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'I thought acting wasn't for me until I achieved my dream in my 40s'

Richard Lakos Georgie Samuels in her costume in the West End show, wearing a green top with candy canes and holding a big book with an owl picture saying "Incredible Stories of Real Birds"Richard Lakos
Georgie Samuels says she "can't believe" she has achieved her dream

A woman who achieved her dream of becoming a professional actress in her 40s has said she is in "disbelief" after landing a West End role.

Georgie Samuels did not think acting was "for the likes of me" while living in Scarborough and could not afford drama school as a young woman.

Instead, she got a job as a press officer for the town's Stephen Joseph Theatre, but was encouraged to train for the stage when a director spotted her performing in an amateur show.

She graduated at 45, found an agent and has secured a part as the mother in Charlie Cook's Favourite Book, which opens on 5 December.

Ms Samuels, who is married and has three stepsons, told the BBC: “I can’t believe it, it is such a dream of mine as I thought that ship had sailed.

“I will be at the Trafalgar Theatre, which is just beautiful.

"We’re playing alongside The Duchess of Malfi starring Jodie Whittaker, which runs in the evenings, and my show is a children's daytime musical."

Ms Samuels said she thought living on the North Yorkshire coast would hold her back when looking for work in London and that it would be "hard to be seen".

She stayed at friends' houses before going to auditions and now wants to pursue acting full-time.

'I grabbed my chance'

Ms Samuels praised her husband's "amazing" support as she was "basically away for three years" while studying.

She said: “I always thought acting wasn’t for the likes of me because I wasn’t posh, I didn’t speak with a posh accent and the only real person I saw like me on the television was Victoria Wood."

She was accepted into drama school at 19, but couldn't afford to take up her place because there were no student loans available.

"I didn’t follow my dream for many years. A professional director saw me in an amateur show after randomly being invited along by his friend, and he really championed me and helped me.

"I just thought, if I don’t do it now, I never will, so I just grabbed my chance.”

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