Former Home and Away star Kyle Pryor made his first appearance on Hollyoaks on Wednesday evening (November 7), taking on the role of Sinead O’Connor’s husband Laurie Shelby.
Kyle, best known for playing Summer Bay doctor Nate Cooper, has joined the regular cast of Hollyoaks and has been tipped for one of 2019’s biggest stories.
Digital Spy recently caught up with Kyle for a chat about his first scenes and what we can expect from Laurie.
How are you settling in at Hollyoaks?
“Really well. Everyone is fantastic. It’s a very warm and welcoming environment and a really nice place to work. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the cast, the crew and the production staff. I’ve been slowly finding my way around, because the building at Hollyoaks is a bit of a maze! But I’m getting into the swing of it now.”
Was it always your plan to come back to the UK, or do you just go where the work is?
“It’s a combination of both, really. This role came up and it was a great challenge. I tend to base my decision on roles and I feel like Hollyoaks is really moving in a positive direction. I like the issue-led storylines and I think Hollyoaks is on the forefront of fast-turnaround TV.
“When the role came up, I jumped at the chance to take it. I didn’t have any direct plans to come back to the UK to live, but I was planning on making a trip over anyway to meet agents and casting directors. I’ve killed two birds with one stone and it’s worked out well.”
How familiar were you with Hollyoaks?
“I had watched it before. I was never a religious viewer when I lived in the UK, but I would catch the odd episode here and there. It’s been interesting to have seen it 12, 13 years ago and then see where it is now. I’ve seen how much further ahead it is. What they’re doing on the show now is a lot more cutting edge than it used to be. I think it’s fantastic.”
What can we expect from Laurie Shelby?
“Laurie has got some secrets, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a nice contrast to what I’ve filmed in the past. The last character I played was Dr Nate on Home and Away for four years. With him, what you saw was what you got. He had a few issues, but he was quite ‘straight-down-the-line’.
“With Laurie, you don’t really know what his motivations are for certain things. That’s really fun to play, because you can hold certain things back. The character is going through his own internal stuff. I don’t want to give too much away, but he’s quite smart with the way he deals with people, let’s put it that way. He tries to get people on side.”
How strong is his marriage to Sinead?
“Sinead is a tumultuous kind of character and quite volatile, but Laurie enjoys that. He does love Sinead as well, he really likes the unpredictable dynamic of the relationship.”
Are you excited about exploring Laurie’s darker side?
“Yeah, it’s a lot more interesting to play. It gives you a bit more artistic licence to put your own interpretation on it. It’s also a lot more challenging. I’ve got an issue-led storyline coming up, so I’m trying to be quite sensitive with how I play this particular character. At certain times he can be quite unpredictable.”
Everyone loved Dr Nate on Home and Away, but are you prepared for people possibly not liking Laurie as much?
“That’s part of the reason I wanted to move in this direction and play this part, because it’s a real challenge for me. I just want to do it justice. I definitely don’t think this guy will garner as many fans as Dr Nate, but that’s acting! If I’m doing my job right, then I’ve achieved what I want to achieve.”
What is Stephanie Davis, who plays Sinead, like to work with?
“Fantastic. She’s really great and a very open, giving actor. She always comes to work prepared. Steph is bubbly and positive. Her energy levels are always up, which is great for me because I’ve got someone really fun to play opposite. She always gives 110% and you can’t really ask for more than that from your co-star.”
Who else does Laurie share a lot of scenes with?
“I’ve had a few scenes with Tony and Diane, a few with Sami quite early on, and a few with Sienna too. That’s pretty much it, actually. It’s been a close unit and a select group of people I’ve been working with. But everyone hangs out in the green room, so I’ve met most of the cast now and everyone’s great.”
Have you heard from Home and Away fans who are going to start watching Hollyoaks to see you in it?
“There’s been a few! Some people have said: ‘Why have you swapped Summer Bay for Liverpool?!’ But you go where the work is and I love this city, it’s a great place to be. There have been a few people who’ve told me they want to catch up on the show, although I think it’s a bit harder to catch the show in Australia.”
When you left Home and Away, did you think it was the right time to try something different?
“Yeah, I did. The Morgan family had come into the show, and then the year after they arrived, some more new characters were coming in. Pretty much everyone I had started with had left, so I felt a little bit like the kid who didn’t quite pass his final exam and was going back to summer school for more classes!
“I felt like I’d had a chance to be part of some really diverse and exciting storylines, but I couldn’t really see how much further they were going to take the character in a way that would stretch me as a performer.
“So I felt like it was the right time to go. I didn’t want to get bored or do a disservice to the show. Not that it was boring, but I didn’t want it to get to that point. But very graciously, they left the door open for my character and it was a great place to work with great people. It doesn’t really get much better than shooting on Palm Beach in Sydney.”
Would you go back?
“I never write anything off, I just try to stay flexible and go with whatever happens in my career. It’s nice to know that opportunity could be there. I could go back and do a little cameo maybe.”
Dan Bennett, who was a successful script executive on Home and Away, has just announced he’s moving to Hollyoaks as story producer. Are you looking forward to working with him again?
“That’s got to be a good sign for me, surely? (Laughs.) Hopefully he writes me some good stories, which I’m sure he will. It’s a small world. A guy called Gary Sewell, who worked on scripts at Home and Away, is one of the producers on Hollyoaks now as well.
“They seem to be the two soaps that complement each other quite well, because they’re both quite ambitious with the storylines they tackle and they make interesting choices.”
You were born in the UK, moved to New Zealand and then headed off to Australia for Home and Away. Which country do you consider to be your home?
“It’s a tricky one. New Zealand was where I started in the industry, so that was a real formative part of my life. I’m really grateful for that and I have really fond memories.
“The big break for me, Home and Away, came in Australia, so that was the first time I felt like I had a really solid home base. I was established and I was doing a job I love. Sydney probably feels the most like home, but generally speaking I’m probably happy wherever I am, if I’m working!”
Hollyoaks airs weeknights at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first look screenings at 7pm on E4.
Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest Hollyoaks spoilers, as Mercedes and Russ’s wedding day arrives and there’s a cameo from two Loose Women!
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