Perdita
06-07-2012, 11:11
Hollyoaks sixth-former George Smith is a world away from his recent homelessness ordeal next week as he becomes an intern at fashion magazine Company.
George travels down to London for the opportunity alongside Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks), eager to prove himself following a difficult year.
Events soon take an unexpected turn when George is bowled over by fellow intern Ryan (George Evans) - could romance blossom between the pair?
Digital Spy recently chatted to Steven Roberts, who plays George, to hear about the storyline.
What was it like to film the Company magazine episodes?
"It was really good fun. It was lovely to go on location, as we got to visit London for a couple of days to film the episodes. It was quite a full-on schedule as we had a lot to fit in, and you have to work a bit quicker when you're on location - but it was really enjoyable too.
"We were filming right in the centre of London. We went to Carnaby Street, we went along the riverbank by the Thames and by the London Eye. So it was great to take Hollyoaks out of the village for a couple of days."
How does George feel about taking on this new challenge?
"Well, obviously George has had a tough year so far, so I think he needs something like this to boost his confidence. It'll hopefully show that he is capable of standing on his own two feet with something that he's good at.
"After going from being homeless at the beginning of the year to now living with the Kanes, George is gaining confidence slowly but surely. This is something that he loves to do, so it's good for him."
Is George glad to have Esther by his side?
"He is. This is something that George wasn't sure he could do at first, but it's Esther who gives him the courage to do it. When they go down to London together, it's the beginning of consolidating their friendship.
"Obviously George and Esther already know each other from the village, but it's here that they start to realise they maybe have a lot more in common than they first thought and actually they could be really good friends."
How does George feel when Esther ruins an important outfit before a fashion shoot?
"Well, I think he's shocked first of all, and then he's also disappointed because he wanted to come to Company and make a good impression - he didn't want there to be any problems. But Esther is still his friend, so while he's disappointed, he's not nasty about it."
We know that Esther finds it difficult to fit in, but is it the same for George?
"I think George is still nervous, but Esther puts her foot in it a little bit more than he does! Of course, George also meets Ryan, so I think he's maybe just a little bit more distracted by Ryan than he should be. It's all a bit of a whirlwind for him."
Are you glad to be exploring George's first romance storyline?
"Yeah, I think it's nice that it's being explored now, especially because George has had such a tough year. But I think because of his past, he does find it difficult to trust people. He knows who his friends are in the Hollyoaks village, he knows that he's got his family back too, but he's cautious of new people who come into his life."
Do George and Ryan have a lot in common?
"Ryan is a lot more confident - he's the type of guy who will go up to a bar and order a drink, whereas George would be worried about getting caught and not having an ID!
"Ryan is more outgoing, but I think that'll be good for George - he needs someone like that around him to encourage him to build his confidence. I wouldn't say they're chalk and cheese, but they are different."
You've also recently filmed the upcoming Abersoch episodes. Did you enjoy the experience?
"Yeah, it was brilliant - Abersoch is beautiful. We were so lucky with the weather, because just as we were going, we thought it was going to rain all week but when we got there, it was glorious sunshine!
"It was like we were abroad - the beach was beautiful, we saw dolphins one day, and all of the Abersoch residents were really nice as well."
Did you get any downtime to enjoy the nice weather?
"We were quite lucky. We were busy, but I did have a couple of mornings off and went kayaking across the bay, and also had a little walk round and explored the souvenir shops. It was a hard week of work, but we had some little chances to let off steam as well."
Ryan turns up in Abersoch - is that a pre-planned arrangement?
"No, that's a complete surprise to George, and I think that's when he suddenly sees his two worlds colliding. He gets on really well with his friends, but he feels a bit awkward about introducing Ryan to them - he's not really sure how to deal with Ryan in front of his friends."
Do George and Ryan have a future, or will it be a short-term thing?
"At the moment, we're not sure. It's blossoming and there is an attraction between them. It's getting there, but I don't know what the future holds for them yet!"
You had a huge storyline earlier this year. Do the Deena episodes stand out as a highlight for you so far?
"Definitely - they were the most exciting to film, I think. But I've been very lucky with what I've been given in general - I've had some really lovely opportunities like going to London and Abersoch, and all of the Deena stuff as well. It's been really great fun."
George and Phoebe's friendship has been through some ups and downs. Do you think they've turned a corner now?
"Yeah, I think George has got a bond with Phoebe that he doesn't have with anyone else. He's best friends with Maddie, Tilly and the gang, but they'll never understand what him and Phoebe went through together.
