Victoria Ekanoye is an English actress known for her versatile performances and captivating screen presence.
Victoria’s work ethic sets the bar high, and even though I had limited time to talk, I felt I had known her forever. We both have in common a battle with cancer, children, and families who went on that journey of support.
Photography by Ashly Covington
Victoria Ekanoye
An English actress known for her versatile performances and captivating screen presence. Born on December 11th, 1981, in Bury, Greater Manchester, England, she discovered a passion for acting at a young age. Her professional journey began in 2010 and has captivated audiences ever since.
Victoria’s impressive list of credits includes notable television shows such as Coronation Street (2017-2019), where she portrayed the character of Angie Appleton, and The Royals (2015-2018), where she showcased her talent as Rachel.
In addition to her television work, Victoria has also appeared in a range of other projects, including Almost Never (2019), Doctors (2020), The Worst Witch (2020), Christmas in Paradise (2020), and Death in Paradise (2022). Her ability to bring authenticity and depth to her characters has earned her recognition and praise from critics and audiences alike.
Photography by Narita Savoor
Spotify Podcast
Preparation
Victoria’s dedication to her craft is evident in her commitment to every role she takes on. She approaches her work with meticulous preparation, allowing her to fully immerse herself in the characters she portrays. Whether it’s a challenging role that pushes her boundaries or a light-hearted character that showcases her comedic timing, Victoria consistently delivers performances that leave a lasting impact.
Outside of her acting career, Victoria is a proud parent who embraces the balance between her personal life and professional endeavours. She inspires aspiring actors by demonstrating that hard work, talent, dedication, and perseverance can lead to a successful and fulfilling career in the entertainment industry.
With her undeniable talent, magnetic presence, and dedication to her craft, Victoria Ekanoye continues to shine on screen and leaves a lasting impression on audiences worldwide. As she continues to explore new roles and projects, her star is destined to rise even higher, cementing her status as a talented and respected actress in the industry.
Passion
Victoria Ekanoye is so passionate about everything she does. Her work ethic sets the bar high, and even though I had limited time to talk, I felt I had known her forever. We both have in common a battle with cancer, children, and families who went on that journey of support.
I left the interview smiling, and I love it when that happens. I always feel that my job doesn’t feel like work, for which I’m very grateful. Special thanks to Isabel Mintus for her belief, Victoria’s PA, Shauni, for her kindness, and Lee Bennett from Weird PR for his professionalism.
Interview
If you could play any role, fictional or real, who would you choose and why?
Tina Turner’s life story is a good one. She’s a badass. Her journey with Ike Turner and the problems she had to overcome, even though many were just a tiny drop in the ocean, shaped her into the person she became. Her voice is a given, one of the voices that has carried me through my journey as a singer.
Tina Turner and Whitney Houston have been my go-to singers since I was really little. She’s incredible and unapologetic about who she is, not to mention iconic. It would be challenging, and I’m always up to that when acting.
Funniest Blooper
What’s the funniest blooper or mishap you’ve experienced on set?
My very first job was “The Lion King” in the West End of London. I played Sarabi, Simba’s mum. At the very top of the show is a mechanical raised platform—Pride Rock—underneath the stage. It oscillates, comes out, and keeps rotating to the top of the stage, which is incredible. As it was coming out, there was me, playing Sarabi and Mufasa, and I was holding baby Simba, and I got to the top; baby Simba is blessed, and that’s the “circle of life.” That’s what’s supposed to happen. However, we were always very chatty and had a good giggle as the cast.
Laughing
We are all set underneath the stage, all talking about how our evenings have been, how our weekends have been, all of that kind of stuff. We laughed so much that I forgot to pick up baby Simba from his place backstage. The music kicked in, and then the clicks started, and you couldn’t move for safety reasons because of the mechanics underneath the stage from that point.
I have a routine, and as I turned around, I guess autopilot happened. I checked my costume, the big lioness head, etc., and always passed my baby to Mufasa to hold onto it so I could do that properly. The guy looking after us, the head of automation, couldn’t leave his post because his priority was our safety. He had to stay with us in case anything happened.
