Perdita
18-11-2008, 09:00
Hollyoaks actor Gerard McCarthy takes his character Kris Fisher to Ireland next week for a five-episode run of late-night shows, Hollyoaks - Later. Kris and brother Malachy (Glen Wallace) head home for a week in order to reveal their secrets to their mother, Ma Fisher (Gemma Craven). However, all doesn't go quite as expected. Here, Gerard chats to DS about Kris exposing his cross-dressing ways, Malachy and Mercedes's (Jennifer Metcalfe) will-they-won't they nuptials, and Ma Fisher's dirty little secret.
Why are Kris and Malachy in Ireland?
"Well, they go home to tell mum that dad's dead, Malachy's HIV positive, and Kris wears women's clothes and sleeps with boys sometimes. So we try to break all this to her as softly as we can, but don't really succeed."
They leave their dead dad Eamon in the pub, don't they?
"In the first episode, it's dad's cremation. Some unknown cheap airline has lost Kris's suitcase, leaving Kris with none of his clothes, so he's wearing some of Malachy's. He goes to the cremation wearing a suit and by the time they come back with the urn and ashes, Kris's suitcase has arrived. He then has full access to his entire wardrobe! Whilst everyone else is downstairs mourning dad, Kris goes upstairs and dresses up as Kylie Minogue… He wears this fantastic white 'I Can't Get You Out of My Head' costume, with the white hood and slits up the side, right up to his waist. That's complete with thigh-high PVC boots. He goes to the wake where everyone else is dressed in black… Ma Fisher throws him out of the house because this is the first time she's seen this.
What happens next?
"Malachy goes after him and it's the first time that Malachy actually admires his brother for what he's done. They both have a secret that they're hiding from their mum. Kris has come out to her, but Malachy's still keeping his secret. They bond in the pub over their dad's ashes and they get very drunk. Three or four o'clock in the morning, they stumble home and realise they've left dad in the pub, but they leave him there! The tag scene of the episode is the urn sitting in front of the pub fire with a cap and glasses on, with a packet of cigarettes next to it!"
It's a whirlwind of secrets during their stay as they learn one of their mother's, too, don't they?
"Yeah… We find out that Ma Fisher has been having a bit on the side! So the two boys aren't the only ones with secrets. Basically, if you break down the strands, the Ireland story is all about secrets within the Fisher family. By the end of episode five, everyone knows where they stand. All of the secrets are out and it all slots together. It's quite funny, too, because during the episodes, Kris and Malachy come face-to-face with their ex-girlfriends. It's only when we meet them that we realise why Kris had to leave home…Between myself and Bryan [Kirkwood], this huge backstory for Kris had manifested itself over two years."
And I hear you do a fantastic cover of B*Witched's 'C'est La Vie', complete with denims?
"You find out when Kris, Malachy and their ex-girlfriends were younger, they wanted to be an all-singing, all-dancing group. They used to watch pop videos, learn them and perform in front of a mirror. Malachy's ex-girlfriend decides one night in the pub that she's going to re-enact one of the routines in the pub one night. Kris thinks it's a ridiculous idea and wants no part in it. She ends up going for it and there's this scene in a little Irish pub where everyone's over the age of 65, drinking pints. The girlfriend does this routine which is a mix between Flash Dance and The Commitment. About 30 seconds into the routine, it cuts to Kris who's doubled over the bar in hysterics, before cutting to a scene in her head which depicts what she thinks she look like. In her head, everyone in the bar is dancing, doing B*Witched's 'C'est La Vie'. We're all dressed head to toe in denims and in her imagination, she thinks she's on Top Of The Pops! It's so, so funny. It then cuts back to reality and Kris is on the floor wetting himself."
And you do a Kings Of Leon cover, too?
