Sonny Valentine

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks bosses are bringing back Sonny Valentine with a new actor in the part, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.

Aaron Fontaine has been cast in the role of Sonny and has already started filming with the Channel 4 soap.
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Aaron Fontaine
© Instagram / @aaronfonts
Aaron Fontaine


Viewers will see Sonny arrive back in the village in January, shaking up life for the McQueen family.

Long-time fans will know that Sonny is the brother of Carmel's late husband Calvin Valentine.

As Calvin was killed by Theresa McQueen (Jorgie Porter) in 2010, the return of Sonny could bring back bad memories for all concerned.

Show chiefs have a dramatic storyline on the way for Sonny, but full details of what's in store are being kept under wraps.

Speaking to Digital Spy, Fontaine commented: "Joining Hollyoaks has been a great experience. There are lovely people here and everyone has been really welcoming."

Hollyoaks is Fontaine's first TV job but he has previously worked in a number of theatre and short film projects.

Sonny was previously played by Devon Anderson between 2006 and 2007.

[Perdita]

Yesterday we revealed that actor Aaron Fontaine has joined the cast of Hollyoaks, taking over the role of Sonny Valentine.

Sonny will be back on screen in January with a dramatic storyline after nearly seven years away from the village.

Here, Aaron reveals more details of what's to come as he chats to Digital Spy in his first interview since joining Hollyoaks.

When did you first hear about the role?
"I first heard about the role at the end of September. I went up for an audition in central London and then afterwards I got the call-back, so I then had to come up to the set in Liverpool for another audition. It was another week until I heard I'd got the role.

"I was over the moon to get the part. It had been an intense three-week period of my life!"

Did they tell you straight away that the role was Sonny Valentine?
"At first they gave a description of the character and what he'd be doing in the show, but they didn't tell me his name until later on. I thought it sounded great so I was really excited to do it."

Had you ever watched Hollyoaks before, and were you familiar with Sonny?
"I'd watched the show before because some of my friends are in it - particularly Fabrizio [Santino] who plays Ziggy. We have the same agent, so I used to watch the show to see him in it. He's like a big brother to me in a way.

"I also know Devon [Anderson], who played Sonny before. When they first told me 'Sonny Valentine', I went away and researched it and realised it was Devon's character. I thought it could be a bit awkward! I wasn't going to tell anyone about the role until it was announced, but Devon found out beforehand and wished me luck."

Do you feel any pressure when it comes to playing a character who's been recast?
"I don't think there's extra pressure, because the character left at quite a young age and there's been a seven-year gap where his life has changed, especially losing his brother Calvin. I've had to think about what's influenced the changes Sonny has made to his life, as he now wants to be a better man.

"For me it's about making it my own and helping the audience to accept the changes between what Sonny was like then and what he's like now."

Have Hollyoaks given you freedom to put your own stamp on the character?
"There is a strict character brief but we've had a meeting to discuss him. There was an analytical breakdown of the character and we all came to the same conclusions of what he should be like. Then they said, 'Make it happen', so that's what I'm doing at the moment!"

What was your first day on set like?
"This is my first TV job. I've done a lot of theatre before and I've also done film, but this is my first time doing TV. I'm used to warming up before doing scenes in the theatre, so when I first started I asked the director whether it was the same here, but he said, 'No, you go in, rehearse your lines, and that's it!'

"You do get thrown in at the deep end and you have to swim. There are such great actors working on the show, so it raises your game naturally to keep up with the team."

Do you have a preference between TV and theatre?
"I love TV for the fact that you can do the most minimal expression, but the audience will understand what you're doing. In the theatre, there's 3,000 people watching and you have to consider the person sitting right at the back who wouldn't be able to see that!

"I like theatre as well because once you have your character locked down, there are no changes and he goes from beginning to end. In TV, your character is also locked down but a lot can change as you see your character's life span out before you."

Who are you enjoying working with?
"I'm working a lot with Gemma Merna who plays Carmel, but to be honest with you, the whole cast are really nice. When I got here, everyone was so welcoming and friendly. There are no egos whatsoever, because everyone knows their role and what they have to do in their job, and they get on with it. Everyone's friends with everyone.

"I've also been working with Jen Metcalfe (Mercedes), who's in my storyline a lot. She's a really cool girl as well."

