House Of Saddam, a compelling drama for 91Èȱ¬ Two, charting the rise and fall of a dictator
Christine Stephen-Daly plays Samira Shahbandar
Christine Stephen-Daly says
she was initially surprised to be approached for the role of Saddam Hussein's mistress and second wife.
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"I was totally surprised because I couldn't understand why they were interested in a woman with blond hair and green eyes playing an Iraqi woman.
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"I researched my character and found that she did have blond hair and green eyes so it all made sense!"
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On playing a real person who is still alive, rather than a fictional character, Christine says: "You have to approach the character differently because there is a greater responsibility to stick to the facts. Not much is known about Samira but the fact that she's still alive and may see this one day made me hope that she'd approve."
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Researching the person she was playing wasn't easy for Christine. "She was Saddam Hussein's second wife which in itself is controversial. Some say they weren't married legally and others say they were. I really did try to research her but there was very little information out there – we couldn't even find a photograph."
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Christine gleaned information from the Iraqi advisors to the production who had spent time with Samira.
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She says: "I spoke to advisors who said that she was incredibly enigmatic and that everyone loved her. She had a real joie de vivre.
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"She would accompany Saddam to openings and events – their relationship wasn't a secret and she definitely appeared on his arm. She wasn't particularly liked by the family for obvious reasons.
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"I discovered that Samira was a very ambitious woman and a real product of Saddam's Iraq. He was very much influenced by Western ideals and was very forward thinking – under his rule religion took a back seat which made life for women in Iraq much more liberal.
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" She was younger than Saddam and looked up to him, and would have been wooed by his money and power. It's said that they really loved each other."
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The shoot in Tunisia and working with an international cast was an amazing experience for Christine, despite the heat.
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She says: "Some days it was 48 degrees but it was incredible – there were so many different cultures and temperaments involved.
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"The accent, and looking the part, and being the only blond in the cast, was initially challenging. However, a lot of the actors were French so they were learning the accent as well.
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"Once I saw there were others in the same situation as me learning I felt quite a bit better!"
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Christine is celebrating after recently giving birth to her first child. She says: "I had a little girl and I'm blissfully happy!"
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