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02-15-2020, 08:40 PM
</p> While some Hollyoaks stars have swapped soapland for a life across the pond, Nick Pickard is happy where he is, thank you very much.
Long-standing cast member Nick, who plays Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 show, says he isn’t someone who thinks the grass is greener.
And it’s that attitude that has seen him become Hollyoaks’ only original star left standing.
Now, as the Liverpool-made soap gets ready to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Nick reveals why he’s lasted so long – a whole two decades.
Good work considering Hollyoaks is a pretty dangerous place to live.
Here he shares his enthusiasm over the soap’s impressive milestone, talks about his first 10 auditions for the part (yes 10!) and reminisces about his first day on set.
Do you remember your audition?
Yes I remember I had to do 10 auditions and I was so nervous. You always want the job but if youâ??ve just had one audition thereâ??s not as much pressure as if youâ??ve been back 10 times.
You start to think you might get the part. I got to know the people I was auditioning with and we used to travel back and forth to Liverpool together.
I remember when I got back from the last audition I went to my agentâ??s office and by the time I got there, theyâ??d heard that I got the part. We all had a group hug.
Lots of people leave Hollyoaks to go to Hollywood. Are you tempted to return to film?
Iâ??d like to do film again one day but Iâ??m really happy at Hollyoaks. Iâ??m not one of these people who thinks the grass is greener.
Iâ??m really proud of Hollyoaks and what itâ??s become. Iâ??ve been acting since I was a child and did a film with Christian Bale and Christopher Lee called Mio in the Land of Far Away.
I actually always wanted to be in Grange Hill and got really excited whenever I got a small part on that. My brother, John, was on Grange Hill for 10 years and then I went in. It was a show I always watched so I was really happy when I got to be in it.
What do you remember about your first day?
I was a bag of nerves. I remember being so nervous but that there were all these lovely people who made me feel really welcome and comfortable – some are still working here.
I remember word for word the first scene I did with Jeremy Edwards who played Kurt. We ran the scene so many times that my lines are firmly stuck in my memory. The scene was actually filmed in the canteen where the cast and crew ate.
</p> http://i1.wp.com/hameed.nwar.uk/w101/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Hollyoaks-Nick-Pickard-on-what-saved-Tony-from-a-brutal.jpg?w=1220
Phil Redmond, centre, with the cast of Hollyoaks in October 1995
How much has the show changed? What were the early days like?
Itâ??s changed incredibly, the most noticeable is that at the beginning it never covered serious-issue storylines and now thatâ??s one of things Hollyoaks does really well.
The people who work here are still some of the friendliest people youâ??ll meet. Iâ??m really proud of what Hollyoaks has achieved over 20 years and if weâ??ve been going that long, we must be doing something right! In the beginning there was a regular cast of just seven people â?? three boys and four girls and the show was only on once a week.
Then after about a year it went to two episodes. Iâ??d always lived in London but I love Liverpool. I remember in the early days people used to say ‘youâ??re in that Cheshire Oaks arenâ??t you?’ Now, thereâ??s a third generation of people who are watching it and I bump into people you have been watching since the beginning.
What’s your most embarrassing scene?
Kissing scenes are always quite embarrassing. Itâ??s OK when youâ??ve been doing it with the same person for a while, but when itâ??s new and they shout ‘Action!’ and youâ??ve just got to do it, itâ??s a bit awkward â?? you donâ??t know which way theyâ??re going to go. Then when youâ??re finished doing it you just walk off to your next scene.
And your favourite storyline?
For me as an actor, Tonyâ??s cancer storyline was my favourite. It was about Tonyâ??s journey from diagnosis to getting the all clear over the course of a year and a half.
I was able to really invest and get my teeth into the storyline. Iâ??ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Bryan and when we talked about shaving my head and waxing off all my body hair I really wanted to do it properly â?? Bryan didnâ??t have to ask me twice.
Although, I didnâ??t think Iâ??d have to keep shaving my head for quite as long as I did â?? it got a bit cold but it makes you realise that cancer affects everything in your life, nothing is untouched. I was glad to have that constant reminder.
</p> http://i1.wp.com/hameed.nwar.uk/w101/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/1581787000_246_Hollyoaks-Nick-Pickard-on-what-saved-Tony-from-a-brutal.jpg?w=1220
Nick Pickard got a full body shave for his testicular cancer storyline in 2013
What’s your favourite memory?