"Yeah. Basically, in the final episode of the week, Malachy asks Mercedes to marry him there and then - no planning, no picking dresses, no nothing. It's the most mismatched wedding ever. And the priest comes out of the pub and he's drunk! So Kris ends up stand up with a couple of guys who can play instruments and they do a version of the Kings of Leon song 'Use Somebody'. It's a Celtic version, which we had a lot of trouble doing. It was quite funny really. Everyone's so happy with it, though. I really, really like it. The director of episode five, Alex Kalymnios, chose it. When I turned up to rehearsal, I thought I'd be getting the Kings Of Leon - with the bass guitarist, drummer and maybe keyboard. Instead, I had an acoustic guitar, a violin and a Bodhrán drum and I thought 'What is this?!' Only then did they tell me that I'd be doing an Irish version! It sounds a bit like something The Corrs would do!"
Bonus Scoop: 'Hollyoaks' Gerard McCarthy
Here are a series of cuttings from my recent interview with Hollyoaks' Gerard McCarthy - Kris Fisher in the show. Rather than cuttings, it's actually turned out to be the other half, judging by its length!
Anyway, part one of the interview is located here. Meanwhile, the second half continues below.
Where abouts in Ireland are Kris and Malachy from? Did you actually film on location in Ireland?
"They're from Belfast but we filmed most of it in Prescott, 20 minutes down the road. It looks more like Emmerdale than Belfast!"
Does 'Ma Fisher' have a first name?
"When they announced that Gemma Craven was going to be playing Ma Fisher, the final draft of the scripts hadn't been released, so they hadn't decided on a name for her. It just ended up being Ma Fisher in the scripts, but her name is Erin."
What's it been like working with Gemma Craven? I hear she's a icon of yours?
"Incredible. It was always going to be a bit of a 'challenge'. I didn't want to be going over to Ireland and what we find out about Kris not match his back story in the main show. When I read the script through, there are an awful lot of similarities between Kris and his mother. They both have this very strong façade, in that they put on a very strong front to the rest of the world but when it's just them on their own, you see the real people behind the mask. As Kris is very much like his mum, Gemma picked up on this. To work with someone like Gemma who only last week celebrated 40 years in the business, is amazing. She's done everything. And she's hilarious."
Any chance that she could turn up in the main show?
"I've even talked to Lucy Allan about bringing her into the show and I'm fighting for it, but who knows? She was never intended to turn up in the main show but Glen [Wallace] who plays Malachy was only originally intended for three episodes…"
Do you think Kris is more 'complete' now that Malachy's around?
"Yeah, I do. For a long while, Kris was just this enigma that refused to be labelled. So to have his brother around - who knows exactly who he is and knows exactly why he is - just works. You see the real side of Kris when Malachy's around, as opposed to the 'performance' he puts on with others. He's like a Jekyll and Hyde character. When he's behind closed doors, he thinks he's 'safe'. I love having Glen on set. He's one of my best friends and has been since I was 11. He's the closest person I have in real life to a big brother, so the brotherly scenes come very easily."
What's on the horizon for Kris in the main shows?
"What happens after the late-night eps is that everything's wrapped up with his mum - the secrets are out. Kris is then given this lease of life where he thinks life is too short. He returns to the village with a vengeance and makes up for the severe lack of sex. He embarks on this huge love triangle - one's a guy and one's a girl... He's trying to find someone to love him but, of course, he goes about it in completely the wrong way."
How long do you see yourself sticking with Hollyoaks?
"Who knows? It really is a tough question because I'd considered leaving this Christmas. But after meetings with producers they went on to explain that they were bringing in Kris's brother Malachy permanently for the HIV storyline and promised five E4 specials. Of course, when you're given a storyline like that, you can't turn it down. With hindsight, it'd have been silly to want to leave at Christmas and I've agreed to stay on. It really is one of those questions, though, where there comes a point in the character's journey which wraps them up."
What was your reaction when you heard that Bryan was stepping down as producer?
"It came as such a shock to everyone. When I first joined the show, it was for three months and Bryan came to be and offered me a year's contract. At the time, I asked him if he was going to be there for the year, because he had created my character. When I ask the questions, he answers them. Kris is Bryan's brainchild. I said to him that if he left, I'd be [working] with a producer who doesn't know and love the character. It's almost as if I'm babysitting Bryan's baby by playing Kris! I just feared that if Bryan left and was left with a producer that doesn't care or appreciate for the character like he does, Kris would turn into a caricature. Bryan's created a fantastic character in Kris and I can't think him enough for casting me in the role. I'm going to miss him as a boss and a friend even more. He's a producer that from the minute I arrived at Lime Pictures, he made it very clear that his door was always open. He's just a fantastic, warm person. We're keeping our fingers crossed that he's still going to be based at Lime and so we'll still have the friend even if he's not our boss."
