Jason Merrells

Jason Scott Merrells (born 2 November 1968 in Epping, Essex) is an English actor, who is best known for his roles as receptionist Matt Hawley in BBC One medical drama series Casualty, stylist Gavin Ferraday in BBC One hairdressing drama series Cutting It, headteacher Jack Rimmer in BBC One school-based drama series Waterloo Road and Home Farm owner Declan Macey in ITV soap opera Emmerdale. More recently, he plays the role of Sir Charles Fraith in Agatha Raisin.

Jason Merrells
Born
Jason Scott Merrells

(1968-11-02) 2 November 1968
Epping, Essex, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationActor, director, writer, painter
Years active1994–present
Spouse(s)
Judith Hurley
(
m. 1991⁠–⁠1999)

Zerlina Hughes
(
m. 2002⁠–⁠2010)
Partner(s)Emma Lowndes (2012–present)
Children5
RelativesSimon Merrells (brother)

Early life

Merrells has an elder brother Simon Merrells (born 1965) who is also an actor. Merrells studied at the Buckhurst Hill County High School from 1980 to 1986 and later at the Chichester University, where he studied fine art.[1]

Career

Merrells got his first role in 1994 with an appearance in the film To Die For, in which he played a small part. However, he soon established himself as a successful television actor with his role as receptionist Matt Hawley in the medical drama Casualty, a role which he maintained for three years between 1994 and 1997, during which time he also appeared in other television shows including Thief Takers and The Bill. In 1999 he had a prominent role as homosexual Phil Delaney in the television series Queer as Folk, in which his character appeared in three episodes and ended up dying after accidentally snorting heroin. He continued to appear in more prominent roles for years to come including in films such as Do Not Disturb (1999). His television appearances also became more frequent, and he had a recurring appearance as Martin Leach in Clocking Off between 2000 and 2001. Also in 2000 he appeared as Carl Whittaker in two episodes of Fat Friends, and re-appeared as the same character for a third episode in 2002. He also appeared in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries opposite Nathaniel Parker and A Touch of Frost opposite David Jason.

However it was his portrayal of stylist Gavin Ferraday in the BBC One television drama series Cutting It that brought him wide notice. The show ran for three years and in the show Merrells' character Gavin is jealous of his wife Allie Henshall's (Sarah Parish) affair with Finn Bevan (Ben Daniels), and so plots with Finn's wife Mia (Amanda Holden), and slept with his ex-wife's daughter (who had been given up for adoption), but later rekindles his relationship with Allie shortly before she died in a car accident. The show spiralled Merrells to fame and has since been remarked as Merrells' biggest success. After gathering public and media attention, Merrells had become a celebrity and appeared as a guest celebrity on several shows including an appearance on Mastermind in 2004, three appearances on This Morning between 2004 and 2011 and three appearances on Loose Women between 2006 and 2013. He also made appearances in television shows such as The Afternoon Play, Where the Heart Is and Murder City, and a starring role in the 2005 film The Jealous God, as Vincent Dungarven, alongside fellow popular television performer Denise Welch.

Merrells announced that he had been cast in the role of headteacher Jack Rimmer in the BBC One school-based drama Waterloo Road, making Merrells one of the original stars of the show appearing in the very first episode. The success of Waterloo Road became very appealing to television viewers in the United Kingdom and further increased Merrells' popularity as a dramatic actor. In 2007, after just one year on the show, Merrells announced that he had quit the role,[2] and made his final appearance on the show in Series 3. He was replaced by Eva Pope as Rachel Mason, Merrells later made a guest appearance at the end of Series 3 in Episode 19. In 2009, a year after his departure from Waterloo Road, Merrells appeared throughout series two of Lark Rise to Candleford as James Dowland.

From 2010 to 2014, Merrells achieved popularity through his role as shrewd businessman Declan Macey in the long-running ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Set in the Yorkshire Dales, Merrells' character was introduced onto the show as a new love interest for established character Natasha Wylde (Amanda Donohoe). Upon arrival, the Emmerdale website described Declan as "a shrewd businessman who knows exactly what he wants and how to get it. He's prepared to be unpopular if it's good for business and the people in the village recognise his confidence. He does have a softer side but is not the most attentive husband in the world." At the 2011 British Soap Awards, Merrells was nominated for the "Villain of the Year" award for his portrayal of Declan, and on the show the character has had storylines surrounding the arrival of some unwanted family members including father Dermot Macey (Frank Kelly) and half-sister Megan Macey (Gaynor Faye) and his marriage to long-running character Katie Sugden (Sammy Winward) in 2012. He is the second castmember of Cutting It to also feature in Emmerdale, the other being Siân Reeves, who played Sydney Henshall in Cutting It and Sally Spode in Emmerdale. In September 2014, it was announced that Merrells had decided to quit his role after four years on the soap. Declan left the following month, going into hiding after killing his half-nephew Robbie Lawson (Jamie Shelton) and attempting to murder his most recent wife, Charity Macey (Emma Atkins), whom he married earlier in the year.

