Article from “Entertainment.ie”:
Charlene McKenna has told of her disappointment that Raw has been binned.
RTE bosses scrapped the racy kitchen drama last week after five seasons to save cash and ensure Love/Hate’s survival.
But the actress, 28, admitted it will be tough to bid farewell to her co-stars and straight-talking Jojo Harte.
Speaking for the first time since the decision, she said: “We were such a family for five years. And Jojo was a rare one.
“It’s not often you get such a young, strong character.
“There was Jojo making a balls of everything and yet it was all OK in the end.
“She kept her humour and never gave up.”
But Charlene has not been left without a show and revealed she will be going to Hollywood after filming a second series of the BBC’s Ripper Street.
The Monaghan star has met production firms in the US who showed huge interest in her. And Charlene plans another trip when she’s free.
She added: “I didn’t even know what Hollywood looked like. I wanted to go if only to make it real in my head.
“I wanted to meet people and shake their hands and tick all the boxes.
“It was fruitful in one way but when they asked whether I was available I had to say no. They said come back when you are.”
But Charlene admitted she doesn’t love being around screen stars as they are too touchy.
She told the RTE Guide: “Actors are the most sensitive creatures I have ever met.
“It’s about believing you’ re the best without being arrogant.
“You’ve to walk that tightrope. Many are the tears I have shed down the years.
“But I have been blessed in that I have rarely been out of work for very long.”
Charlene revealed she never expected to become an actor but learned everything she needed for the challenging job while working in a pub.
She explained: “You get to really know people working behind a bar.
“Whatever way my head works, I was sponging it in – all the different characters and what made them tick.
“Looking back now, that was me in training.”
Charlene has gone back to university and is studying French and she recently spent time at a college in Paris.
She said: “I sometimes think what else would I do? What else could I do?
“I have started studying French and spent a week at a French school in Paris.
“Why French? I don’t know.
“But I really admire Kristin Scott Thomas – and the fact she moved to France and got into French film. That would be my dream.”
