Born:
October 20, 1967
in
Middlesbrough
Best Known For:
Playing Selena in Casualty
Early-life:
Born in Middlesbrough in 1967. She has two older siblings and a twin sister called Laura. She enjoyed drama from an early age and after leaving school attended Billingham Technical College to study an arts foundation course and an A Level in Theatre Studies. At 18, she moved to London to join the National Youth Theatre, before heading back to Newcastle, where she appeared in numerous stage productions.
Career:
After appearing in touring productions of The Rocky Horror Show and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Carling got her big TV break in 1989 when she landed the role of Laura Marsh in Boon. She followed that with appearances in Crocodile Shoes and Men Behaving Badly, and in 1997 replaced Dervla Kirwan as cockney barmaid Phoebe in the sitcom Good Night Sweetheart. She also starred in Border Cafe and Barbara before making a brief appearance in Casualty in 2003. A year later she became a regular on the medical drama when she accepted the role of Selena.
Quote:
On medical terms: 'You try to learn them as well as you can but it's like learning Swahili. It's not English and it doesn't come tripping off the tongue.'
Trivia:
Away from acting, Carling is a trained singer and released a big band album, Goodnight Sweetheart, in 1999.