Why are Kris and Malachy in Ireland?
"Well, they go home to tell mum that dad's dead, Malachy's HIV positive, and Kris wears women's clothes and sleeps with boys sometimes. So we try to break all this to her as softly as we can, but don't really succeed."
They leave their dead dad Eamon in the pub, don't they?
"In the first episode, it's dad's cremation. Some unknown cheap airline has lost Kris's suitcase, leaving Kris with none of his clothes, so he's wearing some of Malachy's. He goes to the cremation wearing a suit and by the time they come back with the urn and ashes, Kris's suitcase has arrived. He then has full access to his entire wardrobe! Whilst everyone else is downstairs mourning dad, Kris goes upstairs and dresses up as Kylie Minogue… He wears this fantastic white 'I Can't Get You Out of My Head' costume, with the white hood and slits up the side, right up to his waist. That's complete with thigh-high PVC boots. He goes to the wake where everyone else is dressed in black… Ma Fisher throws him out of the house because this is the first time she's seen this.
What happens next?
"Malachy goes after him and it's the first time that Malachy actually admires his brother for what he's done. They both have a secret that they're hiding from their mum. Kris has come out to her, but Malachy's still keeping his secret. They bond in the pub over their dad's ashes and they get very drunk. Three or four o'clock in the morning, they stumble home and realise they've left dad in the pub, but they leave him there! The tag scene of the episode is the urn sitting in front of the pub fire with a cap and glasses on, with a packet of cigarettes next to it!"
It's a whirlwind of secrets during their stay as they learn one of their mother's, too, don't they?
"Yeah… We find out that Ma Fisher has been having a bit on the side! So the two boys aren't the only ones with secrets. Basically, if you break down the strands, the Ireland story is all about secrets within the Fisher family. By the end of episode five, everyone knows where they stand. All of the secrets are out and it all slots together. It's quite funny, too, because during the episodes, Kris and Malachy come face-to-face with their ex-girlfriends. It's only when we meet them that we realise why Kris had to leave home…Between myself and Bryan [Kirkwood], this huge backstory for Kris had manifested itself over two years."
And I hear you do a fantastic cover of B*Witched's 'C'est La Vie', complete with denims?
"You find out when Kris, Malachy and their ex-girlfriends were younger, they wanted to be an all-singing, all-dancing group. They used to watch pop videos, learn them and perform in front of a mirror. Malachy's ex-girlfriend decides one night in the pub that she's going to re-enact one of the routines in the pub one night. Kris thinks it's a ridiculous idea and wants no part in it. She ends up going for it and there's this scene in a little Irish pub where everyone's over the age of 65, drinking pints. The girlfriend does this routine which is a mix between Flash Dance and The Commitment. About 30 seconds into the routine, it cuts to Kris who's doubled over the bar in hysterics, before cutting to a scene in her head which depicts what she thinks she look like. In her head, everyone in the bar is dancing, doing B*Witched's 'C'est La Vie'. We're all dressed head to toe in denims and in her imagination, she thinks she's on Top Of The Pops! It's so, so funny. It then cuts back to reality and Kris is on the floor wetting himself."
And you do a Kings Of Leon cover, too?
"Yeah. Basically, in the final episode of the week, Malachy asks Mercedes to marry him there and then - no planning, no picking dresses, no nothing. It's the most mismatched wedding ever. And the priest comes out of the pub and he's drunk! So Kris ends up stand up with a couple of guys who can play instruments and they do a version of the Kings of Leon song 'Use Somebody'. It's a Celtic version, which we had a lot of trouble doing. It was quite funny really. Everyone's so happy with it, though. I really, really like it. The director of episode five, Alex Kalymnios, chose it. When I turned up to rehearsal, I thought I'd be getting the Kings Of Leon - with the bass guitarist, drummer and maybe keyboard. Instead, I had an acoustic guitar, a violin and a Bodhrán drum and I thought 'What is this?!' Only then did they tell me that I'd be doing an Irish version! It sounds a bit like something The Corrs would do!"