Victoria – Circle Of Life
We came out of the stage as it opened, and everyone was singing Circle of Life. We had the elephant and the giraffe, and we reached the top. Everyone was looking up to bless the lion king, who was not there! Rafiki gets to the top, played by Lynda Way Brown, got to the top and said, ‘ Ah, where is the baby?’. It absolutely destroyed me! I said, “I’m so sorry; bear in mind we are all wearing microphones; she said it impulsively, and I was trying to silently say; just bless us. We can mimic that we have the baby. I held my arms out like he was there; it was amazing! She sang her backside off that day to compensate for my mistake; we laughed about it later.
If you were given the chance to prank one of your fellow actors, what prank would you pull and why?
Keeping a Secret
I’m not a prankster; I’m more of someone who likes to surprise people. I do everything possible to make sure that they won’t find out. We always have a good giggle on set. A series coming out later this year called ” The Turkish Detective” has a clip circulating about Haluk trying to read. Bless him, English isn’t his first language. He’s trying to say a sentence, and whenever I listen to it, it just makes me laugh.
I shouldn’t have played it to the rest of the cast, as we were all sitting in the police interrogation cell. From that point, we couldn’t stop laughing. We laughed so much that the director had to cut and ask us to leave the set to give us a chance to calm down and collect ourselves. More than anything else, we just had a really good giggle.
Forgotten Lyrics
Have you ever forgotten your lines on stage or during filming? If so, how did you recover from it?
I’ve always remembered my lines, but I have forgotten the lyrics for songs. I was a singer before becoming an actor and realised I’m a good blagger! I filmed The Royals and Coronation Street at the same time, for four months, back and forth between Manchester and London. Two separate characters, accents, and attitudes were incredible and were good problems to have had at the time, and it was really full-on.
I had been asked to do a charity gig and sing two songs, so I thought, what songs do I know off the top of my head? I wanted songs that were on autopilot and chose them. At the last minute, they were changed to “At Last” by Etta James. I blanked on stage but sang the first verse and adlibbed. I think they all just felt I was going off on a tangent, which some singers do.
Embarrassing Costume
What’s the most embarrassing costume or outfit you’ve had to wear for a role?
In The Royals, my character was the private secretary to the Queen of England, but her alter ego was a dominatrix. We revealed that at the very end of the first season.
In the very first episode of the second season, they show her in all her regalia. It was Agent Provocateur, head to toe in a stunning costume. I had never worn anything like that before, only in private. I had to straddle the guy playing the prime minister. So many people were around me who I hadn’t known for a while, so it was a bit awkward.
Cameras were running, and loads of people were in the room. It’s not that I minded; I like that kind of dress-up, and I didn’t have an issue with that. Anyway, they sent me some of the items as gifts, which made up for it—hahaha.
Sitcom Plot
Victoria, If you could create your own sitcom, what would the plot be?
Oh, don’t. I’m doing that right now, and I can’t give too much away! What would be cool, actually, are take-offs of some of the old cultural classics like Desmonds and Goodness Gracious Me. All of those types of shows would be quite fun, especially in the UK, which is a melting pot.
Fan Encounter
What’s the funniest or most memorable fan encounter you’ve had?
Oh, gosh—I’ve been proposed to. It happened twice, actually. Once, via a fan letter with a sweet ring from Haribo, which was sent to Coronation Street. The other one was when I was touring on my second job, The Blues Brothers. I went on an American tour; we performed in 22 states in less than six months.
I was on stage, singing an Aretha Franklin number; a guy had been to several prior shows. I think I had seen him twice before. I thought to myself, are you just following us around? He popped open a box in front of me; I really didn’t know what to do with that.
I just said, ” Oh my god, thank you,” and carried on singing. People are quite fanatical when they turn up to a Blues Brothers; they turn up dressed as the Blues Brothers.
Burst Out Laughing
Victoria, have you ever had to do a scene that made you burst out laughing? How did you manage to stay in character?
It’s happened more on stage than on screen. It was in The Lion King. A friend of mine has a phobia of bananas, and someone was eating one, so she had to leave the stage. Bless her. I wasn’t laughing at her. It was just the situation because she was actually petrified; it was a giggle.
