Zara Carmichael
Zara Carmichael | |||||||||||||
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Doctors character | |||||||||||||
Portrayed by | Elisabeth Dermot Walsh | ||||||||||||
Duration | 2009–2024 | ||||||||||||
First appearance | "Red Letter Day" 4 June 2009 | ||||||||||||
Classification | Present; regular (departing) | ||||||||||||
Introduced by | Will Trotter | ||||||||||||
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Dr. Zara Carmichael is a fictional character from the
Since her introduction, Zara has been involved in a number of different storylines including being kidnapped, dealing with
Storylines
Zara first appears when
After months of dates and casual sex, Zara and Daniel become a couple. Zara starts to experience hot flushes and menopausal symptoms, and realises that she is undergoing
After discovering that Daniel has had sex with Cherry, Zara ends the relationship with him, and leaves with Joe. She returns months later for a meeting with
Following disagreements with other staff, Daniel and Zara become the only
Zara enters a relationship with
Development
Characterisation
Zara's
Speaking of Zara, Walsh said in an interview with OK! magazine: "I think it would be fair to call Zara a bit of a handful! She's quite the volatile personality, and I grabbed the character with both hands. She’s been a bit of a home-wrecker in the past, but I like her; even when you’re playing a baddie, you have to play a baddie like you’re playing a heroine. She behaves appallingly. I don’t think I’d particularly want her as a friend, but she’d be a great fun ride if you’re with Zara!".[3] When asked if she prefers playing Zara's bitchier moments or her more vulnerable side, Walsh replied: "Well, nothing beats a good putdown line or a bitchy comment! We have some brilliant writers, so Zara does get the last laugh so often. But that makes it all the more enjoyable when she doesn't get the last laugh and ends up with egg on her face. That only really works if she's had a few weeks of really getting away with everything, and then when it all goes wrong for her, she simply can't believe it!"[4] Walsh went on to say: "Equally with her vulnerable moments - I think they really work when there are fewer of them, because then they're more of a surprise. We see her hard exterior, but then we know that in private, she's just like the rest of us and is full of doubts and fears."[4]
Relationship with Daniel Granger
Since the beginning of their relationship, Zara's connection with Daniel has continually been shown to be tumultuous. The Birmingham Post's Roz Laws wrote that arguing is common for the couple and felt that they have a "love/hate relationship".[2] At the initiation of their relationship, Walsh said that the pair love each other but felt that neither of them would admit it to the other. She accredited this to the two characters being very similar, with Walsh billing Zara as "a female version of Daniel".[2] Walsh liked that there is a complexity to their relationship and felt that Daniel initially deserved Zara's poor treatment of him, such as her blackmailing and bribing him, due to the hearts Daniel had broken before her.[2] In September 2010, Walsh revealed details of an upcoming storyline involving Zara and Daniel. Speaking at the Inside Soap Awards, she said: "There's a fantastic five-part story coming up in the next few weeks involving my character and Daniel. I don't want to give everything away, but something terrible happens to Daniel's baby daughter and Zara steps in to help. It's all very dramatic!"[5] She added: "It's nice to be the good guy for a change. Normally Zara plays the baddie and for once she gets to play the heroine, which makes a nice change for me!"[5]
Speaking of Zara's feelings towards Daniel once her character returns from her break in Bristol, Walsh explained: "Well, it's very complicated. She gives him a very hard time and she's keeping his access arrangements to their baby as they were before - very minimal. However, if she hated him that much and really did want him out of her life, my question is: what is she doing back? Zara obviously can't live with Daniel and can't live without him. Their relationship is so complicated."[6] In June 2020, Walsh talked about Zara's relationship with Daniel on a live-streamed interview. She talked about a two-year arc that producer Peter Eryl Lloyd devised for Zara and Daniel, with the breakdown of their marriage, Zara having sex with Sid, their separate relationships and their eventual reunion after the afore events. Walsh does not typically like to know about storylines in advance as it aids her to portray Zara's natural reaction to events, but she felt that it was useful to know the outcome for their relationship.[7] She added that if their relationship was simple, it wouldn't be interesting for viewers. On their slow burn relationship, she stated that it was "exhausting but such a pleasure to play long form", and hinted that their reunion would be as complicated as their marriage breakdown.[8] In 2023, Chambers announced his exit from Doctors, but confirmed that Walsh would be staying on the soap.[9]
Pregnancy
Speaking to Digital Spy, Walsh talked about how she prepared for Zara's labour scenes saying, "It was very daunting, really - especially as we know that so many people watching Doctors are people who are staying at home with their children. It will be fresh in their memories, so I didn't want to do it wrong! But of course, when you start researching, you discover that it's different for every woman - and if you ask people about giving birth, everybody will say something different. I've been preparing for it for a long time, though, as it's what my character has wanted ever since she came into the show. That was nearly three years ago, so to finally get the thing that I've played her as wanting for so long was quite emotional to shoot." On calling the baby Joe, she said, "I think it's really appropriate, because Daniel's father figure was Joe Fenton (Stephen Boxer), who was on the show for years and was the patriarch of Doctors for a long time. So that's a very significant name for Daniel, and I think it's very loving of Zara that she doesn't insist on calling the baby something like Lysander or Demetrius - as she'd teased him that she would!" Walsh also stated that it has been "amazing" working with babies.[10]
