Michelle Collins
Michelle Collins has played Cindy Beale since 1988
Photography by Nicky Johnston
- Gareth McLean
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When you got the part of Cindy, did you ever imagine that you’d be here for EastEnders’ 40th anniversary?
Cindy was originally only meant to be in the show for 11 episodes! And then she died, off-screen, in 1998 – so no, I never imagined being here for the 40th! I’m so grateful I am, though. After those 11 episodes, my agent wanted me to come out and do other things, but I stayed because I loved playing Cindy – I love playing Cindy – and because it was such a fun place to work. Disciplined, because Julia Smith [EastEnders’ co-creator, with Tony Holland] was so fastidious, but a lot of fun. I remember once, in the green room, Gretchen Franklin, who played Ethel, tap-dancing on the table…
Why do you think Cindy is the way she is?
Something must have happened because you don’t behave like that and have those deep insecurities if you’ve had a nice, normal upbringing. Was she abandoned? Was it abuse? I just don’t know. There’s a great book called Women Who Love Too Much and I see a lot of that in Cindy. At one point, they decided she was a lapsed Catholic. I went to church, lit a candle, genuflected… Who knows, though?
Michelle Collins as Cindy in 1996. BBC PUBLIC SERVICE/John Jefford
At Christmas, Cindy was attacked in the Square and left for dead following a defiant speech in the Queen Vic. What’s it like getting a script like that?
It’s a gift, so you work really hard to ensure you’re good, for yourself, for everyone else and for the audience. And I put the work in: I learnt it way beforehand and I must have done that monologue 25 times because there were seven other people in that scene, each with a point of view. That scene took a day to do. I loved it because it was like doing a play.
Women of a certain age have got stories that should be heard
Michelle Collins
The unmasking of her attacker is a centrepiece of the anniversary coverage. Is Cindy a villain?
If she was just a villain, she’d be boring to play and there’d be no longevity in it. She’s done some villainous things, but there’s a lot of vulnerability there – you have to have that
light and shade.
You rejoined the show in 2023. How have you changed between your stints as Cindy?
I loved it for the first few years. When I came back in the 90s, I was in my early 30s and very ambitious, I never saw myself there for the future. Now I’m back again, I’m happier to stay. I think I’m more comfortable in my own skin, more content, and I’m not running away all the time. I’ve certainly grown, and hopefully I’m a better actor. That’s in contrast to Cindy, who hasn’t changed: she’s still discontented and never happy with what she’s got.
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TV isn’t great for women of a certain age, but soaps are. What EastEnders and characters like Cindy show is that we have got voices, we have got stories – and they should be heard.
Authors
Gareth McLean
Gareth McLean has been writing about television for nearly 30 years. As a critic, he's reviewed thousands of programmes. As a feature writer, he's interviewed hundreds of people, from Liza Minnelli to Jimmy Savile. He has also written for TV.
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