Tara Lo

[Perdita]

Jing Lusi has admitted that researching her character's health issues was an emotional experience.

The actress's alter ego Tara Lo has a brain tumour, which has recently threatened her medical career as her symptoms are getting worse.

Speaking on ITV's Lorraine today (April 2), Lusi revealed that she thoroughly researched Tara's condition and the seizures she suffers as a result of the tumour.

Lusi explained: "I read a lot of stuff online. The more I read, it was very upsetting. This for me, I can step away from it, but for some people this is real.

"When people can't actually control their physical movements and they're not in control of that, that's what's horrible to know - that your brain is active and you're so willing your body to do one thing, but it's not listening."

Teasing tonight's episode - which reveals whether Tara will have surgery - she continued: "We are at the stage where last week we saw that her fits and her symptoms were getting so far that she needed to make a decision. Today we see her making that decision."

With a challenging storyline to deal with, Lusi added that Holby's cast and crew make life very easy with a friendly atmosphere on set.

She said: "Holby was my first TV show and I was just so scared, because it's so established and when you watch it, everyone looks so serious.

"The first day I got there, I was so scared in my dressing room, waiting for the countdown to be walked onto set. But as soon as I arrived, everyone's so friendly and charismatic. You become a family member from the word go."

Holby City continues tonight at 8pm on BBC One.

[alan45]

There already is a Tara Lo thread http://www.soapboards.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?133754-Holby-City-star-Jing-Lusi-teases-Tara-Lo-secret-interview&highlight=tara

[Perdita]

Jing Lusi has revealed she cried during her character Tara Lo's brain surgery scenes.

The actress became overwhelmed whilst filming the scene in which Tara has to have an operation to remove her growing tumour.

Speaking to Holby TV, Lusi said: "The interesting thing about the neurosurgery operation is that because it's in your brain, they have to keep you awake for it. They have to brain map and test your reflexes, so for me it wasn't just a case of just lying there.

"Tara is on laughing gas, heavily sedated but hysterical and that's when they realise something is not quite right. Her mum comes into the theatre as she then starts speaking in Chinese and they need her to help translate.

Lusi continued: "For me, that was the breaker; I connected emotionally with that and thought this is actually real life for some people, not just difficult for the patient but for the family as well.

"I can imagine some actors have trouble crying but I couldn't keep it in! They'd be setting up the lights, I'd be strapped in, not able to move but crying. They had to keep getting the make-up on set. I tried to think of fluffy kittens but it was hard, once you've gone, it's very hard to plug it back in. It was exciting in hindsight, but looking back on it; it was very tough to film!"

Lusi also said that Tara's sudden marriage to boyfriend Ollie Valentine (James Anderson) is a security in case anything happens to her.

"It's a bit of a shot gun wedding without the pregnancy. I think she wants to donate her organs and knows her parents wouldn't agree to it, as well as loving Ollie of course, she needed a next of kin that would support her wishes if anything happens to her.

"It comes out of the blue but they do agree to get married. In Holby land, it's the day before the operation even though on TV-time, it's one week apart."

Lusi recently revealed that she found researching her character's health issues upsetting.