Hugh Quarshie
AS HOLBY MARKS ITS 20TH BIRTHDAY, HUGH QUARSHIE LOOKS BACK – AND TEASES THE SHOCKS STILL TO COME…
The festivities are under way in Holby City – and we don’t just mean for Christmas and New Year. The medical drama is due to celebrate its 20th anniversary in January 2019, and this fortnight marks the beginning of a series of special treats – starting with a standalone episode set on location starring favourites Ric, Sacha and Jac.
And so, it was only fitting that
Inside Soap sat down with Holby City’s main man, Hugh Quarshie, who plays Ric – and is the show’s longest-serving cast member – to talk us through the plot and indulge our nostalgia…
It’s lovely to catch up with you, Hugh! You joined Holby in 2001 – does it feel as though you’ve been with the show for that long?
I never expected to be here this long – I thought it would be two to three years, max! I do take some pride in it, and it’s pleasing to feel that I’ve lasted this long in a job and that I’ve helped set the tone. Although, I don’t think I’ll be able to match Derek Thompson [who has played Charlie for 32 years in Casualty]!
What has kept you at Holby?
It’s a harmonious place to work. There are egos here, but not turbulent ones. The turbulent ones tend not to stay for long! Also, it’s massively reassuring to feel that you’re respected and listened to. The bosses do sometimes spring a plot twist on me that I’m not happy with – Catherine [Russell, who plays Serena] and I are not too pleased about wearing scrubs, but that comes with the job!
The show has a huge turnover of guest stars. Does that help to keep the show feeling fresh?
Absolutely, and guest actors say they’ve had a good time. Ade Edmondson [who played Abra] is on record saying it’s the best job he ever had. I’m proud of that!
Hugh – who turns 64 this month – is so warm and friendly that we could listen to him talk for days on end. But as he’s due back on set soon, we’re keen to ask him about Holby’s
New Year episode!
We hear that Ric, Sacha and Jac go on a road trip to a medical conference. What more can you tell us?
For reasons that
I don’t fully understand, Ric has rented a really powerful Bentley to drive to this convention and he wants to make a good impression. However, when they arrive at this stately home they are met by two blasts from the past, Tom Campbell-gore [played by Dennis Lawson] and Arianne Cornell [aka Sara Stewart]!
As Holby nods to its past, what is your favourite-ever Ric storyline?
One that stands out is when Ric himself was diagnosed with cancer of the caecum – and due to the brilliance of Henrik Hansson, he survived. At the time I wondered if we were pushing it too far, but later, I was on holiday in France and saw a lady trying to catch my eye. She made a point of hollering me and thanked me for saving her life, as she had had cancer of the caecum, and had been given a terminal diagnosis. After watching our episode, she insisted on a second opinion – and two years later, there she was. My wife had tears in her eyes listening to her.
Do people ever mistake you for a real doctor?
Those who know me from Holby will say, “Hello, doc!”, and present an injury. I respond by telling them that I’m off duty! Years ago, Jeremy Edwards [who played Danny Shaughnessy] told me that some young kids had been staring at him on the train. They asked him if he was on Holby and then said, “You’re rubbish, and you know you are!” Fortunately, that hasn’t happened to me yet!
Do you think you could manage to do Ric’s job in real life?
If you’re about to ask me if I could perform an operation after all these years, the answer is, “Yes, I could – but the patient would definitely die.” Then I would be sued and go to jail! I know where the major organs are, more or less, so it’s been an education in that sense – but more than anything, it’s humbling knowing what real doctors do. In this age where we’re supposed to have lost faith in experts, I think, ‘Thank God for them’. I trust a doctor far more than I trust [Conservative MP] Michael Gove!
It’s so humbling knowing what real doctors do!