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Thread: Michael Praed joins as Frank Clayton

  1. #1
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    Michael Praed joins as Frank Clayton

    as tracey's jailed father who david seeks out

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    Emmerdale has cast Robin of Sherwood star Michael Praed in the role of Tracy Shankley's father Frank Clayton.



    The actor, who has also had roles in Dynasty and Riders, will play "complex" man Frank, who has spent the last few years serving time in prison.

    Frank's arrival in the village will come after David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) pays him a visit in jail, in a bid to help the criminal forge a relationship with Tracy.

    Tracy is initially unaware of her boyfriend's approach and has attempted to put Frank to the back of her mind, but will her dad's imminent arrival in the village cause a whole new rift?

    David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) and Frank Clayton (Michael Praed)
    © ITV
    Speaking about joining the ITV soap, Praed said: "I'm thrilled to be joining the cast of Emmerdale to play the role of Frank.

    "From what I understand his life is fairly complicated and I'm looking forward to getting to know him and portraying this complex man."

    Emmerdale's series producer Iain MacLeod added: "The character of Frank is really fascinating: flawed, funny, flirtatious - even fatherly, when it suits him! His tale is a story of a man trying to find redemption in the face of huge temptation, with a massive twist or two thrown in for good measure.

    "I am thrilled that Michael is on board in the role. He is an actor of real skill and understatement and a brilliant addition to the cast."


    Digital Spy


    I can see some resemblence to Tracy so quite a good casting imo

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  5. #3
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    I loved him as Robin Hood

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    Robin of Sherwood and Dynasty star Michael Praed makes his exciting first appearance in Emmerdale next week.

    Show bosses recently announced that Praed had been cast as Frank Clayton, who's the jailed father of regular character Tracy Shankley.

    Frank is introduced to our screens when Tracy's boyfriend David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden) pays him a visit in prison.

    David decides to make contact after Tracy (Amy Walsh) rejects another of his marriage proposals, claiming that she doesn't want to tie the knot with no family around.

    Taking these words a little too literally, David sneaks off to the jail to meet with Frank and encourages him to repair his fatherly relationship with Tracy.

    David soon realises that he's only heard half the story when Frank tells him that he's up for early release and would like to stay with Tracy, having sent letters to her recently.

    Frank urges David to get Tracy to reply to him, but she's shocked and upset when she later finds out about David going behind her back.

    Tracy insists that Frank isn't to be trusted and is merely playing David, but is she right or wrong on this one?

    Speaking of his Emmerdale casting, Praed recently commented: "I'm thrilled to be joining the cast of Emmerdale to play the role of Frank.

    "From what I understand his life is fairly complicated and I'm looking forward to getting to know him and portraying this complex man."

    Emmerdale's series producer Iain MacLeod added: "The character of Frank is really fascinating: flawed, funny, flirtatious - even fatherly, when it suits him! His tale is a story of a man trying to find redemption in the face of huge temptation, with a massive twist or two thrown in for good measure.

    "I am thrilled that Michael is on board in the role. He is an actor of real skill and understatement and a brilliant addition to the cast."

    Emmerdale airs these scenes on Thursday, August 11 at 7pm and 8pm on ITV.

    Digital Spy

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    Emmerdale fans only discovered that Tracy Shankley and Vanessa Woodfield are sisters last week, but show bosses are wasting no time before bringing the characters themselves up to speed.

    Tracy and Vanessa currently have no idea that they're related, but the truth dawns on them next week when they both pay visits to their father Frank Clayton (Michael Praed) in hospital at the same time.

    How will Tracy and Vanessa react as their relationship changes forever? And how on earth was this storyline thought up? Amy Walsh and Michelle Hardwick, who play the pair, recently caught up with Digital Spy to reveal all.

    How long have you known that you were going to end up being half-sisters?

    Amy: "Well, we kind of hoped it would come off, didn't we? Our old producer Kate Oates was keen on the idea quite a while ago, but she wasn't sure when she was going to do it. Then we thought this new producer might come in and not like it at all!"

    Michelle: "So we've sort of hoped and thought it could have been in the pipeline since last summer, really."

    Whose idea was the storyline?

    Michelle: "It was our idea. What happened was, we were just reading scripts because we share a dressing room. I was just doing my lines and I talked about Vanessa's dad being in prison."

    Amy: "Then I went: 'Tracy's dad's in prison! That's funny!' We'd always had this conversation of how our characters could be related, because people always say we look alike. So that's where it stemmed from. And then one of the make-up girls said: 'Imagine you were long-lost sisters?'"

    Michelle: "The make-up girl said: 'Imagine you were half-sisters, you had the same dad!' Then we just sort of pitched it and left it in the lap of the Gods. We've been lucky enough that [Emmerdale producer] Iain [MacLeod] has now taken it on board."

    Vanessa Woodfield bumps into Tracy Shankley and David Metcalfe at the hospital in Emmerdale
    © ITV

    As you say, the resemblance is definitely there...

