Interview with Emma Rigby (Hannha Ashworth, Hollyoaks Later)
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a1...aks-later.html
It's a case of good girl gone bad during this week's episodes of Hollyoaks Later as Hannah Ashworth - played by 20-year-old Emma Rigby - heads to a music festival for the first time with her brothers Rhys (Andrew Moss) and Josh (Sonny Flood). However, not all is as it seems for the siblings as they unwittingly become embroiled with a gang of drug dealers. To make matters worse, Hannah falls head over heels for Jamie (Finn Jones), while it's love at first sight for Rhys as he takes a shine to Imogen (Holly Gilbert). Their festival experience, though, goes from bad to worse as the week goes on. Here, we chat to Emma about Hannah's role in the story and discover how the week unfolds.
This is an interesting one for Hannah - very out of character...
"Yeah - it's been absolutely brilliant to do. It's completely different from normal Hollyoaks with regard to the character. The character adopts a completely different persona and lets loose almost."
How did you get involved with Later this year?
"My character wasn't in the late night episodes last year and with Bryan [Kirkwood] producing the episodes this year, I jumped at the chance. I'm a big fan of his! It's good to be in it and when I found out what the storyline was I thought it was really interesting and something different to play."
What's the feel of this year's episodes?
"With my strand there's some new characters involved which is always interesting - you get to work with different people and there's some strong characters. The feel of my story is quite dark. It's got this sense of something that comes across as wild and fun and a chance for Hannah to be a part of it, but then she suddenly realises that all's not what it seems. Underneath it's quite terrifying."
Who are the new characters?
"There's Jamie, who is Hannah's love interest - played by Finn Jones - and there's Kev, who's the bad guy and he's played by James Cartwright. Then there's Imogen, who's the drug-taking prostitute who lures Hannah into it all. She's this fabulous character played by Holly Gilbert. There's also Blue played by Kyle Rees - he's a lovable character but he's still part of the menacing crew."
In a nutshell, what happens to Hannah, Rhys and Josh?
"The Ashworths go to this music festival and when they arrive, they think it's absolutely fabulous until Hannah throws one of her turns and is angry at Rhys and Josh for leaving her. She realises that she's not really festival-going material and it's all a bit much for her. Suddenly, she meets someone she falls head over heels for - it's almost that cliché of love at first sight. Meanwhile, Rhys has done the same with Imogen. Josh thinks it's fabulous because he could have the chance to perform live, too. Everything's bliss and they think the festival life is really for them.
"In episode two, we see Hannah and Jamie getting on really well and then all of a sudden, she finds out that he's not all he seems - he's actually a drug dealer. Hannah's completely gobsmacked. How can someone who appears so nice and friendly be a drug dealer? It goes against everything she believes in - she's never taken drugs, she doesn't agree with taking drugs and doesn't really want to be a part of it. However, there's something inside of her that's obsessed with him and desperately wants to believe in him and the fairytale, so she goes with it when Rhys tells her to relax. When Josh has a bad experience playing live, Josh decides to leave, while Hannah and Rhys stay."
Hannah takes a pill in episode two, doesn't she?
"Yeah, I think part of it is that she wants to go along with this fairytale and wants to fit in. There's the peer pressure, too. It's also something she's never done before. You only live once - she's young, she's at a festival - it's the perfect opportunity. Hannah's always complaining that her life's so dull and boring. She seizes the opportunity and jumps. It's a mad experience."
What happens next?
"Things take a turn for the worse in the house when she finds out that Imogen's a prostitute. The situation gets seedier and seedier. She can accept that Jamie deals drugs because he's explained that he just does it to get where he wants to be - he's not a bad person. She's fallen for him so she falls for that line as well. When she finds out Imogen's being pimped out so she can afford to buy drugs, she realises how wrong the setup is. She's frightened by it and Kev suggests that's how she's going to end up. It all goes a bit wrong and Jamie attacks Kev, so Jamie and Hannah run away in the ice-cream van.
"At the end of episode three everyone realises that they've gone away together - but that they also have the stash of drugs. Hannah's reaction is, 'Oh my God! What are we going to do?' and Jamie just thinks, 'Wow! This is amazing - we're going to be rich!' There are thousands and thousands of pounds worth of drugs."
What does Hannah do with them?
"Basically, she says to Jamie, 'You've got to get rid of them!' Meanwhile, she's trying to get in touch with Rhys to tell him that Imogen's a prostitute and it's not all fun and pill-popping. It's a whole different league - they've got a business going on that she doesn't think they should be a part of. Jamie then tells Hannah that he's got rid of the drugs, which results in her falling back into his arms again. He's got rid of the drugs for her, he's ready to settle down and make a go of it - they're going to have the perfect life together."
Rhys is in a bit of bother, though, isn't he?
