Danny Mac Interview
Hollyoaks star Danny Mac took home the 'Sexiest Male' prize at the 2011 Inside Soap Awards, and he'll now be hoping to do it all over again after receiving the nomination for the second year running.
As always, the Inside Soap winners will be determined by the public - but with longlist voting closing at the weekend, time is running out to support your favourites.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Danny to chat about his nomination and what's ahead for his cheeky character Dodger Savage.
Congratulations on your nomination for 'Sexiest Male' at the Inside Soap Awards. How does it feel to be in the running?
"I'm buzzing - it's always nice to get nominated and it's massively flattering. I'm over the moon, really!"
You won the prize last year, so is there any pressure to do it all over again?
"I suppose there's a little bit on the backburner, yeah! It's good to have got the nomination at least, as it hopefully shows I haven't gone downhill too much! (Laughs.) But winning it this year will be a tough one, I think, because there are some very attractive gentlemen in the category. We'll see what happens."
Is there anything you'd say for why soap fans should be voting for all things Hollyoaks this year?
"I think it'd be nice for us to win some prizes, because with the mainstream Soap Awards it's purely down to numbers, whereas magazines like Inside Soap allow a programme like Hollyoaks to do really well and show where their strengths are. The fans of that magazine seem to be really loyal to Hollyoaks as well.
"I think we do deserve some awards. It's quite important for the cast and the show to be taking stuff home, so we just need anyone who is a fan to get behind us!"
What do you think the show's highlights have been this year?
"Soap's best-kept secret with Lynsey Nolan's death was pretty fantastic, including all of the craziness afterwards with Sampson, Brendan, Walker and Joel. I also quite liked the festival week with Maverick Sabre including the spinoff 'Chasing Rainbows', which was really cool.
"We've had the homeless plot with George, and Steven [Roberts] did a great, great job with that storyline, and it's been nice to see Phoebe brought in with Jacqui and Rhys. Also, Jess Fox and Ashley Taylor Dawson dealing with the miscarriage storyline earlier this year was incredible."
We've seen more serious scenes for the Savages this summer, especially when they were impacted by the Silas dramas. How did you feel about taking on bigger storylines?
"It's been so nice. I think Dodger came in to Hollyoaks as a character who people either took to or they didn't. He was very confident, cocky, full of life - and that's what I was playing last year. But this year things have changed, and I think that's another factor that may affect the 'Sexiest Male' category, because I haven't been playing sexy scenes for a while. I've actually not taken my top off that much in the last six months, so it's nice for me to really get my teeth stuck into something instead.
"It was nice that I came in as that cocky character, but the writers and the producers have decided that there's more to Dodger than just that. That's meant so much to me as an actor, because I've been able to play some serious stuff and he gets taken more seriously now. I don't see him as just a two-dimensional character who's going around trying to flirt with girls - he's got so much more depth to him."
Were you surprised that it took Dodger quite a while to support Will following the murder charge?
"Yeah, it was a tough one to get to grips with from an acting point of view, because you think, 'Hold up - he's always been such a loyal person'. But I think it was because of how much Will's actions had affected Texas, who Dodger - whether he knows it or not - cares a lot for.
"So that's the way I played it - it came from a place where he was realising his feelings for Texas by how strongly she was affecting his decision-making. If it was another girl, I don't think he would have thought twice about it and he would have stuck by his brother from the start."
Are you pleased about the Savages moving out of the camper van and into the boat on the pond?
"That's great, yeah. It's really good, actually. It took some getting used to at first as we were working out where the cameras would go, but we've started to churn it out more easily now and it's like our home. The camper van was ridiculous to shoot in, because it was so small!
"It's really nice to have a base, especially in a show like Hollyoaks. You think, 'God, they've just given our family this big set - bang in the middle of the village and right next to The Dog, one of the most well-known sets in soap'. It's brilliant, because you feel like a part of things more."
How is Dodger feeling about the news that Dirk isn't his real father?
"It massively affects him, every single day. Because family is so important to him, it's one of the biggest things for him to deal with. Another factor is that Texas is the only other person who knows. Apart from her, Dodger is dealing with it on his own, and when it gets too much, he needs Texas there to help him deal with it too. So now that she's threatening to go abroad, it just throws things into the air even more."
Are you hoping Dodger will find his real father?
"Definitely - that's what's driving me through storylines at the moment. That's the place where it inevitably has to go, for better or for worse. He needs to find out who his father is and get some questions answered.
"It's such a life-changing time for Dodger, but it's nice that it hasn't been one big stunt or one big drama. Instead, it's just slowly fizzling through the other stories and building up. It's really good to have a prolonged storyline."
We noticed some fans really liked Dodger's chemistry with Amy Barnes. Were you sad to see Ashley, who played Amy, leave Hollyoaks recently?
"I was absolutely gutted, and I thought our two characters worked really well together. I did say to the producers once that if Dodger and Texas never worked out, how would Dodger be if he fell for someone with kids? It would be good to see how he'd deal with that extra responsibility - and I absolutely loved working with Ash."
What is it about Texas that stands out for Dodger?
"I think it all comes back to the time they first met, and she was like a bird with a broken wing after what had happened to her sister. He was able to make things better as he got to know Texas.
"Usually, he wouldn't have gone near a girl that had issues like that - he would have steered well clear! But I think his conscience kicked in and he realised that he couldn't just sleep with this girl and then sack her off, because she's got so much other stuff going on.
"Maybe as Dodger's become more mature, he's realised how nice it is to be able to help someone. In return, she's been able to help him when he's had problems. He realises that he's found someone special."
As Silas has threatened to come back for Texas at some point, would you like to see another return stint for him?
"It'd be amazing to have Silas back again. I don't think it would be very good for Texas if she stays around - would it really be third time lucky? That'd be a worry! But from an actor's point of view for Dodger, it'd be interesting to see what would come of that!"
Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe