Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
It’s been almost a year (plus a time jump!) since Jeremy Sheffield returned to Hollyoaks playing Jez – the serial killer twin brother of the iconic villain Patrick Blake.
“It felt like I’d never left!” reflects Jeremy, as he sits down for a chat with us at Inside Soap. “It was like a time machine, eight years evaporated. I just slipped back into it.”
With Jez currently at the mercy of fake therapist Tommy, who knows his deadly secrets, Jeremy tells us about what separates the two evil Blake brothers.
Hi Jeremy! How does Jez feel about having successfully framed Cleo for poisoning Sienna and Leela?
“Jez is a real sociopath, so he’s completely transactional, with no empathy and no emotional connection to people. He got himself out of that situation and put the blame on Cleo, who he doesn’t want to get close to Sienna anyway. So for him, that’s a job well done.
“He is aware he is hurting Sienna by taking away the relationship she’s enjoying, but the ends justify the means, and he believes it is for her own good.”
How did you get into the character of Jez, having played Patrick for a long while?
“It felt obvious when I was asked to come back as Patrick’s twin that I couldn’t be Mr Nice Guy. It had to be something worse than Patrick. Patrick was controlling, manipulative and abusive, but Jez is a sociopath. Patrick was rude and arrogant, while Jez is good in social situations and has learned to make people like him.
“It was about finding the difference between these two very nasty people – they have to be nasty in different ways.”
Jez’s relationship with his mum Martha is also very interesting to watch…
“It’s lovely to play. Sherrie [Hewson] and I get on very well. We have a laugh all the time – probably a little too much! As a mother, Martha’s love for her son has put her in a position where she enables Jez to kill – and that’s very weird! It’s a very strange dynamic.”
For the full extended interview with Jeremy about the huge week coming up for his character, pick up next week’s issue of Inside Soap – available to buy from Tuesday.
