THE Savage clan on Hollyoaks continue to be the source of endless gossip – and two recent young arrivals to the extended family have proved particularly popular with fans of the teatime Channel 4 soap.

Yet both Joe Tracini and Abi Phillips joined the series in unexpected ways – and they often pinch themselves about landing their roles!

Joe who was nominated for Best Comedy Performance at this year’s British Soap Awards after only six months in the show, continues to steal scenes as Dennis Savage, the confident but eccentric cousin of Dodger, Will and Liberty, who’s finding life and love in the big wide world rather difficult since being kicked out by his mum.

‘I wouldn’t say he’s a nerd, I think he’s just delightfully unaware of stuff!’ says 23-year-old Joe, who’s the son of Joe Pasquale.

As for Abi, who plays Dennis’s cousin Liberty Savage, she’s always considered herself a singer-songwriter rather than an actress, until getting the role – which she landed after submitting one of her songs to be played on the show.

She can, however, relate strongly to her character.

‘Liberty’s a bit ditzy and clumsy, and so am I,’ admits 18-year-old Abi, ‘and I get lost. I got lost today coming to this shoot!’
We’re very glad she found her way, as we experienced one of our most hilarious OK! Food shoots ever, chatting with these highly personable youngsters – in truth, a lot more clued up than the crazy cousins they play on screen.

Over a fabulous lunch at Liverpool’s Olive Press restaurant, we learnt more about Joe’s amazing magic skills – he can make it snow, you know! – and why you should never ask Abi to cook you a pizza!

You’re both relative newcomers to Hollyoaks – how’s life for you on Britain’s top teen soap?

Joe: I’ve always loved living up North. I did a job for two years in Leeds as well, a kids’ show for Cartoon Network.

I’m a Londoner, but London gets on my nerves sometimes!
I love the people in Liverpool, they’ve got so much more time for you.
I’m sharing a flat in Liverpool with Emmett [J Scanlan, who plays Brendan].
He’s a great mate and I just like his moustache, because I can’t grow one myself!

Abi: I’m really enjoying my time in Liverpool, I’ve got a lovely apartment, and my mum’s a frequent visitor, which is brilliant!

I turned 18 after I’d joined, so I had a big party in Liverpool with my mates, and then a family party in Dublin.

Tammy [Tamaryn Payne, who plays Annalise Appleton] came out to it.
I love everyone on the show but I really really like Tammy and we have similar interests – like pudding!

We reckon neither of you are exactly the typical Hollyoaks performer – in a good way! How did you get your roles?
Joe: They phoned me at the beginning of last year and said they were looking for new student characters, so I came in and did a workshop.

We looked through the parts they had coming up, and there wasn’t really anything there for me.

Then they phoned up about three weeks later and said they were going to write a part for me – and they’ve never done that for anyone before from a workshop.

I waited for six months and then it all came together.
I felt a lot of pressure not to be rubbish!
Abi: I wrote a song for the show, for Steph Cunningham’s exit, which went down really well.

Then they said they had a part for a singer, and would I like to come in and audition?
I went in and got a call saying I’d got it.
I was very surprised!

What was it like for you when you finally joined the show?
Joe: I was really nervous about coming into Hollyoaks, because I’ve never joined a show with an existing cast; on everything I’ve done before, I’ve joined at the start of the show.

But everyone was lovely – Bronagh [Waugh, who plays Cheryl Brady] and James Atherton, who plays my cousin Will, particularly.
On the first day, they showed me around.
And of course Abi and I get on really well.
We’re like proper cousins in real life!
Abi: At first I didn’t know what I was doing because I’ve never trained as an actress, and I kept looking in the lens!
I couldn’t help it.
I went straight into the show, and it was quite nerve-wracking, and I thought the public were going to hate me.
But it’s all been really lovely, and I feel like I’ve grown in the show.

Tell us a bit about your characters…
Joe: Dennis is very sweet, but he just has an ability to make everything awkward.
He’s got the best intentions for everything, but he’s just a bit of a div.
He hasn’t really grown up, maybe because he lived with his mum for a long time, and while everyone else has developed, he probably just sat at home.
Abi: Liberty is a bit ditzy, and she’s pretty much in her own world.
She’s impatient, she wants to get out there and do things – and she’s a singer.
Also, Liberty does love Dennis!
He’s one of her favourite people.
It’s because her brothers are so over-protective of her, and Dennis is more like a friend.
I think she’s kinder to him than many others might be!

