Hollyoaks has something a skill when it comes to casting talented young actors.
In fact, one might even say that the Channel 4 soap’s reputation for bagging some of telly’s finest young talent proceeds itself.
Remember when little Tom Cunningham (Ellis Hollins) capturing the nation’s heart when he attempted to escape from – and expose – evil Clare Devine (Gemma Bissix)?
Then of course there is Ruby O’Donnell (Peri Lomax) who similarly joined the serial drama at a young age, and went from strength to strength as she got older – picking up plenty of awards and recognition in the process!
The County Lines story, to cite a more recent example, was also helmed entirely by the show’s younger cast members.
Billy Price (Sid Sumner), Niamh Blackshaw (Juliet Nightingale) and Connor Calland (Jordan Price) – all who are relatively recent additions to the soap – took centre stage in the hard-hitting storyline, and they shone in the process.
What’s more, Ela-May Demircan – who has portrayed Leah Barnes since 2011 – returned to screens last month, and she’s already at the centre of a story.
The young star will no doubt thrive in the new plot, as will Billy and Niamh – both of who will feature in the coming weeks, as they embark on new chapters.
But much like Ela-May, William Hall – who portrays her on-screen sibling Lucas Hay – has been on the soap for the better part of a decade, and he’s proven himself capable of tackling big stories also.
The young actor made his first appearance as Lucas – son of Ste (Kieron Richardson) – all the way back in 2014.
In the seven years that followed, he delivered heartfelt performances, broke hearts all across the nation, and featured in many a compelling story.
William can certainly deliver, no matter what emotion a scene demands, and – dialogue or no dialogue – he’s always on the money.
From leading John Paul McQueen (James Sutton) to Ste’s proposal on a makeshift gondola in 2014, to worrying about Ste during the radicalisation story in 2019, the little lad has featured in just about every story a character of his age can, and he’s thrived in the process.
Yes, William – who turns 13 this week – has more than proved his talent, and as he grows older, the stage is set for him to smash it once again – albeit in a bigger story.
During his final appearance on the Channel 4 soap to date, Lucas interacted with a number of the serial drama’s other youths, as the County Lines story kicked off.
A series of interesting relationships were forged and dynamics were explored during the scene in question, as Lucas joined Leah, Ella and Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan) for a video game session on New Year’s Eve.
These dynamics would’ve no doubt been explored further had the Covid-19 pandemic not disrupted filming, but nonetheless, the scenes in question proved that William is capable of handling stronger material – something we will no doubt see again in the future.
Yes, given Hollyoaks’ penchant for putting its younger cast members at the forefront, it’s likely that William will get his chance to shine – much like Ela-May is at the moment – when Lucas returns to screens.
In fact, you might even say that it’s perhaps inevitable that he will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Ellis Hollins and Ruby O’Donnell, and light up the screen with bigger stories as he gets older.
He’s certainly capable, that’s for sure!
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