    Michelle: "On Twitter, people go: 'Oh my goodness, I thought Tracy was Vanessa then' and vice versa. We've always laughed about it. But then I got a fringe cut in! And obviously I'm a lot older!"

    Amy: "Not 'obviously'! There was even a picture of me in the press and a journalist had written: '40-year-old Michelle Hardwick wears a black dress' and it was me! I was like, 'Wow I'm now a 40-year-old woman!'"

    How did you react when you found out Michael Praed had been cast as your dad?

    Amy: "We're happy about that! He's such an amazing actor. He's done so much. It's just quite a privilege to work with him, really."

    Michelle: "He's lovely. A lot of the ladies around the building are very happy to have Robin Hood on board! His CV's fantastic and he's also a great storyteller between scenes."

    Can you tell us more about how this storyline actually works logistically?

    Amy: "Basically Frank was a bit of a free-loving man in his youth. He had Vanessa quite young with her mum, who he was with long-term. But things went a bit wrong."

    Michelle: "He got a bit bored of the perfect family life and was a bit of a chancer. He had affairs left, right and centre. And one of them was with Tracy's mum."

    Frank is forced to confess all to Tracy and Vanessa
    © ITV
    Amy: "Tracy's mum was a barmaid in a local pub that Frank went to when he wanted to get away from the family life. There was never anything in it with those two in terms of a relationship, but he did always keep coming back, showing his face and then disappearing. Both Vanessa and Tracy remember their dad, but only as ever being in and out of their lives and never being any good really."

    Michelle: "Vanessa was around 10 when he finally left. Vanessa's mum really kicked him out because she'd had enough. Vanessa had also gone through listening to them arguing and him never being there. She's at an age where she can remember how much Frank hurt her mum and so she can't stand the sight of him."

    Is that why Vanessa is really not keen on Frank?

    Michelle: "Absolutely. She thinks: 'He's not part of my life'. Vanessa's got a stepdad. She's called Woodfield and she's taken her stepdad's name."

    Amy: "Whereas Tracy has only ever had a mum and feels that she's had a really hard life. A part of her just wants to make that family that she never thought she had. She never thought her dad cared about her. She finds a picture in his wallet of a little girl. She thinks it's of her, but it's not, it's Vanessa because he only ever really held something for Vanessa.

    "But then in Tracy's youth, he was still in and out of her life until she was about 10 or 11. They went on one last holiday and then he disappeared."

    Frank is forced to confess all to Tracy and Vanessa
    © ITV
    How do Vanessa and Tracy both feel when they find out they are sisters?

    Michelle: "Gosh, it's absolute shock and horror. Because up until this point, Vanessa and Tracy are really not getting on at all."

    Amy: "I think Tracy just feels the resentment straight away of how Vanessa had a better life - she's a vet and she's been to university. She thinks Vanessa looks down on her, so she feels like: 'How's she had this life and I've had this?'"

    Can you tell us about the scene where they first discover the truth?

    Amy: "Tracy is sat by Frank's side in the hospital room, but Vanessa comes to visit him too and walks in. Tracy is like: 'What are you doing here? Every time I look around, you're there giving me grief'."

    Michelle: "At first Vanessa thinks Tracy is cheating on David with Frank. She thinks she's trying to get off with Frank, thinking he's got money. Then Tracy goes: 'Sorry dad' and I'm like: 'What? He's not your dad' and then he wakes up! He pretends to be asleep and then he just wakes up. So it's quite light-hearted at the same time."

    Will they bond?

    Amy: "Their hatred for their dad will bring them together!"

    Michelle: "Frank also prefers Vanessa. He's coming into the village and sparks will fly, but it will settle down."

    Vanessa Woodfield heads to the hospital to see Frank Clayton in Emmerdale
    © ITV
    What more can you tell us about their dynamic?

    Michelle: "We did a character workshop and discovered that Frank was really quite posh, and I thought that's good because that's where I got my brains to be a vet from!"

    Amy: "And it's interesting because Tracy is always looking for more, she always wants more, she's always looking for money and the champagne. It's like it's in-built in her. She's always had to con people or use the wrong side of the law to get those things, but you can kind of see why she has that need to live like that now."

    Could there be other siblings to come to light?

    Michelle: "Who knows? Not as far as we know, but it depends on whether they cast anyone else who looks like us!"

    Digital Spy

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  10. #6
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    I am liking Frank so far

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  12. #7
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    But he is bound to have a "dark side" to to be revealed :P

  13. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Perdita View Post
    But he is bound to have a "dark side" to to be revealed :P
    I hope he is not an out and out villain, maybe similar to Eric

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    .
    Last edited by tammyy2j; 17-08-2016 at 16:05.

  15. #10
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    frank has his eye on megan and despite leyla’s warning to steer clear, she can’t help but be charmed by him

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