Emma Summerhayes (Anna Acton)
EastEnders kicked off a big storyline for DC Emma Summerhayes last night (June 12) as she gave into temptation when Max Branning made a move on her.
The surprising relationship between the pair will develop further over the coming weeks, but Emma is clearly crossing the line as Max remains so closely involved in the Lucy Beale murder case.
Digital Spy this week chatted to Anna Acton, who plays Emma, to hear her thoughts on the Max romance story and the ongoing 'Who Killed Lucy?' mystery.
Now that you've been filming for a few months, how are you finding life at EastEnders so far?
"I'm loving it - it's a lovely place to work! It was extremely daunting when I first started, as EastEnders is a massive institution and a huge machine. They've always got two filming units running at any one time, so you come in, jump on the treadmill, do your bit and then jump off. But the good thing is that I'm feeling more comfortable now and I'm enjoying it so much."
'Who Killed Lucy?' is a huge soap storyline. How do you feel about being so closely involved in it?
"It's incredible to be involved in, as everyone is talking about it. The story has got EastEnders back as the subject of watercooler chats, as everyone has got a theory about what happened and who did it. To be involved in that is amazing."
Police characters don't often have their own personalities and storylines in soaps. Did you always know that the approach to Emma would be different?
"I'm delighted that they've written Emma as such a great part. When I took on the role, I knew that the character would develop and that she would get involved with somebody on the Square. Even at the beginning when it was just Emma being part of the Beales' story, I was extremely conscious of not just playing her as a device who was there to give information. That's often what police characters on soaps can be, just because there isn't the time or the space for them to have their own stories.
"I think by developing Emma, it shows a humanity to the police team and shows that they're all real people with lives and feelings. It's a really lovely move that the story team have decided to explore the character."
Fans noticed a spark between Emma and Max straight away. Was that something worked in deliberately by Jake and yourself?
"I was first told about this story at the auditions, so it was in the scripts from the word go. I thought we were being very subtle, but those eagle-eyed viewers noticed it very quickly! (Laughs.) I think the fans pick up on things really quickly - they notice things even if you don't know you're doing them at times!"
Why is Emma so attracted to Max?
"Emma definitely feels drawn to Max - there's something about him. As Emma is having a personal crisis in her home life, she's at a point in her relationship where she is extremely vulnerable. Max is also at a similar point in his own life, because he's very lonely after everything that's gone on.
"If they had met a year previously or a year afterwards, they would both be in very different places and the connection might not have happened. I think when two people come together, there's always other factors. There's definitely chemistry and they fancy each other.
"Emma is also intrigued by Max and why he slept with his daughter's best friend. Also, it's soap - maybe there are other motives for why they're both together, but I think there's a genuine affection."
Does Emma think carefully about the impact this could have on the case and her career?
"Yes, massively. Emma has worked so hard to get to where she is in the police force. She absolutely loves her job and she wants to do well. Emma wants to help the Beales through their grief and also wants to help find the killer. She's not stupid, so she knows it's dangerous, wrong and could get her into a lot of trouble. But sometimes that's what is most compelling!"
Jake Wood has said that he wants this to be a long-term romance for Max. Do you have similar hopes for the partnership?
"Yes, mostly because on first glance it seems so doomed to fail! They seem like such an unlikely couple, as there are so many obstacles and reasons why it shouldn't work. I think it would be really lovely if it did and proved people wrong! Who knows what will happen, but I'm loving working with Jake, picking up the scripts and finding out what will happen next."
Have you filmed many scenes which see Emma interact with Lauren and Abi so far?
"I haven't had very many. So far it's only been in a police capacity, but they still don't know about the relationship with Max yet. I look forward to those, as Jacqueline and Lorna are both such great actresses. It'd be nice to work with them both on a non-police level and see how they react to the relationship - if they do find out as I still don't know yet!"
Soap police don't have a great reputation for solving crimes! Do you hope Emma is involved in cracking the case?
"I don't know who solves the crime yet, but I really hope it's Emma! It'd be great to say you played the character who solved Lucy Beale's murder! But at the moment Walford police have a pretty rubbish track record and we've got quite a few months left before we find out who it is!"
Do you have a theory on who the killer is?
"At the moment I don't. It's fascinating, as I'm reading scripts at the moment where certain people are in the frame and it's so unpredictable - there are so many twists. The story team are very clever, as just when you think it's going one way, it goes in a completely different direction. There's so much more information still to learn about what happened that night, which could change what we all originally thought. I'm keeping an open mind!"
Are you glad to be back on a soap again after your history on Family Affairs?
"It's really lovely. The thing that I really missed about Family Affairs was the team aspect of it - with everyone getting along really well at work. When you're an actor, you can often pop in and out of people's worlds when you just film an episode of a show as a guest. In those situations you don't get a chance to settle in and really find your character, which is what I'm starting to do at EastEnders now."
Who would you like more screen time with?
"That's a tricky one as they're all brilliant, but I'd love to go into The Vic. I haven't been in there yet, so it'd be nice to pay a visit there and do some scenes with Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright. Dot is also such an iconic character, so it'd be lovely to share the screen with June Brown.
"But I've been pretty lucky so far with the people I've worked with. I'm sure I'll get to work with everybody at some point, as most people will probably be suspects!"
How long are you sticking around on EastEnders for?
"I am definitely here until the killer is unmasked, but whether I'm the person responsible for that happening, I don't know!"
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Originally Posted by tammyy2j
