Paul Opacic
Plays
Mark Waddle
HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR CHARACTER DEVELOPING THIS SERIES?
After the break-up of his relationship with Gina, he’s kind of on the rebound and he goes out with Karen (Claire King). He is a firm but fair kind of prison officer. I think his attitude to most of the prisoners is ‘How stupid were you to be in here in the first place?’ He tries to help them when they’re on the inside. Buki is obviously a drug addict and he wants to make sure that when she does leave, she’ll have something to go to. He tries to encourage people to move on in that way.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING IN BAD GIRLS?
Working with lots and lots of lovely ladies. I like the character for a start, in the first episode I was in I was straight in the toilets doing naughties with another, female, prison officer, so that was quite interesting. Good bunch of people to work with, and being part of an award-winning show – two years on the trot.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?
I like his temperament, that he is firm but fair but he also has that darker side to him. He doesn’t judge people so much. He does try to do the best thing for everybody else but he does have his own lapses as well.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR CHARACTER?
Not a lot. I think he’s quite a cool dude. Apart from the toilet scenario, which is something I wouldn’t do. No matter how pissed you are, to say ‘I was drunk’ or whatever, that’s a bit shallow. But generally I think he’s a good heart, and means well. One of his faults is his jealousy, but it’s nice to have that weakness.
DO YOU LIKE THE COSTUMES THAT YOUR CHARACTER WEARS? WOULD YOU WEAR THEM OUT?
It’s all right but it gets a bit boring day after day. A man in uniform does nothing for me. But a woman in uniform certainly does.
HOW DO PEOPLE RE-ACT TO YOU ON THE STREET?
Pretty good, I think there are so many people watching the show these days and it’s getting a higher profile. People do go ‘Oh, it’s him from Bad Girls’ rather than ‘It’s him from Emmerdale’ so that’s nice. I haven’t really had any trouble, nobody’s called me a bastard yet.
ARE YOU LIKE YOUR CHARACTER? ANY TRAITS THAT YOU SHARE?
I think so, Mark sees the good in people, he gives people the benefit of the doubt, so there is that. I am a jealous person as well, but I’m more trusting than him. He reads too much into personal situations.
WHAT SCENE HAVE YOU MOST ENJOYED OR HATED FILMING SO FAR?
Shagging in the toilets was funny. We had braced ourselves to do it – or to simulate it, anyway – which was a bit of a panic because I’d never done anything like that, on-screen that is! And then they said ‘No, we’re just going to make the sounds’ which was worse because we just had to stand there pretending, going ‘Ah…aaahh…’. And saying to Tracey’s character ‘I’d rather have a wank…’
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW EXTERIOR?
I think it’s great. I miss Oxford because that was a good excuse to get away for a week, but I think it looks great, better than I expected. I thought it would be just like this cardboard cut-out thing.
WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREETIME?
I’m finishing decorating my house and when I can, I go out on my motorbike. I used to play football but now I don’t have time to do it. Time’s a bit short with all the commuting back to Yorkshire at the moment. It’s a thirty-six hour weekend and you just cram in as much as you can. I try to spend all my time with my wife. If I go to watch the football I feel guilty that I’ve disappeared for six hours.
HOW WOULD YOU GET ON WITH YOUR CHARACTER IF YOU MET THEM IN REAL LIFE?
I’d have a pint with him - until he dragged my wife off to the toilet!