Yahoo News Casualty star Michael Stevenson reacts to Iain's exit
Casualty waved goodbye to Iain Dean tonight (September 21) as the popular paramedic left the ED to pursue a new career.
Michael Stevenson has decided to leave the show at the end of Iain's powerful storyline and recently caught up with Digital Spy to explain why it was the right time to go.
How are you feeling now your time at Casualty has come to an end?
"It's been a busy summer – I left and then went straight into the summer holidays with the kids. I've not had too much time to dwell on it really. I remember walking away on the final day and feeling very upset – it was a real mixture of emotions, but that is obviously when emotions were running high anyway.
"I was exhausted from the year that went before it and there's also the added worry of not knowing what the year ahead holds. But now, I am feeling grateful, proud and I am happy with where we left it – that was exactly where I wanted to leave Iain's story. "
What made you decide to leave Casualty now?
"I suppose in the moment it felt like a bit of a shotgun decision but I don't think it was – I am not somebody who does that. I put a lot of thought into why I wanted to leave and everything about leaving the story where it was felt right.
"We put a lot of effort into making sure it had a positive outcome and a positive end and I feel like it was right for everybody: it's right for me, it's right for the production team and the writers, it's right for the fans. It was a year's worth of really nice storytelling but I am happy to leave people with that while they are hopefully wanting more."
Was it always the plan to have Iain leave at the end of the story?
"No, everything with the story really happened organically. Obviously there was a story arc and we always knew he'd survive after his suicide attempt, but after every few episodes, we had meetings – pretty much on a monthly basis – about where we were going to take it next.
" I felt like throughout the whole year, we were having to storyline it on a monthly basis, so we never really knew too far in advance which way each it was going to go, and the decision to leave at the end, was in compass to that really.
"I didn't initially know I was going to want to leave, but when we started talking about his therapy, his recovery and the possibility of him joining the HEMS team, it just felt very natural to leave it where it was for a while – rather than trying to read too much into where Iain is now and trying to watch his day to day recovery.
"We know he is recovering, we have highlighted the procedures he has put into place as part of that, and we've seen that things are getting better. It is really important for the audience to see that, but everything else happened very organically and it just felt right."
Were you happy with how Iain left?
"Yes. We had spoken about getting him some more training a long time ago. They have always wanted Iain to do more roadside operations and things like that. We have always toyed with the idea of him joining the HEMS team, so I think when he does go back it will give both the show and character another opportunity. I was really pleased with that.
"Obviously, the door is open for me to come back and it will be a lot more exciting when he does. I also loved that they brought Dixie back and we saw the conflict between him and the three women who have been his anchor points while he's been at Holby was amazing for me to play. To have those three strong female characters to play against was a joy and they are really close friends of mine as well."
Were you pleased Jane Hazelgrove came back as Dixie for Iain's final episodes?
"Yes! I was so chuffed when they said that might be the case. It was always going to be a crowd pleaser bringing Dixie back anyway but it was brilliant for me and my character. I got to spend the last few weeks with my best mate, which was brilliant."
Did you feel it was important that Iain's mental health issues were addressed right up until the very end?
"Absolutely, 100 percent. That was very important to me. I can't dictate whether the show want to kill the character off or not, but it was very important that the whole story didn't happen over a few episodes.
"We played it over 40 odd episodes in the end, and by taking it over that amount of time, it allowed everybody to invest in it more. In doing that, it would have been irresponsible to just have him suddenly be alright afterwards. It would have sent out the wrong message and that's not why we did the storyline.
"It was very fortunate that the channel and show trusted me and the character enough that they wanted to explore even more. It felt like the responsible thing to do – to show that what he did wasn't a split second decision that you can just get over in time. With the right people in place, it can be achieved."
Are you proud of the impact Iain's story has had? And do you think it's important for Casualty to keep tackling these issues?
"I am. The feedback I've had both on social media and off – I wish I could have collated all the messages – has been nothing but positive. The story seems to have given people strength and hope and changed their lives for the better. I've even been approached by members of the public.
"It's happened a few times where a woman has come over to me and commented on how much they liked the character and how much they liked the storyline, while her husband is lurking in the background not really saying anything. But then the wife will say that he struggles a bit as well and that will give him the confidence to come over and go 'thank you so much'.
"So, even though the husbands haven't had the confidence to come over, it's still had an impact on them. It's helped a lot of men, in particular, I think, and generally people who are struggling.
"I think because Iain is such a jack the lad type character, and someone you wouldn't necessarily expect it from, it has really hit home with a lot of men who would normally think that you can sweep things under the carpet. So, to have people come up to me and say 'you've changed my husband's life' is amazing."
Did you feel a sense of pressure to get it right?
"I did, but not in the sense that I wanted to tell someone else's story. It had to be right for Iain. When they pitched the story of depression, the research was more about looking at what it's done to people and things like that. Depression, really, is just a word but it spreads across so many different spectrums and manifests itself in so many different ways.
"For me, this had to be right for Iain, and if that then hit home with somebody, that's all it needed to do. I didn't want to do a storyline about depression as someone else's experience.
"It had to be Iain's experience and we needed to show how it manifested itself or him because that's the character that I know and that's the character we've created over the last six years. If in doing that, it helped reach people in the public then that is great, but I didn't just want to do a storyline about depression – it had to be Iain's journey."
Given that Iain's story went on for over a year, did that get challenging for you at times?
"Yes, I think so. Obviously now, I've been out of the show for four months and my head feels a lot clearer, but there were definitely times when it was. Now, I look back on those times and go, 'Bloody hell, that was pretty heavy going'. I don't live in Cardiff either, so I was driving down from Birmingham most days, spending a lot of time in the car and then having to act depressed for ten hours ago.
"It's tricky to really say looking back, but what I will say is that it's very rewarding not having to think about it now. That is an interesting point in itself because all I was doing was creating that feeling, so for somebody who is actually going through it is not something I can really comprehend. From an actor's point of view, looking back and being grateful that I don't have to have those thoughts or create them is really refreshing and rewarding."
Obviously the door has been left open, but there has been some confusion as to whether this is a permanent exit or a break. Will we be seeing Iain again in the future?
"At some point, hopefully. We will talk. At the moment, I want time away from the show where I don't have to think about it. I think initially, the show wanted me to have a bit less time away, but they plan so far in advance, if I said I was only having a set amount of time off, planning would automatically begin. I don't think that is good for anybody. The reason I felt like I needed the time away was to not think about the show or the character – just let it rest.
"No matter how long it takes for the show to bring me back – or for me to approach them and ask – the less time you have not thinking about the character will be beneficial for when you start to think about it again.
"It was such a huge storyline, so to then have to think about what you are going to start doing with him for the next year, it could seem like we are creating things for the sake of it. That's not the type of actor I want to be. I don't want to be there creating things for the sake of getting paid. We did such a great job of that storyline, I think it's healthy to let it rest. The more time you can't and don't think about the character, the more excited you will be when you get round the table again after a year and start planning. "
Finally, what's next for you now?
"I don't know what's around the corner and I can't define what's around the corner, either. Nobody owes me anything – this industry has already been good to me. What will be will be – we will see. At the moment, I am very happy. I am getting jobs done around the house."
Casualty continues on Saturday, September 29 on BBC One.
We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
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