Sheridan Smith has recently opened up about her challenging filming experience for the new Channel 5 thriller series, The Castaways, expressing her regret over her tattoos and the effort it took to cover them up during the shoot. The 43-year-old actress, known for her roles in Gavin and Stacey and The Royle Family, had to endure three hours each day applying waterproof makeup to conceal her body ink for the role of Lori, a plane crash survivor stranded on a desert island.
Smith, who bears several tattoos, including "Daddy's Girl" on one forearm and "C'est la vie" on the other, shared her frustration with RadioTimes.com shortly after the series aired on January 26, 2025. "Normally I can get away with cardigans or long-sleeve shirts, but wrecked on a tropical island… I had a call three hours before anyone else. I couldn't use my usual stuff to cover them up; it had to be waterproof! So three people were dabbing away to cover it all. I never regretted my tats so much – I'll never have another one. Actors – just don't do it!" Smith stated.
The struggle with her tattoos is not just superficial for Smith. She got many of her tattoos during what she described as a “wobble” back in 2016, prompted by her father's cancer diagnosis. This led her to withdraw from the musical Funny Girl due to stress and exhaustion. Elaborately reflecting on her difficult period, she noted: "I had a wobble, covered myself in tattoos. I lost a lot of confidence aroundthat time, but it has come back thankfully, due to friends and supportive people."
Her motivations for the ink stem from her past struggles, where she believed it might hinder job opportunities. According to her, "The reason I got all these tattoos was because I thought no one was ever going to give me a job again… you are not meant to have body markings in the theatre. It was my way of self-destructing but giving myself a reason for it. My mum went berserk." With newfound clarity, she now hopes her son Billy will not follow her tattooed path.
Exploring the series' plot, The Castaways follows sisters Lori and Erin (played by Celine Buckens) on what was meant to be the holiday of their dreams to Fiji. A huge argument leads Erin to skip the trip, leaving Lori to board the fateful plane alone. For months, the search for Lori becomes fruitless until the unlikely use of her credit card flags her potential whereabouts, prompting Erin to head to Fiji on a rescue mission. The narrative alternates between the present-day investigation and Lori's struggle for survival since the crash.
Addressing her fears during filming, Smith described the project as particularly daring, stating: "I can't swim. I'm scared of heights. I'm scared of spiders. I'm scared of everything. And I took this job. I took it on one episode... Then suddenly, I'm in the water for four episodes… and I can't swim. And also jumping off cliffs. But I've conquered some fears! I'm pleased I did it. It’s really action-packed and so different from anything I've done before.”
The cast's other notable members include Brendan Cowell as Mike Brass, the plane's captain, Lasarus Ratuere as survivor Felix Vatubua, and Dominic Tighe portraying Daniel Eldridge. Charlotte Vega, Celeste Dodwell, Joseph Mydell, Alice Barclay, and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart form the rest of the supporting cast, enriching the show with their characters' dynamics and background narratives.
The series, which is adapted from Lucy Clarke's bestselling novel, was praised by critics, with The Guardian calling it "A darkly plotted and sunnily staged piece of escapism."
For fans eager to catch the drama, The Castaways consists of five hour-long episodes, airing on Channel 5 starting January 26, 2025, running consecutively until the final episode on January 30, 2025. With its gripping narrative and Smith's compelling performance, the series is set to keep viewers engaged as it unravels the tangled web of lost opportunities and survival on the mysterious island.