In 2015, Merrells appeared as Stuart Howe in the BBC TV series Death in Paradise episode 4.7

In 2016, Merrells announced that it's most likely a possibility that he can return to Emmerdale to reprise his role as Declan Macey

Theatre

From August to October 2007, Merrells performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. He played the role of Orsino in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, or What You Will alongside his brother Simon Merrells who played Antonio. The Merrells brothers then went on to tour in A Comedy of Errors with the Royal Shakespeare Company from October to December 2007.[3] From March to April 2009 he appeared in the Theatre Royal Plymouth and Thelma Hunt production of Measure for Measure as Angelo alongside Alistair McGowan as the Duke.[4] The production transferred to the Almeida Theatre in February 2010. From May to June 2015, he starred as Juror number 8 in Bill Kenwright's touring production of Twelve Angry Men, alongside Andrew Lancel, Gareth David-Lloyd, Denis Lill and Drop the Dead Donkey's Robert Duncan.

Directing and writing

He completed his first short film "Le Petit Mort" in 2007 which had festival releases in New York, London and Strasbourg. He began directing "River City" for BBC Scotland in 2008 completing three blocks.

Merrells has continued to write, direct and paint whilst working as an actor. Merrells has just finished the first Guardian/UEA creative writing masterclass, and is working on the completion of his first novel.

Filmography
Film and television
Year Title Role Notes
1994 To Die For Nigel
1994-1997 Casualty Matt Hawley Series regular (70 episodes)
1997 Thief Takers Steve Lunt Supporting role (1 episode)
The Bill Richard McAuliffe Supporting role (1 episode)
1998 Verdict Ben Clayton Supporting role (1 episode)
1999 Queer as Folk Phil Delaney Supporting role (3 episodes)
Do Not Disturb Chris Mulder
2000 Small Time Obsession Chris
Calling The Wild Matt TV short
2000-2001 Clocking Off Martin Leach Series regular (12 episodes)
2000-2002 Fat Friends Carl Whittaker/Carl Watkinson Supporting role (3 episodes)
2002 A Touch of Frost Mike Patterson Supporting role (2 episodes)
The Inspector Lynley Mysteries Steve Shepherd Supporting role (1 episode)
The Project Dougie TV film
2002-2005 Cutting It Gavin Ferraday Series regular (25 episodes)
2003 Sweet Medicine Dr. Nicholas Sweet Series regular (9 episodes)
2005 The Afternoon Play John Priestley Standalone episode - 'The Hitch'
The Jealous God Vincent Dungarven
Where The Heart Is Ryan Saunders Supporting role (1 episode)
2006 Murder City Mark Drummond Supporting role (1 episode)
2006-2008 Waterloo Road Jack Rimmer Series regular (27 episodes)
2009 Lark Rise to Candleford James Dowland Series regular (11 episodes)
2010 Marple Dr. Kerrigan Supporting role (1 episode)
2010-2014 Emmerdale Declan Macey Series regular (621 episodes)
2015 Death in Paradise Stuart Howe Supporting role (1 episode)
Safe House David Blackwell Series regular (4 episodes)
Elsewhere Travelling Salesman Short
2016 Bumps Richard Short
2016-2018 Agatha Raisin Sir Charles Fraith Series regular (7 episodes)
2017 Trick or Treat Bizzie
2018 Midsomer Murders Paul Taylor Supporting role (1 episode)

Personal life

Jason lives part-time in London and spends the rest of his time in the North East of England. He is divorced from his second wife, Zerlina Hughes, with whom he has a son, Jackson, and a daughter, Katya; he also has two daughters, Camille and Gina, from his first marriage, as well as a daughter, Martha, with his current partner Emma Lowndes.[5]

gollark: Not so risky that you could lose an *unknowable* amount of money.
gollark: Which probably means high premiums, which means people won't buy it and then complain when something bad happens.
gollark: Pandemic insurance which didn't run on the government strategy of "just borrow tons of money and hope it doesn't break things" would need lots of money saved.
gollark: Same here with "national insurance", allegedly, but it just goes into the main government moneypile.
gollark: They give you money if you're unemployed *maybe* subject to some preconditions because government, and you *maybe* pay taxes (here, people below a certain income don't).

References
  1. "Chichester, University of". 25 July 2014.
  2. , http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/2007/11/19/cutting-it-just-doesn-t-cut-it-for-jason-anymore-91466-20125385.
  3. A Comedy of Errors Archived 12 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Measure for Measure Archived 28 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Palmer, Alun (5 May 2014). "Emmerdale's Declan Macey is getting married but twice divorced actor Jason Merrells is taking it slow".
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