James Chase took over the regular role of Tom King in Emmerdale in April 2023, working alongside Eden Taylor-Draper as Belle Dingle, who went on to become Tom’s wife the following year. Whilst in the soap, James’ storyline saw him on trial for domestic abuse against Belle, which resulted in a prison sentence when he was found guilty of assault and coercive behaviour, and saw Tom leave the soap full-time in December 2024. Earlier this year, James reprised his role for an episode after Belle decided to start divorce proceedings, and James was nominated for Best Villain at the 2024 Inside Soap Awards for his portrayal of the character. In 2021, James appeared in the short film The Beginning and End of Everything as Callum, having graduated from Mountview in 2020, and whilst training, he was in the cast of shows such as Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. Answering our questions, James talked to us about joining the cast of Emmerdale in 2023, what it was like taking on the role of Tom King and working with his on-screen wife Eden Taylor-Draper and training at Mountview.

In April 2023, you made your first appearance in Emmerdale, having taken over the regular role of returning character Tom King, how did you feel finding out you’d booked the role and how was it meeting the cast for the first time?

It was an amazing feeling. I’d been through quite a long process to get the role, and had multiple auditions, multiple self-tapes and then also a screen test, which was with Eden (Taylor-Draper).

When I heard that I’d got the role, honestly, I just couldn’t believe it. I think I’d been waiting a few weeks to find out and you sort of get yourself to that place where you try not to think about it too much, because you don’t want to get your hopes up that you’ve got the role, but then equally you don’t want to be down on yourself and assume that you haven’t.

Once I found out, I was incredibly sort of shocked but overjoyed at the idea of getting to play this character and to get involved in this really juicy role.

It was amazing. Getting used to how fast they move there at Emmerdale was interesting and a great learning experience.

What was Tom like to play and how was it getting into character?

Well, here’s the thing. When I first entered the show, Tom was a very different character to the dark, nasty man that he turns into, so it did feel like playing two separate characters.

The first six months I was there, he was, for the most part, a good man – helping people selflessly and very much in awe and in love with Belle, but in a way that was still healthy. From the perspective of the audience, quite a lovely romantic story was blossoming between them.

It wasn’t until they got married where the tricky part came in, and I really had to delve into this darkness that Tom had and find the humanity in there. I was very adamant that I wanted the character to feel real. He once was this good man, and this newfound jealousy and obsession and traumatic upbringing had turned him into something completely different.

There were days that were difficult, but by and large it was an incredibly fulfilling experience. A challenge to find the balance and truth of the character, and a joy to work with Eden, who did her part of the storyline incredibly well – so believably heart-wrenchingly so.

I’m so glad I played the role, and I think I only came out of that experience a better actor and a more rounded human.

How was it filming with Eden Taylor-Draper as your on-screen wife Belle Dingle and what was your storyline like to work on?

Awesome! She’s an incredibly talented actress. Such a lovely human being, and through the process we became great friends, and still are to this day. At the end of the day, acting is reacting and, working with Eden, the performance and the energy and the truth that she brings to those scenes allowed me to do the same.

How was it reading the scripts during your contract, and did you have any favourite scenes to film?

It could be a funny experience. Sometimes I would read through my scripts the week before and see the actions and situations that Tom was going to be getting himself into. Occasionally, there would be things that would honestly make me laugh, thinking, ‘how are we going to make this work?’

A favourite scene is hard because there are a lot of scenes and episodes that we filmed that I’m very proud of and that I had a great experience filming. But I think my favourite scene I filmed was with Eden – when Tom was in a wheelchair after having his accident where he’d electrocuted himself.

It was this vulnerable, visceral, raw scene where Tom finds out that Belle aborted his baby. His reaction is vulnerable instead of aggressive. He goes inside and starts to realise perhaps the reason why she’s so scared of him now, and why she didn’t want his child, is because he has been terrifying her, oppressing her. But for the first time, there is a tiny spark of light that you see from Tom that he starts to understand the man he’s becoming and the pain he is causing her.

