Sienna Blake
| Sienna Blake | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Hollyoaks character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Anna Passey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2012– | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 21 November 2012 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Bryan Kirkwood | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Barmaid (2013) Nanny (2013) Receptionist (2014) Shop Assistant (2015–) |
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| Home | 5 Oakdale Drive, Flat 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sienna Bradley (also Blake) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Anna Passey. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 21 November 2012. Emily Lawrance was originally selected for the role but Passey replaced her. The recast occurred within weeks and only Passey has appeared on-screen as Sienna.
The character has featured in many high-profile storylines, including discovering her twin brother Dodger Savage (Danny Mac) is alive, a relationship with Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) and stealing his wife Nancy's (Jessica Fox) life, faking a pregnancy, being kidnapped by her half-brother Will Savage (James Atherton), suffering from a mental illness, searching for her long-lost daughter Nico Blake (Persephone Swales-Dawson), being locked up by her father Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield), marrying Ben Bradley (Ben Richards), hiding the fact that Nico murdered Ben's daughter Carly Bradley (Sophie Wise), being abused and stabbed by her daughter, embarking on an affair with Trevor Royle (Greg Wood) and ending her marriage with Ben just after two weeks.
Casting
The character of Sienna was announced on 7 October 2012, with Emily Lawrance cast in the role.[1] However, the role was recast with Passey before the character made her on-screen debut.[2] Sienna is the twin sister of Dodger Savage (Danny Mac), the twin sibling Dodger never knew he had.[2] Passey made her first on-screen appearance as Sienna in the episode broadcast on 21 November 2012.[3]
Development
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Sienna Blake is beautiful, clever and calculating, often keeping secrets from those around her. A troubled girl with serious insecurities, Sienna conceals her cold, cynical and manipulative behaviour beneath a charming, warm exterior. This conflicting personality has allowed Sienna to lure many into her web of lies and deceit...
— Channel4.com on Sienna.[4]
In an interview with Digital Spy Passey described Sienna as a "bit of a villain" with a more "complicated" narrative.[5] When she joined the show, Passey was disclosed the background of Sienna's character by the producers, "I knew all about her upbringing and the problems she'd had with her family."[5] On the characters background Passey said, "She's had quite an unusual upbringing, because she's never really had any friends. Normally, most people learn how to socialise and form relationships with people as they grow up, but Sienna has missed out on all of that. She's only ever really had her father."[5]
Passey opined that Sienna is not "evil".[6] Speaking to Inside Soap, Passey said: "With her upbringing, she isn't an out-and-out evil person. She really believes she's got her reasons to do what she does."[6]
Storylines
Dodger tracks his father Patrick Blake (Jeremy Sheffield) down but is adamant that his son died. After Dodger proves his real identity, Patrick reveals Sienna is his twin sister. Sienna begins spending time with Dodger and takes a dislike to half brother Will Savage (James Atherton). Sienna secures a job at the local pub and befriends Darren Osborne (Ashley Taylor Dawson) and Nancy (Jessica Fox). Sienna soon starts to interfere in their relationship. When she realises that Nancy is developing an addiction to painkillers, Sienna manipulates the situation to get closer to Darren. When Nancy tries to overcome her addiction Sienna begins spiking her drinks and food with painkillers. Sienna finds Nancy sleeping and starts a fire with an iron to make Nancy appear unable to look after Oscar. She then pushes Oscars empty pram into traffic causing Nancy to get hit by a car. The series events causes the breakdown of Nancy and Darren's marriage.
Sienna sleeps with Darren but ensures that Nancy catches them. No one believes Nancy's accusations that Sienna is trying to steal her life and family. Sienna then tells Nancy to run away with Oscar and Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan). But when Nancy leaves Sienna harms herself and fills her flat with gas to make it appear that Nancy has tried to kill her. The police believe that Nancy has abducted her own children and a police chase results in Nancy's car hanging off the edge of a multi-storey carpark. Sienna is delighted when her plan sees Nancy sectioned. When Sienna realises that Darren still loves Nancy she pretends to be pregnant. She fakes scans and appointments while trying to get pregnant. But she becomes more unstable as the lie esculates. Problems in the Osborne household arise from Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks) and Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins) who still support Nancy. She attempts to manipulate the situation but Tom begins to suspect that Sienna is lying about her pregnancy and catches her breast-feeding Oscar. Tom decides to plant a hidden camera and discovers that Sienna has been wearing a prosthetic baby bump.
