Things could’ve been very different! (Picture: ITV)
Chris Chittell, best known for playing Emmerdale’s Eric Pollard, has opened up about how he feared losing his job at the ITV soap after previously starring in porn films.
Before landing his Emmerdale role in 1986, Chris featured in a number of films including Sex in Sweden, Practice Makes Perfect and Let Us Play Sex.
As a result of these credits, Chris began fearing his time at Emmerdale would be cut short.
‘I always thought I was going to be fired, even after years in Emmerdale’, he told The Sunday Mirror.
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‘I thought I would never work in England again because of the content of those films. Thank God I’ve been on the up ever since.’
Eric Pollard has Parkinson’s (Picture: ITV)
He added: ‘I did films like Let Us Play Sex and Swedish Sex Games when I was on my uppers after running up terrible bills and seeing various ventures fail. One was an antiques business. Another was a Jewish-Italian restaurant in Hatton Garden, London. I took them to pay off some heavy-duty people and clear the bills.’
Chris’ current Emmerdale storyline looks at Eric coming to terms with his Parkinson’s diagnosis.
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A few weeks ago, Eric broke down during a chat with Mandy (Lisa Riley) and revealed his health battle. He said that he didn’t want his loved ones finding out but now, the beloved character is often seen feeling grateful for support from the likes of Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) and Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker).
This week, Manpreet had a chat with Eric after discovering he had experienced a tremor in his hand.
She explained that even though he has a diagnosis, he should embrace his life and not live it through a ‘Parkinson’s lens’.
You can find more information and support on the website of Parkinson’s UK.
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He has played Eric since 1986.