Sammy T. Dobson may have made her on-screen debut as Casualty doctor Nicole Piper in March this year, yet a lot has happened behind the scenes since she landed the role.
“I’ve been working on the show since last September and it’s flown by,” beams the Newcastle-born star, when she joins What To Watch for an exclusive interview two weeks after marrying her graphic designer partner, Graeme ‘Chappy’ Chapman in a beautiful service attended by friends, family and Casualty co-workers.
“This time last year I didn’t have a job and I wasn’t even engaged! It’s hard to get my head around, but it’s just the best!”
While still a relatively new arrival on screen, the effervescent Geordie junior doctor has bedded into Holby ED quickly and has widespread support from colleagues regarding her surrogacy plans with her close friend Rosie Cornwall (Queens of Mystery’s Nicola Chegwin).
Complications developed two months ago, however, when test results revealed that it was almost certain the baby would have Down’s Syndrome. Since then Rosie, who blames Nicole for an accident that's left her in a wheelchair, has iced out the expectant medic and officially insisted she gets a termination.
Here, Sammy, 37, tells us what drives Nicole to make a life-changing decision in BBC1’s medical drama this week and what the future holds…
Casualty exclusive with Sammy T. Dobson
What were your thoughts when you initially approached this surrogacy storyline, Sammy?
“I really liked the idea of surrogacy for a friend, as it explores how close female friends can be and what they will do for each other. However, here, this took a turn after the reality of the diagnosis.
“Nicole initially thought it would be lovely to give her friend a baby, but hadn't thought about the myriad things that could happen, and now she's been plunged into a situation she never ever thought she’d be in.”
In this week’s episode, Duped, Nicole informs clinical lead Siobhan McKenzie (Melanie Hill) that she will be raising the baby alone. How does she arrive at this decision?
“You know, Nicole’s gay, she never wanted kids, and she’s never once in her adult life had to contemplate abortion. There are a lot of things about her past we haven’t explored on screen yet, but her own childhood plays a part.
“She’s also so far gone in the pregnancy that she has a relationship with the person in her body. It’s a horrendous decision, no one wants to be in that position, but for her, she’s choosing this road and trying to make the best of a bad situation.”
Who can we expect to support her through this challenging time?
“Her firm friend, nurse Ngozi Okoye (Adesuwa Oni), is someone who holds onto her quite tightly and is the perfect calm swan to Nicole’s flapping feet under the water, which is really nice. Siobhan is looking out for her too. They have a mother/daughter thing going on that’s very easy to play because I adore Mel. She played my stepmum in 2010 ITV drama Joe Maddison’s War with Robson Green and Kevin Whately when I was 23. When I first started on Casualty and we saw each other in the hallway it was the Geordie screeching of hens! She came to the wedding.”
How will Rosie fit into all this as the story unfolds?
“She’s still a presence in some form, even if it’s at the end of a solicitor’s letter. It’s her egg, after all, which makes it all so incredibly sad. To lose your best friend because you tried to have a baby for them is complete grief, and now Nicole is going to be bringing up a child that is half Rosie.”
How have you found it, not only playing a doctor, but playing a pregnant doctor?
“I’ve had to factor in the physical effect on Nicole’s body from being on her feet all day, not getting breaks and needing to eat regularly. It makes me wonder how real NHS doctors do this, they already work harder than anyone. Interestingly the scrub pants I wear are proper scrubs for pregnant doctors with a bump pouch built in!”
What other discoveries have you made while portraying Nicole?
“That medical jargon is always difficult but I absolutely love doing surgical scenes! In this episode you’ll see Nicole performing a clamshell procedure. I think, getting both hands in and squeezing everything, doesn't bother me because we're so close you know it's not real. Often it’s just a prosthetic unit with no person. The only time it’s a bit too realistic is when we use a special drop bed, which has an actor in it with their body slipping off at an angle, and a prosthetic chest layered on top. It looks so real you worry you’ll hurt them because the make up on Casualty is that good!”
It sounds like you enjoy your job!
“I love every minute. The work is great and the people are amazing. I still can’t believe I’m in it. I watch an episode and think, ‘That's me on that!’ My parents Mandy and Jim are so proud they watch every episode twice, once for the overall story and then again to look at my scenes! This has made them happier than anything because it’s Casualty. And I’m so lucky to have them in my corner; they’ve been right behind me since I was in Byker Grove [BBC’s teen drama, which ran from 1989 until 2006].”
That was your first TV credit wasn’t it?
“Yes, I was in it for five years from when I was 14 until I was 18. They used to come around the local schools looking for extras and I got the part of a speaking extra. This meant I could go to a drama class with the main cast but what I didn't realise at the time was they were looking for new people.
“I auditioned to play a character that was just wrong for me - she was a bit of a scary vixen and I looked about 10 when I was 14! - but they got in touch later and said, ‘We're going to write a part for you, what do you want to do?’ I said I wanted to kiss Ben [Carter played by Andrew Hayden-Smith] and Greg [Watson played by Gary Crawford] and, in my first episode as a character called Sarah Young, I snogged them both! It was an amazing time and such an important education for the rest of my career.”
Can you tease what lies ahead for both you and Nicole? We’re anticipating birth scenes in Holby ED!
“Nicole's career is, above all things, the most important thing to her, so that will stay relevant going onwards. And yes, I’ve had a lot of fun filming the birth scenes! In terms of exploring Nicole’s past, that's something we’re discussing now so, hopefully, I’m looking at a year on screen at least, where I get to continue dressing up as a doctor and put my hands in fake blood. It's a dream come true!
“For me, Chappy and I are going on honeymoon during the summer break.”
Finally, if you don’t mind us asking, what does the ‘T’ stand for in your name?
[Laughing] “Tinkerbell! That’s my parents' idea of a hilarious joke! They found out that as parents, they can change your name legally until you’re 18 without you having any say. So, on the eve of my 18th birthday, they changed my name by deed poll by putting Tinkerbell as my middle name!”
Watch Sammy Tinkerbell Dobson as doctor Nicole Piper in Casualty episode Duped on BBC2 on Saturday, July 27 2024 at 8.25pm.