We can't give away the storyline, but we know there are big plans for you…
"When they told me the storyline and the entrance, I was so excited. If there's an entrance you want into a TV show, it's this one! There's an early scene where Freddie tries to get the best of him, but Sonny turns it around and gets the better of him. Freddie and Fraser are watching on thinking, 'Who's that guy?' I can't say too much at the moment about what's coming up afterwards, but it's really exciting…"

Does Sonny want to get to know his niece Kathleen-Angel?
"Definitely. Kathleen-Angel is really the last bit of his brother that Sonny has got left. There's a moment where he sees Kathleen-Angel and he sees Calvin in her straight away. Every time he looks at her, all he sees is his brother that he never got to say goodbye to, so it really hurts him."

How did you get into acting?
"I've always wanted to be an actor. I was raised in Luton town, but there's not really much to do there in terms of getting a career for yourself in the entertainment industry. I remember when I was 15 and I said to my drama teacher that I wanted to be an actor, but he told me that I'd have to go to London for that and attend the Brit School or something like that.

"My parents didn't have the money for that, so I asked what I could do at college for acting. My teacher recommended media, which I went for. Once I enrolled in media, I really enjoyed the freedom of it. I ended up going to university in London and used that opportunity to get into acting. I got my first theatre show, invited an agent down and he's my agent to this day."

Are there any actors who've supported you along the way?
"Definitely Aml Ameen who played Lewis Hardy in The Bill. He went on from that to do Harry's Law with Kathy Bates and now has just finished The Butler with Oprah Winfrey. I've been in a couple of his projects before and we've stayed in close contact. He gives me a lot of advice, including for this role. He's very much like a big brother."

Have you moved to Liverpool for the role?
"It's my first time in Liverpool - I haven't been up north much before, apart from Edinburgh and also Newcastle as my family are Geordies. I will have to move up here and I've actually just found a place, so I'll be moving in as soon as possible!"

[lizann]

a new man in mercedes and theresa's beds - i don't know why he has returned he has no family or friends there

[Katy]

I thought that, I dont get why they are bringing him back, there is no-one left in Hollyoaks from his era really, hes certainly no family left.

[tammyy2j]

He must be back to catch Calvin's killer Theresa and send her to prison which is a good thing

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks newcomer Aaron Fontaine has revealed that his alter ego Sonny Valentine will be going head-to-head with the show's gangster characters.

The police detective decides to take action after Sam Lomax informs him that Jim McGinn has been working for dangerous villain Fraser Black.

Speaking of the upcoming story, Fontaine told All About Soap: "Sonny's very worried because he knows that means Carmel and Kathleen-Angel could be at risk too. His main priority right now is to be there for that little girl and protect her like a father would.

"So knowing that criminals are around his niece makes Sonny realise he needs to do his best to eradicate the problems."

Fearless Sonny quickly begins investigating Jim's recent activities and also roots through Fraser's office at The Loft for clues.

Fontaine continued: "Sonny isn't worried at all about taking on gangsters like Fraser and Trevor - he's already seen the worst where that kind of thing's concerned. He just feels like he needs to bring a bit of justice to Hollyoaks village because these people are a threat to their safety."

Upcoming episodes see Sonny become increasingly possessive over Kathleen-Angel, wanting to play a major role in his niece's life.

"He would like the whole family package, I think," Fontaine said. "Sonny is very good with Kathleen-Angel and if he had full-time custody, he'd be a devoted dad. He strongly believes in family. Sonny's going to be sticking around, so in 2014 we'll see him involved in lots of dodgy police stuff and maybe find love."

The role of Sonny was previously played by Devon Anderson in 2006 and 2007.

[tammyy2j]

I think he gets with Carmel

[Perdita]

Hollyoaks fans have seen another side to Sonny Valentine this fortnight as he has been threatening Jason Roscoe in a desperate bid to keep a dark secret under wraps.

Jason has recently become a threat to Sonny's reputation as he knows that the detective stood by and did nothing as Superintendent Marlow drowned in the river last month.

Digital Spy recently caught up with Aaron Fontaine, who plays Sonny, to hear his thoughts on the storyline twist for his character and what's to come next.

How did you feel when you heard that Sonny would be heading in a darker direction?
"I was excited. It's always nice to explore a wide range and this shows there are different levels to Sonny's character. It's more of a challenge for me, so I've enjoyed playing Sonny's darker side."

Why did Sonny let Marlow die?
"Sonny likes to get justice. If he feels that somebody should face the consequences of their actions, he'll let it happen as long as justice is served. He thinks there are times when something bad has to happen in order to get a good outcome, so he'll let certain things slide in those situations.

"Marlow was corrupt in the police department and was working for Fraser who was killing people, so he had to go one way or another! That's why Sonny didn't really want to help him."

Looking back, does Sonny regret his actions?
"I don't think he has any regrets at the moment. If he got arrested for it, maybe he'd feel differently! But at the moment he feels it was all part of God's plan."

