A TALENTED Teesdale actor, who only entered show business to help develop his speech, will appear in his most high profile television role this weekend.
Fourteen-year-old Reuben Bainbridge, from Eggleston, will feature in the BBC’s long-running hospital-based drama, Casualty, which airs on Saturday, January 4, at 9pm.
The youngster is no stranger to showbiz and has been acting since the age of four. Among his impressive rap sheet are no less than 11 films, eight commercials, a number of voice-over jobs – including one for Lidl – plus several music videos for the likes of Jess Glynne and Jax Jones as well as stage and radio performances.
The Casualty episode, directed by BAFTA award winning director Jordan Hogg, promises to be “explosive” and sees Reuben playing a central character, Barney Scotts, in the drama.
Many of Reuben’s scenes feature regular cast member Dylan, played by William Beck, and are part of a larger storyline involving one of Casualty’s most loved characters, Duffy, played by Cathy Shipton.
Reuben and his mum Mandy spent three weeks in November filming his scenes at a purpose built studio in Cardiff. As well as learning lines every evening, Reuben had early morning starts and was on set from 7am to be fitted with special prosthetics.
He said: “I did two huge stunts in it and was black and blue for quite a while afterwards. However, I did almost break Dylan’s nose during one of the stunts.”
He added the make up and prosthetics were so realistic a local taxi driver believed he was really bleeding.
Reuben said: “I was still covered in fake blood and he wasn’t going to let me in the taxi to get to the hotel in the state I was in.”
As well as his role in Casualty Reuben has been adding to his acting skills list, taking accent lessons via Skype to get the American “twang” just right.
His tutor was so impressed with his ability he was invited to a workshop in America. So before filming started with the BBC he flew out to Hollywood in October.
Reuben, who now spends three days a week at Bishop Auckland College studying performing arts, maths and English, said: “I went to Los Angeles in the half term holidays and did a workshop with one of the biggest agents in Hollywood.
“Acting is a really hard career to get into but I do want to pursue it.
“I’ve already found there are actors my age who do get a bit of a help because they have family in the business and I’m just a kid on a farm in the North East.”
But that “kid on a farm” must have something as, while in LA, the casting agent was so impressed he signed Reuben onto his books.
Mum Mandy, added: “This is probably his most high profile TV role to date and we just don’t know what will happen in the future.
“He said he wanted to work in Subway because you get free sandwiches but equally he wants to pursue his dream, which is acting.”
And while Reuben is aiming for the stars, his feet are firmly on the ground. When the Teesdale Mercury left the young actor he was busy learning lines of two scripts – one for a Warner Brothers film and the other for the part of Joseph in Middleton-in-Teesdale’s The Pathway annual nativity play.