The funny thing is, we didn’t have much time to film this scene because it was at the end of the day. We only had, I think, about 40 minutes to shoot it. I think the pressure from that gave us this push to get to that truthful, raw place straight away.

Having left the soap full-time last year, how was it filming your final scenes and what was it like seeing the viewers’ response to your exit and Tom’s storyline?

It was an emotional experience because Emmerdale had been my life for the better part of a year and a half, and I’d made so many great friends there. I just got so used to that environment and the routine of working there. So knowing that it was coming to an end was strange.

But equally, I knew that Tom had to face some form of justice at some point, and prison felt like the perfect way out – for me and for him. A way for him to finally realise and have reality brought down upon him.

Filming the court scenes almost felt like a piece of theatre at times, the way we shot it. I think that fans were very happy with the way it ended. I know some of them wanted it to carry on, but I think most of them would agree, Tom needed to lose, and Belle deserved closure and justice. I think that’s resonated well with the audience.

Tom was brought back for an episode earlier this year, what was it like having him return for an episode to give an update on Belle and Tom’s relationship?

It was nice to come back, even just for a day. At first, I was unsure whether the scenes were going to undercut the great ending that we’d had with the court scenes. However, once I got there and began rehearsing the scenes with Eden, I thought that they were a good addition to the story and perhaps a way of leaving it open-ended somewhat.

How did you find the experience filming as a regular character and being part of a huge storyline on a largely-popular soap opera?

I loved it. I thought the storyline was well-written and kept us on our toes in terms of our acting capability. Often, the feeling of being thrown in the deep end became our comfort zone – but I loved it.

One thing that took me a little bit of time to get used to was people recognising me in the streets. At first, I was a little bit jarred with the way people just knew who I was. It’s an odd thing to get your head around, but after some time, I became comfortable with it.

Now it’s a really beautiful thing that people just feel like they know you, and they want to have a chat. Nine times out of ten, it’s an incredibly positive experience, and I come away smiling, and it’s been a lovely thing.

What are some of your favourite memories from working on Emmerdale and playing the role of Tom King, which saw you be nominated for Best Villain at the 2024 Inside Soap Awards?

Laughing with Nick Miles a lot, who played my uncle in the show – a hilarious man. Working with the whole cast generally was a gift.

I remember my first day of filming, which was with Eden Taylor-Draper and Zoe Henry. I was really nervous, to be honest. I think that’s normal, but the two of them made me feel at home very quickly. It didn’t take long to see the things we had in common and we became comfortable quickly. I’d left my packed lunch at home, and Eden was nice enough to give me loads of her snacks, which was so kind.

What was it like being involved with the 2021 short film The Beginning and End of Everything as Callum?

It was one of my first roles after drama school (Mountview) and coming out of the COVID restrictions. I was so happy to be working, and the character was really fun. We shot in the central of Clapham during a blazing hot summer, and it was awesome.

How was your time training at Mountview and was there anything that encouraged you to apply?

It was my third year of auditioning, and my girlfriend at the time had been to Mountview for workshops and summer programs and had always spoken very highly of the school. I’d never auditioned for Mountview myself, and I had my favourites among other schools, but once I looked into the school’s ethos and the general conversation from students around the school itself, I was really excited to audition.

I don’t mean this in an arrogant way, but going into Mountview I already knew I could act. I had been doing it for over a decade outside of school in theatres and amateur dramatics. But Mountview gave me the toolkit so that I could approach any job and feel ready. I’d been missing the technical side of preparation for acting – that’s what Mountview taught me so well.

Not to mention the opportunity to play some incredible roles. Challenging roles, from Mr. Squeers in Nicholas Nickleby, to Macduff in Macbeth. Roles that were a joy to play.

The teachers were a highlight too, and I tried to absorb as much wisdom as I could from them. I also think wearing all black every day changed my style a bit, haha.

Can you tell us about some of the shows you performed in whilst training, which included Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth?

