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Saturday, June 22, 2002
Thankfully, the Australian born star, who lives alone in Bristol, where CASUALTY is filmed, didn�t have far to turn when she needed a sympathetic ear.
Shortly after arriving in England two years ago for an extended holiday (she has a dual nationality), Christine met her partner, Simon, a marketing consultant based in London. �Our phone bill is huge,� she grins. She also has the benefit of a close-knit family. Her three sisters also live in London, and though Mum and Dad, Rhonda and Paul, are thousands of miles away in Melbourne, they catch up with their daughter on a regular basis through repeats of CASUALTY on satellite channel UK Gold.
Which is just as well, because Christine reveals it was her parents who helped her catch the acting bug.
�My Dad was an actor when he was young, so I got a little bit of it from him, and Mum also sparked my interest at an early age. She�s a huge movie buff and I remember watching the golden Hollywood films when I was six or seven and being absolutely star-struck. I used to scive off school and she�d write me a sick note and take me out to see a film.
�I was quite shy growing up and found it really difficult to be accepted, but when I had the opportunity to get up on stage I could express myself in a way that I didn�t have the courage to do as an individual. It was a fantastic feeling.�
And, as with her recent storyline, acting helps Christine re-examine some deeply-rooted beliefs. �It�s exciting, you explore areas of life that you wouldn�t necessarily come in contact with in your private life,� she says.
�I don�t have the authority to be a spokesperson about rape � after all, I�m an actor and I play a role � but this storyline has certainly been an eye-opener. I always thought, �No-one can rape me, no-one could overpower me, how do people get themselves into that situation?� I know different now and I have a much deeper understanding.�
With all that�s happened to Lara, it�s easy to forget that Christine has only been in the BBC1 drama for just over a year. Reflecting on the current series � Christine�s delighted to have had such strong storylines, but admits they�ve taken their toll.
�It�s been a downward spiral for Lara since Patrick died and personally, it takes a lot out of you,� she says. �But I�m sure things will change for her. You can�t keep a character down for too long.�
In the meantime, however, there�s another twist in the tale surrounding Lara�s traumas. Collier is lying unconscious in a hospital bed and if he doesn�t recover, he can�t be brought to justice. What�s more, it could be Lara, herself, standing accused�.