James Sutton joins 'Emmerdale'
Former Hollyoaks actor James Sutton has joined the cast of Emmerdale.
The 26-year-old, who starred as John Paul McQueen in the Channel 4 soap, is to take on the role of mechanic Ryan Lamb, son of Faye (Kim Thomson).
Ryan first appears in the village in June and quickly becomes entangled in his mother's revenge plot on Mark Wylde (Maxwell Caulfield), while also catching the attention of many of the local females, most notably Katie Sugden (Sammy Winward).
As Mark attempts to prevent the skeletons in his closet from emerging, Ryan's arrival makes the self-made millionaire realise just what his lies could cost him.
Speaking of his signing, Sutton said: "I'm thrilled to be joining a show as respected and well-loved as Emmerdale. It was always on in our house when I was growing up so I’m excited to be a part of it.
"I'm looking forward to playing such an interesting character and one so different from previous roles I've played."
Series producer Gavin Blyth added: "This year will spell a new era for Emmerdale and I'm delighted to be welcoming James to the cast as a key component in the new direction the show will be taking. James is an extremely talented actor and will bring a real presence to the role of Ryan."
Sutton is the fourth actor announced to be joining Emmerdale as part of the show's 2009 revamp. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Jeff Hordley will reprise his role as Cain Dingle at the end of April. At the same time, UK soap's first blind actress Kitty McGeever joins as Lisa Dingle's (Jane Cox) friend Lizzie Lakely.
Emma Atkins is also due to return as vixen Charity Tate.
Sutton announced his decision to quit Hollyoaks in June last year following his two-year stint as John Paul when the teen soap's McDean storyline reached its natural Sunset Ending resolve. His departure tied in with the brief return of Guy Burnet as Craig Dean.
At the end of last year, Sutton made a guest appearance as a narcoleptic in Casualty.
James Sutton (Ryan Lamb, 'Emmerdale')
Having captured the minds of millions during Hollyoaks' McDean era, actor James Sutton - who played John Paul McQueen in the Channel 4 teen soap - is swapping Chester for the Yorkshire Dales as he takes on the role of Emmerdale's ladies' man Ryan Lamb. Son of relative newcomer Faye (Kim Thomson), Ryan arrives in Yorkshire completely unaware that his mother has tracked down his father Mark Wylde/Daniel Lamb (Maxwell Caulfield), the man she presumed had been dead for 27 years. We recently gave James a call to chat about switching soaps and what's to come for Ryan.
How have you settled in?
"It's been really, really good. It's a fantastic set and studio, which is really easy to work in. All the people are lovely and have helped me settle in extremely well. I'm just having a ball really."
How different is it to working at Hollyoaks?
"Everything just works a lot smoother at Emmerdale. It just works. A lot of the actors are a bit older than myself, and I don't want to throw the word professionalism around too much, but they all know their lines, know exactly what they're doing and they're a lot more experienced. For someone like myself, it's great to work with the guys here. On set, they help me out and throw ideas around."
You've said previously that you'd never do another soap - what made you change your mind?
"I've had quite a lot of contact with Emmerdale over the last year or so – I've had a few castings and met various people. This was the first part that came up that I was really interested in, though. It's a good story and I'm working with some fantastic people - I couldn't really turn that down. It's a really good opportunity for me and I know I said that I wouldn't do another soap, but at the time, I probably didn't want to do another one. It's just the way things work out."
How can you describe your character?
"He's a laddish lad and an out of work mechanic. He's grown up with his mum and is very protective of her. I wouldn't say he's a ladies' man, but he has an eye for the pretty ladies in the village. He's a nice guy, but when the storyline progresses and we discover things about Ryan's family, the audience might possibly see another side to him – maybe a darker side..."
Ryan's mum Faye has been in and out of Emmerdale since March - where's Ryan been in the mean time?
"He's been living away, away from his mum on his own. He did have a job as a mechanic but he lost that, having been made redundant. So he decides to go and sponge off his mother for a little while. He discovers that there's some kind of relationship between his mum and Mark [Wylde] which he thinks is a relationship, which is a bit awkward for all parties. Over time, he'll discover otherwise."
Has Ryan ever seen Mark before?
"No, not even in a photograph. He doesn't know what his dad looks like."
Do you think it's all a red herring that Mark's his father?
"Well you know what these soap writers are like…You believe one thing and then they pull the rug from under you and it's completely different!"
What was your reaction when you were told that you'd be half-naked in your first scene?
"Well…It's one of those things! I'm used to it from my time with Hollyoaks! They had me doing all kinds of bizarre things! They had me going to the shop in my underwear! I'm kind of used to gratuitous nudity. It's quite a nice scene really because non-DS readers won't know who it is in the shower."
Did you hit the gym in time for your first scene?
"Not really. I'd just been on holiday and I'd been quite poorly while I was there, so I'd lost a lot of weight anyway. And I had a tan, so I didn't mind too much."
Apparently you're in line for a screen romance with Sammy Winward who plays Katie?
"I only know what you know, which is what I've read in the press. Apparently I'm going to be having a screen romance with Sammy's character, yeah."
Does Ryan have secrets of his own?
"It's a slow-burner, which is why I like to become more established first, because then the audience can empathise with you on screen. I don't want to keep mentioning Hollyoaks, but that's what Bryan Kirkwood did with John Paul. It was a slow-burn for a good six months. Here at Emmerdale, Gavin's a smart guy and he knows soap and how they work - I totally trust him with the storyline.
You've turned up just in time for the show rejuvenation - what's it like on set at the moment? Is there a buzz about the place?
"I know Emmerdale went through a bit of a difficult patch, but I wasn't there for that, so I'm not sure what it was like before. I've come in, though, and everyone's really positive. What's nice is that everyone really likes going to work there, which is a fantastic thing. Everyone's really enthusiastic when they get here, too, and are passionate about what they do. I don't know if that's been brought on by 'the shake-up' or Gavin coming in, but it's a really nice place to work."
Gavin obviously cast you for your acting abilities, but there's the additional element of your huge fanbase. Do you feel a sense of responsibility?
"I don't know if it's a responsibility, per se. There is a certain element of pressure when you join any new company - I felt that when I joined Hollyoaks because I knew it was going to be such a big storyline. So it felt similar with this. I know that I have fans who respect my work and follow my career, so obviously I want to do well for them and want them to continue supporting me. I also want Emmerdale to go from strength to strength. All I can do is my best and hope that endears me to everyone, and fingers crossed that people dig my work!"
How long are you there for?
"I'm here for a year at the moment. Obviously there's potential for it to be longer, but that's not down to me."
Do you still keep in touch with any of the Hollyoaks guys?
"I see them out and about. I was out walking my dog the other day and I saw Zoë Lister, so had a good chat with her. I still bump into people and we drink in the same kind of bars round where I live. The cast's changed so much since I was there, though. There are so many new people."
Were you a little disappointed that McDean didn't get the recognition it deserved at soap award ceremonies?
Not really. We achieved everything that we set out to achieve and I think the fact that you're still asking me about it now speaks volumes. Awards are all well and good, but the fact that fans are still talking about it is enough credit."
