Emmerdale star reveals the role they were TURNED DOWN for

FROM ITV STRICT EMBARGO until 00:01 Friday 7th February 2020 EMMERDALE DOUBLE TROUBLE IN THE DALES Following Emmerdale’s fourth consecutive win in the Best Serial Drama category at the National Television Awards, the show is pleased to announce Mark Womack and Reece Dinsdale will be joining the cast. Mark will play DI Malone a police officer with a dark history and Reece will take on the role of Paul a blast from Mandy Dingles (Lisa Riley) past who will certainly stir things up for her and Vinny (Bradley Johnson). Both characters will be on screen this spring. Mark [PICTURED] is known for his roles in Liverpool 1 and Murphy’s Law and Reece Coronation Street and Home to Roost. Mark said ‘It’s always a lot of fun to play the bad guy and Malone definitely falls into that category. I'm looking forward to the audience seeing his twisted tale unfold on screen.’ Reece said ‘I'm absolutely delighted to be joining the cast of Emmerdale. Having recently directed a couple of episodes, and seen at close quarters the superb work the cast, crews and creatives produce, I can't wait to become part of the team once again... albeit in a different capacity. Time to get my acting boots back on! ' Producer Laura Shaw said ‘We are absolutely thrilled to have Reece Dinsdale and Mark Womack joining the Emmerdale family. Although playing very different characters, both come with huge stories that will see lives changed and big explosions in 2020. We're all very excited to see these two hugely talented and experienced actors grace our screens. Press Contacts: Sian Hunter 0113 222 7112 sian.hunter@itv.com Emily Ogden 0113 222 7110 emily.ogden@itv.com Janine Goodall 0113 222 7121 janine.goodall@itv.com Picture editor: David Crook 0161 952 6214 david.crook@itv.com Photographer - Mark Bruce This photograph is (C) ITV Plc and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or ITV plc. Once made available by ITV plc Picture Desk, this photograph can be reproduced once only up until the transmission [TX] date and no reproduction fee will be charged. Any subsequent usage may incur a fee. This photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by ITV plc Picture Desk. This photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of ITV Picture Desk. Full Terms and conditions are available on www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms

If at first, you don’t succeed…

Emmerdale star Mark Womack, who plays corrupt cop DI Malone, has revealed that he originally auditioned – unsuccessfully - for a different role.

The character in question dressed like an undertaker, hated Kim Tate, and ended up being bumped off by Pierce Harris. Yep, it was none other than Graham Foster!

Andrew Scarborough as Graham Foster - the role Mark Womack originally auditioned for

And that’s not all, for the 59 year old has revealed that, after missing out on playing the man in black, he was then offered – and subsequently turned down - a different part, before he eventually agreed to become twisted Malone. He won’t divulge who the character was, out of respect for the actor who was eventually cast, but tells us: “It wasn’t Will.”

Talking exclusively to whatsontv.co.uk, Womack says: “I don’t want to say [what part it was ] because it’s not fair on the actor who’s playing it, really. But I can say that, originally, I met for the role of Graham.

“There was another role after that. So initially I met for Graham, and then I came in again and that didn’t work out; that was the one I couldn’t do. So when this came [Malone] came up, I was really chuffed. It’s a nice part.”

The role of Graham, of course, ended up going to Andrew Scarborough, who bowed out of the soap in a whodunit story in January.

Adds Womack: “Sometimes they like you, but when you go in and read, you’re not right for the part. Especially with soap, it’s got to be the right fit, because you’re in people’s living rooms a lot and if it doesn’t fit, it really sticks out.”

Womack, whose actress wife Sam famously played EastEnders’ Ronnie Mitchell, says that, because of his previous meetings with the show’s production team, he wasn’t asked to audition to play Malone, and that he accepted the “straight offer” because he was attracted to the idea of playing the bad guy.

He reveals: “The initial brief was that Malone was a corrupt policeman who comes in and creates a storm, and is a big nemesis for Cain Dingle. So immediately you think ‘That’s a good, meaty part.’

Cain and Malone Emmerdale ITV — Malone has been blackmailing Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley)

“You try to find redeeming qualities, but with this guy, it’s quite difficult! He’s very Machiavellian and he’s irredeemable at times, but that’s what makes it nice to play.

“When I read the first scripts, he was quite arrogant, but I didn’t want him to just be arrogant, so I tried to underplay the arrogance a little bit and play him with a bit of a smile.

"The smiling villain is much more interesting than someone who’s always being threatening.”

Emmerdale continues on ITV.

Alison Slade has over 20 years of experience as a TV journalist and has spent the vast majority of that time as Soap Editor of TV Times magazine. She is passionate about the ability of soaps to change the world by presenting important, issue-based stories about real people in a relatable way. There are few soap actors that she hasn’t interviewed over the years, and her expertise in the genre means she has been called upon as a judge numerous times for The British Soap Awards and the BAFTA TV Awards.

When she is not writing about soaps, watching soaps, or interviewing people who are in soaps, she loves going to the theatre, taking a long walk or pottering about at home, obsessing over Farrow and Ball paint.