If you could swap roles with any comedian for a day, who would you choose and why?
Mo Gulligan, hes an absolute legend! Hang on, wait, ok, it’s a toss-up between three; Mo is in there because he’s just killing it and is brilliant and current. Eddie Murphy because back in the day, he was just so unapologetic; he would get on the stage with his full leather outfit; he was just incredible. Bernie Mac, bless him, he’s passed, but for me, he’s one of the greatest that ever ever lived. One more!-Lucy Wong is unreal; for me, it’s very much about people authentically being themselves and not being sorry about that, and again, she is very unapologetic about her humor.
Acting Skills
What’s the funniest compliment or comment you’ve received about your acting skills?
One thing someone said to me when they met me in person was, “Oh, she looks so much older on screen”. I think they meant it in a nice way.
Do you miss Coronation Street, and do you still watch it?
Yes, and yes! I have made so many good friends from there. I recently chatted with Nicola, one of my really good friends from the show. She played Pat Whelan’s daughter. Patty and Paddy, who played Jude and Mary, were my family on the show.
I miss it in the sense that I made incredible friends who supported me through everything I went through and vice versa. I think it would be amazing for Mary to have her family back, and I know it would be difficult, but I would love to see that happen for her. My mum has been watching Coronation Street since she was eighteen, so if I miss anything, she fills me in.
Victoria – Dream Roles
Are there any dream roles that you would like to work on?
After doing “Sense and Sensibility,” I firmly set my sights on Brigiton, which I know most actors probably do. I had never done any period drama because it’s very stylised, and I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off, not only in the way you speak but also in the way you hold yourself.
I didn’t go down the usual route everyone did; I didn’t go to drama school. Everything I do is instinctual; there is alwaysthat part of me that goes on instinct, and it has always served me well. Nobody can do absolutely everything, but after doing Sense And Sensibility, I’m after Shonda Rhimes.
Victoria, what advice would you give someone wanting to go into acting?
Be creative all the time, whether you are in the job or not, because you need to be match-fit. It’s so hard for a creative person, a singer, actor, or whatever it may be, to stay on your game because it can be disheartening to get a no; we get a lot. It’s different from a regular job where you get a few interviews and then stay in a job for years. We can send self-tapes several times a week so you learn and develop a thick skin. Rejection becomes second nature. You learn not to see it as rejection; it’s just someone’s opinion. You may not suit the role for whatever reason.
Stay creative, so you’re good to go when that job comes in. My crossover from musical theatre to TV and then into film was utterly overwhelming; whenever I got a role, I thought: Oh my god, this is really happening.
Showreel
Try to get your own showreel together. You can do student productions. You’re not getting paid for it, but the quality of the work is high because they are getting a fest on it. They use top-quality equipment within the university.
There are different platforms, such as StarNow and Casting Call Pro, where you can work with amateurs on projects. You then get footage, which you put together in the format of a showreel.
Tell me about your first movie.
I’m writing a Rom-Com with my creative partner, and we are starting a series. I love that side of things. As far as acting goes, My Bloody Valentine is a slasher comedy, Scream meets Mean Girls. Then Christmas In Serbia will be out just before Christmas with Caprice and Duncan James from Blue, which was so much fun, we filmed it in Serbia. These are two to watch out for. Also, the Turkish Detective series is coming out, so there is so much going on at the moment.
I want to continue in TV and Film but be strategic about what I do, as it’s a big transition phase for me.
Victoria, do you still have a passion for being involved in music?
People like Cynthia Erivo started in theatre. I remember seeing her in The Colour Purple at Menier Chocolate Factory in London. She went on to do it on Broadway and was in movies, which is just amazing. It would be a dream to do a moviemusical or a movie with music. I think you can do it all; you just need to focus on one or two things at a time. I write all the time in the studio, so I’ll see what happens with that.
Credits
Special thanks to Isabel Mintus for her belief, Victoria’s PA, Shauni, for her kindness, and Lee Bennett from Weird PR for his professionalism.
