Chelsea wins TV role after five weeks in acting school

A young Dunshaughlin actress recently made her first big break in the world of acting when she landed a role in the TV dramatisation of Martina Cole's novel 'The Take'. Chelsea O'Toole from College Close in Dunshaughlin had just joined an acting school five weeks before she won the role of Kimberly Jackson in the TV series that recently aired on Sky television. Chelsea (13) featured in the second episode of the series and played the daughter of the main character, Freddy Jackson, in the drama that is set in London's East End, though the series was actually filmed in St Teresa's Gardens, in Dublin city. A daughter of Anthony and Tina O'Toole, Chelsea attended St Seachnaill's NS in Dunshaughlin and is now entering her second year in Dunshaughlin Community College. Chelsea's father Anthony explained that the youngster started out in Assets model agency where she starred in several commercials. Her first TV advert was Clarke's Shoes when she was just one and a half. Other TV commercials Chelsea has starred in include Supervalu, Londis, Snickers, 98fm and Phoenix Gas in Northern Ireland and she has also appeared in the Smyths Toy Catalogue, photo shoots with Sonia O'Sullivan and a fashion show for Avon. Mr O'Toole explained that Chelsea has always wanted to be an actress and left the Assets agency when she was 12 as there was only so far she felt she could go. The budding actress joined Ann Kavanagh's Young People's Theatre in Rathfarnham and was only in the school for a few weeks when she was sent for the audition for 'The Take' and won the role. Filming took place during last December and January and the show was aired last month. Chelsea said she always loved acting and that when she was doing commercials she felt they were really short and she wanted "to move on to bigger things". "I went to the audition for The Take, five weeks after joining the Young People's Theatre School and as soon as I left the audition, they asked me to come back again the next day, and two days later they phoned to say I had won the part," said Chelsea. She added that she had really enjoyed filming and said that the cast and crew were very friendly and really made her fit in. For her part, Chelsea had to perfect an English accent and she said that the other actors had natural English accents and helped her a lot. She also had to cry during one of her scenes and when asked if this was difficult, the young actress said: "I thought of the situation and made myself think it was real." Chelsea said the series was very violent and most of her friends were not allowed to watch it so she recorded it on Sky Plus and fast-forwarded to the part she was in. She said she really enjoyed the experience and she is hoping to do more acting in the future.