Yahoo News BBC's The Responder star proud of their Liverpool heritage
An actor has said he is "proud" of his Liverpool heritage as he returns to our TV screens.
Sonny Walker, from Kensington, is currently starring in Channel 4’s latest series The Gathering. The model and welterweight boxer, who started his career with Liverpool talent agency Allstars Casting, plays the character of Adam, a “warm-hearted” aspiring DJ and free runner who is often “misjudged” in the whodunnit.
The drama, filmed and set in Liverpool and around Merseyside, follows a group of disparate teenagers and their parents - with each character having a motive for attacking accomplished gymnast Kelly.
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Sonny, who now lives in South Liverpool, said the character of Adam was something new for him and he is excited to show viewers a new side to him.
He told the ECHO: “I feel like audiences will get to see people like me – from Liverpool with a Liverpudlian accent and it’s going to touch the hearts of Scousers. I’m very proud of my voice and my accent and I’m very proud to be on the show that portrays the lives of people within Merseyside.
“It shows Liverpool in a nice light. It doesn’t show the city in a dark way - it shows the reality of people who have lived their lives in the city, people from wealthy areas and not-so-wealthy areas.
“It was wonderful to work on my doorstep with all these amazing actors, especially the other Scousers. It was nice to feel like I was able to be real and raw in my acting because it was something I was so familiar with.”
Sonny, who also starred in The Responder alongside Martin Freeman, hopes the series will encourage viewers to empathise with the Liverpool characters and self-reflect.
He said: “Adam’s story is very universal and I've seen this happen before to other people when it comes to the difficult family dynamics that his character experiences.
“Personally, I spoke to a couple of friends who have gone through similar experiences. So, I was able to dig deep and go into the mind of Adam and understand the world from his eyes and break it down."
The Gathering also uses several locations across Merseyside to bring the drama to life. The crucial rave attack happens on Hilbre Island, across from West Kirby.
Whereas Liverpool's Princes Docks is a popular hangout for the teenagers. The Gino D'Campo Sky Bar 360 on Liverpool's Old Hall Street serves as the sky bar of a chic hotel, with scenes also shot at the INNSiDE Hotel.
Liverpool's World Museum is transformed into the Liverpool Arts Club, and nearby St John's Gardens make regular appearances throughout the series. West Kirby Park in Wirral is also featured, with Coronation Gardens providing a backdrop in several scenes.
You can watch The Responder now on BBC iPlayer and The Gathering airs weekly on Channel 4.
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