My favourite memory was the first time Hollyoaks went to the NTAs. I didnâ??t go but I remember they showed a comedy clip of Tony. As they panned around the auditorium I saw people like David Jason were laughing at my performance and I was overwhelmed. I couldnâ??t believe people of that calibre were enjoying my work and thought I must be doing something right.
Can you tell us a secret about something you did when filming and never told anyone?
We always played loads of pranks, one that I remember being the victim of was when Will Mellor and Ben Hull set my foot on fire.
I was having a nap and there was a tag on the end of my shoe, which they set alight. I woke up to an 8ft flame at the bottom of my leg, I just screamed!
Iâ??ve also pinched some of Tonyâ??s clothes before. When you do a stunt, you get three lots of clothes so you can do a few takes. Iâ??ve taken one of those sets of clothes before.
Is it true there was only one set in the beginning and they had to use a blue sparks van to hide the Brookside set?
Thatâ??s not true but we did use Baz FMâ??s van in the background of a lot of shots and that was an old sparksâ?? van. There was only really one set back then, which was The Dog in the Pond because we were only originally doing a few eps.
For the rest of the scenes we went on location in Chester. The swimming pool set in Hollyoaks was also the Brookside community pool. One side had palm trees and looked very glamorous for Hollyoaks, but the other half was a bit grotty for the community pool. There were times when thereâ??d be a Brookside crew filming on one side and a Hollyoaks crew on the other filming at the same time.
Who do you stay in touch with?
A lot of former cast came to my 40th birthday party in May. I still see Jeremy Edwards, James Redmond and Will Mellor regularly and because of the industry our paths always cross. I also saw a lot of people at Terri Dwyerâ??s 40th, sheâ??s probably been the best at keeping in touch with everyone other years.
What is it about Tony that has saved him from a brutal exit?
Iâ??ve always got on well with my bosses.
Sum up Hollyoaks in three words
Lots of fun.
Hollyoaks launches its anniversary week on Monday, October 19 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.
Source link (https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/hollyoaks-nick-pickard-what-saved-10214682)
أكثر... (https://hameed.nwar.uk/vb/w101/2020/02/15/hollyoaks-nick-pickard-on-what-saved-tony-from-a-brutal-exit-and-why-hes-not-tempted-to-leave/)
Long-standing cast member Nick, who plays Tony Hutchinson in the Channel 4 show, says he isn’t someone who thinks the grass is greener.
And it’s that attitude that has seen him become Hollyoaks’ only original star left standing.
Now, as the Liverpool-made soap gets ready to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Nick reveals why he’s lasted so long – a whole two decades.
Good work considering Hollyoaks is a pretty dangerous place to live.
Here he shares his enthusiasm over the soap’s impressive milestone, talks about his first 10 auditions for the part (yes 10!) and reminisces about his first day on set.
Do you remember your audition?
Yes I remember I had to do 10 auditions and I was so nervous. You always want the job but if youâ??ve just had one audition thereâ??s not as much pressure as if youâ??ve been back 10 times.
You start to think you might get the part. I got to know the people I was auditioning with and we used to travel back and forth to Liverpool together.
I remember when I got back from the last audition I went to my agentâ??s office and by the time I got there, theyâ??d heard that I got the part. We all had a group hug.
Lots of people leave Hollyoaks to go to Hollywood. Are you tempted to return to film?
Iâ??d like to do film again one day but Iâ??m really happy at Hollyoaks. Iâ??m not one of these people who thinks the grass is greener.
Iâ??m really proud of Hollyoaks and what itâ??s become. Iâ??ve been acting since I was a child and did a film with Christian Bale and Christopher Lee called Mio in the Land of Far Away.
I actually always wanted to be in Grange Hill and got really excited whenever I got a small part on that. My brother, John, was on Grange Hill for 10 years and then I went in. It was a show I always watched so I was really happy when I got to be in it.
What do you remember about your first day?
I was a bag of nerves. I remember being so nervous but that there were all these lovely people who made me feel really welcome and comfortable – some are still working here.
I remember word for word the first scene I did with Jeremy Edwards who played Kurt. We ran the scene so many times that my lines are firmly stuck in my memory. The scene was actually filmed in the canteen where the cast and crew ate.
</p> http://i1.wp.com/hameed.nwar.uk/w101/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Hollyoaks-Nick-Pickard-on-what-saved-Tony-from-a-brutal.jpg?w=1220
Phil Redmond, centre, with the cast of Hollyoaks in October 1995
How much has the show changed? What were the early days like?
