PAEDO ROLE MADE ME BREAK DOWN

Nathan’s anguish playing Hollyoaks monster

HOLLYOAKS star Nathan Sussex has told how playing a paedophile on the soap left him in tears.

The actor, right, worked on harrowing scenes while playing abusive Buster Smith, inset.

He said: “Some scenes and episodes really affected me. Some nights I’d be reading the scripts and I’d be in tears while looking at the lines.

“While reading some of it, I broke down. I found it so unbearable that somebody was doing those things and they had that control. That really upset me.

“Even when we were filming the scenes it felt quite shocking. As an actor you have to enjoy what you’re doing and we know it’s pretend. You’re doing a job portraying a character. But at the same time some scenes got quite emotional.” Nathan’s performance has had a big reaction from victims. He added: “I’ve had people come up to me and say it has happened to them. “It was quite unnerving because it is quite a responsibility to have somebody tell you that. “I’m really touched that they trust me enough to approach me because it’s not an easy thing to say something. “I’m not a trained professional, but I can listen to them and hope they found some strength in what we did.” Evil

Buster will be back on screens later this month when Brody Hudson (Adam Woodward) visits him in prison.

Nathan has promised that his comeback will be must-see telly.

He said: “The episodes are going to be intense. There is a face-off between Buster and Brody. The scenes are very dramatic.

“You will see a softer side to Buster, but it soon materialises that it’s all part of his manipulation. He quickly goes back to showing his evil side.”

Hollyoaks is back tomorrow after being forced off air by the coronavirus this summer.

The action kicks off at 6.30pm on Channel 4.