Hollyoaks' Karen Hassan on Lynsey, Silas plot: Interview
Hollyoaks' gutsy nurse Lynsey Nolan has spent months in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with evil Silas Blissett after seeing the serial killer's true colours.
Lynsey's ordeal has escalated this week after Silas (Jeff Rawle) ordered her to guess who he is targeting as his next victim. If she gets it right, he'll hand himself in, but if she gets it wrong, another girl will die at midnight on Halloween.
With the compelling storyline hotting up in the days ahead, Karen Hassan - who plays Lynsey - recently had a chat with Digital Spy about all things Silas! Read on to see what she had to say.
Have you enjoyed being right at the centre of this massive storyline for Hollyoaks?
"Definitely. I've been on the show now for a year and a half, so I'm quite lucky to get such a big storyline so early on. I'm very grateful to have been at the centre of the Silas storyline, especially as it's been so dramatic. It's a privilege."
What has Jeff Rawle been like to work with on the storyline?
"He's been lovely. Every time I bump into somebody, they ask me, 'Is he really scary in real life?' and I always say, 'No he's completely normal!' He's a lovely, lovely man and I've really enjoyed working with him.
"Jeff has the ability to turn any scene into a really great, gritty scene, so for me it's been like taking a masterclass, really. We've become friends rather than just work colleagues, so it was really nice - and I can confirm that he's not really a villain in real life!"
Have you had a lot of response from fans over the storyline while you've been out and about in public?
"Yeah, the recognition on the street has been brilliant. I was in Debenhams a few weeks ago and one of the girls came over and said, 'Oh my God - we had Silas in here the other day and he was so scary!' People seem to be really involved in it, and they can't wait to see him getting his comeuppance.
"Also, a few of us were out at a restaurant recently, and when people saw Jeff, they gasped! Then when they saw me too, they were saying, 'Be careful!' Sometimes people don't realise that it's a lot different off set. I think Jeff's also had a lot of people shouting at him in the street over being the villain, which he loves, because that's the reaction that he wanted."
How does Lynsey cope this week when she has to guess who Silas might kill next?
"I don't think she copes with it very well! Lynsey was already pushed to breaking point over knowing about the serial killer in the village, and now she's trapped as she's having to play this psychotic game. She can't rest as she's thinking about it, she's losing sleep - and she's also lost friends over this. It's a lot to have resting on her shoulders - she knows that somebody's life is in her hands. Lynsey tries to stand up to Silas, but he outwits her at every turn."
As Silas keeps giving Lynsey clues, does she develop any theories on who he's targeting?
"Lynsey just keeps seeing everybody in the village as a potential victim. But we've seen her confide in Doug, and he helps her as she tries to figure it out. She's taking a big risk by telling Doug, because Silas has warned her that if she goes to anyone for help, it could mean that he'll kill his target anyway. But she trusts Doug to keep it a secret.
"One of the clues that Lynsey gets is that the target hasn't slept in their bed last night, so she and Doug use that to make a list of potential victims. They bump into Ste and he says that Amy didn't come home last night. Lynsey also bumps into Theresa, who's walking home from a night with her boyfriend with her high heels in her hand, so she's also a potential victim.
"Lynsey also knows that Mercedes hasn't slept in her bed, because as far as everyone knows, she's on her honeymoon. The clues seem to fit everyone in the village, so Lynsey just feels like she has no way of figuring it out."
It must be nice for her that someone finally believes her…
"Definitely. Before now, the only person who half-believed her was Brendan, and Silas managed to get him out of the way! Lynsey is at her lowest ebb, and Doug takes pity on her. On one hand, she feels like she shouldn't be dragging him into this mess, but she knows that she needs someone on her side. Doug shows her so much kindness and friendship, as well as believing her story - so Lynsey can't believe her luck. She wonders why she didn't confide in him months ago."
If Lynsey was to survive at the end of this storyline, do you think she could ever forgive the people who didn't believe her?
"It's hard to say at the moment as we don't know what could happen! If she did survive, I hope people would want to make amends. If she dies, I think people would be very sorry that they didn't believe her."
What does Lynsey do in the actual Halloween episode?
"By this point, Lynsey's totally tired and exhausted. She jumps up in the middle of Chez Chez and starts screaming at everybody to take off their masks, because she knows Silas could be among them in costume. Unfortunately, Lynsey ends up making a holy show of herself!"
Have you enjoyed portraying Lynsey and Jacqui's friendship recently?
"Definitely. Myself and Claire Cooper are friends outside of the show, and I remember Claire came to me and said that she'd heard we were going to be friends on screen as well. I was surprised, as obviously you'd never put Lynsey and Jacqui together at all. They're two opposite ends of the spectrum, but they've both been through a traumatic time and they've both had people not believing in them. That's meant that they've showed kindness towards each other and there's a real tenderness in their friendship."
Do you have a lot of friends among the Hollyoaks cast?
"Yeah, you tend to form friendships quite quickly because most of us are away from home. Myself and Bronagh have been friends for six years now - we knew each other before I came to Hollyoaks. I'm good friends with Scan [Emmett Scanlan] too. I'm actually friends with quite a few different people on the show, like Miles who plays Seth, and I go on girlie nights out with Jess Fox, Jess Forrest, Bronagh and Claire Cooper. I get on with everyone, really."
You recently joined Twitter (@karenhassan2), so have you enjoyed interacting with Hollyoaks fans on there?
"It's been great, but I'm really bad at keeping up to date on Twitter! There's a girl called Kimberley who's set up a fan page for me on there, which is really nice. I'm certainly getting a bit addicted now! I've had loads of tweets saying things like, 'When is Silas going to get caught?' and 'Why won't Cheryl listen to Lynsey?!' It's been a positive reaction and I suppose Twitter is a great way for fans to voice their opinions on the show!"
