DI Malone is a man to fear…
AS MARK WOMACK MAKES HIMSELF AT HOME IN THE DALES, HIS WIFE WAS ON HAND TO SHARE SOME SOAPY WORDS OF WISDOM…
We’ve only just met the mysterious DI Malone, but already it’s clear that he’s not a man to be messed with! His ominous appearance in Emmerdale village has left convicted gangster Will visibly shaken – and as it transpires that the two men share a shady past, we can’t help but fear what menacing Malone might have in store for the former hard man and his co-conspirator, Cain.
Meanwhile, the actor behind the crooked cop is already a familiar face, with Mark Womack having popped up on our television screens many times over the years, in series including Liverpool 1 and Merseybeat. He also happens to be married to former
Eastenders star Sam Womack – best known and much-loved for playing the late Ronnie Mitchell. And Mark reveals that his wife had a few wise words of advice as he prepared to make his first foray into the world of soap…
“Sam told me to learn my lines and not knock anything over on set!” grins the actor, as he joins us for a chat. “She’s excited that I’m doing
Emmerdale. I actually came in to discuss another role a while back, and that didn’t work out – but then this one came along.
“It’s a lovely place to work – I’m very much feeling at home here now. The show’s cast and crew have been brilliant, and I couldn’t have hoped for a better start to a new job.”
As the full extent of Will’s former involvement with DI Malone emerges, there’s no doubting – despite Will having turned his back on crime – that the detective has a sinister hold over him. And Mark admits that Will has good reason to fear his old
adversary…
“He’s very dastardly – you wouldn’t want to lock horns with him,” shares the star, who has two kids – 19-year-old Ben and Lili-rose, 14, with Sam. “Will worked for Malone at the ports when he was a customs officer, and he was Malone’s man. It resulted in Will being convicted for drug smuggling and being sent to prison. Malone will stop at nothing to get what he wants and is very Machiavellian. Even though he’s a policeman, he behaves in much the same way as the criminals he’s going after.”
Will isn’t the only one fearing Malone’s malevolence this week, as
Cain is dragged on to his radar when he and Will confront the detective over a suspicious package Cain finds in his car. But Cain looks set to regret his brave move, once he returns to the village to find the garage has been trashed and Moira’s bull murdered. And as Malone turns up to investigate, Cain is given pause while the shifty officer pointedly enquires who might have a grudge against him. But surely even Malone will regret messing with the renowned Dingle tough nut? Unfortunately, Mark doesn’t think so…
“Cain has definitely met his match – undoubtedly, in fact!” he insists. “Malone is confident that he can get his own way, no matter what anybody else thinks. People are afraid of him because he’s totally uncompromising. Also, he’s a detective inspector, which gives him more status – and he has many dodgy friends who are able to back him up. So I’d stay out of his way!”
You wouldn’t want to lock horns with Malone – he’s dastardly!