Annabelle Davis talks about the importance of diversity on screen as she joins Hollyoaks cast
(Picture: PA))Warwick Davis’ daughter Annabelle has spoken of how thrilled she is to have landed a role in Hollyoaks that was not made for "little people".
The 25-year-old, who joined the Loose Women panellists to talk about her new part as Lacey Lloyd in the soap, touched on how important it is for shows like Hollyoaks to have diverse casts.
The soon-to-be soapstar, who is the latest "nepo-baby" - the term given to children of famous parents who get a foot into the industry because of their surname - said: "Lucy Allan [producer] called.
"She said, ‘I’ve got a role, it’s not written for a little person but I’d love you to take a look and see if you would like to play her.’
"It was nice, we had a few Zoom meetings where we discussed the character and the different ways we could take her.
"It’s lovely to be given a role that isn’t made for a little person because that doesn’t really define who you are but on the other hand, it is nice to explore things.
"Some perspective from a little person and actually give viewers that.
"I think it’s really important that on TV, you are shown all of this diversity and we can all learn from it really, raising all the awareness."
The actress, whose famous father Warwick is most famous for his many roles in the Harry Potter films, was born with Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SED), a rare genetic form of dwarfism. Her father also has the condition.
She got into acting when she was a child and her father and grandad put her on the books of a talent agency they ran for "little people".
She soon bagged the role of Sasha Bellman on the CBBC Tracy Beaker spin-off series The Dumping Ground.
Rather than distance herself from her father’s success, she said she is grateful to have had his guidance and help honing her craft.
“I’ll always go to him if I’m unsure what to do with a script," she said.
"I couldn’t do it without him. It’s 100 percent down to my dad and growing up in the industry. That’s where I fell in love with it."
