Jeff Hordley warned Ned Porteous to "avoid certain bars" when he started on ‘Emmerdale’ – for fear he would be abused for playing a soap villain.
Ned joined the soap as calculated Joe Tate last year and was advised by Jeff – who plays Dales bad boy Cain Dingle – not to go out in public "too much" after he received "a bit of aggro" when he first started on the show.
He said: "I spoke to Jeff Hordley when I first started and he was saying, ‘Be careful about going out in public too much.’
"He did say that when he first started, possibly sometimes, he did get a bit of aggro from people, so maybe avoid certain bars.
"But luckily people have been quite nice."
The 23-year-old actor is delighted to have landed a job which has kept him in work for "longer than a week", after admitting he was in the mindset that he may have to wait "a very long time" for regular acting work.
He added: "I’ve only been doing it for a couple of years.
"Anyone who comes out of drama school you’re faced with the idea that it could be a very long time until you’re in any type of prolonged employment.
"So landing a job which has kept me employed for longer than a week is a dream job.
"The fact that it’s ‘Emmerdale’ and that everyone there is lovely makes it all the more great."
Despite being pleased with his role on ‘Emmerdale’, the former ‘EastEnders’ star – who played Mark Fowler Jr. in 13 episodes in 2016 – refuses to let any complacency creep into his acting game.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘Lorraine’ about remaining on the soap for the foreseeable future, he added: "You never know. That’s the beauty of it – it keeps you on your toes."
Ned Porteous advised to ‘avoid certain bars’ after landing Emmerdale role
