Actor Louis Emerick who has starred in Coronation Street, Brookside, Casualty and Hollyoaks, but has spoken out about there being a ‘stigma’ surrounding the genre

Veteran actor Louis Emerick believes there’s a “stigma” attached to being a soap star. The 64 year old, who rose to fame as Mick Johnson in Channel 4’s Brookside, thinks critics often underestimate the talent required for continuing dramas.

He told The Daily Star Sunday: “Soap actors are underestimated. There is still a stigma. But some of the scenes you get on a soap wouldn’t look out of place on a drama. Look at the stuff they are doing now. If some of those storylines were on a drama, people would be saying, ‘That’s fantastic’. But because they’re on soaps, people don’t make enough fuss.”

Louis, who has also appeared in Coronation Street, Doctors, Casualty, and Holby City, praised the calibre of his former Brookside co-stars, including Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston. He said: “When soaps do things well it’s as good and as powerful and as relevant as anything that’s on other shows. When I was at ‘Brookside’ we had Sue Johnston and Ricky Tomlinson in the cast. It doesn’t get better than that.”

With a long list of soap credits under his belt, Louis has set his sights on two more: ITV’s Emmerdale and BBC’s EastEnders. He revealed: “I think the only soaps I haven’t been in are Emmerdale and EastEnders. Being in so many of them isn’t something I planned. First and foremost I’m an actor for hire. I want to be working and I want to be in something that’s good.”, reports the Mirror.

He continued to add that he wanted to continue with creative jobs and said that he had been fortunate to have starred in so many soaps in the duration of his career.

Louis, who has been lighting up screens as Donny Clark on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks since April, shared his excitement about the role. Currently stirring things up in Hollyoaks, his character recently popped the question to Misbah Maalik, portrayed by Harvey Virdi.

Louis shared that he was so excited to be “part of the show” and that he believes he’s coming in at “the right time”.

Returning to his roots in Liverpool where Hollyoaks is filmed in Childwall, he expressed: “It’s been more than 20 years since I left Brookside. Being back in Liverpool feels like I’ve come full circle. There are some people behind the camera who are still working.”