The former Inbetweeners star says she has been ‘typecast’ as a ‘sexy woman’ but insists she is more than a ‘pouty face and a pair of boobs’ and has ‘used all of that’ in her personal life
Emily Atack is keen to keep playing “sexy women” roles for as long as she can and admits she is ‘flawed;.
The actress, who rose to fame as Charlotte ‘Big Jugs’ Hinchcliffe in the Channel 4 comedy The Inbetweeners, has previously stated that she’s more than just a “than a pouty face and a pair of boobs”. However, Emily admits she’s thoroughly enjoyed every moment of being “typecast” in such roles.
In one scene from Rivals, Emily, playing Sarah Stratton, was seen engaging in a game of nude tennis alongside Alex Hassell’s character, Rupert Campbell-Black. She revealed that there were similarities between her character and her own experiences.
Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, as reported by The Sun, Emily confessed: “I wasn’t afraid to identify with her and I completely, I AM her. I’m a very flawed woman. I’ve made terrible decisions in my love life. I used all of that – it was completely genuine – and yes, I used the vulnerability, all of it.”
The 35-year-old star has noticed a change in how “demonised women” are portrayed on screen.
She observed: “Finally, women are being written about in a certain way. These demonised women, they’re not being celebrated but they are being understood better.
“They’re always certain types of women – the demonised types of women, you know, the home wreckers and everything. I think people have been quite scared to admit that they identify with characters like Sarah.”
Emily maintains that she has never had an issue with repeatedly landing similar roles.
She revealed: “There are roles that come along and the term ‘typecast’ is always seen as this negative thing. I’ve been typecast my whole life and I loved every single minute of it.
“I will carry on playing these sexy women for as long as they will have me.”
Emily had previously opened up about being more than just her looks: “People think that if you look a certain way you can’t write, or you don’t have an opinion.
“I thought I needed to almost reinvent myself and show that there is more to me than a pouty face and a pair of boobs.
“The irony of it was that, my whole life, I’d been striving to be sexy when in fact being what I really am – a wobbly-a****, freckly-faced, fun girl – is what makes me feel happiest.”
The star has also hit out at the double standards between herself and her male colleagues in the past.
She explained: “Discussing one-night stands shouldn’t be such a terrible thing as a woman. Blokes are allowed to talk about them until they’re blue in the face so I’m just, like, whatever. It’s part of being single, it’s part of your dating life. Sometimes one-night stands can be a great thing, sometimes they’re a disaster and I think everyone can relate to that.”
