Perdita
27-06-2014, 05:06
Hollyoaks revealed the surprising identity of Cindy Cunningham's 'mystery man' in Thursday night's first look episode on E4 (June 26).
In a twist to the tale, Andrew Moss has reprised his role as the late Rhys Ashworth, who is being seen by Cindy as a figment of her imagination in her new bipolar storyline.
'Rhys' will be back on screen for a number of episodes over the next few weeks as Cindy continues to struggle in emotional scenes.
Earlier this week, Digital Spy caught up with Andrew to hear his thoughts on the storyline, why he returned and what's to come.
How did your return to the show come about?
"It was crazy how it happened, actually! I'd just gone over to LA to visit friends and to finish a little short that I'd done over here in the UK. In the first few days after I'd landed, I got the call from my agent to say that Hollyoaks had been in touch and wanted me to go back. At first I literally thought it was a wind-up for a TV show or something! (Laughs.)
"We went back and forth a few times and it turned out that they were really keen for me to go back. My initial reaction was that I didn't want to come back as a ghost, but when they explained the story to me, it turned out that it wasn't anything like I'd feared - so that's when the doors opened and we started talking about it more."
What convinced you in the end?
"When I spoke to [executive producer] Bryan Kirkwood, he outlined the whole storyline to me and allayed my fears. I'd worked really hard on the show for seven years and had some really good storylines, so I didn't want this return to damage the character at all.
"I wanted to check all of the details before I said yes. Then about three weeks later, I was back on a plane coming home for Hollyoaks!"
What can we expect from the Rhys and Cindy scenes coming up?
"It's a really hard-hitting storyline. Hollyoaks do cover these big issues and that's what got me really interested in it. Cindy sees Rhys, but it's really complicated because I'm playing a version of Rhys that she sees in her head. He's kind of the bad side of Cindy's illness, like the devil on her shoulder. Rhys represents her bad thoughts, and she places it in that time when she was having the affair with him and she wasn't in the best place.
"Rhys wasn't always honest all of the time either, so Cindy sees that image of him as the bad side of her condition. It was quite a challenge to get my head around, really. It starts off quite light as Cindy sees Rhys and she still believes that they're having an affair, but then over time it becomes quite dark…"
How long are you back on screen for?
"Well, obviously with these kind of illnesses, you're never fully cured and you can relapse. We'll have to wait and see what happens, but at the moment I'm on air for a good few months."
What was it like to work with Stephanie again?
"It still felt like I was cheating on Jacqui! (Laughs.) It was nice to see Steph again as well my other friends from the show like Ashley Taylor Dawson, Nick Pickard and Kieron Richardson.
"The rest of the cast had changed, so I didn't really know any of them - but Hollyoaks is such a nice place to work and everyone there is lovely, so I've actually made some new friends from the newer cast members. I love Jess Ellis who plays Tegan - she's so funny. Obviously we've not worked together because Cindy is the only character who can see Rhys, but Jess has had me cracking up in the green room and we've become really good mates.
"I also recently cooked a football barbecue for the lads, so they're all really nice and I'm sure I'll see them again out and about."
Who do you think was 'the one' for Rhys out of Cindy and Jacqui?
"It was always Jacqui, wasn't it? I'm still a massive Rhys and Jacqui fan, but as I was leaving the show, they just had to wrap it up somehow and they did it with the affair storyline."
Did you keep watching Hollyoaks after you left?
"I always thought that I'd keep up watching it because some of my mates are still on it, but once you leave, you just don't have time. I think when you finish a job like that, you have to detach yourself from it completely. I totally closed the door on it, because I thought never in a million years would I go back there after Rhys had died!
"When I went back into the building, it was a bit awkward as I wasn't sure which of the people there were actually cast members in the show! But like I say, everyone there is lovely and they really welcomed me back."
Has it been hard not to tell everyone that you're back?
"It has been a bit weird. On my Twitter feed, people started to get suspicious but I just didn't confirm anything. I do try to answer fans' questions on Twitter so it's been a little bit awkward not responding to them, but I'm sure it'll all be worth it when they see me back on screen.
"I think it'll be quite a big shock when people see me back, but it's going to be quite a slow build to the story. When I spoke to Bryan, we said that we wouldn't sensationalise the story, so it'll be a slow-burner. Rhys only appears once in the first week, but then it builds from there. We're not trying to do shock value at all, so we've been really careful with it.
"Sometimes when a character comes back, they're on screen for every episode for three or four weeks, but we decided to take it more slowly - and the story has a really nice arc to it."
Looking back, are you still glad that Rhys was killed off, or does part of you wish that you could stick around on the show?
"At the time, I was glad that Rhys was killed off. I said that I was leaving, so they decided to write me out in the stunt. I was glad that the door would be shut as it would remove the temptation to go back and get caught up in the same cycle. When I left, I really had a fresh start by moving to London, catching up with all of my old friends and I also went travelling.
