Cheryl's half-brother Brendan Brady has just moved to Hollyoaks village! We had a natter with Emmett J. Scanlan to find out more about his bad boy character Brendan, hear what he has to say about the lovely Hollyoaks ladies, and probe him for any juicy gossip about what's coming up on the show...

So how long have you been filming at Hollyoaks for?
I've been at Hollyoaks now since May, so that works out at about two and a half months.

How have you settled in so far?
God I love this place, from the directors to the crew and the cast. They have made me feel so welcome - to Liverpool as a city, and to living on Lark Lane with all the bars and restaurants. It's a great area.

The work is brilliant; soap is a different breed of animal. I'm used to doing drama and movies so it's a lot slower, whereas with soaps, at any one time there are four different directors with four different crews shooting, so you've got to be on your game, otherwise you get left behind. That's what I love about it.

Good stuff! Has everyone been welcoming?
Absolutely! Without it sounding all philosophical, there is genuinely not one person that I don't like or don't get on with. The cast are great, I go out and socialise with a big group of them. I live in a block which is right beside Karen Hassan (Lynsey Nolan) the new naughty girl, and Jorgie Porter (Theresa McQueen). The flat is right beside everybody in the cast and crew so you can't go out without bumping into somebody.

Who or what have you based your character on?
The thing with soap is that you learn about your character as you go along. Because it's so fast when you're on set you have to use your instinct. There have been a couple of people from the crew who have come over to me in between takes saying they think Brendan's modelled on Nicholas Cage or that there's a Christopher Walken thing going on. But I don't see that. I guess on some level I base Brendan on a little bit of everybody who I admire, but mostly it just comes from instinct.

How would you sum up Brendan Brady in five words?
What an absolute **** he is! I don't know how to describe him in five words. I don't think he is either good or bad. Brendan's a man who defines his own moral code and principles, and lives with the consequences. He's the type of dude that will hit you as quick as look at you, but never touch a girl. His principles may be different to yours or mine but he's not good or bad, he's just... Brendan.

So he is set to cause a bit of tension then?
He's like a lion in some ways, or a cornered animal, you don't mess with him. Brendan cares about two things in this world: himself and his family, and everything else is obsolete. I think that's why he'll take you down or die trying, that's just who he is.

Is he a fun character to play?
He's an absolutely liberating, ridiculously fun character to play! I grew a moustache for it and they let me keep it.

So that was your idea?
Yeah, its fun - it's amazing what a bit of facial hair can do to a guys face. Brendan's an absolutely liberating character. He gets to show his loyalty, he gets to be the family man - he's got two boys and a wife - and he gets to take people down, intimidate, charm, and flirt with women. He gets to do quite a lot of things!

Do any of these facets reflect your own personality?
Sure a little bit, I guess you kind of drag on your own personal experiences so we would be similar in ways.

In what ways are you similar?
Brendan's an incredibly loyal guy, and doesn't take any crap. I have a kid so I can relate to the father in him, but there are certain things he does that I don't do - or at least I can't admit to doing! (Laughs) I'm only joking!

Brendan and Cheryl own Chez Chez together with a silent partner Danny Houston, so I get to interact with a lot of the cast members and I love that. I love working with Bronagh (Cheryl), and because it's a club all the characters come in, so every day I come to film I could be working with someone else. I have a great story line with Gemma (Carmel), she's fantastic to work with and she makes me laugh a lot.

You mentioned Bronagh (Cheryl)... she's a live wire isn't she?
She is a live wire on and off set, she's great! She's unpredictable, she's strong, she's vulnerable - she's got all the characteristics that I find attractive in a person, let alone a girl. We've worked opposite each other, we've laughed and had a great time, and I'm really looking forward to keeping that going because I'm going to be here for a little bit.

Have any ladies in the cast caught your eye?
There is something wrong with you if the Hollyoaks ladies don't catch your eye! I was asked in an interview how do you feel about being cast in one of the best looking casts in England, and I said "ugly". That's how I feel! The ladies are beautiful, but they are also sound, talented and yeah, there are a couple of girls that are very nice, I guess! (Laughs)

Going back to Brendan now, are there any potential alliances... will he have any close friends or will he be a loner?
He will always have Cheryl - Cheryl thinks the sun shines out of his arse because Brendan saved her from something in the past. He's kind of a hero to Cheryl. He does date and flirt with a few girls, but I think he loves the power more than anything. His alliance and loyalty is to himself and his family. If anyone else gets in that circle I'd be well impressed, I'd be very well impressed.

So what can fans expect from Brendan in the coming months?
A lot of live wire activity and a lot of ruthless violence. He hurts a few people, he robs, he steals, and he punches. Cheryl's just won £250,000 on the lottery, and is it a coincidence that Brendan comes into Hollyoaks so soon after this? Probably not.

Brendan got into a bit of trouble in Belfast which is one of the reasons he comes over to Chester. Brendan gets involved in all sorts - he uses people, he plants stuff on people, he deals with con artists, he takes advantage of the vulnerable, he loves the fact that he has power over people. There are going to be a lot of twists and turns. I haven't yet read a script that doesn't excite me about this character.

Are you going to watch your first episode?
I will probably have a quick look at it. I saw the Channel 4 promo which was pretty cool, but it took me a few weeks to get into the swing of things at Hollyoaks because it was so manic. So I'm a little bit apprehensive about seeing the first few episodes, but at the same time, sod it, I'm going to enjoy it! I hope the boys up top are happy because I sure as hell know that I am. It's a great gig to have and great people to work with, from the crews to the directors, cast, casting... and the canteen! Massive props to the canteen, and to the producers for taking a chance on me.

http://www.e4.com/hollyoaks/interviews/ ... n_p_3.html

So are we liking the tache?

and do we think he is here for his sister or her money?

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