Cora Cross
| Cora Cross | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EastEnders character | |||||||||||||
 Ann Mitchell in Eastenders | |||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Ann Mitchell | ||||||||||||
| Duration | 2011— | ||||||||||||
| First appearance | 11 April 2011 | ||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Bryan Kirkwood | ||||||||||||
| Spin-off appearances | Lauren's Diaries (2011)[1] | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Cora Cross is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by the award-winning actress Ann Mitchell. Cora is the mother of Tanya Jessop (Jo Joyner) and Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks). Cora initially appeared from 11 to 15 April 2011, and returned as a regular character on 28 July. Cora is described as having "a brash, outspoken attitude and does not care who she offends. She also quickly puts Tanya under scrutiny, believing that success has turned her into a snob". It was said that she secretly wants to heal the rift between Tanya and Rainie. On 31 May 2011, it was confirmed that Cora would be returning to EastEnders as a regular character. Kirkwood said, "We all love Cora here—actress Ann Mitchell could be one of the Walford greats. She'll be returning late in the summer and is here to stay."
She first arrives to attend her daughter Tanya's wedding to Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth). She leaves for a while and then arrives back at Tanya's house saying she has problems with her neighbours. When Rainie, Cora and Tanya go back to the house to pick up some belonging, the neighbour reveals Cora has an ASBO. Tanya kicks Cora out of her house due to her controlling nature. Cora moves in with Dot Branning (June Brown) and sells to Anthony Moon (Matt Lapinskas) but is ripped off.
Storylines
Backstory
Cora Cross, born 2 August 1946, was married to her late husband, William Cross. They had three children, Rainie and Tanya Cross and an unseen Debs Cross. When Bill fell ill, Cora was out drinking most nights and bringing men home. Tanya at the age of 13, looked after her father until he died. It was later revealed that Tanya had helped Willam to die as he was in pain and didn't think it was fair for him to suffer. When Cora discovers this, she is heartbroken. Tanya later moves out of her mother's home.
2011—
On her first appearance, she turns up at Tanya's house unannounced, and revealing that Tanya's fiancé Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth) invited her to their wedding against Tanya's wishes.[3] Rainie arrives at Tanya's house and Tanya is initially unhappy at the sight of Rainie but Cora vouches for her by promising that she is now clean from drugs and her counsellor thinks Rainie should reconnect with her family. Tanya soon softens towards her mother and sister. On Tanya's hen night, Cora takes a dislike to Vanessa Gold (Zoe Lucker) after Vanessa laughs about them living on a council estate. The next day, Tanya's ex-husband Max Branning (Jake Wood) goes to Tanya's house after tearing their daughter Abi Branning's (Lorna Fitzgerald) bridesmaid dress; Tanya does not want to see him so Cora attempts to sort him out, claiming she knows how to "push his buttons". She tells Max that although the girls have his name, they are Crosses deep down. It is revealed that Rainie is staying at Cora's house. Cora then attends Tanya's wedding, and finds it amusing that Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) has kissed Greg the night before as Jane said he was kind to her when she was crying about a fight she had with Tanya when Tanya thought Jane was trying to get close to Greg. Cora says it is interesting, saying that Tanya would have ripped her eyes out if she had kissed Max when they were together. Cora departs after the wedding on 15 April, and Rainie later reveals that she has moved out of her mother's home.
Cora returns months later as she can no longer handle her abusive neighbours and asks to stay with Tanya for a few days. Tanya lets her stay longer, and on her birthday, she visits The Queen Victoria public house and meets Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker) and Alfie Moon (Shane Richie). She gets drunk and confronts Tanya about forgetting her birthday and how she treats Rainie. Cora also guesses that Tanya does not love Greg, but Tanya denies this. Cora reveals she has been evicted from her home because her neighbour has an ASBO, but when Cora, Tanya and Rainie return there to empty the house, the neighbour reveals that Cora is the one with the ASBO. She looks after Tanya's young son Oscar Branning (Charlee and Neo Hall) but he annoys her due to the noise he makes. She leaves him to play on the stairs and he falls, resulting in minor injuries.
Eventually Cora is forced to move out of Tanya's and convinces Dot Branning (June Brown) to let her stay with her. She asks Anthony Moon (Matt Lapinskas) to help her move her things, saying he can keep one of her belongings as payment. He asks for her candlesticks, but she says they are the only decent thing she owns, so she lets him buy them for £200. She later finds out they could be worth £1000, so convinces Anthony's father Eddie (David Essex) to give her an extra £300, but he believes them to be worth £8000. Dot later kicks Cora out for laughing at her and using language that Dot dislikes. Cora arrives at Tanya's house just as Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) is throtling Rainie so Cora fends Shirley off and threatens her. Tanya then lets Cora stay with her. When Max returns because Abi is worried about Tanya, it leads to Lauren revealing that Tanya has cervical cancer and has stopped her treatment. Tanya explains that she did not tell anyone because of how it was for her when her father, Bill, was dying of cancer. She then tells Cora and Rainie that Bill did not die peacefully as they thought, but he was in constant pain so Tanya helped him to die. Cora is initially horrified, but after Tanya explains further the circumstances surrounding Bill's death, they reconcile. Cora then vows to support Tanya through her illness. Cora starts voluntary work at a cancer charity shop, where she is quickly promoted to manager. Cora notices that her granddaughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) has started a casual relationship with Tyler Moon (Tony Discipline). Concerned by this, Cora tells Tyler that Lauren needs stability, so he tells Lauren they should be friends without sex.