When an explosion occurs in the local council flats, Sienna kidnaps Tom. She tells him that he caused the explosion and Darren has died. She locks him in the cellar of her childhood home and holds him captive bringing him food daily. Tom is declared missing and a police investigation is launched. Sienna convinces Chloe Chance (Susan Loughnane) to sell her unborn baby to her. Tom manages to escape and Nancy is released from the secure unit. Nancy confronts Sienna and rips her dress revealing that she is not pregnant. An upset Sienna then tries to convince her brother, Dodger, to run away. But she attempts to kiss him. Sienna then abducts Tom, Charlie and Oscar and locks them in the Roscoes garage. She tries to kill them with exhaust fumes. But they are saved and Sienna is sectioned. It is then revealed that Sienna had a child when she was a teenager. Patrick told her the baby died but he had actually put it up for adoption. Dodger vows to help Sienna find her daughter.
Gangster Fraser Black (Jesse Birdsall) sways a corrupt judge to let Sienna walk free. But other residents are unforgiving and start a hate campaign against her. When she learns that Peri Lomax (Ruby O'Donnell) was born on the same day as her daughter and is adopted, she assumes Peri is her daughter. Sienna manipulates Leela Lomax (Kirsty-Leigh Porter) into letting her move in. Sienna then exposes Danny Lomax's (Stephen Billington) affair with John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) to ruin his marriage to Sam Lomax (Lizzie Roper). The friction causes Peri to rely on Sienna more. Sienna ensures Sam discovers that Danny has slept with George Smith (Steven Roberts). She then tries to abduct Peri but the police believe it is a misunderstanding. When Leela confronts Sienna, she claims that Peri is her daughter. But Leela then reveals that Peri is her own daughter and not her sister. Leela forgives Sienna and tries to help her find Sophie. But Patrick pays the adoptive parent to tell Sienna that Sophie, now named Caroline, has run away.
Sienna finds her daughter Nico and she comes to live with her. Patrick plots to send Nico away, but Sienna eventually stands up to Patrick. He later reveals that Nico's father is Dodger. He explains that the pair met while in their teenage years but have failed to recognise each other as adults. Patrick realised that Dodger was her brother and adopting Nico and locked Sienna away for her own good. Sienna becomes obsessed with Dodger and take him and Nico hostage to create the perfect family. They are later rescued and Sienna is sectioned once again. She is later discharged by Dr. Charles S'avage (Andrew Greenough) and the pair form a friendship. When she is released she tries to make amends with Nico but her behaviour becomes increasingly odd. Following a series of rows, Sienna is stung by a bee and goes into anaphylactic shock. Nico purposely withholds her medication and she is rushed to hospital. Sienna later meets Ben Bradley (Ben Richards) and they begin a relationship. She starts to suspect that Ben is being unfaithful following his visits with a mystery woman named Carly (Sophie Wise). Sienna tracks her down and confronts her then a fight ensues. Nico strikes Carly over the head with a paperweight, killing her. Sienna asks Dr. S'avage to help dispose of her body at the hospital, but Ben finds her body and reveals that Carly is his daughter. Sienna feels guilty that her daughter has killed his daughter, but agrees to protect Nico. She lets Trevor Royle (Greg Wood) take the blame but he is later released. Problems with Nico continue and she slaps Sienna. She then has to deal with Patrick's deteriorating health due to motor-neuron disease and his subsequent suspicious death.
Sienna later becomes increasingly annoyed with Ben's feud with Trevor and Ben agrees to stop. But he attacks Trevor leaving him in hospital. Sienna discovers that Ben was responsible and she starts to help Trevor who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She sees a different side to Trevor and develops feelings for him and they begin an affair. Nico stops taking her kidney transplant anti-rejection medication and needs another transplant. She tries to kill Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) and Sienna helps to save her life. She agrees to keep the incident a secret but Nico over hears Sienna telling Trevor. Feeling betrayed, Nico stabs Sienna with a glass bottle. Sienna tells police that she cannot remember who attacked her. She and Trevor then plan to make Nico confess to some of her crimes as Sienna fears for her safety.
Reception
At the 2014 National Television Awards, Passey garnered a nomination for "Most Popular Newcomer".[7] She was nominated in the "Best Bitch" category during the 2013 Inside Soap Awards. In addition "Sienna plots to steal Nancy's life" received a nomination for "Best Storyline".[8] The latter was also nominated for an identical accolade at the The British Soap Awards 2014. But it was the "Villain of the Year" award that Passey secured at the ceremony.[9]
Tina Campbell of the Metro praised Passey's portrayal and described Sienna as having various layers to her personality. She noted that a backstory consisting of a woman beating father, unhinged mother and long-lost brother left her normality doomed. She added that "despite her (many) flaws, you can’t help but love Sienna" and deemed her Hollyoaks' best character.[10] Katie Archer of BT described Sienna as appearing "sweet and innocent", but "on the inside, things are far uglier."[11] MSN.com labeled the character a "barmaid [turned] psychopath".[12] Viewers' perception of Sienna changed during her tenure. A startled Passey told an Inside Soap reporter that Sienna gained sympathy following revelations about her long-lost daughter.[13]
References
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