Jimmy Akingbola (Antoine Malick, 'Holby City')

2011 kicks off with a bang on Holby City as a new arrival named Antoine Malick causes a massive stir at the hospital. As a strong-willed alpha male who doesn't suffer fools gladly, Antoine immediately divides opinion among his new colleagues - but it's clear that his skills as a doctor are second to none. It also seems that the new recruit is hiding some big secrets, and fans can expect him to be at the centre of some twists and turns in the weeks ahead. Soapboards recently caught up with Jimmy Akingbola, who plays Antoine, to hear more about what's in store.

Your Holby career began when you appeared as a guest character on the show - can you remind us of who you played?
"I played a boxer called Tommy King. I filmed it in March but it didn't come on until August - not long before I got the Holby job as a regular. That was a good part to play - a good guest part. He was in hospital and he couldn't box anymore because his spleen was ruptured, and it was nice because I had a lot of interaction with Hugh Quarshie and Hari Dhillon, who I've been working with a lot now."

When did you hear that the show's team wanted you back as a regular?
"Well, after getting the guest part, I remember my agent emailed me and said there was a possibility that Holby would audition me in the future for a regular role. It was weird, because I got that email when I was actually on set filming the guest episode. But I didn't think anything would come of it, because I thought, 'How can you be a guest and then come in as a regular? It's not like I can change myself that much!' I even thought about getting myself a blonde wig or something! (Laughs) But then, thank God, I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity five months or so down the line."

What happened next?
"When I first read the breakdown for the character of Anoine Malick, I thought, 'This is just amazing'. He's just a brilliant, brilliant character. It's funny, because most actors always want to get the job, but I knew that I really wanted to nail this one. The breakdown of the character was quite detailed, so I made a decision on how I would play him and went in there dressed as I thought he would look. They were very open with me, encouraging me to push it further and make him more aggressive. After the audition, I realised how much I really wanted the job - I knew that I'd be upset if I didn't get it! Fortunately, I ended up starting filming in September and my first episode airs on January 4."

How is Malick introduced to the show?
"All I can say is that it's a great entrance! Malick is not your normal type of doctor! I think he's going to ruffle some feathers and keep Hugh Quarshie and Hari Dhillon's characters on their toes! What's been nice is that the producers had the structure of the character already on paper, but they were open about wanting to see the actors' interpretations when they walked through the door. They were looking for someone to put the flesh on the character, and that's what I did. I even wondered whether I was pushing it too much, as people might have wondered how such an extreme person could be a doctor. But I think that's what got me the part in the end - they were looking for a character who would be in people's faces, be a bit dangerous and speak his mind!"

What else can you tell us about the character of Malick?
"Well, as soon as somebody steps an inch out of line, Malick will tell them about it! But what I love about him is that he's a great doctor. I like to think of him as the Eric Cantona of the doctors world - he's highly-skilled, but his temper, his attitude and his confidence get in the way. His main ambition is to be a consultant - he's one step away from that and he should be a consultant already - but he just doesn't play the game when it comes to the hierarchy. But he's as good as anyone in Holby and he knows it - he struts around the hospital like he knows it! There's also a lot of dark layers to him which people will have to see when they come out - there's so many different levels and shades to him. That's why I wanted to play the character - it's rare that you get to play someone such as Malick."


Guy Henry has made a big impact since joining Holby as Henrik Hanssen - have you had any scenes with him yet?
"Yes - I've had some beautiful scenes with Guy Henry! I've done a few, but I want more! In my first episode, I have some scenes with Guy and my character even has the audacity to clash with his character! That should give you a vague idea of what Malick is like - he'll always stand up for himself and say what he's got to say! Those scenes with Guy Henry were amazing and what he's done with that character is fantastic - he looms over everyone else and glides around Holby!"

You've mentioned how Malick rubs people up the wrong way - is there anyone who he does get on well with at Holby?
"Chrissie likes him - they become quite friendly and he never seems to have any problems with her at all. I think they're quite close friends. But after a while, Malick is a nice guy - at least I think he is, I don't know what other people will think! (Laughs) He's not all bad and I think eventually everyone will like him - I hope!"

Is it true that Malick beat up his old boss before joining Holby?
"Yes - that's actually part of my opening episode. All I'll say is that Malick is a man who believes in himself and knows that he's good - so his attitude is, 'Even though you're my senior and my boss with 15 or 20 years ahead of me, you should be open enough to listen to my advice'. Basically, Malick recommended a certain procedure that would have definitely saved a patient's life, but the consultant chose to ignore it. So Malick decided to do what he does - which was hit the consultant! That's part of my story and how I get into the show."

