TELLY TALK: SHE FITS THE BILL (20/9/04)

From Manchester Online:

SHE took Coronation Street's Fred Elliott for a ride in the Thai bride scam. Now actress Wendy Kweh, who played Weatherfield's scheming Lily Stokes, takes on a different role when she joins The Bill (ITV1, Wednesday, 8.30pm).

"I'll be playing DC Suzie Sim," explains the 29-year-old. "She's very clever and manipulative. She's the kind of woman that other women love to hate."

Her last character didn't have many fans after she'd helped pull the wool over lonely Fred's eyes. But her latest role is no bent copper.

"Suzie's very professional and keen to get people to pull their weight. She doesn't suffer fools gladly. When she doesn't like someone, you're left in no illusions about it," laughs Wendy.

The actress doesn't know whether she'll become a man-eater at Sun Hill. For now, the new recruit will be focusing on solving crime.

"At the moment, it's about her cop work and her history with the child protection unit. I don't know if Suzie's going to have a colourful love life."

The Singaporean actress has lived in London for nine years. She left home to study at Rada and, since graduating in 1999, has appeared on stage and TV, with bit parts in Peak Practice, Casualty and Coronation Street.

"Corrie was superb fun," she smiles. "It was great to be in The Rovers and to be served a drink by John Savident (Fred Elliott). Just standing in that bar was fantastic. I played the wife of Dennis Stokes (Duncan Preston)."

Eagle-eyed extras-spotters would be able to tell you that Wendy has also appeared in The Bill a couple of times before. But this is different. Now she's a permanent member of the cast.

"I heard I'd got the job the day before I was due to go on summer holiday. It was nail biting - I'd had my third recall. I was thinking, `If it's going to happen, it will happen'.

The Bill

"I was very happy, because I'd watched The Bill before and my father-in-law is a great fan. Also, I'd really enjoyed the two other occasions I'd worked on the show. There was such a sense of camaraderie even then, and I'd only done four days filming. I think it's a great thing to be involved in something so long-standing. This is absolutely my big break."

Wendy had to work hard to persuade her parents that an acting career was for her - and it looks like her conviction is finally paying off.

"I finished my O-Levels and made a deal with my parents that I wouldn't do my A-Levels, because I didn't want to. They agreed, but told me I wasn't allowed to loaf, either. I did drama courses in Singapore. After that, I applied for a scholarship and I got it, so I went to Rada. I was 21. No one else is an actor in my family - mum, dad and my sister are very proud and supportive."

New to the fame game, Wendy's quite shy about her personal life and is keen to keep tight-lipped about her family.

"I am married, but you can't have a name.

"I can't tell you how long I've been married, either. I don't have children and I'm not telling you whether I'm going to have them."

Although she misses home, Wendy has no plans to move back to Singapore, especially with things taking off so well, career-wise, in the UK.

"I go back to Singapore at Christmas. And I recently went back for Chinese New Year, which was great - I ate a lot.

"Yes, I've left my family over there, but we speak on the phone and e-mail each other. I don't know if I would go back. I don't know what the future will bring. We live for now.

"And now it's The Bill, The Bill, The Bill."