Temporary exits and returns
In April 2012, Walsh announced on the
Walsh returned to film scenes in October 2012,[13] making a brief appearance in December 2012. Her exit storyline saw Zara leaving Letherbridge after learning of Daniel's affair with Cherry.[14] Zara returned on screen full-time in February 2013. Speaking of her return in an interview with Digital Spy, Walsh said that it was amazing to be back: "As they say, everything changes but everything stays the same! I filmed Zara's departure scenes in April last year, and then I did two weeks in September for her return at Christmas, which was a bit early because my baby was so little! I then returned full-time in November. It's madness as I'm just busier than ever! I'm doing the same job, but of course I've got my baby now too."[6] Walsh took maternity leave again in 2015, with her onscreen exit being written in as her character taking a sabbatical leave.[15] The character began appearing again from March 2016.[16]
Reception
Walsh and Chambers were nominated for
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Zara Carmichael". BBC. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Ten years of Birmingham's TV soap Doctors - Life & Leisure". Birmingham Post. 2 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2 October 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ "Latest Celebrity News | OK! Magazine". Ok.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 December 2011. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ^ a b Published Monday, 6 February 2012, 00:01 GMT (6 February 2012). "'Doctors' Elisabeth Dermot Walsh interview - Part Two". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "'Doctors' cast reveal 'dramatic' plots". digitalspy.co.uk. 28 September 2010. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ a b "'Doctors' actress teases Zara's return". Digital Spy. 25 February 2013. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "Ahead of the BBC Doctors lockdown episode on Friday, join Sarah Moyle (Valerie Pitman), Elisabeth Dermot Walsh (Zara Carmichael) & series producer Peter Lloyd LIVE on Facebook talking about the upcoming episode". Facebook. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Doctors spoilers: Trouble ahead for Zara and Daniel as they reunite in 20th anniversary episode". Metro. Archived from the original on 24 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ Chambers, Matthew [@mgcchambers] (23 March 2023). "Hi. Thank you for the message. Please send your letter asap as my last filming day and therefore my last, last day will be April 4th. Matt" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- Hearst Magazines UK. Archivedfrom the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
- ^ Published Tuesday, 24 April 2012, 13:09 BST (24 April 2012). "'Doctors' actress Elisabeth Dermot Walsh expecting baby". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "'Doctors' producer Peter Lloyd teases future storylines - interview". Digital Spy. 11 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
- ^ "'Doctors' Zara returning to filming". digitalspy.co.uk. 23 October 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "Oaks return, Enders reveal, Corrie affair". digitalspy.co.uk. 9 December 2012. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "Marrow". Digital Spy. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ Dainty, Sophie; Kilkelly, Daniel (28 February 2016). "EastEnders attack, Emmerdale Charity return, Coronation Street newcomer, Hollyoaks stabbing". Digital Spy. (Hearst Communications). Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ Published Sunday, 29 April 2012, 00:01 BST (29 April 2012). "British Soap Awards 2012 - winners in full". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 30 April 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2013.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "British Soap Awards 2013: the winners in full". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ a b "British Soap Awards 2017: Full list of winners". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "British Soap Awards 2018 winners list in full: Coronation Street named best soap". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
- ^ "Doctors star lands RTS acting prize". digitalspy.com. 13 November 2015. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ @elisabethdw (12 November 2015). "Can't believe it, I haven't been at work for the past 5 months, this is my first day back from maternity leave!" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 March 2018 – via Twitter.
- ^ Harp, Justin (16 October 2019). "Here are all the nominees for the National TV Awards 2019, including Strictly, Doctor Who and Ant & Dec". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "NTA nominations 2020: the full shortlist of National Television Awards nominees, and how to vote for the NTAs". i. Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- ^ a b Kitson, Calli (9 March 2022). "Doctors legend Elisabeth Dermot Walsh 'speechless' as soap moves to primetime". Metro. (DMG Media). Archived from the original on 23 September 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (11 April 2023). "British Soap Awards 2023 longlist: EastEnders' Ravi vs Corrie's Stephen". Radio Times. Retrieved 11 April 2023.