Macbeth was in second year and, honestly, it was the performance in all of Mountview that I was the most proud of. While we were rehearsing, I had recently watched the Michael Fassbender version of Macbeth, and it inspired me to bring that same level of intensity and grit to my version of Macduff.

Our director was Richard Cant – an absolute genius of a director and a wonderful man who had the capability of leading and taking charge of the room, but still with a smile and a very uplifting nature. I think he brought the best out of all of us. I shaved my head down to a buzz cut, and went for it, we all did, and it was incredible to be a part of.

Romeo and Juliet we did in our third year, which was directed by our school’s principal, Stephen Jameson – a very funny man and great to work with. The style was very interesting on this one. I was a part of the Greek-style chorus that would be on stage in almost every scene, as though they were ghostly apparitions weaving the narrative of the play to their will, as though we were fate itself.

The level of discipline we needed was huge. Stillness. Complete focus. Thank God I paid attention in movement class, haha.

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

Honestly, I think a huge part of it comes from my family and our love of film and theatre. From a young age, my dad was showing me some of the most iconic films from film history. I mean, I saw Aliens when I was seven, for God’s sake.

I was always running around the house pretending to be characters, putting on voices and accents. It was just in my nature. I loved to do it, and before long I was doing plays every year at The Little Theatre in Leicester – which is where I would say I really found my grounding in acting and my love for it.

Paul Phillips was the head of the youth group at The Little Theatre for most of the time I was there, and I thank him massively for shifting my approach to acting. Still finding the fun, because I think that’s so important, but he helped me to find the detail. He pushed me to the point where I began to take it more seriously and saw a potential future in it.

What do you enjoy most about working in the acting industry?

Working! Hahaha, no seriously – that’s it. That’s why we do it.

Getting to play interesting and complex characters. Working with lovely, intelligent, grounded, and hard-working people. Being a part of something that matters.

I think back to some of my favourite days on Emmerdale – working long days, everyone’s tired, but the subject matter is important. The script is solid, and everyone involved is doing their damnedest to make this as good as we possibly can.

It’s passion. It’s an amazing thing to be around. We all have it within us, and it’s awesome!

Have you been given any advice over your career so far that has stuck with you, and what advice would you give a new actor?

I think it’s very easy to overcomplicate the acting process and what we need to do to do our job fully. But recently, a huge inspiration of mine has been Walton Goggins – an incredibly varied actor spanning every genre you could think of, very transformative in many of his roles.

Well, recently in an interview, he gave this absolute gem of advice: “You read the script 250 times and then hand yourself over to an imaginary set of circumstances”. He fact-checked this statement with some of the greats when he had the incredible opportunity to work with them (Robert Duvall and Anthony Hopkins). Both of them agreed that that is exactly what you do and all you need to do.

And I agree. Everyone’s different. Every process is different. But at the end of the day, the script is the core of it, and knowing that back to front, inside and out, being able to recite it hanging upside down or underwater, gives you the freedom to explore with it completely.

Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?

Currently, my latest obsession is Andor – the Star Wars TV show written by the great Tony Gilroy and his brother. It’s one of the best-written shows of the last decade, with complex and amazingly-written characters, and Ben Mendelsohn  in Season 2, so go figure.

How do you like to spend your time away from acting?

I have a great group of friends, which is super important. We all support each other. Most of us are actors as well, so we can all relate to our current situation and help each other with self-tapes and things like that.

When I’m not with them, I do watch a lot of films and a lot of shows. I love it! It’s why I’m a part of it, and it’s a great way to figure out what to do, and what not to do, when it comes to screen acting specifically.

I love hiking, I love a bit of gaming, and I’ve recently taken up the guitar… though I’m not very good right now, haha.

What are you hoping the next few months bring for you, and do you have any upcoming projects that you can share?

Well, currently I’m in the process of self-taping for things – which is actually a process that I really enjoy. That’s all I can really say at the moment, but I’m sure good things are coming.

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