Richard Blackwood: ‘Cleaning’s becoming an obsession!’
Charming as ever, former EastEnders star Richard Blackwood talks coping with life indoors (clue: his house is spotless) and why he’s loving his meaty new role in Hollyoaks…
Stand-up, rapper, presenter and actor Richard Blackwood has been in showbiz from the age of 21. But most of us will know him for playing hardman Vincent Hubbard in EastEnders until 2018. Now, the South London star, whose step-sister is Naomi Campbell, is back on our screens in Hollyoaks. The single dad-of-one
(he has son Keaun, 19, with his ex-wife) plays smooth operator Felix Westwood, who sets out to woo the ladies in the village, while attempting to reconnect with his estranged children and former flame, Martine Deveraux. We ask Richard about his return to telly, his reputation as a charmer - and more…
Welcome back to Soapland, Richard...
Thanks! It’s wonderful. Some soap actors make their mark, then disappear. So, to have made my mark with EastEnders, then two years later – I hope – be about to do the same on another big soap, is great. People weren’t throwing work at me after EastEnders, that’s just not the way it works. I’m very grateful.
Tell us about your character, Felix, in Hollyoaks...
Well, it would be easy to say Felix is just the bad guy – but it’s complicated. He’s disconnected from emotion, because he had a bad childhood, in a foster home. His way of dealing with things since is ‘sink or swim’. He’s not going to be the victim, ever. He doesn’t have as much empathy as he should. He’s not malicious, he’s one of life’s survivors. He makes his mark in the village – he puts his foot down from the jump as someone who needs to be respected.
Your character’s a smooth talker, a ladies’ man. Any similarities to yourself?
Ha, I like your style! Yeah, I’m a bit of a smooth talker. I’m 47 now, though, I’ve changed a bit. But coming into this industry as a young man, I was definitely a charmer! I was good at stand-up and as an entertainer, so I was full of it. And all that confidence at a young age was a recipe for disaster. So, was it easy to tap into that? Hell, yeah! But Vincent can go to the dark side – and I’m a kind, warm person. I’ve never been in trouble with the police. Crime and violence isn’t alien to me – I grew up around it, but that part was just acting.
You’re a big celebrity crush, does that tickle you?
Oh, it makes me smile, I’m flattered. But I’m older now and I don’t believe the hype! I thought I was well-known before EastEnders.
I remember Barbara Windsor, bless her soul, pulled me aside when I first started, gave me some tips.
She said, ‘ You will never be ready for the amount of fame a soap gives you.’
And she was right. Suddenly, I couldn’t walk down the street.
It was crazy.
You started in stand-up. Does humour help in these difficult times?
Yeah, it really does. And a crisis like this, especially on such a global level, brings people together. And it should. When you watch things on the news, most times, you can’t relate as you and your family are not going through it. You see a war-torn country and think, that’s awful, I feel so sorry for those people. But with Coronavirus, there’s not a human being on this planet that’s not affected by this. We are all trying to live with something that is affecting us universally – this one, common enemy. I’m seeing people on Instagram divulging life stories, cleaning homes – that really makes me smile.
Filming on Hollyoaks is on hold. How’s life under lockdown?
How do I put this…? My house has always been clean, but I don’t think it’s ever been this clean. It’s got to the point now where I’m looking for dust – I mean, searching for individual dust particles with my Pledge and my Dettol. I’ve never used so many antiseptic wipes in my life. I’m looking around and I’m proud of what I see, but at the same time I’m thinking this has got to stop. I’m washing myself constantly, there is not a particle of dirt on me. Yeah, it’s getting obsessive. Got to stop.
Have you got cabin fever?
I’ve got all my shopping, my essentials, so I’m not leaving the house really. The good thing with me is, contrary to opinion, I’m quite an introvert. I’m a bit of a loner. People are losing their minds about having to stay inside, but this is pretty much my life. I’ll be on my sofa, watching boxsets, eating food... Before this happened, I was only really going out for work, or to see family. This is not hard for me. Ask me in three months, you might get a different answer! Hollyoaks Mon and Tues, C4, 6.30pm, and Hollyoaks Favourites Wed to Fri, E4, 7pm.