Alanah Bloor from Cornwall in the lead role in TV’s Sandokan
Alanah Bloor, 25, from the Helston area, has been cast in the lead role in new series Sandokan alongside award-winning actor Ed Westwick, John Hannah and Turkish star Can Yaman.
Variety’s website explains that Sandokan is set in the mid-19th century on the island of Borneo. Alanah will play the role of Marianne, the daughter of the British consul who runs away with Sandokan (Can Yaman).
Lord James Brooke, played by Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick, will go on his way to try and win Marianne’s heart.
Ed Westwick, John Hannah and newcomer Alanah Bloor join Turkish star Can Yaman in “Sandokan,” the reboot of the cult Italian TV series about the adventures of its titular pirate.
— Variety (@Variety) April 18, 2024
This is Alanah’s first big step into the industry after appearing in numerous productions from a young age, including at the legendary Minnack Theatre.
Her love for acting began when she was a student at Constantine Elementary School. Alanah attended the drama club and performed in the school production of “Oliver”.
When she moved to Helston Community College, Alanah was supported by her drama teachers Steph Richardson and Ben Oldfield.
After completing her GCSEs and A Levels in drama, Alanah was awarded a place at East 15 Drama School in Essex before graduating from Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) in 2023.
Alanah’s parents Gavin and Caroline Bloor, who are both teachers at Helston Community College, said they are very “overwhelmingly proud” of their daughter.
“She is such a kind and beautiful young woman,” Caroline explained. “She has had to be resilient and determined, a lot of people have said that acting is hard to get into, but she didn’t give up.
“We’re very proud of her, not just because of that, but because she’s a lovely, beautiful person. She’s a well-made local girl.”
Caroline continued: “We are impressed by how supportive she was, always supporting her dreams.”
Now that Alanah is filming for the series in Rome, Caroline explained that her daughter “loves coming back to Cornwall” and is very much a “Cornish girl”.
“He’s been talking to his fellow actors about Cornwall. They were particularly intrigued by the local traditions, especially Helston Flora Day,” Caroline added.