Itâ??s changed incredibly, the most noticeable is that at the beginning it never covered serious-issue storylines and now thatâ??s one of things Hollyoaks does really well.
The people who work here are still some of the friendliest people youâ??ll meet. Iâ??m really proud of what Hollyoaks has achieved over 20 years and if weâ??ve been going that long, we must be doing something right! In the beginning there was a regular cast of just seven people â?? three boys and four girls and the show was only on once a week.
Then after about a year it went to two episodes. Iâ??d always lived in London but I love Liverpool. I remember in the early days people used to say ‘youâ??re in that Cheshire Oaks arenâ??t you?’ Now, thereâ??s a third generation of people who are watching it and I bump into people you have been watching since the beginning.
What’s your most embarrassing scene?
Kissing scenes are always quite embarrassing. Itâ??s OK when youâ??ve been doing it with the same person for a while, but when itâ??s new and they shout ‘Action!’ and youâ??ve just got to do it, itâ??s a bit awkward â?? you donâ??t know which way theyâ??re going to go. Then when youâ??re finished doing it you just walk off to your next scene.
And your favourite storyline?
For me as an actor, Tonyâ??s cancer storyline was my favourite. It was about Tonyâ??s journey from diagnosis to getting the all clear over the course of a year and a half.
I was able to really invest and get my teeth into the storyline. Iâ??ve got a tremendous amount of respect for Bryan and when we talked about shaving my head and waxing off all my body hair I really wanted to do it properly â?? Bryan didnâ??t have to ask me twice.
Although, I didnâ??t think Iâ??d have to keep shaving my head for quite as long as I did â?? it got a bit cold but it makes you realise that cancer affects everything in your life, nothing is untouched. I was glad to have that constant reminder.
</p> http://i1.wp.com/hameed.nwar.uk/w101/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/1581787000_246_Hollyoaks-Nick-Pickard-on-what-saved-Tony-from-a-brutal.jpg?w=1220
Nick Pickard got a full body shave for his testicular cancer storyline in 2013
What’s your favourite memory?
My favourite memory was the first time Hollyoaks went to the NTAs. I didnâ??t go but I remember they showed a comedy clip of Tony. As they panned around the auditorium I saw people like David Jason were laughing at my performance and I was overwhelmed. I couldnâ??t believe people of that calibre were enjoying my work and thought I must be doing something right.
Can you tell us a secret about something you did when filming and never told anyone?
We always played loads of pranks, one that I remember being the victim of was when Will Mellor and Ben Hull set my foot on fire.
I was having a nap and there was a tag on the end of my shoe, which they set alight. I woke up to an 8ft flame at the bottom of my leg, I just screamed!
Iâ??ve also pinched some of Tonyâ??s clothes before. When you do a stunt, you get three lots of clothes so you can do a few takes. Iâ??ve taken one of those sets of clothes before.
Is it true there was only one set in the beginning and they had to use a blue sparks van to hide the Brookside set?
Thatâ??s not true but we did use Baz FMâ??s van in the background of a lot of shots and that was an old sparksâ?? van. There was only really one set back then, which was The Dog in the Pond because we were only originally doing a few eps.
For the rest of the scenes we went on location in Chester. The swimming pool set in Hollyoaks was also the Brookside community pool. One side had palm trees and looked very glamorous for Hollyoaks, but the other half was a bit grotty for the community pool. There were times when thereâ??d be a Brookside crew filming on one side and a Hollyoaks crew on the other filming at the same time.
Who do you stay in touch with?
A lot of former cast came to my 40th birthday party in May. I still see Jeremy Edwards, James Redmond and Will Mellor regularly and because of the industry our paths always cross. I also saw a lot of people at Terri Dwyerâ??s 40th, sheâ??s probably been the best at keeping in touch with everyone other years.
What is it about Tony that has saved him from a brutal exit?
Iâ??ve always got on well with my bosses.
Sum up Hollyoaks in three words
Lots of fun.
Hollyoaks launches its anniversary week on Monday, October 19 at 6.30pm on Channel 4.
Source link (https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/hollyoaks-nick-pickard-what-saved-10214682)
أكثر... (https://hameed.nwar.uk/vb/w101/2020/02/15/hollyoaks-nick-pickard-on-what-saved-tony-from-a-brutal-exit-and-why-hes-not-tempted-to-leave/)