Interview with
Danielle Jam -
star of new CBeebies drama
QMU Acting for Stage and Screen student, Danielle Jam, had
just handed in her final piece of course work last year when
she received a phone call telling her she’d won a starring role
in a brand new CBeebies drama.
Having graduated in the summer of 2018, this was Danielle’s first
on-screen role out of university. She would be in excellent company,
playing the character of Daisy on the show, Molly and Mack, with
fellow QMU alumni actors James Mackenzie and Katrina Bryan
also playing key roles.
We chatted with Danielle about being bitten by the acting bug as
a child, her experience of working on a television series, and her
hopes and dreams for future acting opportunities.
Congratulations on your starring role in Molly and Mack on
CBeebies! Can you tell me a little about how you came to hear
about the role and what the audition process was like?
I was sent an audition for the part through my agent, which includes
a brief (description of the show, character and lines for an audition
scene). Then I went in for the audition at the BBC in Glasgow in
front of the director and casting director. We read the scene a few
times in front of the camera and had a little chat.
Then I went away and heard I had got the part a week later, just
moments after I had handed in my final piece of written work online
for uni! It was a great surprise.
Acting is something you’re obviously very passionate about.
When did your interest in the performing arts begin?
When I was about ten, my friend was playing one of the ugly sisters
in our local drama group and I went to see him perform. Then I
joined the group and never looked back. In secondary school I
did all the school shows. We had a great drama department and
wonderful teachers who really nurtured our passion. I also joined
another am-dram group, Aberdeen Youth Music Theatre. So my
experience has mostly been musical theatre. I didn’t do a straight
play or any screen work until college.
Why did you choose to study at QMU and what attracted you
to the course?
What stood out to me was the focus on making students industry-
ready. I think it can be a daunting idea of stepping out into the world
when you’ve been in education all your life so I wanted to be as
prepared as possible.
What did you learn, or which particular aspect of the course
was the most interesting?
Photo by Robert Pereira Hind
“
I found out I had the part moments after
handing in my last piece of coursework!”
Danielle Jam in 'It Wisane Me'. Photo by Leslie Black
10
QMYOU / Student Interview
The screen element of the course was brilliant, going from having no
experience on-screen to learning all the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of filming to
then create your own mini short film in fourth year was an exciting
journey. I also loved the Interpreting Text module because we got
really stuck into heightened text, which was all new for me.
Danielle Jam as Daisy in 'Molly and Mack', CBeebies.