Hollyoaks is gearing up for its 30th anniversary and series star Jonny Labey couldn’t be more excited about what’s in store.
The actor portrays Rex Gallagher on the long-running Channel 4 soap, which celebrates three decades on air next week.
Rex has been on the show for little over a year (though a time jump was employed in the show’s narrative, which means that the villagers have known him for two years) and he’s been at the centre of so many storylines already.
‘I think Rex came in as this nomadic wrecking ball!,’ actor Jonny told Metro as he sat down with me for an exclusive chat, reflecting on his time on the beloved serial thus far ahead of it’s big 3-0.
‘I sometimes describe him as Gnasher from Dennis the Menace. I worked out that, for the first 7 months of me being in the show, Rex didn’t have one redeemable character trait!’
Rex, as audiences will recall, was introduced as a full-blown villain. A foot soldier of notorious gangster Blue. In the space of a year, however, he’s undergone a change of sorts, with the character now striving to be a better person and leaving his criminality in the past.
Jonny, 32, noted how viewers’ perception has shifted towards Rex since the changes were implemented, with the audience now aware of what the character had gone through when he was younger.
‘We’ve got a little more of an understanding about where he’s come from, the trauma that he’s been through, being part of gang. He was sexually abused himself, fell under these rings of crime and finally finds some sort of family.’
‘He’s just chasing to be loved and understood. He never wanted to be part of the trafficking, he never wanted to be part of that past, he condemned Grace [Black] and didn’t want anything to do with her. He tried to do what he could while feeling trapped in that world.’
The story took a very unexpected turn earlier this month as Rex discovered that Grace Black (Tamara Wall), who he previously thought of as his sister, is in fact his biological mother.
In emotional scenes, Grace confirmed that she had been sexually abused by her own dad Fraser, which means that – biologically – he is also Rex’s father.
‘There’s so much more of the family to explore,’ said Jonny, discussing what’s to come. ‘Especially for Rex – the trajectory of the male side of the family is something I’m working on with the writing team, to establish that Rex has never had a father figure.
‘All of a sudden, he’s learned that his Granddad was in prison for 20 years, and that his dad Fraser is actually a rapist and he’s the product of that.’
The impact of these discoveries have largely played on Rex’s mind and thus he ended things with on-off love interest Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson), who – despite their split – is still determined to be there for him.
When quizzed on the possibility of a future for the couple, Jonny branded the situation ‘turmoiled’, though he was adamant that Rex and Ste’s love is ever present in their scenes.
What’s more, he remains hopeful for the future, saying: ‘No matter what they do or however they operate, there’s real hope there always.’
And as for the 30th? Jonny wasn’t giving anything away – but he did describe Hollyoaks as ‘thirty, flirty and thriving’.
‘I think any anniversary is monumental, especially when you consider how long shows tend to last these days,’ he said. ‘Even a popular series, you’re talking maybe five or six years.
‘Hollyoaks has been around for my entire life. It’s been shocking and blessing and rallying so many sides of Chester village. You’d think with the marriage success rate of the area or the death rate that there would be no one left!’
Jonny was full of optimism, saying that fans wouldn’t be disappointed with the milestone. ‘They’ve thrown everything at it,’ he said with a smile. ‘Laters is a slightly more raucous version of Hollyoaks. Laters, Brookside, it’s really special. I’m really proud to be a part of it’.
Away from the world of soap, Jonny – who is also remembered for his role as Paul Coker in EastEnders – has set up a production company titled Doing Brave with girlfriend Margherita Barbieri.
‘It’s completely taken me by surprise,’ he said of the venture. ‘I’ve always loved filmmaking and being on sets, and working with people. It’s taken me a while for me to feel as though I was able to write down experiences. But as soon as I started doing it, I realised I couldn’t stop! In December, we’re going to be shooting our sixth project.
‘We run a creative community with about 350 members, which feature new filmmakers, up and coming DOPs, directors, writers, lighting – there’s this beautiful bunch of creators.
‘I get so inspired at Hollyoaks, working with people who can give me tips and hints. I love my job and I want to do it forever but I’m realising there’s more too. You can be in the projects [you make] – we do cast ourselves in these roles – but there’s more to the filmmaking, in that collaborative sense.
‘I did a lot of musical theatre and it seemed way more collaborative – you make something and you set it, and you have tech rehearsals, it’s very much a team sport. Filmmaking feels a lot more that way inclined.’
The 32-year-old was full of joy as he discussed the process of putting together a film from scratch – and how it can take form rather quickly. He shot his first project, Swirl State, in Jersey in less than a week – which also happened to be the very same week that preceded filming for his Hollyoaks debut!
Talk about commitment!
Swirl State is now wrapped and ready to view.
It’s not just a love of the process that motivates Jonny, however, as he’s keen to make films that will resonate with and touch people. Much of his work, such as Swirl State and the upcoming Gi, centres around the message and theme of overcoming something.
‘A friend of mine used to say that the purpose of art is to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comfortable,’ he said. ‘Art is meant to give you solace, but also bring you to the next day. It’s meant to tell you something. For me, it’s about saying simplify your life. There’s an easier way to do things.
‘There’s the message of saying that it’s not going to swallow you whole. There is a way out.
‘The next film we have coming out looks at the difficulty to share as a man. There is a lot put on our shoulders, day-to-day. And if you start hanging around with the wrong crowd, it is tough. I think the complexity of being a man is something that you can come towards at so many different angles.’
Jonny’s two worlds have collided at the perfect time as his love of filmmaking has grown exponentially since starting work on Hollyoaks, which he admits turned him into a ‘creative sponge’.
‘I’ll go hang out in the scriptwriting department to get some tips and then I’ll go elsewhere,’ he explained. ‘I’m in a working film studio and I think you can sometimes allow the day to just pass, it’s easy to do that. Now it’s nice to think forwards and have this work coming out at the same time. We’re shooting another film at the end of this year, Gi. I am collaborating with a director Myles Petford who I met on Hollyoaks.
‘I think the creative hub of Liverpool has just exploded. There’s so many teams and crews that we work with. So many people are keen to help on the weekends. There’s been moments in the year where it’s felt like we’ve been juggling a bit too much, but it always works out.’
Hollyoaks streams Mondays to Wednesdays from 6am on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
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