Former Waterloo Road actor Adam Thomas joins the ranks of Emmerdale next week as Adam Barton, the middle child of the show's new farming dynasty. Adam moves into the Sugdens' farmhouse alongside his father John (James Thornton), mother Moira (Natalie J. Robb) and siblings Holly (Sophie Powles) and Hannah (Grace Cassidy). Here, we chat to Adam about his first few weeks of filming, what to expect from his character and whether he's ever auditioned for a part alongside his brother Ryan in Coronation Street.
How did your role come about?
"I'd just finished Waterloo Road and then I did Doctors quite soon after that. The Emmerdale part was the first audition I'd had in a couple of months. I turned up, did a screen test and luckily, a few days later, I got the call to say that I'd got the part! I'm really over the moon."
How was the character pitched to you?
"I only had one scene to read from in the audition, so it was difficult. They briefly filled me in on the character but I didn't really know much about him."
Now you've started filming, what have you learned about him?
"I've only just started, so I don't really know that much and there's not really that much going on for him at the moment - the whole family's just bedding in. Adam's a family man, though. He wants to follow in his dad's footsteps and wants to take over the family business. He looks up to his dad a lot on the farm. He's not a farm boy - he's more business-minded. He's a wannabe entrepreneur."
What's his relationship like with his family?
"Adam's dad is his best friend and he looks up to him so much. Whatever his dad says, he does. The whole family is really close. Even with his sisters, he's the middle child but he wants to be the older brother and look after them all."
Where have the family come from? Where have they been prior to Emmerdale? Do they have a dark past?
"I'm not too sure really. I think you'll have to wait to find that one out."
How's the family dynamic coming along?
"We're a big happy family and we've only been filming for a few weeks. We all go to lunch together at Nando's and we're all staying in the hotel learning our lines together. With James [Thornton] and Natalie [J. Robb], it's like having a mum and dad away from home. We all just clicked on set."
Have you worked with any of them before?
"I worked with Natalie on Waterloo Road, so I briefly met her while filming that. It was a nice surprise finding out that she was going to be playing my mum."
How do the Bartons arrive in the village?
"Our first scene is in the Sugdens' farmhouse and Andy walks in and sees us all moving in! He's not quite sure what's going on."
The Bartons are being billed as the show's new farming dynasty. They must be quite big boots to fill?
"Yeah, there's a fair amount of pressure. Whenever I say to anyone that I'm part of the new farming family in Emmerdale and that I'm moving into the Sudgens', they're quite shocked!"
Is Adam a ladies' man? Does he have a girlfriend when he arrives?
"Not when he arrives, but I'm hoping he gets one sooner or later! Right now, he's a single man."
Who do you think he'd go for in the village?
"I don't know - there are quite a few good looking girls aren't there? Maybe he'll hook up with Debbie Dingle, you never know…"
Who does Adam forge male relationships with?
"I think he starts making friends with Aaron Livesy. There's talk that they start bonding and get on well with each other, but apparently something happens with their friendship and it takes a twist."
Have you had any funny moments on set since you've started filming?
"Well we've just had a piglet on set squealing about!"
Were you asked back for another series of Waterloo Road?
"No, that was it. My character Donte finally had a child with Chlo and moved onto university. They couldn't stay at school any longer, so the characters had to move on. There was nothing else for Donte to do!"
You must get confused with your brothers? You look identical!
"I know, tell me about it. Apparently my twin brother doesn't look anything like me. I look more like our Ryan. Everything thinks me and Ryan are twins, but it's the other way around."
Were you ever asked to appear in Coronation Street alongside your brother Ryan?
"The amount of times people have said that to me! You know, I've never had an audition for Corrie. It'd have been hilarious, though."
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a1...emmerdale.html
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