You Ask… Theo Graham (Hunter)
Hollyoaks’ Hunter Mcqueen ...faces your questions!
It’s been a tough 12 months for poor Hunter since he lost his beloved girlfriend Neeta – but things are about to get a whole lot tougher for star Theo as he answers your questions…
“What was the best thing about getting to film in Ibiza last year?”
I really enjoy the sun and I love getting away whenever I can, so to go to Ibiza and film didn’t feel like work at all! Myself and Amrit [Maghera, who played Neeta] had quite heavy schedules, so we didn’t really get much downtime, but I know some of the others got to go out and party. I still enjoyed it, though.
“Are you and Amrit still in contact now she’s left the show?”
Yeah, we’re still in contact.
Every now and then we’ll chat with each other and see what the other one is doing. She’s just finished a guest part in Casualty, so she’s doing well at the moment. I’m really happy for her – I think she’s brilliant.
“Who would you like to come in as Hunter’s next love interest now Neeta’s gone?”
It’s hard to see Hunter with another girl – he spent all his time being so obsessed with this one person, so I’ve not thought about it. And I don’t think he has either! But if I could bring in anyone to play his next girlfriend, it would be Margot Robbie. Hollyoaks should call and see what she says… My best friend without a doubt is Malique [Thompson-dwyer, who plays Hunter’s twin Prince]. We’d never met before the show, and I was a bit nervous in case we didn’t like each other. But we gelled straight away, and now he’s more like a brother than a friend. He’s brilliant – I love him.
“Who’s your best friend in the Hollyoaks cast?”
“What has been your highlight of the past year at Hollyoaks?”
It’s been a massive year for Hunter, so it’s really hard to pick just one thing. I was fortunate to get the opportunity to do such a big storyline [with Neeta and Hunter’s romance], and working alongside Amrit was amazing. But a standout moment for me was filming the big school explosion.
“Who’s your all-time favourite member of the Mcqueen family?”
I’m going have to go with my Auntie Myra. I love Nicole Barber-lane [who plays her], she’s great. She’s always a laugh on set, and always positive.
“What did you like about filming in Ibiza?”
And she’s taken me and Malique under her wing since we started on the show, so I’ve learned a lot from her.
“What’s the best thing about having Malique as your screen twin?”
“Who’s your best mate in the Hollyoaks cast?”
I laugh a lot – there’s never a dull moment with Malique around! It’s always fun to be on set with him. I think the crew sometimes get a bit annoyed, though, because we’re just so full of energy! I wouldn’t say we’re naughty, but we do have our moments where we get a bit carried away…
“You were in Doctors for a while before Hollyoaks [as Barney Turner in 2016]. What was that like?”
It was brilliant! I originally went in for a guest part, which was just one episode, and then a year later I went back for five episodes. That was just before I started at Hollyoaks, so it gave me a taster of what was to come. But everyone at Doctors was lovely, and it’s exactly the same as at Hollyoaks
– they’re like a family.
“Hunter is brilliant at art, but what’s the best piece of artwork that a fan has ever made for you?”
I haven’t received it in person, but someone drew a portrait of my Hollyoaks head shot on a big canvas, and took a photo of it and sent it to me on Twitter. It’s amazing to see people go that far – I don’t know what happened to it in the end, but I wouldn’t mind having it!
“Hunter always seems to be crying at the moment. How do you cope with those big, emotional scenes?”
If I know I have those sorts of scenes coming up, I come into work in a certain headspace. The crew are great, so before we go for a take they’ll all be quiet and let me concentrate so I can get into the right mindset. I’m quite open with my emotions, but sometimes it can be demanding – especially when you have to go for another take.
“Hunter has had lots of scenes with Yasmine recently, as she has Neeta’s heart. How is working with Haiesha Mistry, who plays her?”
Funnily enough, me and Haiesha knew each other before Hollyoaks, because we both trained at an acting school called DNA Performance in Manchester. But I didn’t find out she had the part until I looked at the filming schedule and saw her name on there! When I walked in and saw her there it was a massive surprise. But it was nice to get on set with someone that I already knew.
Theo is nominated in the Best Actor category at the British Soap Awards 2018. To cast your vote, log on to www.britishsoapawards.tv/vote