Michael Wildman says it was the right time for his Emmerdale character Al Chapman to be killed off.
Al, played by the 52-year-old actor, was killed off in shocking scenes which aired earlier this month. He was gunned down by Cain Dingle’s young son Kyle. However, in a shock twist, viewers have seen Cain take the blame for the crime.
Michael, who joined Emmerdale back in 2019, has spoken to Inside Soap about his character’s grim demise. “I’ve never been under any misconceptions about playing a villain in a soap,” Michael explained.
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“Over the past year, I felt things were coming to a head. So, when the executive producer rang to say ‘we are thinking of letting Al go’ I told her ‘I’m with you - so long as Al doesn’t leave in a taxi’.
“I wanted Al to go out with a bang and he definitely did.” Michael said he did have a lump in his throat when filming his last Emmerdale scenes.
The star, who has previously appeared in Hollywood films Ready Player One and The Bourne Ultimatum, joked his Emmerdale exit has caused a family drama. “My biggest thing now is picking up the pieces for my mum as she is going to be crying like crazy,” Michael said.
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“But I don’t think many others are going to be gutted Al is dead.” Although, the character’s death is sure to cause major issues in the village for some time yet.
As we’ve previously reported, after leaving Emmerdale, Michael will be appearing in panto this Christmas. He will appearing in Sunderland in a production of Aladdin.
You can see a tweet announcing his casting below
Of course, we'll keep you posted on what else might be coming next for the former Emmerdale star.
You can visit our Emmerdale homepage to find the latest gossip about the soap and its stars.
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