can definitely see her body language is different thant MJ's in the interviews...she appears much more nervous.

But as she said she likes to take on challenges in her acting career. And I also think she is liberal in her thinking but is a bit challenged by the fact that she was brought up in a convervative household with strict beliefs on parenting issues. But she overcame alot. I have read many positive comments made about gay issues.

If the media hadn't blown up the whole issue of her "kissing a girl" I think she would have been alot more comfortable with the role and possibly played it more than three years. As it was, the role was almost trivialized into one component by the media just like in real life with gay people. We hate being labelled or being compartmentalized by one aspect of our life. And I am sure Simone got sick of her acting being diminished in the media's mind to one subject just to titilate the readers. I bet she would feel the same way with any role that she took on and any one subject got all the attention. It has to be frustrating to an actor.

We know after first season or thereabouts she actively took part in reading comments on the internet and probably enjoyed some adulation but it grew out of control and she lost her sense of privacy and probably dreaded all interviews,too. Who wouldn't? She was probably elated that this last interview didn't involve the same stupid questions and therefore avoided the topic altogether.

Critter

but I tell you it's not making me rush to put WitB in my dvd player....

Why?
It's a very watchable role..l love the show.
You'd be watching Simone playing [very well imo] the character of Alex not Simone the person making gaffs in the press, if indeed they were direct quotes from her anyway and not skewed by journalists.

I also have a really hard time with any actor who makes homophobic comments. What is so difficult in this case is that Simone seems to have not gained any sympathy or understanding for gay people through playing the role of Helen. This depresses me because I think the only possibility for eliminating homophobia in this world is for straight people to get to know gay people, and if possible to walk in their shoes a bit

I feel Simone can't be blamed for all society's ills. It's unfair.
People are entitled to their opinions however unpleasant or upsetting they are to others.
You can't force people be be broad minded and accepting...society is becoming more liberal, all too slowly I agree but it is getting there.

I hear what you're saying but *did* she make homophobic comments herself ?
We don't/can't know that for sure yet people are all too quick to jump down her throat..poor Simmy ...she's a sweetie give her the benefit of the doubt.

Everyone, me included, has lauded Mandana for her recent interview.
Putting on a cynics hat [and this is not neccesarily what I think but just a possible theory]
She's obviously bored and looking for work. The tabloids aren't interested in her her or as I said before maybe her Agent isn't very good at getting her noticed. She was asked to do an interview by AfterEllen... which she did beautifully.
But she's not going to talk to them and make [allegedly] Simone type comments is she?
It was publicity for her. Publicity can lead to work. She's after work.

[Mmmm a Consultant in ER or a pathologist in CSI would be good...]

COOL B)

Well put Critter!!

I never said that Simone should give depth in interviews, COOL. I said the fact that she doesn't is not helping her public persona. I also never said that her comments, in any way, affected my opinion of her performances.

It's up to Simone to determine how much of herself to reveal, either through her acting or her interviews. You say 'maybe she's not arsed to give depth.' Just as articulation gives the viewer a sense of the person inside the persona, so too does an unwillingness to reveal anything and instead rely on glib comments or quick jokes to speak for you.

Related to a comment by coolbyrne earlier in the thread, I feel that the continuing need to make excuses for Simone's comments is getting a bit tired. Is it possible that her words were taken out of context? Certainly, but it's just as possible that what was printed is exactly what she said and what she meant. Also, I think we're putting too much emphasis on the supposed 'quality' of the questions asked. True, the AfterEllen interviewer gave Mandana more open-ended questions, which then allowed her to respond with a good amount of thoughtfulness. But, I wouldn't exactly say any of the questions were groundbreaking, i.e. "Do you miss your character?", "Do certain lines or scenes stay with you?" It's the responsibility of the subject, the person answering the questions, to gauge their response accordingly. Not every disparaging comment from Simone originated in a tabloid or 'rag.' Honestly, the most important thing is whether or not she's comfortable with her replies, and I think it's time we began to accept that she just might be.

Try not to make the mistake of assuming that everyone who isn't happy with her comments can't separate Simone Lahbib from Helen Stewart. Or, that having a less than entirely favorable opinion of the actress herself will automatically color an appreciation of her talent. She's good. She's damn good, and I would say that, as Helen Stewart, she was phenomenal. Nothing she says or does now will make me love the character or the show or especially the N&H dynamic any less.

Exactly! But us real life gay people don't get to avoid this discomfort--we have to deal with kissing girls, and people's reaction to the fact that we kiss girls. For most of us, it was a long struggle to get to the point where we feel at ease and happy with ourselves. Kind of like the three years it took Helen Stewart to fully accept her feelings for Nikki. But I guess Simone never took any of that to heart, so that she could get to the place where it no longer made her uncomfortable. So, I guess it's more fair to call her homo-uncomfortable, rather than homophobic. :)

Cool, as for my WitB comment, I honestly haven't been liking the show very much, for reasons I posted about in the show's thread. I've been finding it very sexist (won't go into detail on that here), and so was really only watching it to see Simone. If I liked the show on it's own, Simone's comments would not have affected my viewing of it.