"Now that I've gone back for another taste, part of me thinks 'Maybe I could do this for another six months!'"
How do you feel about Hollyoaks winning Best Soap recently?
"I've always been a massive fan of the show and for the last nine years that I've been associated with it, I think we really have done some of the best stories in soap. I think it was only a matter of time before Hollyoaks did get that award. Because I was back working there at the time, Bryan snuck me into the Soap Awards so I was actually there on the night - but I was trying to keep a low profile!
"I'm so glad that they won it as they really deserve it. Everyone at Lime Pictures works so hard to make that show. We're not a big production company like ITV or the BBC, so we can be looked over sometimes when we've done big stories like Hannah's anorexia and Jacqui's rape. I'm really happy for Bryan and everyone there."
When you left the show, you made it clear that you wanted a long break, but you've since been back working with Casualty, theatre work and the short you mentioned. How have you found life after soapland?
"When you're on a soap, you literally have to put your life on hold. You have to be near the building all the time and be on call five days a week. You might also have to work weekends, so you don't have a life - but we know that and that's what we sign up for. When I stopped that, I did make a definite decision that I wanted some time out and to reconnect with everyone I'd lost touch with over the years.
"Now I've done that - I've moved to London, done my travelling and I'm really happy now. I can't wait for my next job and to see what the future holds. I've loved being back on telly as it's the genre that I like the most."
http://i2.cdnds.net/14/26/618x513/soaps-hollyoaks-andrew-moss-rhys-ashworth-2.jpg
Andrew Moss as Rhys Ashworth in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Andrew Moss as Rhys Ashworth
Would you do another soap in the future?
"I'd do EastEnders now just because it's round the corner! (Laughs.) To be honest, I don't think I would join another soap at the moment. I've loved being out of the limelight a bit and just hanging out with my mates and doing regular things. I don't think I'd be ready to sign up for another soap again just yet, but definitely in the future.
"As an actor, I like working every day, so I think eventually I will end up doing another soap or some kind of long-running drama. I don't think I'd do it at the moment, but my biggest thing is that I want to retire on Coronation Street in the end!"
What are your future ambitions?
"I'm not a snobby actor - I just want to work and experience different things. I'd like to do plays overseas, maybe some little films that haven't got a big budget, and big films too - I want to do everything. I'm even thinking of doing a musical at the moment. I want to try everything there is to try. Being back in London, I feel like the world is my oyster so I'm really excited to see what the future holds."
In a twist to the tale, Andrew Moss has reprised his role as the late Rhys Ashworth, who is being seen by Cindy as a figment of her imagination in her new bipolar storyline.
'Rhys' will be back on screen for a number of episodes over the next few weeks as Cindy continues to struggle in emotional scenes.
Earlier this week, Digital Spy caught up with Andrew to hear his thoughts on the storyline, why he returned and what's to come.
How did your return to the show come about?
"It was crazy how it happened, actually! I'd just gone over to LA to visit friends and to finish a little short that I'd done over here in the UK. In the first few days after I'd landed, I got the call from my agent to say that Hollyoaks had been in touch and wanted me to go back. At first I literally thought it was a wind-up for a TV show or something! (Laughs.)
"We went back and forth a few times and it turned out that they were really keen for me to go back. My initial reaction was that I didn't want to come back as a ghost, but when they explained the story to me, it turned out that it wasn't anything like I'd feared - so that's when the doors opened and we started talking about it more."
What convinced you in the end?
"When I spoke to [executive producer] Bryan Kirkwood, he outlined the whole storyline to me and allayed my fears. I'd worked really hard on the show for seven years and had some really good storylines, so I didn't want this return to damage the character at all.
"I wanted to check all of the details before I said yes. Then about three weeks later, I was back on a plane coming home for Hollyoaks!"
What can we expect from the Rhys and Cindy scenes coming up?
"It's a really hard-hitting storyline. Hollyoaks do cover these big issues and that's what got me really interested in it. Cindy sees Rhys, but it's really complicated because I'm playing a version of Rhys that she sees in her head. He's kind of the bad side of Cindy's illness, like the devil on her shoulder. Rhys represents her bad thoughts, and she places it in that time when she was having the affair with him and she wasn't in the best place.
"Rhys wasn't always honest all of the time either, so Cindy sees that image of him as the bad side of her condition. It was quite a challenge to get my head around, really. It starts off quite light as Cindy sees Rhys and she still believes that they're having an affair, but then over time it becomes quite dark…"
How long are you back on screen for?
"Well, obviously with these kind of illnesses, you're never fully cured and you can relapse. We'll have to wait and see what happens, but at the moment I'm on air for a good few months."
What was it like to work with Stephanie again?
"It still felt like I was cheating on Jacqui! (Laughs.) It was nice to see Steph again as well my other friends from the show like Ashley Taylor Dawson, Nick Pickard and Kieron Richardson.
