News

Local 'Extras' in the Hollywood blockbuster ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ stepped forward into the limelight on Saturday night, at a special viewing of the movie.

Staff at the Odeon cinema in Canterbury laid on a ‘champagne and chocolates’ reception for 20 of the Background Artistes and their guests, before showing them to their reserved seats in screen one. Over 60 people, dressed in formal eveningwear, had the chance to mingle and view of a display of photographs of the actors in their costumes, as well as enter a special raffle to win family passes to the historic buildings featured in the film.

The background artistes who attended the viewing were: Sarah Palmer, Rosemary Sawyer, Keri Appleford, Jonathan Gatenby, Thomas Hazel, Alexander Bisby, Mark Smith, and Ed Clarke from Canterbury; Karol Steele, Renato Amitrano, Rob Forsyth, Michael McFarnell, and Hain MacSheonin from Dover; Catherine Benjamin, and Edna Rogers from Deal; Chris Arthur from River; Siobhan Hustler from Folkestone; Victoria Bull from Ashford; Kevin Hill from Hastings; and Enid Dring from New Romney.

Karol Steele, who played a Seymour noblewoman in the film, organised the get-together of all the actors who took part in the film. She said, “Fifteen months after we finished work on the movie, we are still in contact - we are always emailing or phoning, or contacting each other through Facebook. Some of us have also worked on other movies shot in Kent since we finished on The Other Boleyn Girl. We always promised that we would get back together to watch the film, and Saturday night was extra special.