"I think Phoebe is starting to live her own life a bit more now as well, but I think they'll definitely always be friends to the end!"
George travels down to London for the opportunity alongside Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks), eager to prove himself following a difficult year.
Events soon take an unexpected turn when George is bowled over by fellow intern Ryan (George Evans) - could romance blossom between the pair?
Digital Spy recently chatted to Steven Roberts, who plays George, to hear about the storyline.
What was it like to film the Company magazine episodes?
"It was really good fun. It was lovely to go on location, as we got to visit London for a couple of days to film the episodes. It was quite a full-on schedule as we had a lot to fit in, and you have to work a bit quicker when you're on location - but it was really enjoyable too.
"We were filming right in the centre of London. We went to Carnaby Street, we went along the riverbank by the Thames and by the London Eye. So it was great to take Hollyoaks out of the village for a couple of days."
How does George feel about taking on this new challenge?
"Well, obviously George has had a tough year so far, so I think he needs something like this to boost his confidence. It'll hopefully show that he is capable of standing on his own two feet with something that he's good at.
"After going from being homeless at the beginning of the year to now living with the Kanes, George is gaining confidence slowly but surely. This is something that he loves to do, so it's good for him."
Is George glad to have Esther by his side?
"He is. This is something that George wasn't sure he could do at first, but it's Esther who gives him the courage to do it. When they go down to London together, it's the beginning of consolidating their friendship.
"Obviously George and Esther already know each other from the village, but it's here that they start to realise they maybe have a lot more in common than they first thought and actually they could be really good friends."
How does George feel when Esther ruins an important outfit before a fashion shoot?
"Well, I think he's shocked first of all, and then he's also disappointed because he wanted to come to Company and make a good impression - he didn't want there to be any problems. But Esther is still his friend, so while he's disappointed, he's not nasty about it."
We know that Esther finds it difficult to fit in, but is it the same for George?
"I think George is still nervous, but Esther puts her foot in it a little bit more than he does! Of course, George also meets Ryan, so I think he's maybe just a little bit more distracted by Ryan than he should be. It's all a bit of a whirlwind for him."
Are you glad to be exploring George's first romance storyline?
"Yeah, I think it's nice that it's being explored now, especially because George has had such a tough year. But I think because of his past, he does find it difficult to trust people. He knows who his friends are in the Hollyoaks village, he knows that he's got his family back too, but he's cautious of new people who come into his life."
Do George and Ryan have a lot in common?
"Ryan is a lot more confident - he's the type of guy who will go up to a bar and order a drink, whereas George would be worried about getting caught and not having an ID!
"Ryan is more outgoing, but I think that'll be good for George - he needs someone like that around him to encourage him to build his confidence. I wouldn't say they're chalk and cheese, but they are different."
You've also recently filmed the upcoming Abersoch episodes. Did you enjoy the experience?
"Yeah, it was brilliant - Abersoch is beautiful. We were so lucky with the weather, because just as we were going, we thought it was going to rain all week but when we got there, it was glorious sunshine!
"It was like we were abroad - the beach was beautiful, we saw dolphins one day, and all of the Abersoch residents were really nice as well."
Did you get any downtime to enjoy the nice weather?
"We were quite lucky. We were busy, but I did have a couple of mornings off and went kayaking across the bay, and also had a little walk round and explored the souvenir shops. It was a hard week of work, but we had some little chances to let off steam as well."
Ryan turns up in Abersoch - is that a pre-planned arrangement?
"No, that's a complete surprise to George, and I think that's when he suddenly sees his two worlds colliding. He gets on really well with his friends, but he feels a bit awkward about introducing Ryan to them - he's not really sure how to deal with Ryan in front of his friends."
Do George and Ryan have a future, or will it be a short-term thing?
"At the moment, we're not sure. It's blossoming and there is an attraction between them. It's getting there, but I don't know what the future holds for them yet!"
You had a huge storyline earlier this year. Do the Deena episodes stand out as a highlight for you so far?
"Definitely - they were the most exciting to film, I think. But I've been very lucky with what I've been given in general - I've had some really lovely opportunities like going to London and Abersoch, and all of the Deena stuff as well. It's been really great fun."
George and Phoebe's friendship has been through some ups and downs. Do you think they've turned a corner now?
"Yeah, I think George has got a bond with Phoebe that he doesn't have with anyone else. He's best friends with Maddie, Tilly and the gang, but they'll never understand what him and Phoebe went through together.
"I think Phoebe is starting to live her own life a bit more now as well, but I think they'll definitely always be friends to the end!"