We all judge the actors on the basis of the characters portrayed by them. Sarah Smart plays the character of Virginia, a lesbian in ITV’s award-winning drama named At Home With The Braithwaites.
Although she has been a popular face of the British TV industry ever since she was a child, however, her performance in At Home With The Braithwaites has brought her into the headlines.
In this article, we will talk about Sarah Smart’s Journey from being a child actress and now dealing with the assumptions made by the audiences. We will explore all the details and Sarah Smart’s background. So let us dive in.
How did Sarah Smart start her Career?
When she made her appearance in the children’s program Woof!, she was just a child. She received roles in well-known programs, including A Touch Of Frost, Soldier Soldier, and The Bill, before landing her first starring role as Cathy Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights alongside Matthew Macfadyen in 1998.
Two years later, in the quirky family comedy At Home With The Braithwaites, she won her breakout role as Virginia Braithwaite.
She appeared in the 2003 finale of the show as well as the comedic series Jane Hall and the detective thriller Murder Prevention. Additionally, she has a connection to the infamous Irish pirate Grace O’Malley of the sixteenth century in addition to her popularity as an actress.
Childhood and Background
Sarah is the daughter of Screenwriter Pat Smart. Sarah was born in March 1977 and spent her early years in the Midlands.
To help her sister Donna, who she now believes is the reason for her success, she was sent to speech and theatre school when Sarah was just five years old.
Sarah talked about her upbringing in the Midlands in an interview. I suppose growing up in the Midlands really helped with being grounded and realistic.
She also believed that because of her upbringing and being grounded also helped her professionally as well.
Sarah moved to Birmingham at a very young age, and there she finally fell in love with acting and discovered workshops that really enhanced her confidence. It was at this point that Sarah smart discovered The Central Junior Television Workshop.
Her Career began to take off at this point when she was cast as a twin alongside her sister Donna in a film before getting a role in the children’s series Woof!
How and why do people assume she is a Lesbian?
In an interview, Sarah shared that when she was offered to play the role of a lesbian. She was unsure whether she would be able to do justice to the role of Virginia.
As Sarah has never doubted her own sexuality, she is a heterosexual and was always clear about his interest in males. However, this was a good script and a great role that she couldn’t resist.
Thus, she decided to accept this role and got into the character of Virginia.
Virginia is a 23-year-old girl that was initially in the dilemma that she is gay. And later on, she tried to maintain relationships with other women.
This portrayal and story were so convincing that the audience started to believe that Sarah was also a lesbian.
Sarah takes this as a compliment that her portrayal was so convincing and believable that people actually started to believe that she is a Lesbian.
Playing a character who was tortured about her sexuality comes with great responsibility. Moreover, there were also intimate scenes involved in the series initially; Sarah Smart was really conscious when she got to know she would be kissing a woman on screen.
However, she realized that it was not a big deal; it was just a part of her profession. She also added that it is better to kiss a woman as they are generally more hygienic and have fresh breath.
Virginia’s role was so inspiring and moving that young teenage girls have written notes and letters to Sarah Smart to let her know how her character has helped and inspired them to be themselves.
Thus, she never regretted playing the role of a Lesbian girl even though people made assumptions about her sexuality.
What are the challenges she faced During her Journey?
Sarah’s parents have been really supportive of her and have always helped her through thick and thin. However, the actress has been through a lot of hardships in her life.
But this incident completely changed her life. When she was 18 years old, one day, she woke up, and the left side of her face was completely paralyzed. The doctors said that it was because of an ear infection that had spread.
This was a severe condition and could permanently paralyze her. Fortunately, she was given the right steroids, which worked for her condition. That’s how she overcame this horrifying condition.
However, Sarah has to take preventive measures throughout her life as there is a possibility of reoccurring.
The Bottom line
Being a part of the film industry has its own pro and cons. However, Sarah got introduced to this world of glamour at a very young age, and ever since, the audience has always loved Sarah’s performances.
Sarah has been through many hurdles in her long career, both personally and professionally. However, the actress has always dealt calmly with challenges. He never let any of the rumors and allegations affect her personal life.
Sarah tries to keep her private life to herself just like Billy Howle. That is one of the reasons why she is not active on any social media platform. Some of her most appreciated work other than At Home With The Braithwaites is Five Days, Wallander and Doctor Who.
Sarah is an inspiration for many people out there. Especially her portrayal of the lesbian girl, Virginia, really inspired many girls to accept themself, and they can completely relate to the role.
The actress has always valued the love and appreciation of the audience. Even though people made assumptions about her, she never stopped giving her best.
Lastly, I hope now you have a better understanding of Sarah Smart’s journey, Challenges, and how she overcame them.
