There’s a new face arriving in Emmerdale in the coming weeks, and he’s set to turn Rhona Goskirk’s world upside-down.
That’s because the man in question, Marcus Dean, is the son of her evil ex-husband, Pierce Harris.
Newcomer Darcy Grey has been cast in the role of Marcus, and will make his debut on the soap on 3rd February.
Marcus has inherited Pierce’s brooding good looks, but Emmerdale bosses haven’t revealed whether he shares his father’s twisted character traits.
Says Emmerdale series producer Kate Brooks, “Marcus' arrival will certainly ruffle a few feathers and flutter a few hearts in the village. However, people will soon realise there's more to Marcus than merely being the son of Pierce.
“But will our villagers give him a chance, or will he be forever doomed to live in the shadow of his father's heinous crimes?”
Adds actor Darcy, who was born in London but raised in Spain, “When my agent sent me the character of Marcus Dean, I was quietly smiling inside. I thought, 'I know who this kid is.'
“To then get the call to say that the role was mine was one of those pinch-yourself moments we actors simply dream of.
"For Marcus, the battle of being torn between wanting to forget his relationship with his Dad but also, ultimately, wanting to simply be loved, is a challenge many of us face and one that I hope I can bring some truth to.
“He is such an open book with such an uncertain future that I can't wait for you all to see where his journey in the village takes him.”
The infamous Pierce Harris (Jonathan Wrather) was introduced in 2016 as the widower of teaching assistant Tess Harris (Nicola Stephenson).
Tess was killed when she was accidentally run over by drunk driver Kirin Kotecha (Adam Fielding) and had previously had a secret affair with Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) who was then married to Rhona (Zoe Henry).
When Tess and Paddy’s affair came to light, Paddy and Rhona’s marriage ended, and Rhona and Pierce went on to have a relationship. Pierce was soon revealed to have serious anger issues and be highly possessive and controlling, but Rhona was assuaged when he agreed to have therapy, and the pair later tied the knot.
The wedding day, however, took a sickening turn when Pierce raped his new wife. Pierce was subsequently imprisoned for five years, but on his release in 2020, he went on to kill Rhona’s new partner, Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) and kidnap her best friend, Vanessa Woodbridge (Michelle Hardwick).
The lawyer was eventually captured and sentenced to life imprisonment later that year. He currently remains behind bars for kidnapping, false imprisonment and murder.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7pm on ITV, with an extra episode at 8pm on Thursdays - see our TV Guide for full listings. You can also catch up on ITV Hub now.