Bonus Scoop: 'Hollyoaks' Gerard McCarthy
Here are a series of cuttings from my recent interview with Hollyoaks' Gerard McCarthy - Kris Fisher in the show. Rather than cuttings, it's actually turned out to be the other half, judging by its length!
Anyway, part one of the interview is located here. Meanwhile, the second half continues below.
Where abouts in Ireland are Kris and Malachy from? Did you actually film on location in Ireland?
"They're from Belfast but we filmed most of it in Prescott, 20 minutes down the road. It looks more like Emmerdale than Belfast!"
Does 'Ma Fisher' have a first name?
"When they announced that Gemma Craven was going to be playing Ma Fisher, the final draft of the scripts hadn't been released, so they hadn't decided on a name for her. It just ended up being Ma Fisher in the scripts, but her name is Erin."
What's it been like working with Gemma Craven? I hear she's a icon of yours?
"Incredible. It was always going to be a bit of a 'challenge'. I didn't want to be going over to Ireland and what we find out about Kris not match his back story in the main show. When I read the script through, there are an awful lot of similarities between Kris and his mother. They both have this very strong façade, in that they put on a very strong front to the rest of the world but when it's just them on their own, you see the real people behind the mask. As Kris is very much like his mum, Gemma picked up on this. To work with someone like Gemma who only last week celebrated 40 years in the business, is amazing. She's done everything. And she's hilarious."
Any chance that she could turn up in the main show?
"I've even talked to Lucy Allan about bringing her into the show and I'm fighting for it, but who knows? She was never intended to turn up in the main show but Glen [Wallace] who plays Malachy was only originally intended for three episodes…"
Do you think Kris is more 'complete' now that Malachy's around?
"Yeah, I do. For a long while, Kris was just this enigma that refused to be labelled. So to have his brother around - who knows exactly who he is and knows exactly why he is - just works. You see the real side of Kris when Malachy's around, as opposed to the 'performance' he puts on with others. He's like a Jekyll and Hyde character. When he's behind closed doors, he thinks he's 'safe'. I love having Glen on set. He's one of my best friends and has been since I was 11. He's the closest person I have in real life to a big brother, so the brotherly scenes come very easily."
What's on the horizon for Kris in the main shows?
"What happens after the late-night eps is that everything's wrapped up with his mum - the secrets are out. Kris is then given this lease of life where he thinks life is too short. He returns to the village with a vengeance and makes up for the severe lack of sex. He embarks on this huge love triangle - one's a guy and one's a girl... He's trying to find someone to love him but, of course, he goes about it in completely the wrong way."
How long do you see yourself sticking with Hollyoaks?
"Who knows? It really is a tough question because I'd considered leaving this Christmas. But after meetings with producers they went on to explain that they were bringing in Kris's brother Malachy permanently for the HIV storyline and promised five E4 specials. Of course, when you're given a storyline like that, you can't turn it down. With hindsight, it'd have been silly to want to leave at Christmas and I've agreed to stay on. It really is one of those questions, though, where there comes a point in the character's journey which wraps them up."
What was your reaction when you heard that Bryan was stepping down as producer?
"It came as such a shock to everyone. When I first joined the show, it was for three months and Bryan came to be and offered me a year's contract. At the time, I asked him if he was going to be there for the year, because he had created my character. When I ask the questions, he answers them. Kris is Bryan's brainchild. I said to him that if he left, I'd be [working] with a producer who doesn't know and love the character. It's almost as if I'm babysitting Bryan's baby by playing Kris! I just feared that if Bryan left and was left with a producer that doesn't care or appreciate for the character like he does, Kris would turn into a caricature. Bryan's created a fantastic character in Kris and I can't think him enough for casting me in the role. I'm going to miss him as a boss and a friend even more. He's a producer that from the minute I arrived at Lime Pictures, he made it very clear that his door was always open. He's just a fantastic, warm person. We're keeping our fingers crossed that he's still going to be based at Lime and so we'll still have the friend even if he's not our boss."