Could we see that violent side of him emerge again, or does he become more calm?
"He definitely becomes more calm and you see that different side of him as time goes on. I think the thing with Malick is that he's young, confident and he speaks from the heart. He wears his heart on his sleeve, and I don't think there's many people like that on the ward! He doesn't care if what he says offends people, because that's what he believes. But he becomes a bit more sensitive. And he's got a lot of secrets, Malick - there's a lot of undiscovered things that are going to be revealed, and that's what's really exciting. I think people are going to be intrigued by him because he doesn't let things be shown and he keeps his cards very close to his chest…"

Have the producers told you what impressed them so much about your guest stint that made them want to invite you back?
"When I did the role as Tommy King, one of the producers - Peter Bullock - just said that it was a good episode and well done. But once I got the part as Malick, that's when I heard that they had been quite impressed with what I did. Apparently my tape was watched by quite a few people in the offices at the BBC and I think I got the thumbs-up from the majority - it was nice to know that I had that support. I'd just been in [BBC Two comedy] Rev playing Mick, who was a bit of a local crackhead with a big beard, so when I walked through the door looking completely different, I think they were surprised that had been me! But it's good that I've been able to show that range and add some of that comedy experience to the character, because they don't want Malick to be one-dimensional."

What was your first day on set like?
"Walking through the Elstree Studios was a beautiful feeling - just thinking, 'Oh my God, I'm going to be working here!' So that was a great feeling, but I must admit that the nerves were there a bit because obviously I was coming into a show where people had been together for around six to eight years. But the cast are so lovely. You hear about long-running shows where the cast can be a bit cliquey, and not warm and open to new people, but that wasn't the case here."

Is there anyone in particular who gave you a warm welcome?
"Hari, Emma and James were great - I had a lot of scenes with them at first and they were just lovely and so supportive. And I must say a big thank you to David Innes Edwards, who was the director of my first few episodes - he could really see where I wanted to take the character. I think David could tell that I wasn't going full throttle at first because of the nerves, so he gave me a nice tap on the shoulder and told me 'well done' and 'do more, do more'. I think as an actor you sometimes just need that acknowledgement and encouragement. He told me to make it mine and do more, and since then, I haven't looked back! I try to give it everything I can."

Is it rare to get the chance to put your own stamp on a character so much?
"In my experience, it tends to be 50/50. Some shows are quite strict and you can't really do much - you just have to follow what the writer has written. But I've done a lot of comedy and I think they especially encourage it in that. In this role, I've had to just believe in myself and if I get dialogue that's great but not quite how I think Malick would say it, I do try to change it and make it authentic. That's the main thing - it has to be authentic to the character. It's encouraged here, but for me to get the confidence to do that took a couple of days. But to be in a drama like Holby, you have to learn to adapt quickly and be creative, rather than just say the lines."

There's been lots of changes at Holby recently, with new producers and writers joining - does that make it an exciting time to start on the show?
"It is exciting - it's an amazing time to be a part of Holby because there has been a massive change. For example, Guy Henry has just come in and he's fantastic and plays an amazing character. To have someone of his calibre in the show is brilliant. I think when you watch Holby now that Guy Henry has come in and it's all gone HD, the stories are better, the guest cast members are getting better and better, and I think it's just pushing the boundaries. What is sad is that we've lost one or two of the regulars, but it's exciting that we've got new people coming in. If you watch it closely now, the style of the show is changing and I think they're doing really well to keep up with the times. There's shows like Grey's Anatomy that people watch now, but I think that Holby is up there. It has great viewing figures and people get hooked on it!"

Have you had any scenes with Laila Rouass, who appears on screen as Sahira Shah later this year?
"She comes in soon after me, but I haven't had any scenes with her yet, unfortunately. I know that we've got some stuff coming up, though. I've known of her work over the years, and again, it feels like we're losing some great, amazing cast members but when you look over your shoulder, they're bringing in fantastic actors. Laila's character looks like she's going to push the boundaries. I don't know when we're going to cross paths yet, but I'm sure that our characters are going to meet."

Finally, can you give us any more hints when it comes to Malick's secrets?
"All I will say is that he's like Pandora's Box - once you open it, there's a lot of stuff that's going to come out! I don't want to say too much, but it's going to be good - really good!"