LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER
As the daughter of much loved Steptoe And Son actor Harry H Corbett, Peak Practice star Susannah Corbett knows she has a lot to live up to. She's doing a wonderful job. . .
She may not be a household name yet but Susannah Corbett is starting to get recognised everywhere she goes. It's thanks to a major role in ITV's Peak Practice that Susannah daughter of the late Steptoe And Son genius Harry H Corbett will have to get used to being a star in her own right. She joined the cast last summer as physiotherapist Kerri and in the new series her romance with heart-throb Sam Morgan goes from strength to strength. The part is her biggest yet and she has already won an army of fans. But what many viewers won't know is that while filming the first 13 episodes, Susannah also had to endure the pain of seeing her mother, former actress Maureen, battle the final stages of cancer. It was actually RADA-trained Maureen who encouraged her daughter to audition for the Peak Practice role and, while she never got to see her appear as Kerri, she died last November with the satisfaction of knowing she had been successful.
"My mother was very ill and I was with her," she says softly. "I'm an old hand at losing parents but I don't think you ever feel refreshed and back in the swing of things afterwards. You just get your legs over the side of the bed and get on with the day. I think for anyone who loses someone close that's all you do. It doesn't get better, you just get used to it. It's very hard but it's part of life. If we didn't die, we wouldn't know we were alive."
At 32, Susannah lives alone in a beautiful cottage in Ashburnham, East Sussex, that her father bought when she was 11. Just two years later, the much-loved comic died from a massive heart attack. Susannah was away on a school trip to Paris at the time and his death hit her like a bolt of lightning. Life became harder still when Maureen discovered her late husband had left her to raise their daughter and son Jonathan, now 34, with little money. For years the family had to struggle to make ends meet. Yet today Susannah has only glorious memories of her dad and growing up, describing her early years as "bloody marvelous." She says of her childhood: "It was idyllic, absolutely fabulous. Dad took us wherever he was working so that we could see the world and I suppose that's where I get my love of travel from. "I had loving parents which is more important than anything else. I can't think of one bad memory from my childhood and that's a pretty damn good thing to be able to say. "Every time I do a job I meet someone who knew my Dad. I've never met anyone who didn't like him or enjoy his work. He was well liked and e was a wonderful father."
With two parents in the entertainment business, it's not surprising Susannah decided to follow suit. "I always knew I wanted to be an actress," she says. "My parents made sure I was fully aware of the risks of the business. I'm still astounded when I get jobs!" After taking her A-levels, Susannah won a place at East 15 Drama School in London. "I had a 10-year plan when I left drama school," she recalls. "Within 10 years if I could make it in the West End, if I could be n a TV show and if I could be in a radio show, then I'd stick at it. "I did these things within a year, and I thought, well, that's my 10-year plan done. To my mind I'm a successful actress because I've not yet had to take another job to supplement my living. I'm very lucky."
A number of high profile roles have come her way in the past decade, including Ellie Pascoe, the wife of actor Colin Buchanan in detective series Dalziel And Pascoe, and DS Horrocks in PD James' A Mind To A Murder. But landing a regular slot in Peak Practice, which pulls in an audience of 11 million, is a huge break and Susannah's signed up until next summer. "I've noticed people coming up to me a lot more now, giving me advice about my relationship with Dr Sam, which is weird," she laughs. "They think I am very good for him - much better than the blonde one apparently!" The relationship between Sam and Kerri hots up in the coming weeks and a wedding could be on the cards. But while she's happy to wear a long white dress on screen, Susannah reckons it won't be happening in real life. "I'm not getting married, probably ever. I'd rather have several honeymoons than blow the cash on a marriage," she insists. "I've been to a few weddings where really they were there just getting married to wear the frock and have a party. I've just known it wasn't going to last and I've been right. I've nothing against marriage, I think it's a marvelous idea but I've never though of myself in a white frock unless it's a costume." Susannah admits it could all change if children came along but at the moment she's single and not looking for any sort of commitment, preferring to focus on the career she loves. "I want to keep working until I drop," she adds with a smile. "It's all I've ever wanted to do."
By Shoba Vazirani