"Well while all this is going on, Kev and Blue have Rhys tied up in a basement! It's brilliant! Andy [Moss] loved doing those scenes as well, he kept telling me how fabulous they were. There are some really good performances. I'm really looking forward to seeing it!"
What's the ultimatum at the end of episode four?
"At the end of the penultimate episode, Jamie is left battered to a pulp and Hannah's sobbing hysterically and doesn't know what to do. Kev wants to find the drugs and says that if they don't find the drugs, Rhys will die. Hannah knows he's not messing about and the chances are that they'll actually kill him if they don't find the money - or the drugs they've just got rid of. It's sheer devastation."
At the end of the week, apparently it becomes quite violent...
"Yeah - we did those scenes last week and I was actually scared. There are guns involved and everything. Hannah ends up with a gun to her head. It actually really hurt! There was a specialist on set that tells you how to handle a gun. A lot happens in the last ep - it's a real whirlwind."
Hollyoaks Later begins tonight at 9pm on E4.
Emma Rigby on Hannah, 'Later' and leaving 'Oaks
Monday, September 28 2009, 00:02 BST
By Kris Green, Soaps Editor
Hollyoaks star Emma Rigby jumped at the chance of appearing in this year's edition of Hollyoaks Later and I, for one, am extremely pleased she did.
When I first heard about her character Hannah's story, I wasn't convinced that it would work, but having seen the episodes I can confidently say that it does. It's a drug-riddled take on the concept of love at first sight and her screen lover Jamie (Finn Jones) puts in a sterling performance. The pair work so well on screen. Better than Hannah and Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson), anyway.
I still have NO idea why the storyliners thought it was a good idea to marry them off.
Rumour has it that Jamie's been asked to appear in the main show, presumably to tie in with Hannah's exit. If that happens, I'll be a happy soap-watcher. More on that when I get the official word.
I recently gave Emma Rigby a call to chat about her out-there storyline and the fruits of which can be found by having a gander at this page. We chatted on for so long, though, that I couldn't cram everything into the main interview, so here's what is effectively the second half of our chat.
Is Imogen the kind of girl that Hannah wants to be?
"Definitely. She'd love to be like her - to have no inhibitions and to be so free, sexy and appealing and just so at one with herself. Hannah would love to be able to do that and relax like she can but later on in the storyline, she realises that Imogen isn't a real person and it's not who she is but the drugs she takes and the circumstances she finds herself in. Imogen tells Hannah that she's not had a troubled childhood or anything like that, it's just happened and she just chooses to be like it. Really it's because she's a drug addict and she can't do anything about it."
Do you think there's a moral message to the story?
"Yeah, there is and it's almost like an awakening for Hannah. At the start, it's a chance to grow up and to explore new things. She realises that yes, it's fun, but it also comes with danger and it's not a way of life that she wants to be a part of. It's actually very sad that these people live like this and she's very lucky to have a stable family in Hollyoaks village. She realises that and then tries to take herself back."
Did you go to any festivals yourself this year?
"No I didn't - I think loads of people from work went to Leeds this weekend but I didn't. I've never actually been to a festival. I'm a festival virgin! One day I'll have to do it - maybe a day pass to one?"
Why do you think Hannah's got herself into a bit of a rut recently?
"I think with suffering with her eating disorder and then recovering, she didn't really grow up and have the chance to go out like Sarah and Nancy and her other friends. They've matured and Hannah's come to a standstill. She was still living at home until she moved in with Nancy, then when she was at Nancy's. She didn't really fit in because she wasn't cool like Zoe - she didn't really want to go out and watch bands and stuff.
"In trying to fit in and impress people, she went out and got drunk and ended up marrying Darren. So she finds herself married to someone she, never in a million years, would have gone out with willingly, not even under the influence. She's decided to stay married to him to annoy her parents, though. Maybe she's doing it for attention or as a cry for help. It's definitely attention-seeking and to shock people - doing things they would never have expected her to do. This chance to go to a music festival is something Hannah's never done."
You're leaving Hollyoaks at the end of the year - any clues about how you leave yet?
"No - I'm supposed to have a meeting this week to find out my leaving storyline. It's going to be quite exciting, I'm not sure what's in store for me. I arrive back into the village after a late night episode and it's almost as if it's never happened. The late episodes are completely separate - well, not separate but never mentioned. I think there's one line where someone says, 'How was the week?' and I just go, 'Wrong time, wrong place, wrong everything.' Enough said!"
What does life hold for you after Hollyoaks?
"Well, I don't know as yet. I've not had any auditions as yet but I'd love to do something in the West End. That's what I'd like to do. Also some drama, some film - just get as much experience as possible. I've been doing the show for four years, since I was 15, and [it] has effectively been my training. I feel like the time's right to leave and I'm really excited, although I will be sad to go. I'll miss everybody. I'm looking forward to the New Year, though - new year, new start."
