I struggled to get work and had my darkest days after Hollyoaks but now I’m a huge star working on TV’s biggest shows
EX-HOLLYOAKS star Emmett Scanlan said he “struggled to get work and had some of his darkest days” after the soap.
Appearing in a string of hit dramas and Netflix shows since his exit in 2012, Emmett, 45, has become one of TV’s most wanted actors.
He most notably appeared alongside Michelle Keegan in eight-part series Fool Me Once, in BBC series Kin and even Peaky Blinders.
Despite Emmett’s roaring success now, the Irish star also suffered setbacks following his three year soap stint.
He recalled: “I hit my own, professional and personal rock bottom for an 18 month period where I lost all confidence in myself, and I lost my was and I kept things to myself because I didn’t want to be a burden to other people.
“I remember one particular period where I sat on my own in my living room, and I watched the clock tick until the sun disappeared.
“I sat there staring at the tears down my face.”
Speaking about to the Under The Surface Podcast about how hard it was to land another role, Emmett said: “I was going up for auditions and I wasn’t getting anything and I was getting direct offers for sh*t, and I was the worst thing in it.
“And I’d lost. I’d lost my mojo. I’d lost my ability, my confidence in myself. And I got lower and lower and lower.
After being rejected for auditions and replaced for roles he wanted, Emmett eventually landed an online TV series for BBC3.
The star opened up about a phone call he recieved while sitting in a supermarket car park, he said: “She said you also got a part for a TV series called This is Safe, I’m Covid Safe.
“And I was like, I don’t remember audition for that.‘We don’t have any scripts’. It doesn’t matter, I’ll take it.
“I just want to tell the universe I’m ready to work, I’m ready to play. That was that.”
He said that moment helped to change his life around as it helped him land other roles including TV mini series Butterfly.
Emmett said he kept his dark times to a secret for a while and finally let his family in when he broke down.
He continued: “At that time, I’m in a horrible place and I’m sitting there and we have this app on my cell phone.
“My daughter was like my best friend.
“But I always like every time I was with her, we just were so close and I always said, you will never get in trouble with me so long as you tell me the truth.
“The only time I’ll ever be pi***d off is when you lie.
“And in return, I promise you I will always tell you the truth, no matter what.
“And so we have that incredibly open relationship, and we got very close as a result of that.
“So it’s not weird, although it would be weird if I was doing it with my own dad! It’s not weird that we’re sitting on a karaoke app, and we’re seeing seven years and it’s awful.
“Not the song, the singing is f*cking awful. And then when I’m watching it and I’m doing it, and then I just burst into tears and she starts laughing because she thinks I’m messing.
“And I stand up and I walk away. You have to remember when you’re in a really low place, that it’s so easy to cry, I stood up, walked away and walked into the into the bathroom.
“And I still stood in the bathroom just on my own. And my dad came up and like I said, my dad doesn’t know what to say, but just standing there was enough.
“And he goes, ‘what’s wrong with you?’ I just went, man, I’m so, so sad and I don’t know what to do. You know, I could be surrounded by my family, all of my friends, and I’d just be the saddest person and the loneliest person in the world.
“And then I went downstairs and I again, I started crying, and my dad hugged me, and my daughter hugged me.
“They didn’t know what to do, and they just have to stand there and hug me. So I guess an answer to your question I didn’t really tell anybody, and I think that’s normal.
“I wouldn’t feel bad about not telling someone because you’ve got to figure it out yourself.”
From Hollyoaks to Hollywood
James Corden played a caretaker in the early days of the soap.
The former American TV host doesn’t have much positive to say about his time on the soap, claiming it was “hell on earth.”
Since his short-lived time on the show he has gone on to bigger things including smash hit comedy Gavin and Stacey.
Rachel Shenton joined the soap as aspiring glamour model Mitzeee Minniver in 2010.
Over two years her character was sent to prison, got pregnant and had a number of romantic affairs.
Since leaving Hollyoaks she has won an Oscar for best live action short film, The Silent Child.
Rachel has also starred in White Gold and All Creatures Great and Small
Emmett J. Scanlan played gangster turned anti-hero Brendan Brady.
Emmett played the love interest of Steve Hayes, with their romance delighting fans until it turned violent.
Since his departure Emmett has appeared in Peaky Blinders, The Fall, Gangs of London and even appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy
Emma Rigby joined Hollyoaks when she was 15 as Hannah Ahsworth.
Hannah’s eating disorder storyline was the first of it’s kind on TV while other plots included being caught in a fire, gangland drug dealing and running away.
Since leaving the soap in 2010 Emma has gone on to star in ABCs Once Upon a Time in Wonderland as the Red Queen. Other roles include guest appearances in Death In Paradise, Ripper Street and Fresh Meat
Nico Mirallegro got his big break with Hollyoaks starring as emo Barry ‘Newt’ Newton.
Nico’s main storyline in the soap was developing schizophrenia which culminated in a suicide pact.
He left the soap in 2010 and went on to star in My Mad Fat Diary, Our Girl, Rillington Place, The Ark and Common, Penance, as well as the Mike Leigh movie Peterloo and was nominated for a Bafta for his role in period drama The Village.
Ricky Whittle used Hollyoaks as a stepping stone to break America.
He played one of the soap’s resident hunks, Calvin Valentine, from 2006 to 2011 – when he was killed off at his wedding.
After leaving the soap Ricky cracked America starring in teen drama The 100 and America Gods.
He also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing in 2009.
Warren Brown joined Hollyoaks in 2005 for a year as evil Andy Holt.
His stint on the show consisted of date rape storylines and a crime spree, before eventually being killed off.
After leaving Hollyoaks, Warren became a big hitter in TV playing DS Justin Ripley in Luther, as well as major roles in a number of dramas including Liar, The Responder, Homefront and Good Cop.
Wallis Day played Holly Cunningham in the soap for years before leaving.
In 2021 Wallis won the role of Batwoman in DC’s series, taking over from Ruby Rose.
He added: “But there is absolute peace of mind and glory and maybe even some form of redemption in sharing your pain with somebody that knows how to nurture it, knows how to care for it.
“A hug is all it took.
“So I don’t think I told anybody and I and I didn’t, but it reminded me to tell people.”
Emmett has since appeared in Derry Girls, The Tower, Gangs of New York and most recently Argylle.
