Joe Mcgann
“Edward will manipulate, but I’d draw the line at murder – for now…”
With Diane and Tony’s fragile marriage in jeopardy once again, will Edward take his chance to win Diane over once and for all? We join star Joe Mcgann – who plays Edward – for a chat about his determined character…
We love that Edward is such an out-and-out soap baddie! Are you enjoying playing him?
Very much so! I’m as happy as I’ve been in any job in my career. Hollyoaks is a lovely place to work. It’s fun when various bits and pieces are thrown at you – go and play the cello, go and paint. It’s great fun, and it keeps me on my toes.
What’s been your favourite scene to film so far?
I enjoyed pretending to kill the bird. It was the second scene I ever filmed. That was when people realised Edward wasn’t all he was cracked up to be. No birds were hurt in the making of that scene, though!
How far will Edward go, do you think?
Well, I mean Edward’s manipulative, but I’d draw the line at murder… for now! He’s willing to land Tony in all kinds of situations to put him in a bad light, so that Diane can see she’s better off with him.
This week, he locks Tony in a room with him – what’s he up to?
No spoilers… but he plots to make Tony unsure of himself. He’s going to use his medical expertise to perhaps administer things to Tony that might make him behave in different ways…
What’s the viewer reaction been to Edward so far?
I occasionally look through my Twitter mentions, but I’d say the viewers hate him! I think Edward’s the least popular character that’s been in
Hollyoaks for some time. Then again, that’s what we’re all aiming for!
What do you make of Edward and Diane as a couple?
I think something that starts in this kind of way would always be destined to fail – but soap is not life! Edward admires Diane for her strength, and her fortitude, in the way that she puts a brave face on for her kids. But I get the impression with Edward that if things went wrong, he’d dump her and move on. Edward’s not a great catch!
Will we be seeing a bit more of Tony’s sister, Verity, soon?
Yes, I’ve been doing more scenes with Verity – she’s a lovely character, and Eva O’hara [who plays her] is lovely as well. In the future, it might not always be as one-sided as you think with Edward and Verity. To an extent, she can help him see another side of things, but that doesn’t mean she can change his mind.
Edward plots to make Tony unsure of himself