Natalie J. Robb found it "really uncanny" how much Ash Palmisciano looks like ‘Emmerdale’ character Hannah Barton.
Ash joined the ITV soap to play transgender character Matty Barton, who was previously known as Moira Dingle’s (Natalie) daughter Hannah, who was played by Grace Cassidy, and the former ‘Dream Team’ star was surprised just how much the pair look alike.
She said: "Ash and I met on the first day of his screen tests. We hit it off straight away.
"He actually had a very good likeness to the girl who played Hannah, Grace, which was really uncanny."
Natalie admits the pair’s likeness helped with Matty’s ‘Emmerdale’ introduction, and she has praised Ash for putting "his heart" into the role.
She added: "That really helped with the casting, too.
"He just came down and did such a good job. He put all his heart and everything into it, and we just responded well with each other."
As well as spending plenty of time together on set, Natalie and Ash hang out away from the Emmerdale village, and she says the actor is "a real natural".
She said: "We always get on, we have a great laugh, and we see each other outside the show.
"He’s just come in and he’s been a real natural."
Ash recently revealed he was initially only going to be an ‘Emmerdale’ advisor for the Matty storyline – but he was asked to audition, and landed the part.
He said: "It is crazy. There’s an amazing charity called All About Trans. They work with just positive representations in the media of trans people.
"They said to me, ‘We’re doing interaction with ‘Emmerdale’, they’re thinking about doing this storyline, they’re looking for some advice on positive reps’.
"They said, ‘Do you want to come?’ I said, ‘Sure, cheeky day out!’ I went along, the next thing they said, ‘Do you want to audition?’ Being an actor, I said, ‘Of course!’ And here I am.
"It was like stepping into my TV. My first day, it was incredible. I was acting with the legend that is Jeff [Hordley], who plays Cain dingle.
"On my first day he had to chuck me over a table. So that was an experience and a half."
Natalie J. Robb found Ash Palmisciano and Hannah Barton likeness ‘uncanny’