Do you think the fans are viewing Sonny differently due to this storyline?
"Most definitely, especially because Jason witnessed what happened. Jason is obviously a loved character on the show because he's so sweet and innocent, so when Sonny is becoming a bully towards him, I think some people are going to hate him!

"But I think the storylines coming up with Sonny and Carmel will balance that out. Sonny is sweet to Carmel and he does genuinely love her, so you'll still see that side of Sonny too."

Are Sonny's threats towards Jason genuine, or is he just trying to scare him?
"I think if it came down to it, Sonny's threats would be genuine. At first Sonny is just trying to scare Jason, but if things went further, the threats would have to be genuine."

How does Sonny feel now that Sinead knows his secret too?
"Sonny is scared, to say the least! He feels that he has to do whatever Sinead tells him to avoid his secret being found out. Sonny is definitely vulnerable now. He likes to stay in control, but he's certainly not in control of this situation."

Sinead makes a move on Sonny in a couple of weeks' time. Is he tempted by that?
"Sonny is tempted because he's got so much love for Sinead, but nothing and nobody would override the love he has for Carmel. If anything did happen between them, he would probably hate himself for so long and the guilt alone would make him confess to Carmel!"

Are you excited to be playing such a big role in the 'Who Killed Fraser?' storyline?
"Definitely - especially because it's still going on now. We're still shooting scenes to do with the Fraser killing, which is very exciting for me.

"As much as I loved working with Jesse Birdsall who played Fraser, the scenes after the murder have been brilliant because there's been so much questioning and detective work. We're getting down to the nitty-gritty."

As we know Sonny has a darker side, do you think we should view him as a suspect in the Fraser murder too?
"Everyone's a possibility! Maybe Sonny is a killer, but at the moment nobody knows. I certainly don't know who killed Fraser and it's the same for a lot of other people on set. I think everyone would make sense - whether it was Freddie, Joe, Grace or Sonny. Everyone had a motive for wanting him gone."

Soap police don't always have a great reputation for solving whodunnits, so do you hope Sonny is the one who cracks the case?
"Yes, I hope he cracks the case and gets applauded for it, so it overrides the hatred everyone has for him! It'd be nice if Sonny went down another darker path after that. Sonny is quite a macho character, but at some point I really want to see a more ugly and vulnerable side where he's run down and depressed."

Sonny also has some interesting scenes coming up with the new character Rick…
"Yes, Rick is not too pleased when he finds out what Sonny has been doing to Jason. We meet in the middle over that, but Rick is a bit of a coward in a way, which is what you'll see when he comes on screen. Sonny is not intimidated by Rick at all."

Do you think Sonny and Carmel have a strong future together?
"Yeah, I think they do. Carmel wants Sonny to be 'the one', as she's had a lot of romantic problems in the past. I think their pairing has huge potential, but we need to see them on screen together a bit more just doing normal stuff. It'd be nice for fans to see the intricate side of their relationship."

Our last chat with you was before you'd first appeared on screen. Are you still enjoying it at Hollyoaks?
"Yes, I'm definitely still enjoying it - everyone's so lovely. You'd think that the novelty would wear off, but it really doesn't and I'm glad about that.

"Every day I'm trying to work harder and be better than I was the previous day. I'm really pushing myself at the moment and there's a contrast in my performances between now and what they were in the beginning. Obviously nerves play a big factor in the beginning, but over time, you can trust in yourself and your ability. Hollyoaks is a great place to be."

[Perdita]

Sonny Valentine is revealed as the mystery culprit who attacks Rick and leaves him for dead during tonight's E4 episode (June 23).

The story kicks off after Robbie Roscoe (Charlie Wernham) is arrested on the day of his 18th birthday for breaking into the club, instead of Rick (Victor Gardener), who was actually responsible for the crime.

Knowing he is to blame for the trouble his son is in, Rick blackmails Sonny (Aaron Fontaine) into letting Robbie go, threatening to tell everyone that he let Marlow die if he doesn't.
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Rick meets up with Sonny.
© Lime Pictures
Rick meets up with Sonny.
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Rick pushes Sonny too far.
© Lime Pictures
Rick pushes Sonny too far.

However, Rick could end up regretting his actions after meeting up with a furious Sonny in the village.

After Rick pushes Sonny too far, Sonny loses his temper and beats him up. As Rick's lies injured on the ground, Sonny walks off and leaves him for dead
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Sonny loses his temper.
© Lime Pictures
Sonny loses his temper.

Hollyoaks airs these scenes tonight at 7pm on E4 and tomorrow (June 24) at 6.30pm on Channel 4.