Emmerdale legend Mark Charnock is best known for playing Marlon Dingle in the ITV soap but some fans may not know that he played two coppers in rival serial dramas
Mark Charnock is best known for playing Marlon Dingle in Emmerdale for the past 28 years. However, some soap fans may not know that he’s also appeared in rival shows EastEnders and Coronation Street.
Before landing the role of the lovable Woolpack chef, the 56-year-old actor appeared in two episodes of Corrie in two different roles. Firstly in November 1993 as a pizza delivery boy and he returned to the programme in August 1995 as PC Turner. In 1994, he played P.C Costigan in EastEnders
His other credits include Cadfael, 2point4 Children, Waiting for God, Watching along with the films Before Dawn and Bait. On stage, he appeared in productions of Fur Coat and No Knickers and Silver Lining.
It comes after Mark opened up about his dramatic Christmas storyline as Marlon’s life gets turned upside side when he releases his daughter April Windsor (Amelia Flanagan) has gone missing on Christmas Day.
Upcoming episodes see April start to rebel as she struggles to process her recent kidnap ordeal and the revelations over her mum Donna Windsor’s (Verity Rushworth) death.
Marlon tries his best to keep April in line as she starts drinking and even tries to buy cannabis. However, the troubling situation escalates on Christmas morning when Marlon realises that April has disappeared.
Mark explained: “There’s a disastrous Christmas Eve where April has got absolutely annihilated. She has this terrible Christmas where she causes all sorts of issues and problems and they’re just not meeting on a level playing field.
“The next morning, Marlon opens a present. He thinks April’s still in bed, but she’s got him this mug that he dropped not long after he had the stroke. The handle had come off and she’s stuck the handle back on.
“They turn it around and there’s a thing on the bottom of the mug that says: ‘Things that are broken can always be mended’.
“He goes upstairs and April has gone. There’s nothing right about that picture – her empty room on that day. No matter what they’ve been through, there’s no way that room could or should be empty – but she’s gone.
“Marlon makes an initial panicky run around the village. We’re at that point where it’s unimaginable horror.”
When whether the police are involved, Mark replied: “Not at this stage. It escalates, this storyline, so this is just the beginning…”
Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and available to stream from 7am on ITVX
