Emmerdale star Mark Charnock’s role away from ITV soap inspired by family heartbreak
Emmerdale actor Mark Charnock appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday as he opened up about his new career move and the family connection behind it
Emmerdale star Mark Charnock has taken a break from the Dales to helm a personal project linked to his own family.
The actor, known for nearly three decades as Marlon Dingle on the ITV soap, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday, December 3. He was there to kick off the programme’s 1 Million Minutes initiative aimed at combatting loneliness.
Mark, aged 56, directed the heart-tugging campaign film entitled Life Long Fans, and he shared with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls the touch of inspiration he drew from his family ties for the project.
The stirring short features an elderly football fan left isolated after his friend’s passing, dreading the empty stadium seat and the solitude of watching matches on the box alone. But hope shines through when his wife musters the family to join him.
Mark Charnock launched GMB’s 1 Million Minutes campaign
Following the emotional footage, Susanna said: “Oh Mark, what have you done to us? That is so moving,” reports Leeds Live.
Mark explained that upon being tasked to steer the film, he pondered on how to depict the subject saying: “There was something so close to home I almost missed it. I had two uncles, both of whom have passed away now, John and Michael, and they were quite close in age, they were more like twins really and they did everything together. They’d been watching Man Utd since the late ’50s, all through the decades.
“And quite out of the blue the older brother passed away and it broke my other uncle in half really, he lost half of himself. He was ok and the years went by until he passed away but those last 10 or 15 years he had without him he was never the same.”
Mark chats to Susanna and Ed about his film
GMB’s 1 Million Minutes campaign, now in its impressive ninth year, is rallying viewers to pledge their time to charities combating loneliness. Since its inception in 2016, an incredible 672 million minutes have been pledged to charities desperate for volunteers to reach out to the lonely.
Throughout December, Good Morning Britain is orchestrating a plethora of events across the UK, offering additional avenues for people to engage, combat their own feelings of isolation, or simply donate their time to assist another soul.
