Michelle Fox (Imogene)
Interview with Michelle Fox, lead actor playing character Imogene (Imo)
Published: 12 September 2017
Imo is a fun-loving, slightly naive girl who wants to share her life with the world via her vlogs. She has a good heart and when her life is turned upside down by anorexia it's heartbreaking to see.
How did you get in to acting and is this your first lead role in a television series?
I did local youth theatre in Limerick that led to studying Drama at University in Cork and, once I graduated, I came over to London to try my hand at acting. A friend recommended Drama school training and, luckily, I got a place at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. I graduated last year and am still finding my feet in the business. This is my first lead role and the whole production was really exciting. Challenging to say the least but I was well up for the work. I threw myself into it and hopefully people enjoy the concept of the show!
Did you always know that you wanted to act?
I always had the acting bug. In primary school I spent all of my time doing drama competitions and school shows. It probably drove my parents crazy having to sit through them all but they never complained. There was never anything else I wanted to do and it is great to be able to work at something you love. No matter what happens in the future, I will definitely always have my feet in the acting world - the impulse to act is not something you can turn off.
How and when were you approached to play Imogene for Overshadowed?
My agent Kim Donovan asked me to do a tape for the series while I was performing in Medea at the Bristol Old Vic. Once I was cast, it was straight in to the read-through and filming. The day after Medea finished, I went up to Leeds on the train. It was a whirlwind but an exciting one! I had been in Bristol for two months so you can imagine how many bags I had. Everyone at Rollem Productions was so accommodating though and looked after me extremely well.
Had you worked with Eva and Hildegard before?
I hadn't worked with them, no but Eva and I live in adjacent counties in Ireland (I'm from Limerick and she's from Clare) and we have mutual friends - which was surprising! I had heard of their theatre work though and was very impressed. My mom had been to see Eva's show Maz And Bricks so she had plenty of good things to say as well. This TV series was a new experience for all of us so it was comforting knowing I wasn't the only newbie on set!
Tell us a little bit about your character Imo and how it felt to play her
Imo is a fun loving, slightly naive girl who wants to share her life with the world via her vlogs. She has a really good heart and when her life is turned upside down by anorexia, it's heartbreaking to see. I had lots of fun joking around as her and playing the clown, but also there were some really challenging scenes when Imo is at her lowest. I needed to leave my vanity at the door and be really open in playing her. None of us wanted this issue to be glamorised so it was paramount to show the stark realities of a mental health crisis.
What was it like working with a predominantly female cast and crew?
It was fabulous! So many intelligent and creative women being in one room was an amazing experience to be a part of. The producer Sian Palfrey and Kay Mellor gave a great guiding hand to Hildegard, Eva and myself, and I want to thank Rollem Productions for taking a chance on all of us. Hopefully we showed our stuff! The men on the crew were amazing to work with as well of course. I worked closely with Alex Veitch the DOP and must say how incredibly talented he is!
Why do you think viewers should tune in and watch Overshadowed?
The script and how it is shot is not something I have ever seen on TV so I think viewers will want to tune in. I think it is a powerful look inside the mind of a girl struggling through a crisis and how she tries to battle with her demons. All is not as it seems with Imo's vlogs and I think viewers will enjoy the dark side of sharing your life on the Internet.
What is next for you?
There are a few things at the pipeline at the moment but I can’t say much more than that - watch this space!
Character breakdowns
Imogene (Michelle Fox)
Imo is sparkling, vivacious and outgoing. She’s never been the most popular girl at school but she doesn’t care - she’s got her good friends Rosa and Sky, and she’s got too much going on at the moment anyway to worry about not having a boyfriend.
Imo started her vlog a while ago - she always used to watch other people’s and so decided to try doing one of her own. It’s been going well so far; she’s got a lot of new followers and she’s been able to ignore the mean comments everyone gets on their videos.
Imo has a lot on her plate right now, with her looming exams and her dad’s upcoming wedding to his horrible new girlfriend. Not to mention her sister’s fast approaching 16th birthday… but she’s not going to let any of it get on top of her. In fact she’s decided to start a new health kick and she’s ordered a new camera so she can shoot and edit a video every single day to document it for her vlog. She’s excited to see what happens…
Tara (Emma Willis)
Tara is Imo’s younger sister. She’s bubbly and funny and loves hanging out with her big sister. They’ve always got on well and would spend hours attempting to perfect the latest dance craze or trying to bake cupcakes with a record-breaking amount of chocolate in them!
Tara would love to be a trendsetter but is not quite confident enough to dive into new looks and styles with abandon. She values her sister’s opinion and looks up to her for advice on everything from clothes and hairstyles, to how to pass exams without spending all her time revising.
Tara enjoys taking part in her sister’s vlog and performing for the camera, but Imo’s constant filming does get on her nerves every now and then!
Mum (Aislin McGuckin)
Imo’s mum is kind but under strain. Her husband, Imo’s father, had an affair about a year ago and moved out, and she suddenly found herself as a single parent. She’s trying to be brave faced for Imo and Tara and to not let them see how angry and hurt she is. She still wants them to love their father and she just wants her daughters to be happy.
Imo’s mum has always worried unnecessarily about her weight and has been on every diet under the sun in order to maintain her figure, particularly as she started to get older. When her husband cheated on her with a younger model she joined Weightloss Zone to help her self-esteem.
Wayne (Oliver Clayton)
Wayne goes to Imo’s school. He’s cheeky, wired and misunderstood - people call him ‘Wacko Wayne’ but he isn’t bothered about what other people think. He’s always in trouble with teachers and in and out of detention, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t see the point in school anyway and he knows the Head is just counting the days until he leaves.
Wayne lives at home with his mum whom he’s fiercely protective about - she’s an alcoholic and Wayne feels responsible for her and he won’t take anyone badmouthing her. He’s not bothered about breaking rules or even laws in order to get by, but he’s got a good heart hidden beneath his bad-boy veneer and cheeky banter.
