The Chase
The cast and their characters
Reece Dinsdale is Richard Johnson
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"Rick is a partner at Chevin Chase and he's a good vet but he's not ambitious," admits Reece. "All he wants to do is work with animals.
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"He's married to Deborah, a very pushy woman and it
appears that she bosses him around and his life is hell! But he's not remotely
a weak man. He knows how to look after himself and when he needs to
put Deborah in her place.
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"Their relationship has been going down the pan
for many years. Their marriage is on its knees but he's chosen to remain
within it. That's not a weakness – they have a daughter Harriet so
he has responsibility there. He did and still does love Deborah but
he can't help her and it's all falling through his fingers.
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"Basically he's accepted his lot. But he's not a man without his longings and
passions!" - as his burgeoning relationship with Clare demonstrates.
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Reece admits that working with animals is a new experience for him. "I was never
brought up with them although I did have a pet rabbit for a while as a child
called Scrabunch. But we were never really animal people.
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"However, I expect the
deluge is about to happen as we have a five-year-old daughter and a
two-year-old son. I expect they'll he screaming for all sorts of
things soon and we'll have a little zoo at our house.
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"I did think we could start with a rabbit but my wife isn't keen. We have tried
to have a goldfish but it wasn't a success as they kept dying and we had to keep
replacing it. I think we had four before we gave in.
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"Fortunately we moved the
last one into a different room and my daughter forgot she'd had it so she never
asked where it had gone!"
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In The Chase, Reece worked with a variety of animals large and small from cats,
rabbits and dogs to horses.
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"I had to film a scene in which I put down a horse," recalls
Reece. "And
when I held the cold steel of the gun against its head it did feel pretty grim.
Horses are such beautiful creatures. Fortunately Nick drew the short straw with
the cow!"
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Janet Dibley is Deborah Johnson
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"Deborah is ambitious," states Janet, bluntly. "She's highly energised, focused and doesn't suffer fools gladly. These are all the positive things I see about her but the others would say she's just a bossy woman!
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"I think she's got to a stage in her life where she's highly frustrated by her husband and life and she wants to move it on which is why she's so dissatisfied with Rick. Like anyone who has reached that time in their life, she's suffered her share of tragedy and hardship and she's not dealt with things well.
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"She just wants to get on with things, don't dwell on
them, don't dig, don't feel sorry for yourself. As a consequence she's
quite brittle and when you know that, you can begin to understand her more.
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"Kay sees the humour in her characters. Deborah has no idea of the effect she has on people: they laugh at her. She's impatient and humours people who she thinks are below her – like most of the practice's clients and staff!
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"In fact, Practice Manager is a self given title because
she thinks it sounds better than receptionist. She's a snob.
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"At the hub of her she likes to be one up on people. She might miss things going on around her as she's not intuitive but she wants to keep abreast of everything going on.
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"It gives her a feeling of power although she probably
misses everything – but once there is a suggestion of alliance between
Richard and Clare, she keeps her beady eye on them."
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Like many of the cast of The Chase, Janet has strong links with the city of Leeds and Yorkshire. "Kay's background in the city is the same as mine," explains Janet. "This was originally home for me and the characters are all people I can relate to here.
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"Some of my oldest friends are still here but my family have all moved. I spent my days off with them, sitting in their kitchens drinking tea. I miss home life when I'm away filming and it's nice to be somewhere more friendly than just sitting in the hotel!"
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Janet will be a familiar face to many as her last major stint on 91Èȱ¬ ONE was
as one of Phil Mitchell's girlfriends in EastEnders. "I played Lorna Cartwright,
a drunken loner just wandering around the square.
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"She met Phil Mitchell at
an AA meeting and became attached to him, wreaked havoc and left. It
was a great part. I do a great line in damaged women! Although I think
my characters are gradually getting healthier – Deborah is an incredibly
strong woman. She's definitely not a victim."
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Sunetra Sarker is Clare BurnesÌý
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Sunetra Sarker is Clare Burnes
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"Clare is a warm, lovely girl, who adores animals, is good at her job, and who is madly in love with Rick, the vet she assists. Who is married," admits Sunetra.
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"Clare doesn't have a dark side to her and she finds herself in a real predicament being in this love triangle. She is morally challenged by the situation as she really loves him but knows it's very wrong to.
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"She thinks he's great, he thinks she's great and they have a lovely working friendship. He holds a special place in her heart and they have a great emotional magnetism that they're obliged to acknowledge."
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Sunetra has spent the majority of the last year filming in Leeds as The Chase followed hot on the heels of the final series of No Angels which was also filmed in the city. And shooting two such long series away from her Liverpool home has certainly presented challenges for the new mum.
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"I've had a dream-like year – from conception whilst shooting
the third series of No Angels to completing The Chase. I've been so supported
by my husband, Nick, who has been unbelievably helpful with filming and
auditions.
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"I'm lucky as I've got a great support system and a
wonderful nanny so I can manage to juggle lots of things.
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"Noah was just 10 weeks old when we started series four of No Angels and both Nick and Noah came with me to Leeds. And the girls on the show were great. But it is hard work and I take my hat off to any working mum.
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"My mum is a dancer and I spent a lot of time as a kid in the theatre. I'd do my homework backstage or in her dressing room in theatres all over the place. So I've always felt very familiar and comfortable in the entertainment business. So I'm sure Noah will too as he was literally born into the industry!"
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