Cain Dingle - Jeff Hordley Interview in the Sun
ACTOR Jeff Hordley might play violent womaniser Cain Dingle on TV soap Emmerdale but at home he's just a pussycat.
So much so that when he tried out a few of his character's screen tricks on his family, they put him firmly in his place.
Jeff jokes: "I tried Cain's menacing stare with the children once and they just laughed.
"I think my daughter and son will have the better of me for the rest of their lives. I have little love hearts in my eyes when I see them."
Jeff reckons he's definitely bottom of the pecking order at home, behind his actress wife Zoe Henry — who plays vet Rhona Goskirk in Emmerdale — his children, Violet, seven, and Stanley, three, and even the dog, Rita.
He says: "Cain might rule the roost in Emmerdale but not in my house. I'd certainly never dare take home any of his bad temper or irritability — Zoe wouldn't allow it.
Fury ... Debbie stops Cain going for Cameron
"There is a good balance between the two of us but Zoe has got the edge. Blokes like to think they're in charge but Zoe is really the boss.
"She has said once or twice that I'm probably too nice sometimes and I should have more of an edge to me. But when I'm with my friends I like to keep the equilibrium and the peace. I'm definitely someone who likes a quiet life.
"I'm nothing like Cain when it comes to women either. I've been with my wife for 17 years and we're extremely happy. We were students together and very young when we met — I was 24 and she was 21 — but I knew pretty quickly she was the one."
Similarly, while Cain gets his kicks causing trouble, Jeff's own pastimes are much more sedate.
The family live in a small West Yorkshire village and away from work he's involved with an online radio station, Radiorepublic.net, with fellow actor Graeme Hawley, who played John Stape in Corrie.
He spends his spare time walking Rita and tending his allotment.
Attack ... Cain confronts Amy in the street
He says: "Nothing beats going over there on a summer's evening after the children have gone to bed.
"I love it. It's the new rock and roll."
Jeff joined Emmerdale in 2000 and Zoe followed him two years ago. Over recent months viewers have seen Cain's already vile behaviour escalate out of control.
He has punched his father, Zak, seduced three women, including 16-year-old Amy, and married Moira, spilt the beans to her husband John so wrecking her marriage and generally made life as miserable as possible for anyone he encounters.
Now he is finally about to get his comeuppance when he is battered senseless and left for dead by a mystery assailant in two dramatic Emmerdale episodes entitled Judgement Day — on ITV1 on December 8 at 7pm and 8pm. No fewer than six characters are in the frame for the attack.
Jeff says: "He's the most hated man in soap at the moment and that's great fun to play. In this country we are generally all so polite and Cain isn't. He just speaks his mind.
"I'm in the character's shoes and I staunchly defend why he is like he is. I can see why he is gunning for Amy.
She told him she was 19 when they slept together and she was actually 16.
His ex, Charity, is marrying Jai so he is annoyed with them and I can see why he is angry with his dad, because he won't leave him alone.
"I've got mates who have had fisticuffs with their dads. I've never done it but it's not uncommon for fathers and sons to be at loggerheads."
Despite his nasty streak, Cain has proved hugely popular with viewers — girls fancy him and men want to be him. Yet Jeff seems genuinely baffled at his sex symbol appeal.
Hated man ... Cain Dingle is badly beaten
He says: "I have no idea why. He's scruffy and unkind — you just wouldn't. If I was a woman I definitely wouldn't.
"But perhaps some women are drawn to the danger. He's a bad boy and they want to tame him. But there's no way on earth I'd let my daughter go out with someone like Cain. If she turned up with someone like that — oh dear."
Jeff, who grew up in Oldham, Lancs, was 23 when he decided he would like to be on the stage. He enrolled to study acting at Manchester Metropolitan University and after graduating in 1997 his first audition was at Emmerdale.
He says: "I got the job of a paramedic who tried to save Dave Glover who died in a fire. But a week before we were meant to film they pulled the part. I still got my fee but I didn't do the job. Then four years later I joined the show for real."
Meanwhile his TV debut was in Coronation Street. He recalls: "I was in it twice — as a nightclub owner with Mike Baldwin, then as a really camp theatre director called Wayne. It was a terrible part. It was with Hayley and Roy and the director told me to camp it up. I never want to see it again."
Jeff took a break from Emmerdale from 2006 to 2009 to spend more time with his young family and pursue more theatre roles.
Happy ... Jeff Hordley with his wife Zoe Henry
But he says: "I expressly asked the producer at the time not to kill me off, because I always knew I would want to return one day.
"I love the character and the people who work here. Now I'm back I've no plans to go anywhere."
Despite Jeff's own calm personality, he admits he occasionally can't help playing on Cain's hardman reputation, recently winding up Mark Charnock, who played Zoe's previous on-screen partner Marlon Dingle.
Jeff recalls: "He was always on set, going, 'Zoe, Zoe,' and putting his arms around her and then saying, 'Sorry Jeff.' But I got my own back.
"There was a scene in the Woolpack and I was at the bar and Marlon and Rhona were together.
"In the rehearsal Mark walked off and kissed Zoe. I said, 'Whoah, what are you doing?' Zoe kind of cowered a little bit and Mark went beetroot red."
Gentle Jeff and crazed Cain may be chalk and cheese but it seems being known as the nastiest man in soap does have its uses occasionally.
Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe
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