Hannah Tointon was thrown out of her "comfort zone" when she joined ‘Hollyoaks’ because her co-stars were so much more "confident" than her.
The 30-year-old actress joined the Channel 4 soap as Katy Fox when she was just 18 years old, and she felt like she was at acting "university" while appearing on the show, but didn’t enjoy clubbing as much as some of her pals.
She said: "That year was like my university. I was thrown in with a crowd of really confident girls and guys who were so different from me, but I just had to get on with it.
"I pushed myself out of my comfort zone but I was still the sensible one who had a tidy flat with milk in the fridge and no minidresses in my real wardrobe – as opposed to my ‘Hollyoaks’ wardrobe.
"I would go to clubs, but at that point in the evening when everyone starts singing along to some big hit, I was just opening and shutting my mouth, hoping that no one would notice I didn’t know the words. I did have fun and I made some good friends, but I was really glad to get home."
Hannah finds it funny that she is often cast as girls who love fashion, going to parties, and using social media – because she doesn’t enjoy either and isn’t "on trend".
She said: "I don’t even have social media. I have no idea what is on trend, I don’t care about hip parties.
"I’m never going to be someone who does. It is amusing because I often get cast as exactly the sort of girl who does."
As well as ‘Hollyoaks’, Hannah – who is engaged to her ‘Inbetweeners’ co-star Joe Thomas – has starred in ‘Doctors’, ‘Dream Team’, ‘The Bill’ and ‘Midsomer Murders’ among other shows, but felt "insecure" when she first started out in the industry because she hadn’t been to drama school.
Speaking to You Magazine, she added: "I used to worry that I hadn’t been to drama school, which made me insecure, and was scared when I first walked on set, but I feel that less and less. Now I think, ‘I pushed myself; I worked.’
"I go to a dialect coach to work on accents and I work with acting coaches. I’ve also started to write, which I really enjoy. In my early 20s, I did feel like the girl who never fitted in. Now I don’t care. I’m comfortable being who I am – Joe is exactly the same."
Hannah Tointon’s Hollyoaks’ uni role
