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Hollyoaks star Gemma Bissix reveals if she’d return to EastEnders as she makes shock comeback as Clare Devine
The actress returns to screens this week as the iconic villain Clare Devine
GEMMA Bissix has revealed if she would return to EastEnders - ahead of her Hollyoaks comeback.
The actress is finally making her long-time, if unexpected return to the Channel 4 soap this week 12 years after her deliciously evil character Clare Devine was seemingly killed off.
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It was an unexpected development for the star who has spent most of the intervening years taking a step back from acting to raise her two young daughters.
But the pull of playing one of soapland’s most iconic villains proved too much - and she jumped at the chance of returning.
Sitting on set for her first interview about the return, Gemma told The Sun all about how it came about.
“I got the call,” she said talking a million miles a minute. "I think it was towards the end of January.
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“And it was really funny because obviously Nigel came back to EastEnders in sort of November time. So there was a lot of talk on social media and a lot of things about me returning to EastEnders.
“And then I got the call for Hollyoaks and I just thought, how brilliant is this? And to be fair, I love both and EastEnders was where I started when I was nine years old. That was my training and it would always be in my heart, but the character of Clare Devine is just something.
“She's more fun. It is just incredible. Where can you go to a job and kill people, have fights on set and get to be really, really nasty?”
Viewers will find it surprising that Gemma wasn’t even approached about a return to EastEnders - despite her on-screen father Paul Bradley’s return as Nigel battles dementia.
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“No, they didn’t ask me,” she says. “I think they did fantastic with their 40th birthday celebrations.
“They brought so many characters back from the '90s. I think that Paul Bradley is doing fantastically well with his dementia storyline.
Watch as Hollyoaks' Mercedes McQueen takes revenge on Grace Black in explosive new soap trailer_1
“And you know, realistically, had that sort of that had come on the cards, that storyline would have probably been, you know, Claire Bates going and taking his money from a dementia sufferer character, which actually probably isn't something I would want to do either.
“Even though it's not real, but people so believe that this stuff is real. I mean, when I was back in the show before, I used to get fan mail from someone from prison that used to say he'd be my accomplice.
“And then there was a vicar that used to write to me monthly telling me I could repent my sins if I was to go and see him, he would exercise the demons and all of this stuff.”
But EastEnders’ loss is Hollyoaks’ gain as Gemma’s comeback as the iconic villain Clare Devine is set to catapult the soap towards its 30th anniversary this autumn with explosive consequences.
Fans will see Clare unmasked as the true big boss behind DI Banks’ criminal empire later this week and there will an almost touching reunion with her sister Grace Black.
And while Clare is going to be every bit as cold and calculating as she was before - with some truly brilliant dark and twisted shocks coming up - she’s also a more humanised Clare as a mum.
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Having raised Tori - the biological daughter of Hollyoaks serial killer Nico Blake, naturally - for two years, the prospect of losing her to the Blake family is too much to bear.
“I do think that you'll see a lot more depth to Clare,” said Gemma.
“Well, she's a mother, though. So she normally, everything that she does and all the criminal activity is all to become the top dog or to make money, you know, and to be a millionaire, whereas now everything she's doing is because she wants to get her daughter back.
“So that is why, and she's doing everything through love, which is a new avenue for Clare.
“And so I've really enjoyed, obviously being the evil side of it, but then there's some real emotion in the eyes, like a lot of my scenes when I'm being evil, there's switches where you can see that that Clare is welling up because it comes from real emotion.”
She added: “I think she wants to be loved. And I think so for the 12 years that she's been away, she was in a coma, she had to learn to walk again, to eat, the rehabilitation was a good few years.
“And she genuinely did fall in love with her husband. And I know that she is the top dog for everything that's going on, and she pulls the strings, but I don't think she's actually killed anyone in 12 years.
“I don't think she's actually got her hands dirty - she's paying everybody else to do it. For the last two years that she's had Tori, she has been doing the arts and crafts and doing this and taking her to gymnastics and doing that sort of stuff and actually being a normal person so yes, I think she's capable of love.”
Playing Clare as a mother isn’t a stretch for Gemma - who has two daughters of her own.
But being a mum in real life has brought added depth - and pressure - to her work.
“Life changes a lot, and becoming a mum,” she said.
“My girls are now nine and eight, and they've got no idea what mummy does. Most of the stuff I do with kind of plays that are adult based, so apart from pantomimes and things that they come to see, they just see me as being, you know, fairy, sugar plum or whatever.
“It's amazing because actually I want to show them about an independent woman, I want to show them about that mummy does work, you know, that it's important for women to have this and empower yourself.
“And so for me, for them to see me on screen soon, I just it's a dream com true.”
She added: “A few years ago I showed them some old Clare episodes, and it was the stuff with Tom, and they were literally, I'm the horror in their faces. They were, "Mummy, why are you like that, Mummy? Why are you doing that?’”
Gemma added: “I was nervous when I started. I was nervous about learning the lines and doing it as quickly as they turn over. When you do theatre, you learn it and you get sort of four weeks rehearsals and then once it's in there, you're just doing that same show, aren't you?
“And you just have self-doubt, don't you? I mean, everything, like going on a roller coaster now, I think it's going to fall apart, whereas I was I used to just go on them and not care. I was a thrill seeker.
“But when you become a mother, I've got more to lose in that I want my children to be proud of me.”
And Gemma revealed how Clare’s return is set to be darker than ever - but also fans will see a funnier side as Clare and her sister Grace - played by Tamara Wall - finally appear on screen together.
“I mean, it's pretty dark. There is a lot more. But's almost like a comedy double act where you've got a straight one and the comedy one and it really does work well.”
Gemma and Tamara grew up in the same village but didn’t meet until after Gemma had left Hollyoaks and Tamara joined.
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They have become the best of friends and now can’t wait to share scenes together - and they have their eye on a late-night spin-off.
“I think we should have a spin-off show personally,” she laughed.
“Hollyoaks Later, some proper violence. It' be great. As long as they can take us abroad, that would be great as well. Mexico on a drug cartel thing? Perfect.”
Gemma also has her eye on ITV’s soaps, with the news of a crossover between Coronation Street and Emmerdale - she wants to get involved, but only as Clare Devine.
“I’d love to do some stuff with the Dingles, she said.
“And Kim Tate. I think I'd batter her. And I would love to have some scenes with Tracy Barlow in Corrie.
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“Obviously Clare would win.”
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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.
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