With soap villain Al Chapman being killed in scenes aired tonight, Michael Wildman, who played the snake, thinks his mum will be the only viewer in tears.
Michael, 47, who joined Emmerdale three years ago, previously revealed his mother Kate, a massive fan of the show, was more impressed about this role than anything else he has done.
This includes featuring in Steven Spielberg film Ready Player One, and playing Magorian in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
All hell broke loose in Emmerdale after Cain Dingle, armed with a gun, discovered his sister Chas was secretly dating baddie Al.
The two feuding men had a fight that ended with love rat Al being shot dead.
He became the fourth character in a month to be killed off as part of the show’s 50th birthday celebrations.
As he chats about Al's dramatic departure, Michael says with a smile: "My biggest thing now is picking up the pieces for Mum, as she is going to be crying like crazy. But I don't think many others are going to be gutted Al is dead."
He adds: "Al and Cain have been at loggerheads on and off for two years. They have done a lot of talking, there has been a lot of banter but ultimately, Al was blinded by love.
"He had fallen heavily for Chas and this was his downfall. Al and Cain had no room left for talk. They wanted a scrap but until last night, they didn’t know where that fight would end.
Revealing he had a "lump in his throat" on his final day of filming, the actor says he had agreed with the soap's bosses that it was the right time for Al to go.
Michael adds: "I've never been under any misconceptions about playing a villain in a soap.
"There is a passage of time and over the last year I felt things were coming to a head because there was less reason for him to be there.
"His son Ellis had gone and so when our executive producer rang me to say 'we are thinking of letting Al go', I told her 'I am with you – so long as Al doesn’t leave in a taxi'.
"I wanted Al to go out with a bang, and last night he most definitely did.
"I am so pleased. It's been brilliant to be part of the 50th celebrations and it’s a great time to die...
"I've died three or four times with different characters I've played over the years. But the difference is this is a character who I have given life to for some time. Al is much dearer to me than other characters I’ve said goodbye to.
"You always heard Al Chapman approaching, as I requested heavy healed brogue shoes for him.
"It was a warning to villagers that trouble was coming, and now it’s weird to think you will never hear him again.
"I did have a lump in my throat when I finished filming because I’ve made some amazing friends with the cast and crew. You share so much together – like having babies, losing loved ones – and I feel like I've made a new family. A job like Emmerdale will always stay with you."
Michael, who previously told the Mirror how he loves performing his own stunts, adds: " Jeff Hordley [who plays Cain] and I have been waiting to do this for two-and-a-half years.
"We didn't see the fight until last night but we relished having a good scrap.
"We had our fight director on board on set and between him and us, we choreographed the fight we wanted to see. It was a brilliant day filming it." He pauses, roars with laughter then adds: "Mind you, Jeff and I were a little tired. We aren't 21 any more, but we give it a real good go."
A friendly fella with no airs or graces, he says a benefit of finishing on Emmerdale is no longer having to commute from his Oxfordshire home – which he shares with wife Ceri Ann Gregory, an actress and singer, and son, Lucas, eight – to the set in Yorkshire.
His son found Michael working away from home hard. "I can already see the difference now I’ve finished," Michael confides. "He is a lot more relaxed and as a family, everything doesn’t have to be done in a day now as we’ve got the whole week and month to do things.
"I couldn't have [been in] Emmerdale without the support of my wife.
"It demanded a huge part of my time ... and she is very understanding but at the same time, it's nice to be at home full time now with my family."
Experienced and well-liked in the industry, he has already lined up his first big project after Emmerdale – a Netflix drama called Baby Reindeer. He plays a bar manager whose colleague has been stalked for 10 years. "It's quite a dark piece but I’m really looking forward to it," he says.
"My character is a bit of a wide boy but he is not a villain. The drama is being filmed in London which means I'll be able to come home to my bed every evening. It also means my wife can take on more projects herself."
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He goes on to add how much he is looking forward to working on other different dramas but stresses that while there is no chance of a return to Emmerdale now that Al is dead, he will always cherish his time on the ITV show.
"Unless you have experienced working in a soap, you can’t judge it," he says.
"I challenge any A-list actor to deliver an emotive scene like you have to in a soap. You can be called in at 7am and then film six scenes back-to-back many times out of sequence.
"Outside of soaps, you have the luxury of doing two scenes a day. Soaps are brilliant, heightened reality where you could be having a cup of tea one minute then murdering someone the next. My colleagues at Emmerdale work so hard and the show commands brilliant viewing figures."
Its fans are also loyal, he adds, as he says he thinks they will keep reminding him just how badly behaved Al was.
He says: "Whenever I’m stopped by the ladies, they always tell me 'Al is a naughty boy' and then ask for a photo. Whatever I do next, I don’t think they will ever forget me as Al."
As for what the character's epitaph should be, Michael smiles mischievously as he says: "On his gravestone, it would be great if it read 'the truth is what people believe'.
"I think Al's legacy will live on and I think Cain will miss Al. He brought out the fire in Cain... Nobody is squeaky clean."
Emmerdale runs every weekday on ITV at 7.30pm.
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