Heartbeat
Mark Jordon Interview
Published: Friday, 9 November 2007, 4:43PM
Heartbeat favourite Mark Jordon has decided to leave the drama after 15 years and over 300 episodes. He tells itv.com why he took the biggest decision of his career.
Bellamy is enjoying married life at the start of this series. Tell us a bit about the newly weds
It’s a dream come true for Phil, as he’s wanted to be with Gina since they met, so he’s like a kid in a candy store. He’s also got a new position in the police station which means more responsibilities.
Will they have a family?
Gina and Phil are starting to have conversations about having children so, it’s seems his life is quite complete. The talk about starting a family seems like the ultimate plan for their future.
His happiness doesn't last, though
No. Since the death of Daniel, Phil and Gina’s baby, he has taken it upon himself to protect all the youngsters in the local villages. There have been occasions when he’s gone beyond the call of duty, because he feels he has a love which he never got to give and therefore doesn’t want to see any children injured.
What happens next?
There is some confusion over the health of a local school child and Phil’s investigations bring him to a very sad conclusion. He has to confront a very irate Dad and puts himself, yet again, into a very dangerous situation to try and protect somebody else.
How did you find filming your last scenes?
Brilliantly rewarding, to be honest. There was a lot of specialised equipment used to make the pictures look even more wonderful and a good team of actors on set. It just felt like such an enjoyable moment to be in a situation where I knew everything was going in the right direction. By having the right director, Roger Bamford, I was able to improvise the final words on each take we did. I was lucky enough to be able to do that, but I was a little sad Phil’s very final moments weren’t with Gina.
How do you think Gina will cope with the death of Phil?
I don’t know. I suppose because she made moves to get her and Phil back together, she’ll be very sad especially as they’ve just made the monumental decision to try and have children. I only hope Gina will have friends rallying around her.
You’ve been in Heartbeat since it first began. How have you found leaving the series?
An absolute joy. I’ve earned my stripes and even after I’ve left I’ll still hold the title for being in the most episodes. It will take people a long time to catch up, so I think I’ve deserved a breather. No-one quite knew how popular the character of Phil would become, but I’ve worked very hard to bring him to life over the years.
Did you hesitate before deciding to quit?
I had no doubts about leaving because creatively I have the freedom to carry on working on my own projects. Plus I’m now able to spend lots of time with my wife and children which is a reward to make up for the time I’ve spent working away. I’m still in contact with people and have met up with quite a few of the cast, so I won’t actually miss them as we’ll still see each other.
Over the years what storylines have been your highlights?
A lot of the highlights will be covered in a programme called ‘Farewell Phil’ which will be shown later this year. I think the making of the programme shows how important the character was to the series and to the audience. Personally, I think all the stuff with Tricia has been a joy.
How did Tricia and Phil come about?
We worked out very early that Nick Berry and Niamh Cusack put a lot of work into making Heartbeat what it is today, and created a united front as a couple on and off set, to make the characters believable. When they left, it became clear the audience needed to see that and as a result Trish and I made our characters easy to relate to.
Do you think it worked?
Yes, Gina and Phil’s relationship is real, and I’m proud of that. I’m also proud of the fact to this day people still comment on the Daniel storyline. There’s been loads of highlights for me. I’ve enjoyed working with Jonathan Kerrigan and many of the guest stars.
Tell us about your memories?
What you remember is being privileged enough to work with various actors. I’ll be watching a programme and see someone and realise I’ve worked with them in the past on Heartbeat. I’m lucky enough to have had that experience. I’ll certainly favour the wedding episode and also any episodes with Bellamy’s Gran (Charlotte Mitchell).
You and Tricia Penrose, who plays Gina, have a great relationship. You'll miss her, won't you?
I love working with Trish and since leaving the show we’ve seen each other numerous times. We’ve spoken for hours on the phone on many occasions and I hope I’m still a supportive friend. We also talk as parents about our kids and I love her dearly. Of course when they shouted ‘Cut’ I loved the laughter. We’d always have the best gossip to talk about and be the last ones to leave a party. Luckily we’re still close and will remain so.
You've made the characters your own, haven't you?
Often if I went off and started making things up and improvising she would just pick it up and go with it. It let our creative sides show. We used to invent our own moments on set, and because we knew the characters so well, we could make it more real for the audience.
Tell us about your leaving bash
I actually had two leaving parties. The company organised a party which was very much appreciated and I organised a party at a bar which Trish, Jonathan and I had discovered. It was a major success and blew everyone away with the layout and format of it. My nearest and dearest came back to my flat to carry on the party into the small hours. It was a very good day.
We hear Tricia wrote a special message for you
Tricia wrote me a poem which she read out at the company leaving do. As much as everyone finds her to be a confident lady, she’s not, and for her to stand up in front of everyone and show her own writing and talent, she really put herself on the line for me and I was chuffed about that.
What are you’re plans now you’ve left Heartbeat?
I’ve certainly been enjoying my time at home. The short film I’ve produced and directed, called To The Sea Again, is doing very well at the moment. It reached the finals at The Moon Dance Film Festival in Hollywood and I was able to attend.