You Ask… Shaun Thomas (Gerry Roberts)
Funny fella Gerry makes us chuckle any time he’s on screen – but it’s no laughing matter as 20-year-old star Shaun takes the hot seat and answers your questions…
“How old were you when you got your first acting role?”
I got my first acting job while I was still at school. I can remember not wanting to go to the audition and arguing with my teacher about it! She was convinced I’d be great and should give it a go, but in my head I was sure one
of the drama students at my school would probably get the part. I did end up doing the audition, and that’s where it all started. My first Emmerdale audition was for a different role that I didn’t get. But a few months later the role of Gerry came up, and I was over the moon.
“Who or what inspired you to start acting?”
I never had my heart set on becoming an actor, although growing up I was really into movies like Rocky with Sylvester Stallone. So I thought maybe I wanted to be a boxer… but I was 13, so that wasn’t going to happen!
“What was it like filming the scene in where Gerry drinks from the Dingle boot?”
Emmerdale
It was really funny! The atmosphere on set was great, and everyone involved in the scene seemed to really enjoy themselves. Yeah, it was definitely like a rite of passage, and a way of bringing Gerry into the family and making him an honorary Dingle.
“Can you tell us a cheeky secret about your co-star Thomas Atkinson [who plays Lachlan]?”
He’s not a super-diva or anything like that. Actually, Tom gets up every morning and has a freezing shower. I don’t know why – you’d have to ask him!
“Who is your favourite cast mate and why?”
“What do you like most about the Mill Cottage set?”
“Tell us a secret about Thomas Atkinson!”
It’s got to be Steve Halliwell [Zak]. He’s always having a laugh, telling jokes. He’s just amazing to work with. Because he has been in
Emmerdale since 1994, he’s got so much he can tell you about past scenes – and he is always happy to give you advice or help you out. Jane Cox [Lisa] is like that, too.
“Who is your best friend on set?”
I don’t really have a best friend – I get on with everyone. But if I ever needed to speak to someone and get some advice, I’d go to Danny Miller [Aaron]. He’s really good for stuff like that.
“Would you like Gerry to have a girlfriend, and who should it be?”
No, I don’t think Gerry needs to have a girlfriend at the moment. He’s a free spirit. I think a relationship would probably be too much for him!
“If you could play a different
Emmerdale character for the day, who would you choose?”
I think I’d like to play Paddy! He’s a great comedy character, and it would be ace to have a go at him.
“What advice would you give to anyone wanting to become an actor themselves?”
The main thing is not to be disheartened if you don’t always get the parts you audition for. Not getting what you want actually gives you the motivation and energy to get to where you want to be. That’s something I’ve always told myself. When I started out, sometimes my heart wasn’t in it and I’d think, ‘Shall I keep on doing this?’ But you have to keep going, and eventually you succeed and get to where you need to be.
“Have you ever been star-struck?”
When I got my first role [in the film The
Selfish Giant in 2013], I had to go for a script read-through with an actor called Sean Gilder, who is also in the film. I had watched Sean as the evil Irish character Paddy Maguire in Channel 4’s
Shameless, but when I met him it came as a complete surprise. He was this gently spoken man and wasn’t Irish! I was gobsmacked, and a little bit star-struck.
“What is your favourite part of the Mill Cottage set where Gerry lives with Aaron, Robert and Liv?”
Have you noticed the Vespa moped at the bottom of the spiral staircase? The lamp on the front of the moped doesn’t actually work – but I would still love to have that in my house!