Creation and development
Casting
Cora and her casting were announced on 21 March 2011. It was announced that award-winning actress, Ann Mitchell would be playing the role.[3] She was described as having "a brash, outspoken attitude and does not care who she offends. She also quickly puts Tanya under scrutiny, believing that success has turned her into a snob".[3] It was said that she secretly wants to heal the rift between Tanya and Rainie.[4] She has also been described as a "bolshie battleaxe".[5] Mitchell said of her casting "As a lifelong fan of EastEnders, I am thrilled to join the cast. I am a great fan of June Brown's [who plays Dot Branning] and am looking forward to sharing some scenes with her."[3] Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood opined: "I'm very excited to have the much-loved Ann Mitchell joining us. Cora Cross is a formidable woman, cut from the same cloth as many glorious Walford women of the past, and Ann Mitchell is just perfect for the role."[3] It is Mitchell's second role in EastEnders, having previously played Jane Williams from 2001 to 2002.[3] Cora initially appeared from 11[6][7] to 15 April 2011. On 31 May 2011, it was confirmed that Cora would be returning to EastEnders as a regular character. Kirkwood said, "We all love Cora here—actress Ann Mitchell could be one of the Walford greats. She'll be returning late in the summer and is here to stay."[8] Kirkwood added that he was keen to establish the Cross women.[8] Cora was originally only to be a guest characters, appearing from 11 April to 15 April[6][7][9] but was brought back as a regular character as of 28 June 2011.[10]
In an interview with Inside Soap, the executive prodcuer of EastEnders, Bryan Kirkwood commented: "With the loss of Barbara Windsor, I was keen to find a new matriarch for the show, and Ann Mitchell is a dream booking. I've always been a fan of her work, and with the storyline we've got planned, we'll wonder how we ever did without Cora".[11] Mitchell had previously appeared in EastEnders as Jane Williams, a woman Roy Evans had an affair with but only appeared for 6 episodes. Upon joining the soap, Mitchell commented: "As a lifelong fan of EastEnders I am thrilled to join the cast. I am a great fan of June Brown’s and am looking forward to sharing some scenes with her". Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood added, "I’m very excited to have the much-loved Ann Mitchell joining us. Cora Cross is a formidable woman, cut from the same cloth as many glorious Walford women of the past, and Ann Mitchell is just perfect for the role."[12]
In an interview with Digital Spy, Jake Wood was asked what kind of a dynamic he thinks that viewers could expect from Max and Cora. He replied: "If Max does move back home, they'd potentially have to spend a lot of time together, so I think they'd have to put their differences aside for Tanya's sake. Ann Mitchell is a superb actor and Cora is a great character - a great addition to the show. I'm very happy that she's here."[13]
Personality
The BBC explained the character Cora’s personality saying "Cora Cross is nothing like her daughter, Tanya. She is brash and says exactly what is on her mind no matter who she offends." The official EastEnders website describes the character saying "Cora Cross is a whirlwind of chaos who's storming into The Square. She's an unpredictable character that you either love being around or steer well clear of. Outwardly, Cora’s tough as old boots and doesn’t give a stuff what people think of her. But underneath all her bling and hair dye there is a sadness to her. She’s lonely, and wishes she had a relationship with her daughters Tanya & Rainie."[14]
Reception
The Daily Mail's Jaci Stephen deemed Cora "an archetypal East End matriarch".[15] Stephen wrote: "brash and blunt, what she lacks in diplomacy she makes up for in style, even if that's not the way daughter Tanya always sees it. The role is a perfect fit for actress Ann who, as gangster Dolly Rawlins in Widows, was one of the Eighties' most iconic TV females.[15] Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy said, "During her brief stay on Albert Square, Cora quickly became known for her brash attitude and outspoken ways."[8]
References
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (19 October 2011). "'EastEnders' Lauren delves into Cross family history - video". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ Director: Richard Platt; Executive Producer: Bryan Kirkwood; Writer: Wendy Granditer (3 January 2011). "Episode dated 02/08/2011". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
{{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|city=(help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d e f Kilkelly, Daniel (21 March 2011). "'EastEnders' confirms Tanya's mum casting". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
- ^ Lou (21 March 2011). "Cora blimey... it's Tanya's mum". EastEnders. London: BBC Online. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
- ^ Metro TV reporter (21 March 2011). "Tanya Branning's battleaxe mum to make surprise visit to EastEnders". Metro. London: Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
- ^ a b Director: Jamie Annett; Executive Producer: Bryan Kirkwood; Writer: Matt Evans (11 April 2011). "Episode dated 11/04/2011". EastEnders. BBC. BBC One.
{{cite episode}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|city=(help); Unknown parameter|serieslink=ignored (|series-link=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Kilkelly, Daniel (March 2011). "Tanya receives a shock". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Archived from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ a b c Kilkelly, Daniel (31 May 2011). "'EastEnders' exec confirms Cora Cross return". Digital Spy. Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (15 April 2011). "Ronnie comes to her senses at last". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (28 July 2011). "Michael vows to get revenge against Eddie". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ^ "Exclusive: Q&A with Bryan Kirkwood". Walford Web. Retrieved 10 July 2011.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ Admin. "Tanya's Cross to See Her Mum". Walford Web. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ Kilkelly, Daniel. "'EastEnders' Jake Wood on Max return, Branning clan future: Interview". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters/cora-cross.shtml
- ^ a b Stephen, Jaci (8 April 2011). "The ultimate insight into this week's soaps". Daily Mail. London: Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 16 April 2011.