"The rest of the cast had changed, so I didn't really know any of them - but Hollyoaks is such a nice place to work and everyone there is lovely, so I've actually made some new friends from the newer cast members. I love Jess Ellis who plays Tegan - she's so funny. Obviously we've not worked together because Cindy is the only character who can see Rhys, but Jess has had me cracking up in the green room and we've become really good mates.
"I also recently cooked a football barbecue for the lads, so they're all really nice and I'm sure I'll see them again out and about."
Who do you think was 'the one' for Rhys out of Cindy and Jacqui?
"It was always Jacqui, wasn't it? I'm still a massive Rhys and Jacqui fan, but as I was leaving the show, they just had to wrap it up somehow and they did it with the affair storyline."
Did you keep watching Hollyoaks after you left?
"I always thought that I'd keep up watching it because some of my mates are still on it, but once you leave, you just don't have time. I think when you finish a job like that, you have to detach yourself from it completely. I totally closed the door on it, because I thought never in a million years would I go back there after Rhys had died!
"When I went back into the building, it was a bit awkward as I wasn't sure which of the people there were actually cast members in the show! But like I say, everyone there is lovely and they really welcomed me back."
Has it been hard not to tell everyone that you're back?
"It has been a bit weird. On my Twitter feed, people started to get suspicious but I just didn't confirm anything. I do try to answer fans' questions on Twitter so it's been a little bit awkward not responding to them, but I'm sure it'll all be worth it when they see me back on screen.
"I think it'll be quite a big shock when people see me back, but it's going to be quite a slow build to the story. When I spoke to Bryan, we said that we wouldn't sensationalise the story, so it'll be a slow-burner. Rhys only appears once in the first week, but then it builds from there. We're not trying to do shock value at all, so we've been really careful with it.
"Sometimes when a character comes back, they're on screen for every episode for three or four weeks, but we decided to take it more slowly - and the story has a really nice arc to it."
Looking back, are you still glad that Rhys was killed off, or does part of you wish that you could stick around on the show?
"At the time, I was glad that Rhys was killed off. I said that I was leaving, so they decided to write me out in the stunt. I was glad that the door would be shut as it would remove the temptation to go back and get caught up in the same cycle. When I left, I really had a fresh start by moving to London, catching up with all of my old friends and I also went travelling.
"Now that I've gone back for another taste, part of me thinks 'Maybe I could do this for another six months!'"
How do you feel about Hollyoaks winning Best Soap recently?
"I've always been a massive fan of the show and for the last nine years that I've been associated with it, I think we really have done some of the best stories in soap. I think it was only a matter of time before Hollyoaks did get that award. Because I was back working there at the time, Bryan snuck me into the Soap Awards so I was actually there on the night - but I was trying to keep a low profile!
"I'm so glad that they won it as they really deserve it. Everyone at Lime Pictures works so hard to make that show. We're not a big production company like ITV or the BBC, so we can be looked over sometimes when we've done big stories like Hannah's anorexia and Jacqui's rape. I'm really happy for Bryan and everyone there."
When you left the show, you made it clear that you wanted a long break, but you've since been back working with Casualty, theatre work and the short you mentioned. How have you found life after soapland?
"When you're on a soap, you literally have to put your life on hold. You have to be near the building all the time and be on call five days a week. You might also have to work weekends, so you don't have a life - but we know that and that's what we sign up for. When I stopped that, I did make a definite decision that I wanted some time out and to reconnect with everyone I'd lost touch with over the years.
"Now I've done that - I've moved to London, done my travelling and I'm really happy now. I can't wait for my next job and to see what the future holds. I've loved being back on telly as it's the genre that I like the most."
http://i2.cdnds.net/14/26/618x513/soaps-hollyoaks-andrew-moss-rhys-ashworth-2.jpg
Andrew Moss as Rhys Ashworth in Hollyoaks
© Lime Pictures
Andrew Moss as Rhys Ashworth
Would you do another soap in the future?
"I'd do EastEnders now just because it's round the corner! (Laughs.) To be honest, I don't think I would join another soap at the moment. I've loved being out of the limelight a bit and just hanging out with my mates and doing regular things. I don't think I'd be ready to sign up for another soap again just yet, but definitely in the future.
"As an actor, I like working every day, so I think eventually I will end up doing another soap or some kind of long-running drama. I don't think I'd do it at the moment, but my biggest thing is that I want to retire on Coronation Street in the end!"
What are your future ambitions?
"I'm not a snobby actor - I just want to work and experience different things. I'd like to do plays overseas, maybe some little films that haven't got a big budget, and big films too - I want to do everything. I'm even thinking of doing a musical at the moment. I want to try everything there is to try. Being back in London, I feel like the world is my oyster so I'm really excited to see what the future holds."