THERE is something to be said for keeping under the radar. Despite appearances in a clutch of prime-time television shows, including sci-fi comedy Misfits and costume drama The Paradise, Katie Moore has never been stopped for an autograph. And that is just the way the Elloughton-raised actress likes it.
"It is really useful. I do not get recognised, because in all of the TV roles I've played I look very different," said the 25-year-old. "In Misfits, they gave me a crazy asymmetrical haircut and dragged my hair off my face to make me look scary.
"In The Paradise I wore a red wig, so I looked completely different. Unless you knew me, you wouldn't know it was me. I've not been recognised once.
"I'm aware that when you do higher profile things it is something that goes with the job and I would never shun anyone or be rude if I was recognised.
"But it is not something I am seeking. I have never been in it for anything other than the love of acting."
The former South Hunsley School pupil has been building a career on stage and television since graduating in 2010.
Now based in London, she has appeared in programmes including Misfits, where she played the diabolical Tania – "I could freeze people and do what I wanted to with them" – and as Drea, a young woman, in an episode of sword and sorcery drama Merlin.
Most recently, you might have seen her in Victorian-era drama The Paradise, set in England's first department store, where she plays the role of the endearingly ditzy shop assistant Susy.
"She is sweet and naive to a lot of things," said Katie.
"In her naivety, she manages to get herself in trouble and tends to make mistakes. She is quite often the butt of jokes but enjoys it and joins in."
The prime-time show, which Katie hopes will be returning for a third series, saw five months of filming at Lambton Castle in the north-east.
Her involvement is the latest recognition for the young actress, who spent three year's training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
And she says she owes a lot to her early years in Hull.
Katie's first involvement in dance and drama was through the city's Northern Theatre Company (NTC).
Then a pupil at Elloughton Primary School, Katie took her first lead role at the age of ten in the musical Annie under the direction of Richard Green.
"From the dancing there was a natural progression to wanting to do other kinds of performance," she said.
"I got quite interested in the singing side of things and doing Annie made me realise it was not just dancing I was interested in. I think I was quite comfortable. I remember it being really exciting.
"I remember the buzz of being at Hull New Theatre and it being packed out.
"I remember being really tired at school during the day, because of doing the show at night, but really enjoying being on stage.
"From that point, I don't think I was interested in doing anything else – there was never going to be another path I was going to take."
She went on to take roles in shows including 42nd Street, Oliver! and Thoroughly Modern Millie.
"School was fine but Northern Theatre was where I was always excited about going to," she said.
"My life was about going to Northern a couple of nights a week. I had a lot of friends there and the productions were always brilliant.
"There was a real sense of community. From a really young age you felt like part of the team. It was an amazing place to grow up and I feel like I did a lot of growing up there.
"The parts that Richard Green gave me went from strength to strength, he trusted me in quite a few different roles."
She went on to become one of only 12 students – six male and six female – selected to study at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
"It was life changing, it meant I was ready and geared up to see what the industry was all about," she said.
"And it is a tough industry. People pick you up and put you down whenever they want.
"It is amazing how close you can get to a role and then the smallest thing, like the colour of your eyes, makes them change their minds and not take you on.
"What is such a battle is that you are competing with more experienced actors, so every time I have managed to get a role of substance I feel a real sense of achievement.
"I have been really lucky in that it has not been too difficult for me. I had some breaks early on that made people take some notice of me."
The first was in Salad Days – a revival of the 1950s musical – which, staged at London's Riverside Studios, which led to her break on television in Merlin.
She remains philosophical about the instability of the acting profession – "There's always going to be periods when you don't know what's going to happen next," she said, but has the support of fellow actors, including her boyfriend Tom Weston-Jones.
There is also the path set out by fellow former Northern Theatre Company actress Sheridan Smith.
Sheridan, who found fame with the TV comedy series Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, is now an established actress on the London stage.
Her acclaimed roles have included the lead in Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler.
"I really admire her as an actress," Katie said. "She has given me hope that you can be a northern lass and still take a role like Hedda Gabler.
"She has broken the mould – she has broken away from playing northern characters and that for me is really exciting.
"It shows it is her acting skills that are the proof of the pudding."
![Why Misfits and The Paradise actress Katie Moore owes her burgeoning success to Hull's theatre scene]( "Why Misfits and The Paradise actress Katie Moore owes her burgeoning success to Hull's theatre scene")
