Brian Beacom

WANT to become a successful television actress and land a couple of major dramas such as world-wide success story Outlander and Jimmy McGovern’s Broken?

Here’s what you should do; become a dog walker, work in cafes, do promotional work, take reception jobs, take any little acting gigs that help to pay the rent.

It also helps if you take yourself off to London, work you way into small theatre companies and learn. And meet people. Meet lots of people.

That was Lauren Lyle’s experience. And it paid off.

As a result, Lauren, who grew up in Glasgow’s South Side, will be back in time travel fantasy Outlander at the end of the year playing the spikey, no-nonsense Marsali.

And she has a feature film out next year.

Her boldness has paid off.

“Looking back, I guess some of what I did was bold,” says the actress, smiling.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. I just knew I had to meet people, to make contacts. So I did lots of jobs, did amateur plays, went to the Fringe and then went to an acting class.”

Lauren however didn’t grow up dreaming of becoming an actress.

“I began acting with Scottish Youth Theatre, but as a hobby. Then when I was 15 the family moved to New Zealand.

“I did plays while at school there but at this time I’d never imagined it could be a career. But when it came time to apply for university I decided to apply for drama school.

“We had to come back to the UK anyway, given my dad’s visa had run out.”

Lauren’ drama school application failed. She tried again. And failed again.

But she was determined and took off on her own to live in London.

Gradually, she landed an agent and then landed work in The Crucible at the Old Vic.

“I was understudying all the women in the play, and I had a small part of my own. This was a six month job in which I learned a huge amount.

“The production was great, and the reviews were brilliant. I just soaked it all in.”

Lauren went on to join the National Youth Theatre, still keen to learn, which led to her joining their rep company in 2015.

“This was their flagship course which lasted nine months and it was amazing, and you workshop with really big companies.”

She worked on three plays, which went into the West End. So far, so great. But then nothing happened for months.

Now, this is the point when many hopeful actors fall into despair. Lauren didn’t.

“In early 2016 I couldn’t get a recall for any acting work. I couldn’t even get an audition for a job. Then in the summer I got an audition for Broken, the Jimmy McGovern drama. But I didn’t think I would get the part because it was that of a Northerner, rather than a Scot.

“Two weeks later, I had an audition for Outlander. And then three weeks later I heard I’d got the role.”

It’s not hard to see why Outlander producers saw Lauren as perfect for the role of Marsali, the young headstrong woman prepared to flee her life to travel thousands of miles to be with her true love.

“I think the producers picked up on our similarities,” says Lauren, smiling.

“During auditions I always had something to say.”

She adds; “My dad has said that when he watches the show, that’s exactly what I was like as a teenager.

“I would talk back, and I was never one for rules at school. I was never one for following a curriculum, even though my mum is a teacher.”

Lauren adds; “I was into sports, I’ve always been very competitive, so there is that similarity also.

“But I could never have been as brave as Marsali. To get onto a boat in the 1700s to go to the other side of the world to be with a man, well that’s huge.”

Is she glad she didn’t get into drama college straight off?

“Yes, I think I am. The experience I had was more conventional, and I worked really, really hard.

“I don’t think I would have done some of the things I have had if I’d gone straight to college. And somehow it all worked out.

“I haven’t come across anyone in the business who is too bothered about me not going to drama college.”

Her dog-walking days are most likely behind her. Outlander is set to run on and she has a movie coming out next year, Tell It To The Bees, co-starring alongside Holliday Grainger and Anna Paquin. .

“The dog walking was great,” says Lauren, smiling.

“Until you realise part of it involves picking up other people’s dog poo. Then it becomes a little bit soul destroying.”

Outlander, Series Four, will be screened at the end of the year. auren