Rob
Hudson is something of a mainstay on the stage these days, but if the
name's not too familiar, fans of The Bill will remember the affable
Sheffield-born actor as PC
'Yorkie' Smith.
Asked about his time on the show, the thespian said: "I really
enjoyed it, I learned an awful lot. I was virtually straight out of drama
school, I left in 1982, and did quite a few fringe plays and that's when a
casting director from Thames saw me and I went to meet her and the
director.
"They'd already cast the regulars for the first series but I was in
most of the episodes playing a policeman that worked in the station at the
same time. As the series went on, they were trying to give me more to do.
When they did a second series I was told I was going to be a regular and
that's when Yorkie Smith was born."
The actor, currently rehearsing Amanda Whittington's play Satin 'n'
Steel at Hull Truck Theatre, revealed how he never wanted to get stuck
in the daily grind of being in a soap.
"If I was offered something like that now, I would do it, because you
want that kind of security when you're 40-odd years old. But in my
twenties, that's when I needed to be going off and doing stuff to see how
good I was."
He admits the temptation to stay was there, but says: "You kind of
get comfortable in one role. Obviously it's easy to get trapped because
your lifestyle dictates that you have to stay in certain jobs. I wasn't in
that position, so that's why I left when I did."
Hudson says of his former alter-ego: "The public took Yorkie to their
hearts. He was a good bloke, Mr. Nice Guy, but you couldn't push him too
far because he could look after himself.
"Morally he was a very genuine copper and he cared about people but
he would stick up for himself, and I think that's what the public
identified with and liked."
The actor insists he's never regretted his decision to broaden his
horizons, adding: "Funnily enough, for the past two years I've worked
more than in the past four. I keep being offered great parts, but that's
what makes me tick."
Satin 'n' Steel is at Hull Truck Theatre from July 6 until July 29.
Rob
Hudson is something of a mainstay on the stage these days, but if the
name's not too familiar, fans of The Bill will remember the affable
Sheffield-born actor as 