22 December 2011 week 51 From soap to stardom Why daily soaps so often are launch pads for fantastic careers Luxembourg Germany Guillaume de Posch appointed RTL II reorganises new member of RTL Group’s its online ad sales Executive Committee Luxembourg Belgium The Simpsons learn Philippe Delusinne calls to speak Luxembourgish on European policy makers the RTL Group intranet week 51 Cover: 2 the RTL Group intranet week 51 A launch pad for career Backstage takes a look at how daily soaps turn their cast into world stars. Kylie Minogue United Kingdom - 22 December 2011 FremantleMedia is known not only for major the song The Locomotion at a charity benefit and blockbuster shows like Idols, Got Talent and was signed by a record label. Since her debut in X Factor that attract millions of viewers to screens the music industry, her worldwide record sales around the world, but also for its place in the have soared to over 68 million units, with over series business, as the producer of leading daily 20 consecutive top ten hits in the UK. Her music soaps in Europe and Australia. Not only is the success won her international recognition and a production of a daily series very sophisticated long list of awards, including six nominations at and challenging for both crew and cast, they the ‘Brit Awards’ for Best International Female, are in fact a breeding ground for up-and-coming an Award she won in 2002. She performed in stars, as a retrospective of the history of soaps front of over four million people at the closing and their cast members shows. Many stars have ceremony of the 2000 summer Olympic Games become world-famous thanks to the things they in Sydney, Australia, and has four wax replicas of went on to do after the soaps, but even lesser herself at Madame Tussaud’s in London – only known names have faces that are famous the the Queen has had more models created. Today, world over. her music career is alive and well, and she was nominated yet again for Best International Dietrich Leder, Professor of Television Culture Female at the ‘Brit Awards’ in 2011. at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne, says actors of daily soaps have learned to exploit their Mark Lawson analysed in the Guardian in 2006: recognition value, as they are constant guests “The pop explosion from the soap is not as in the houses and apartments of their usually unlikely as it seems. [The creators of neighbours] youthful viewers: “If an actor appears in a major Watson and Grundy had achieved an intense block-office production outside the daily soap connection with the audience that buys records. in which they rose to fame, or if they produce Young actors in a long-running series would tend, a music title, then they are ensured a high level anyway, to dabble in music but, in the case of of attention to begin with. If their performance Neighbours, the hobby became a phenomenon.” in the film, or the music title, fulfils the fans’ Kylie Minogue’s way to the music industry expectations, this attention turns into recognition was the first evidence of the most improbable or even enthusiasm. If they can then corroborate aspect of the success of Neighbours: its power this performance in follow-up movies and as a celebrity academy. For RTL Group CEO records, their path to stardom is paved.” Gerhard Zeiler, there are no secrets behind the mechanism: “Soap stars know how to work Kylie Minogue began her acting career at a hard and they are household names. That can young age, but it wasn’t until her portrayal of the be an ideal launch pad for stardom.” Besides character Charlene on Neighbours that her rise to Minogue, her on and off-screen boyfriend, Jason international stardom began. She played the role Donovan, also parlayed his Neighbours part into from 1986 to 1988. In 1987, Minogue performed a pop career. 3 the RTL Group intranet week 51 appearing in the role of Adam/Felicia in the hit film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Since then, Guy has risen to international fame, with acting roles in LA Confidential, Best Picture ‘Oscar’-winning film The Hurt Locker and multiple Award-winner and international hit The King’s Speech. In 2011, he won an ‘Emmy Award’ for his supporting role in HBO miniseries Mildred Pierce. Jason Donovan, Kylie Minogue and Guy Pearce (from left to right) Jason Donovan played the character of Scott Robinson from 1985 to 1989. The wedding to Charlene Mitchell (played by Kylie Minogue) was watched by more than 19 million viewers on BBC1 in the UK alone. After Neighbours, Jason Donovan excelled in the music business, releasing a single and an album that went to number one on the UK album charts, selling Natalie Imbruglia (left) and Scott Michaelson 30 million records. He later appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2006. A DJ Natalie Imbruglia pursued a singing career after for the UK radio station Heart, he was also one leaving Neighbours, where she was known as of the contestants on the latest season of Strictly Beth Brennan, in 1993. Her version of the song Come Dancing in the UK. Torn became an international hit in 1997, topping the UK and US charts at number one and selling Guy Pearce started acting on Neighbours in over seven million copies while she continued 1985, aged 17, then went on to the television working as an actress. Today, she is considered series Home and Away as well as other film and one of VH1’s most popular artists and was a television programmes. He became a star after judge on Australia’s X Factor in 2010. Russell Crowe played the tough Kenny Larkin on Neighbours for four episodes in 1987. Today, he is an acclaimed international film actor with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After Neighbours, Crowe appeared in Australian films such as Romper Stomper before making his mark in the US with roles that have earned him countless international Awards and nominations. He achieved three consecutive ‘Academy Award’ nominations (1999 to 2001) for his roles in The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001). He has also appeared in LA Confidential (1997), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2002), and Robin Hood, among others. In 2001 he was awarded the prestigious ‘Australian Centenary Medal’ for his services to the Australian society Guy Pearce 4 the RTL Group intranet week 51 Soap actors are a regular guest in viewers’ living rooms and have learned what appeals to, interests, and moves their audience. Dietrich Leder says: “They have a lot of things in common with their audiences; other actors can often only attain this special status with difficulty and through a longer filmography.” Australia’s Neighbours isn’t the only launch pad for successful careers. In Germany, Grundy UFA’s Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten (Good Times, Bad Times) also introduced several actresses who are now well known in Germany. Yvonne Catterfeld’s television exposure on the show launched her music career, and helped to make her single Für dich number one on the German, Austrian and Swiss charts. Her first album went Platinum, and she repeated this Jason Donovan and Russel Crowe success with a subsequent single and album, while still appearing in movies and television. and film production, has also been nominated six times for Best Actor by the Australian Film In 2004 she won an ‘Echo Award’ for Best Institute, winning four times. He is also an avid Female Artist National Rock/Pop. She has sports fan and the co-owner of an Australian played in movies and TV productions such National Rugby League team, the South Sydney as Keinohrhasen, Vulkan and Zweiohrküken Rabbitohs. and is currently working on her sixth album. In an interview on the occasion of the broadcast Jesse Spencer furthered his acting career in the of her latest movie Das Mädchen auf dem US after appearing on Neighbours from 1994 to Meeresgrund, Catterfeld told the German tabloid 2000, and is best known today for his role as Bild: “The media don’t really associate soaps Dr Robert Chase on the hit US medical drama with real performance, and many members of House. The show is the most popular TV series the audience also tend to think that anyone can in the world according to the Guinness Book of do a soap. But the truth is: you need enormous World Records, and is watched by 81.8 million discipline. The time pressure is much greater people in 66 countries. than in films, because everything always has to Jesse Spencer Yvonne Catterfeld (left) and her colleague Raphaël Vogt 5 the RTL Group intranet week 51 be finished right away.” Obviously, this is tough, but can also be a good training ground for an great career in show business. Dietrich Leder has a similar view on this: “Their success is also based on the fact that acting in daily soaps is a very taxing profession that requires – beyond acting skills – great physical and mental presence, along with great discipline and a certain degree of flexibility,” he says. This flexibility is not just needed in the production process, but also in marketing the soap in question. Actors on soaps have learned to promote the product they work on. Alexandra Neldel (right) at a polo event. She had been working as a dental assistant, and went on to successfully audition for a role on daily soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten in 1996.