Jeff Hordley says "being bad" is in his ‘Emmerdale’ character’s DNA.
The 44-year-old actor first joined the ITV soap as Cain Dingle in the year 2000, taking a three-year break in 2006 before returning in 2009, and although he says his character has softened a bit, he claims he hasn’t completely turned his back on being a bad boy.
He told The Sun newspaper: "Don’t get me wrong, he’s not going completely soft – being bad is in Cain’s DNA. But he can’t be cartoon evil all the times. It would be boring for me and the viewers.
"By the time I left in 2006 he was getting a bit like that. It was a bit predictable and I was a bit bored, if I’m honest.
"Going away allowed things to change and Cain had room to develop."
Cain is currently preparing for his wedding to girlfriend Moira Barton (Natalie Robb) and Jeff is enjoying having fans on his side for once.
He explained: "There was a time when people used to come up to me in the street and tell me off about what Cain was up to.
"Now they come up and say, ‘I don’t like that Ross Barton’ or, ‘Watch out for that James!’
"He’s got a backstory and viewers are more understanding of him. Yes he’s done bad things – thieving, affairs, violence, all of that – but now people know why."
Emmerdale’s Jeff Hordley: Being bad is in Cain’s DNA
