Andy Devine spent a decade on Emmerdale as Shadrach Dingle

Andy Devine, best known for his role as Shadrach Dingle in Emmerdale, once compared his time on the show to being in prison. The actor, whose death at 79 was announced this week, spent a decade on the ITV soap from 2000 to 2010.

His character, Shadrach, was the lazy and selfish father of Chas Dingle and also raised Cain Dingle, who believed Shadrach was his father until Zak’s affair with Faith was revealed. In his first scene, Shadrach was so drunk that he fell asleep at his nephew Butch’s funeral in the church.

By 2010, Andy was only appearing sporadically due to the demanding schedule and his advancing age. He eventually decided to retire from acting, and Shadrach was given a grisly exit that Andy approved of.

Despite spending nearly a decade on Emmerdale, Andy was candid about his departure, comparing it to leaving prison. “I suppose it’s a bit like coming out of prison – it takes a couple of weeks for the bubble to burst. Even if you kill your wife, you only get 10 years’ parole.”

Andy admitted that he feared he would die while still playing Shadrach, prompting his decision to leave, reports the Mirror.

He reflected: “I thought if I’m not careful I’m going to be like the others who die on the show. I haven’t been silly with my money, I’ve been thrifty, I suppose I thought I’ll put this away for old age, then I realised hang on, this is my old age! ” Shadrach was battling alcohol-induced liver disease and had been rejected by many of his family members. Marlon took in his uncle after accidentally hitting him with his car, but later evicted him following a drinking spree.

In a tragic turn of events in July 2010, Shadrach, struggling with his liver condition, dropped his six-pack of beer into the river. While trying to retrieve it, he lost his footing and drowned, his body later discovered by Marlon and Rhona.

Although Marlon felt responsible, an autopsy revealed that Shadrach’s liver would have failed within hours regardless of the drowning. Andy recounted the filming experience: “I had to go in the river, it was minging of rat pee, and they wanted me to go under for 10 seconds. But then they wanted to do it again, so they dried me off just to throw me back in again.”

He appreciated the subtlety of his character’s exit, saying, “But I did like my ending, because it was underplayed. Usually they just blow you up or something.”

He expressed relief at being killed off, admitting, “I’m glad I was killed off, because otherwise I might have one of those days where I’d call my agent saying ‘get me back on it’. Now, it’s very much curtain down on that.” Post-Emmerdale, Andy embraced a new challenge, starring in his first pantomime as part of Snow White, sharing the stage with Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien.

Andy Devine, known for his roles as a Draconian Guard in several episodes of Doctor Who’s Frontier in Space and Bernard in Channel 4’s Queer As Folk, sadly passed away earlier this year. It was confirmed that Andy died on January 27, 2022.

Tributes have been pouring in on Twitter, with one user writing: “Gone too soon. What a legend. RIP Andy Devine.” Another expressed their sadness, saying: “So sad to hear about Andy Devine,” while a third wrote: “When I think of Emmerdale, I think of him.”

A fourth added: “Sad news, RIP Andy Devine. Brilliant actor.”