Are you like your characters?
Abi: Well, I’m a singer, and I’m a bit ditzy and clumsy.
The other day, I put a pizza in the oven, set the timer, the timer went off half an hour later and I opened the oven, and the pizza was still frozen.
I’d not put the oven on!
Joe: I put a lot of myself in the character.
I do wear glasses, I dress like him, he looks like me, he’s got the same voice!
I’m enjoying that, it’s nice to play a character that’s really close to who I am.
So I guess he is quite similar to me – and I get on my nerves!

How are their love lives?
Abi: Liberty was with Ethan, who was her long-time boyfriend.
He cheated on her with two other girls.
It happens in real life – it happened to me!
So she’s single and ready to mingle.
As for me, I’m single!
Joe: Dennis is desperate for a girlfriend.

He’s madly in love with Leanne [Holiday], but it’s not reciprocated.
He doesn’t really know what’s going on.

All he knows is that she’s his height, which is a rarity!

It doesn’t look promising!

And now he’s moved in with her and Texas and Doug.

It’s all pretty awkward. They just put up with him!

Have you ever been in a similar situation in real life?
Joe: Yeah, on a regular basis!

It’s not easy to find a girlfriend when you’ve got no jaw-line and you’re 5ft 4in.
I do have a girlfriend but she’s drunk a lot of the time!
No, I’m joking of course.
I won’t reveal who she is, but it’s taken me a good 23 years to find someone who would actually spend more than five minutes with me, so I’m very happy.

Abi: Yes – I’ve been through what Liberty’s been through, being cheated on.
I’ve already written a few songs about it!
One’s quite funny – and one isn’t.
People do say I’m like Adele, in that sense, which is a lovely comparison.
She’s an idol of mine.

Have you got cousins in real life?
Joe: I’ve got an older cousin, James, and when we were growing up, we didn’t see each other much, but when we did he was happy to see me for about ten minutes, and then for the rest of the Christmas period, he hated me.

So even though I’m Dodger’s older cousin, it’s the same relationship.
‘It’s lovely to see you – please don’t spend any time with me!’

Joe, has your famous parentage helped you in your career?
Not at all. I changed my name a long time ago, purely because I would like to have done well on my own – or not done well on my own!

My dad [Joe Pasquale] worked hard for 27 years to get where he was, and I didn’t want to live off of that – because I never would have felt like I did it on my own.

How was your childhood with your father being such a big star? And did he ever try to dissuade you from entering show business?
My childhood was very normal.

It was like he was a plumber, who just does it on stage.

We never knew anything different.

And no, he’s never dissuaded me following my path.

If I’d wanted to be a B&Q manager he’d have been happy, or if I’d wanted to be a film star he’d have been happy.

My family were all behind me.

What kind of feedback have you had about your Hollyoaks character Dennis?
It’s been really nice.

People think he’s funny.

I did a lot of sitcoms before, so I knew I wasn’t brought in to sleep with someone’s sister or murder someone with a hammer, and they’ve let me play about with him.

You had a previous career as a magician. How did that come about?
I started doing it as a very young kid – I had very small hands, and I still have!

I taught myself until I was 15, and I won the British Championships in 2003, but thought I’d done everything I could with it.

I never really got on with people at school; I got all my social skills from doing table magic at restaurants.
So acting was always uppermost in my mind, and later on I trained at the Italia Conti Academy, which is where I did all my singing and dancing training.

What’s your favourite trick, and do you get asked by all the Hollyoaks crowd to do magic?
I used to make it snow at the end of my acts!
The cast do ask me – normally on nights out.
I don’t tend to do that, though. Special people might get some magic from me.

Abi, you performed your debut single at T4 On The Beach. What was that like?
Scary! I’d never been so nervous, but once I began singing I felt okay, and I got some lovely feedback.

Which is more important to you, singing or acting?
I’m loving the Hollyoaks experience, but I’d still say mainly singing.
It comes more naturally to me.

http://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/view/5108 ... Phillips-/