Tottenham actor Duayne Boachie has landed his big break on the small screen starring as Zach Loveday in Hollyoaks. Laura Enfield caught up with him to find out more.

How are you finding living up north?

I have always been travelling for different shows and things but now it is on a bigger scale and it is a big change but I’m settled in well, it’s a lovely area. I’m renting with cast members Charlie Wernham (plays Robbie Roscoe) and Parry Glasspool (plays Harry Thompson). We get on quite well.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Tottenham and Wood Green in Haringey and went to St Thomas Moore School.

How did you get into acting?

At Risley Avenue Primary School I had an amazing teacher who put the spark in me. From there I joined BAT Theatre which is based in Bernie Grant Arts Centre about ten years ago. They really pushed me and kept me from hanging around the area and getting into trouble. The drama teacher there Richard Reed was the real mentor teacher and father figure that kept me going through my whole journey. I have always had a lot of energy and wanted to be in the spotlight and perform.

What was your first role?

In Year 5 when I was in Oliver Twist and played Bill Sykes and I was a big highlight of the show. The next year I played Danny Zuko in Grease and then I knew I loved the stage and acting and knew it was definitely what I wanted to do.

How did you get the role of Zach Loveday on Hollyoaks?

It all started on Twitter, someone tweeted, I think it was a guy called JoJo who works for Tottenham Football Club, saying if you want an audition go here and he sent me a link and from there I went to an open audition for Lion Pictures, the company that does Hollyoaks, for a new series. I got the role and did the filming and I think the casting director remembered me from that and about a year later contacted my agent and asked me to audition for Hollyoaks. I was quite nervous but when I saw the description of the character they were looking for I knew it involved a lot of my strong points and that I had a chance if I brought my A-game so I felt quite confident I could get it.

How would you describe Zach?

Zach is a bundle of joy and energy. He’s got a really good heart and is a bit of ladies man. He’s not a bad character at all however he gets into bad situations accidentally. But he can usually get out of them as he’s good with his words.

How similar are you?

The energy is the same, that excitement. We can both try to find good out of bad situations and I have similar confidence and are athletic. I’m very athletic, I love football, I support Manchester United because my uncle supports them, and all sports and keeping fit and the gym, basketball rugby, any sport.

What about the ladies man thing?

I will leave that to the ladies to decide (laughs)

Are you single?

No comment.

Do you have time for a personal life and going out?

I’m focused on my job. There is time to do it but it would kind of make me lose focus if I did. I don’t want to get distracted. Being a young, black boy from Tottenham you always want to try to keep a positive image because it’s easy to be characterised as a negative character. So I try and make sure I am on point and not falling off.

Did you come up against that growing up?

Yeah, definitely. It’s easy to get stereotyped but it’s about being an individual and focusing on my goal and not letting anything sidetrack me.

What does a day look like for you?

It changes a lot but is pretty much getting up early and going to filming and coming back late. I work from 7.30am to about 7pm but sometimes we have shoots as early as 6.30am so you have to keep your day clear as you could get called in at any moment.

How long do you have to learn the script?

It’s difficult. You get it quite far in advance but it keeps changing and on the day you have to learn things on the day so you always have to be exercising your brain and memory. I feel like I have been born to do it and this is what my brain has decided to do.

Have you had a favourite storyline?

The one we have at the moment with my missing sister. It is quite challenging and it has tested my acting a lot and brings more out of me to portray the emotion.

How does your own family feel about you being a star?

Not everyone has believed I was going to make a living out of it so it has been down to me to get it for myself so they have been really surprised and proud that I have stuck at what I wanted to do. My mum said she was proud of me for sticking at it which she has never really said before.

How often do you see them?

I try to come down every weekend and chill with my family.

Are you getting fanmail and people recognising you?

Yeah a lot, it’s quite weird. A lot of people from the area have been supportive though and I really appreciate that.

What does the future hold for you?

I have got a movie coming out with Idris Elba and Gemma Arterton A Hundred Streets.

So what’s the dream?

To be a movie star. But where ever life takes me I will go. I’m just trying to be an actor and wherever I can get a platform to do that I will.

What’s your dream role?

A superhero.