I totally agree. I'm not blaming her for anything. Truly. However, I can be disappointed in her for being as susceptible to those ills as she seems to be. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I would have thought that three years of playing a character going through the trauma of coming out would have made her a more evolved person on issues of sexuality, such that she would not make glib comments in the press, or dismiss the importance of her role. Obviously, this is not the case, and therefore I am finding myself to not have much affection for Simone, the person (or Simone the person as she is portrayed in the press). I am also finding myself depressed at the potential for other members of society to become more evolved and enlightened, if three years of playing a lesbian didn't seem to have much of an impact on Simone.

Here here! :clap

AZ~~if three years of playing a lesbian didn't seem to have much of an impact on Simone.

It must have done .. or at least made her think a lot. None of us can know what she's really thinking. I feel she can't be judged by the crappy interviews that have made ther way into the press recently.

Tell you what...I'll ask her next time I have lunch with her ..ok? :rofl

I never said that Simone should give depth in interviews, COOL. I said the fact that she doesn't is not helping her public persona.

But isn't that the same difference? To help her public personna she should give in depth interviews ?


RM~~ I also never said that her comments, in any way, affected my opinion of her performances.
I didn't say *you* did. Others on the thread had, l was speaking more generally. :silly

COOL B)

I think for Simone, playing Helen was more than she bargained for. Who knows, maybe drama went on behind the scenes that she can't talk about. Remember what Claire King said about her not supposed to come back after Helen "resigned" and came back five episodes later. Let's not forget the overzealous "fan" who stalked her which must have been terrifying.

Maybe there was some jealousy on the show because she and Mandana were getting all of the media attention. Think about it H & N were the first supercouple on the show and don't you notice that the actresses who played Selena & Kris, Roisin & Cassie, or even Pat & Sheena never got the media attention that Simone & Mandana got?

As far as I know neither one of them appeared on the cover of Diva Magazine.

Also, one of the most frustrating things for an actor is to play a certain type of character and be "typecast".

Think about it, how many roles has Jack Ellis (Ex-Jim Fenner) gotten since leaving BG.

Also, look at the cast members over the past eight years, not one of them was able to have the same amount of success that Simone was fortunate enough to have.

I hear nothing about Sharon Duncan Brewster (Ex-Crystal Gordon) or Kim Oliver (Ex-Buki Lester) and for them being British Black Actresses, it's probably ten times as tough.

Also, maybe it was hard for her to get WITB knowing she was going to be in an established show with established actors whom the fans took to their heart.

I take nothing away from Simone, she's entitled to her opinion but maybe she just wants people to look at her as an actress who played a Gay Character rather than that Actress who will only be remembered for playing a Gay Character.

Oh, they definitely did. I can picture the cover right now, with Mandana seated behind Simone and her arms around Simone. The interview was good too, and I think it was one of the only ones they ever did as a pair (not counting the South Africa stuff). It used to be up on the Mandana site and/or the Simone site, but I don't know if it is anymore.

I searched on some other sites and didn't find that article, but I found this one, which also had Simone and Mandana on the cover of Diva!
http://www.badgirlsweb.co.uk/media/old/art...nside_story.htm

No, it isn't. If I felt that she had an obligation to change the public's perception of her, I would have said so. I think you're taking my words out of context now. :)

To be honest, I don't think that any actor is obligated to care what the public thinks. Whether or not they choose to be responsible for the consequences of their comments is entirely up to them. But, I also don't think that any of her fans should feel that it's wrong to be disappointed with her comments. We all make judgments. For you, her words don't seem to affect your feelings about her. For others, they're a little hurt & saddened by what they perceive as Simone's lack of regard for a show that made a real difference in their lives. Both are judgments and both are understandable.

Cool,


No i am not sad that Simone isn't gay. That was never it for me. I'm just confused now. Most of Simone's interview have been postive about BG and now this articel and i think there was another one.

I would love to know what she really thougth of her time on BG. To have it out there once and for all. Good or bad.


>>>You can't force people be be broad minded and accepting...society is becoming more liberal, all too slowly I agree but it is getting there<<<

(Correct me if i'm wrong Abzug) I think Abzug is saying here that Simone walked a mile in gay shoes. Which is more than most straight people will do. And this is what she has to say... I agree with Abzug. It makes me feel confused and a little sad.


>>>But isn't that the same difference? To help her public personna she should give in depth interviews <<<

Yes, i think she should. She knows she has a large gay fan base. She knows how much these fans loved her on BG. An in depth interview could give her the chance to make herself clear. When she does, we can stop all this guess work. Because none of us knows what the real deal is.

Abzug I think Tamla meant that the other couples hadn't been on the front of Diva.

I have the magazines ...somewhere ...lol