Beloved Emmerdale vicar John Middleton has swapped his clerical collar for a criminal past, taking on the role of menacing villain Fraser "Froggy" Black in Hollyoaks. The 71-year-old actor spent two decades charming audiences as the kindly Ashley Thomas before embracing this sinister character transformation.
Froggy is the grandfather of notorious villains Grace Black and Clare Devine, recently released from Longmere Prison with plans to reunite his dysfunctional family. The character wants to restore the fractured relationship between his granddaughters, though his true motives remain mysteriously unclear.
Behind the scenes humour
Working alongside Tamara Wall and Gemma Bissix, who play Grace and Clare respectively, has provided John with plenty of laughs despite the dark material. When asked by his co-stars what he tells his wife about the villainous scenes, John quips: "I don't tell her anything. I sit in a corner, occasionally hugging my knees and rocking backwards and forwards."
John made his Hollyoaks debut in early August, appearing in prison scenes alongside Tom Cunningham, whom Froggy had mentored as a financial adviser. When Grace and Clare were arrested for their involvement in Clare's husband's trafficking operation, their family reunion proved decidedly frosty.
Dangerous secrets ahead
The veteran actor hints that Froggy's arrival could devastate the entire village through his knowledge of buried secrets. John said: "He knows things, particularly about one particular person. The past being revealed would be catastrophic for their present."
Froggy's unpredictable nature stems from his potentially murderous past and vengeful present, making him a formidable manipulator who thrives on controlling his enemies. John said: "He knows where all the bodies are buried - quite literally. Froggy is totally unpredictable. You never know what he's going to do next."
Soap opera veteran
This isn't John's first Hollyoaks appearance - he briefly played Cindy Cunningham's doctor in 1997, though he admits he'd forgotten about that role entirely. His soap career includes multiple Coronation Street appearances in the 1990s and even a policeman role in Emmerdale before becoming Ashley Thomas.
Executive producer Hannah Cheers has reassured the nervous actor that he's found his niche in the villainous role. John said: "My first few scenes, I was nervous. I was completely reassured when I bumped into Hannah and she said, 'I really love what you're doing.' That was a great relief!"
Sources used: "Mirror", "Daily Star", "Belfast Live", "Leicester Mercury" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
