You Ask… Michael Wildman (Al)
Emmerdale’s Al Chapman ...faces your questions!
Slippery Al is used to wriggling out of tricky situations, whether it be with business partners or loan sharks! But will Michael be as smooth when faced with your questions?
“Would you be Al’s mate in real life?”
I don’t think so, no. His life’s ambition is the pursuit of money – he’d sell his own grandmother to get out of a hole! I’d suss him out in seconds, and walk on by.
“What’s the best thing about having Claire King [aka Kim] as an on-screen boss?”
Well she’s King, isn’t she? She reigns supreme! We
did a scene together during my screen test, and I knew that if I got the part we’d have a great time. And it has been exactly like that. She’s very giving, and a true professional. We’ve had lots to do, and we’ve become very close, actually.
“What does your wife Ceri think of your Emmerdale character?”
Oh, she loves to hate him! But she loves him, of course, as I play him. She’ll go over lines with me sometimes, and at the end she’ll say, “Oh, he’s a nasty so-and-so!” I’ll say, “He’s not nasty, he’s just misunderstood!” She didn’t watch Emmerdale before, but she does now.
“How did you find the experience of working on Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix?”
That was an incredible experience, because it was my first major studio movie. I played Magorian – we devised a whole new language for the centaurs, which they only used about three seconds of! They had this specialised equipment as CGI and facial-recognition technology was just coming into play at the time, so that was a novel thing for me. However, do you think your readers will be upset if I say I’m more into
Lord Of The Rings than Harry Potter?
“Aside from Emmerdale, what has been your favourite-ever job?”
It was 20 years ago, when I was working at the National Theatre. I spent almost three years there, and that is still is such a fond memory for me in my career. I did so many different shows and played different characters, within a massive ensemble of really experienced actors. Also I have lifetime friends from that time, which is brilliant.
“What does your wife think of alter ego Al?”
“You played Marc Mackenzie in Family Affairs – are you still in touch with any of your former co-stars?”
I’m still friends with Anna Acton, who played Geri Evans [but more recently known as Emma Summerhayes, the ill-fated detective in Eastenders’ ‘Who Killed Lucy Beale’ storyline]. I was at Family
Affairs for just under a year, and Anna and I played on-screen lovers – that was relentless for the entire year. But we stayed in contact afterwards, and became close friends. Anna moved further out of London and I followed suit a few years later, so now our families spend a lot of time together.
“How was it working for Steven Spielberg on Ready Player One?”
It’s up there with one of the most incredible jobs I’ve been a part of. But the role hadn’t actually been written up when they employed me. So I went in on my first day with no script and had to ad-lib all my stuff. I don’t care how experienced you are, adlibbing in front of Steven Spielberg isn’t the easiest thing to do!
“Is it true you auditioned for Emmerdale previously? Which role did you audition for?”
Yes, I did – but unfortunately, I can’t remember what the role was! It was many moons ago, and was very different from my audition for Al – which felt right. Al’s a combination of many characters I’ve played over the years.
“Which Emmerdale character would you like to have more scenes with?”
Cain. Both he and Al are alphas, but with a very different approach. There was a storyline in which I thought they might have come into contact, when Al was going through his stuff with the loan shark – as it was the same loan shark Cain was dealing with. I thought they could have joined forces to get rid of him. I think with Cain’s hands-on approach to things, and
Al’s slightly more calculating attitude, they could do some serious damage.
“What would be your ideal way to spend a day off ?”
With my family, walking. I love it. I live in the countryside, so walking is a big thing for us. And, of course, stopping off for a pint of Guinness along the way!
“Where’s your fave holiday spot?”
Tarifa in Spain. It’s relaxed and familyfriendly. The beaches are close by, the town’s quaint. My wife and I got married there a few years ago. I love Grenada in the Caribbean too, as that’s where half my family is from.