Angela Griffin 'snubbed' by acting world after presenting on Oscars red carpet
EXCLUSIVE: The former Corrie star said that she was left 'petrified' after struggling to book any acting jobs for 15 months after a string of presenting jobs
Angela Griffin says she was snubbed by the acting profession for more than a year after taking on TV presenting roles.
The Coronation Street star said she was left “petrified and terrified” after the industry turned against her.
She explained: “I did Angela and Friends, I did Emergency with Angela Griffin, I presented on the red carpet at the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
“I did not think it would have an impact on my career as I thought, ‘Why? What difference does it make?’
“But it did make a difference and I was out of work for 15 months. I was petrified and terrified.”
Angela, 44, went on to land a part in stage show One Man, Two Guvnors – but told how she had to be “very choosy” about what roles she took on after that.
“I did not do any presenting for a while,” she said. “My agent says it didn’t have any impact but I think it did. I think sometimes you can diversify too much.
“It is so competitive out there now. You have to try to concentrate on what you want to do because there are so many people out there who say, ‘Is she a presenter? Is she an actor?’”
Leeds-born Angela, who played Corrie hairdresser Fiona Middleton for more than six years in the 1990s, criticised the lack of roles for black northern actors.
She said: “I come from a working-class, northern, black, poor background and I feel that the opportunities for those people to get into the industry are shrinking and shrinking.
“Mainly because so much stuff happens in London so if you are up north and you get a recall for an audition, just the train fare alone to come down and audition is a massive amount of money.
“When I first started, I had a recall and my mum didn’t have any money. It was basically, ‘You can’t go as we don’t have a penny to send you’.
“My brother had just got paid and gave me the money, and I got it, but the fact I could have missed out because I did not have the pennies worries me.
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"I think about all the other people who have all this talent and can’t afford to come down to London.
“Going forward, I want to create opportunities for people who don’t have opportunities, or the opportunities would be harder for them.
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