The smooth moves...
RICHARD BLACKWOOD MAKES HIS HOLLYOAKS DEBUT AS NEW VILLAIN FELIX WESTWOOD…
Felix doesn’t waste any time, let’s put it that way!” chuckles former Eastenders star Richard Blackwood, who joins Hollyoaks this week, as new bad boy Felix Westwood. “Even in my short time of being here, the stuff that I’ve filmed has been so exciting! It sounds clichéd when you tell people to tune in, because that’s what you’re supposed to say. However, I would say if you miss what happens with Felix, you’re going to be upset!”
Felix makes his debut in the village this week – but we already know lots about him and his murky past! His ex, Martine, has warned their kids to stay away from him, and his old nemesis Warren is clearly still haunted by the torment Felix put him through years ago. Yet as Richard tells us, Felix is just a victim of circumstance…
Hey, Richard! What can you tell us about your character, Felix?
He’s a lovely person – but with a lot of darkness! He can be somewhat sly, yet that’s more because of what he’s been through, which you’ll see on screen. That’s shaped how he views life. He can come across as slightly sinister, but it doesn’t come from a place of malice.
Is Felix someone that you would want to meet in real life?
Yeah – you just wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of him! He’s very charming, and viewers will like him. But at the same time, he’s not to be crossed…
So would you say he’s going to be Hollyoaks’ next big villain?
Yeah, I’ll give him that! But he’s not just a villain for no reason, he’s not just bad and that’s it. The audience will empathise with his truth.
Is he in the village to see his kids, Mitchell, Toby and Celeste?
He actually doesn’t know that’s why he’s there! Celeste has left him a message, pretending to be Martine, so he thinks he’s coming to see his ex. But when he gets there and walks in, all the Deverauxs are having a dinner party – so seeing all his kids there is the first big bombshell for Felix!
He gave away his kids at birth – so what’s his reaction to seeing them?
As I say, it’s not as if he’s pre-prepared, he turns up thinking he’s going to speak to somebody he hasn’t spoken to in years – and then he just gets hit with, “oh, by the way these are your three kids!” It’s a shocker.
What is Felix and Martine’s relationship like?
Well, that’s essentially why he’s come back, as he has unfinished business with her. That’s a roller-coaster ride we’re going to take viewers on! Nothing is ever straightforward in Hollyoaks, so there will be lots of twists. The dynamic between Felix and Walter is also going to be lovely for the audience to see. That will be evident right from the start!
Felix has a past with Warren too – can you tell us a bit about that?
They go back to when they were kids, and they both grew up in a children’s home together. Basically, Warren is as bad as he is because of Felix – Felix used to bully him, so the history between them is very deep-rooted. We’ll see how that develops, but they’re definitely not the best of friends!
Have you been enjoying butting heads with Jamie Lomas (aka Warren) in scenes?
Oh yeah, I have a great relationship with Jamie – we trust each other, so the stuff we’ve done so far is going to be great TV! Even when we’re reading our scripts, we get excited about it! Jamie will say, “Have you got to this bit?” and I’m like, “Hang on, not yet!” There are some scenes we just can’t wait to play.
Did you know anyone in the cast when you arrived?
Hollyoaks
I had bumped into certain people at awards shows and stuff like that. And I’ve known Kéllé [Bryan, who plays Martine] for 20-plus years. That made it easy for me coming in, having her play the mother of my kids. Because we know each other, there’s no safety net for us, we can go as far as we need to in scenes. I knew Gary Lucy [Luke] too – we once did an episode of Celebrity Juice together, so we laughed that we’ve now ended up on Hollyoaks at the same time!
You played Walford’s Vincent Hubbard – how does working on Hollyoaks compare to
Eastenders? I would say the only similarity is that you know you’re working on a show that’s on daily, and you have to make sure that you bring it with the character. But soaps are just a machine, and you have to learn on the job. I didn’t come here with the experience I had on Eastenders and think I could just walk in and know what
I was doing, because it’s completely different. I loved Eastenders, but in the short space of time I’ve been here, I’m already loving Hollyoaks.
Are you enjoying being based in Liverpool?
Oh yeah, the people here are just genuinely friendly. And with the bonus too that the cost of living in Liverpool is much better – you get so much more! When I was doing Eastenders in London, I lived an hour-and-a-half away from the set. Whereas at Hollyoaks, it only takes me 10 minutes to drive to work. I have nothing to complain about.
And where would you say that Felix rates next to your Eastenders character Vincent Hubbard on the soap baddie scale?
He’s a bit darker than Vincent was. Vincent was a lovely character to play, but if you remember, he was manipulated by his mother to be bad, because she was the one who had the issues. Whereas with Felix, his scars are deeper than that – and that’s what people will love about the character. I think people will be able to relate more to Felix, and why he became the way he is. His story is based on something that could be quite real…