Ronni Ancona has revealed her next roles after finishing her stint as the manipulative Bea Pollard on EastEnders. The actress and comedian will appear in the World War II film Think of England, out in cinemas this autumn, and in the film Fortitude alongside Nicolas Cage, Michael Sheen, and Sir Ben Kingsley.
Playing the Villain in EastEnders
Ancona described being approached to play Bea as an honour. “What was interesting is that they thought it was a perfect part for me because she was a very annoying, deranged, delusional woman. They thought I’d be perfect for it! ‘Great!’, I thought. It was a compliment,” she said.
She emphasised the complexity of the character: “Bea is very complicated – I didn’t want to play her as just the villain. She genuinely thinks she’s right. Nobody wakes up one morning and decides to become Bea. Somewhere along the line, something has gone very wrong.”
A Career Highlight: Working with Catherine O’Hara
Ancona cited working with Catherine O’Hara in a film as a very special career highlight. “That was very, very special for me working with her,” she said.
She also expressed pride in her role in Last Tango In Halifax, where she played a character who was drunk most of the time. “I think there were only two scenes where she was sober! I love the writer Sally Wainwright so much, that was such an honour to do.”
Impressions and The Big Impression
Reflecting on her gift for impressions, Ancona said: “When I was a kid, it’s a horrible cliché, but I was a bit clumsy and awkward, not one of the popular kids. I think I inadvertently made people laugh – I think I did it to be liked.”
She noted that The Big Impression with Alistair McGowan captured the zeitgeist of emerging celebrity culture. However, she believes such a show would be difficult today because “everybody knows what everybody is doing” due to social media. “A lot of things have become a parody of themselves already.”
Future Projects and Ambitions
Ancona also has a podcast with Hal Cruttenden, Hal and Ronni in Pieces, and a production company with Sally Phillips called Captain Dolly, which is producing a mockumentary film. She said: “Sally Phillips and I are very keen on producing and possibly being in comedy films.”
When asked if she would return to EastEnders, she replied: “I had such a lovely time with her, she was so delicious to play, so never say never.”
