Hotel Babylon – second series coming soon to 91Èȱ¬ One
Natalie Mendoza plays Jackie Clunes, Head of Housekeeping
Like Tamzin, Natalie Mendoza is also newly married this year and is very happy to be back living in the UK.
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"We got married in a big country weekend wedding in Melbourne with all my friends and family invited and the women spent a girly day at a spa instead of a hen night while the boys went off fishing. Then in the afternoon we had the wedding and the next day a barbeque which was just stunning."
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Natalie's husband is Elliott Kennedy who is a music and television producer and has had many number one hits with The Spice Girls. But Natalie is no stranger to the music industry. Her father is a jazz musician, her mum is a dancer and they toured together as a family whilst growing up.
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Born in Hong Kong, Natalie (28) was primarily educated in Australia but spent three years in New York before moving back to Australia and then finally settling in the UK, and despite having an Australian accent and passport and loving the country she feels more at home in the UK.
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"I love living in the UK and feel that of all the places I have lived, this is where I belong right now. I love theatre and culture and England and Europe are just wonderful for those things. I couldn't imagine not being able to see a play at the Donmar or the National so I think I'll be here for a while."
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"I grew up with music in my veins and was on the road from a really young age which was a pretty bohemian lifestyle to be leading but at times it was always that feast or famine situation," she remembers.
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"It would be a five-star hotel and then a motel the next moment. It could be tough at times and the economy affected the nightlife so if theatres closed early then that affected where people went afterwards," she continues.
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Having said that, Natalie's dad was rarely out of work and her first jazz gig was watching George Benson but she insists that it was all so unglamorous in those days.
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"In fact my most unglamorous memory was watching my dad cut up a fried egg to share with us. But it was an interesting upbringing in which all my family grew up as artists – jazz pianists, singers, actors and dancers among my siblings.
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"I always wanted to be an actor and didn't really know that I could sing – I was shy hence the acting bug because I could hide behind it and while music is in my blood, acting is my passion."
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"I felt that being on stage would be a safe place – it was a really crazy upbringing and now at home we are all in a band recording albums," she smiles.
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"I know I have packed a lot in but I am quite disciplined about managing my time and that comes with my ballet training and juggling classes and competitions from an early age. It is second nature to me to juggle a lot of different things at the same time. It keeps me busy."
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Natalie was brought up on jazz but enjoys lots of different types of music including great pop artists like Madonna and Kylie and enjoys soul, rock, punk and pop.
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"We all grew up singing and dancing and once I realised I had a voice I auditioned for Les Miserables and got the lead role which blew me away. It was a brilliant experience which made me want to do movies and straight away Moulin Rouge came along so I have been really lucky that my hard work is paying off."
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In Hotel Babylon Jackie plays a single mum who followed her English boyfriend back to the UK only to find herself abandoned by him. She is vulnerable yet strong and she is the one that the other characters come to when they find themselves in trouble.
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"There is a different vibe among the female characters this year. Last year there was a lot of bitching amongst the girls but this year we share a lot more moments of camaraderie between us.
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"It is a lot more fun and tongue in cheek this year and creates a warmth between us that is less edgy – surprisingly the relationship between Anna and Jackie has improved and Jackie finds herself confiding in Anna which would never have happened in series one."
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When she isn't acting, singing, dancing, recording or travelling Natalie likes to rock-climb (which she learnt for The Descent, practice Bikram Yoga and Martial Arts (kick-boxing) – an all-round action hero.
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Life is good for Natalie with her first lead in a feature film under her belt she has firmly established herself as a versatile performer having clocked up an impressive list of acting credits in film, television and theatre, including roles in Moulin Rouge, Code 46, The Great Raid and, most recently, the cult horror film The Descent.
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Natalie is also an accomplished singer, dancer and writer.
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Hollywood has already come knocking but Natalie is holding back until the big role comes her way which can't be far off.
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