Our Arts and Culture Editor Joy speaks to Jamie Lomas on the Hollyoaks set about bad boy Warren Fox’s latest storyline, the demands of playing a long running soap character, and why he still enjoys returning to the role.
With Warren once again at the centre of a high stakes plot, Lomas discusses the emotional pressure of the current story, his connection to the character, and how Hollyoaks continues to evolve after 30 years. He also reflects on working with Mercedes McQueen, the pace of soap production, and the future of the industry.
“Warren’s son in the show, Sebastian, has leukaemia and needs a bone marrow transplant,” he says. “Jensen was a match for him and was supposed to turn up at the hospital and donate his bone marrow to save his life basically. And he doesn’t turn up, and that’s not good for him. Warren will not accept that and wants to know where he is and why he’s not turned up to see his son.”
Lomas says the fallout escalates quickly. “He’s told that he’s at this warehouse and he’s into something dodgy, and Warren turns up and sees him tied to a chair. And yes, let’s just say it doesn’t end very well for him. We can’t really talk too much about that and give anything away.”
Having played Warren for around two decades, Lomas says the character still feels alive because the writing keeps giving him new material. “The writers just continually write good stuff for Warren, and he’s such a great character to play. Everyone wants to be a baddie, and I just feel the writers have kept coming up with good stuff for him. As long as he has story, then I’ll continue to play him.”
He adds that stepping away and returning has become part of the rhythm. “Sometimes I’ll take a little break. The show has been amazing to me over the years and I miss playing him, then I feel like coming back and stepping into his shoes again. They’ve been really good to me over the years and allowed me to come and go.”
Lomas took time out last year when his daughter was born before returning for Hollyoaks’ 30th anniversary. “I took a year out and came back for the 30th anniversary, and I’m still here.”
On set, he says preparation comes down to instinct, familiarity and a few personal tricks. “I have lots of different little techniques that I use. If I have to be angry, I’ll scream just before the take. After doing it for such a long time now, I’m so comfortable in the character’s shoes and I know him so well that I can just fall into character quite easily and become this character.”
The harder scenes, he says, are the emotionally heavy ones. “There are times when it’s quite difficult, like when my son’s got leukaemia, and that’s quite difficult. But it’s such a great crew and cast here, and everyone just makes you feel comfortable. It’s like putting on a comfy pair of slippers.”
His on screen relationship with Mercedes McQueen remains a major part of the story. “I’ve known Jen now since we both started around about the same time, and we just gel. We work so well together and because we’re such good friends as well, we’ve known each other a long time. We just slip into character and try to do the best that we can do.”
Asked if he would choose to play anyone else on the soap, Lomas says he is happy where he is. “I don’t really know. I’ve never really thought about it. I love my character so much, so I don’t think I’d want to change that. There are so many great characters on the show though, and I do like Tony’s character as well.”
Reflecting on what keeps #Hollyoaks going, he points to the show’s willingness to adapt. “Hollyoaks is just ahead of the time. It tries different things and because we’re single camera, the directors can be a little bit more creative. That’s the key with Hollyoaks. It’s constantly keeping up with the times and reinventing itself, so it stays a little ahead of the curve.”
And as for what viewers can expect next, he promises exactly what fans want from Warren. “Fireworks. You can always expect fireworks with Warren. Sometimes he’s playing dad and sometimes he’s being a bad man, so definitely fireworks coming up.”
Hollyoaks airs Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.
