Laura Doddington has described her time on EastEnders as a “whirlwind”, saying it is a “real privilege and honour” to bring a new family to Albert Square with her character.
The 45-year-old actress made her first appearance as Nicola Mitchell on the BBC soap in 2024, and viewers have seen her navigate storylines around murder, infidelity and more recently a premature pregnancy.
Her character has been at the heart of the drama since her arrival, and earlier this week her estranged mother and her sisters made their dramatic debut in Walford as part of the new Hawkins family.
Reflecting on the whirlwind journey
In an interview with the Press Association, Doddington reflected on how it feels to play a character who has quickly become a central figure on the show, bringing five new additions to the Square.
The soap star recounted how she has recently passed her “two-year starting date anniversary”, and said: “I can’t believe it. It’s incredible and amazing.
“When (executive producer Ben Wadey) told me, I was like, ‘What? Oh my gosh, that’s incredible!’
“It’s been a whirlwind because I’ve gone from sort of storyline to storyline and then we’ve got this – it’s a real privilege and an honour.”
Introducing the Hawkins family
The Hawkins family is comprised of Marian McLoughlin as Nicola’s mother Rose, while Patricia Potter and Anna Constable portray her sisters Gemma and Jodie, respectively.
The new additions also include Jamie Bamber as Gemma’s husband Ned and Felix Uff as their mischievous son Ryder.
Reflecting on the arrival of her character’s extended family, Doddington told PA: “I think for Nicola, it’s really frustrating.
“Families bring out certain things in us, and I think seeing Nicola as the daughter and as the sister will be a very different Nicola to the parent or the lover or the wife.
“We are multifaceted. Human beings are multi-layered. And I think slowly those layers will have to be revealed at some point.”
Exploring complex family dynamics
Viewers have recently seen her character reflect on her turbulent relationship with her abusive father and how she blamed herself for his death, as well as the impact this had on her relationship with her mother.
Reflecting on the fractured relationship between Nicola and Rose, Doddington said: “I think deep down Nicola wants her mother to love her, and to acknowledge how strong she was when she was a child.
“I think that she wants to be loved by her mum and accepted, and I think because that hasn’t been the case, that’s why she cut them out of her life.
“The problem is it’s complex.
“She loves her mum and she hates her, and she sees how much her mum cared for and loved her sisters.”
Doddington added that it is “really fun to play” the sibling relationship with Potter and Constable’s characters, and praised the fact there is “so much opportunity and so much to explore” with these new additions to the Square.
EastEnders is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
