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Sol Patrick is a fictional character from the British soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Paul Danan. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 3 November 1997.

Casting

Danan made his first appearance on 3 November 1997. Danan graduated from Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where he shared classes with Natasha Symms and Dannielle Brent, who went on to play his character's sisters Kate Patrick and Gina Patrick. The trio shared a house in Liverpool after they were cast in Hollyoaks. Danan was grateful for his "big break", stating "There's so many actors out there and not much work all the time, it's very hard, so I think I'm really lucky to have this."

Development

Sol is the show's "resident bad boy" with a history of homelessness, a stint in a Young Offender Institution, and a temperament that causes him trouble. Describing Sol, Dawn Collinson of the Liverpool Echo wrote "With his bad lad reputation and close-cropped moody look, Hollyoaks' Sol Patrick is quite a handful." She noted that without his character's trademark clothing and attitude, Danan was much warmer. He told Collinson that his character "stresses too much", where as he was a more chilled and loving person. Collinson observed that since his introduction to Hollyoaks, Danan had been dubbed a "heartthrob" and was popular with female viewers. Danan admitted that the fan mail gave him confidence, saying I wouldn't really want to date a fan because me and Sol are two separate people, but reading some of the letters really brings me back up if I'm feeling down."

For the cliffhanger final episode of 2000, Sol and his girlfriend Jess Holt (Frankie Hough) were trapped by a fire "in the Hollyoaks local". Wendy Granditer of Inside Soap observed that Sol's life "has been turned upside down" since he began a relationship with Jess. Part of Jess' characterisation is her trust issues but writers used Sol to change Jess' life. Hough told Francesca Babb from All About Soap that Jess' trust issues are a result of her past experiences. She stated that Sol's support changes this, adding "it's taken her a long time to finally realise that Sol really does care about her. He has also refrained from sleeping with her until now." Hough believed that Sol's abstinence "shocked" Jess, who had come to view men as only wanting her for sex. Hough opined that Sol and Jess were similar because Sol was homeless "so he knows part of what she is going through." Jess' brother and pimp, Steve Holt (Conor Ryan) kidnaps Gina which leaves Jess feeling "gutted" and "hates" that her brother is harming Sol's family. Sol's step-father Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna) instigates Steve's arrest and Gina is eventually freed.

The character's final episode aired on 5 April 2001, following a storyline in which Sol is falsely accused of trying to kill Jess' brother Steve Holt (Conor Ryan). A writer for Virgin Media said Sol ended up "fleeing the area for his own good". Danan found the scenes in which Sol confides in his former stepfather Jack Osborne (Jimmy McKenna) to be "really touching" and said he and McKenna cried for real. Danan also explained to Granditer that the final shot had to be filmed multiple times to get it right and he felt that it would never end. His leaving party was held that same night and then he returned to London. Danan was happy with his exit storyline, saying "It was great that they left it open rather than killing him off. Sol didn't kill anyone, or commit any crime, all he did was protect his girlfriend, so there's no reason why he can't return one day." In 2017, Danan said he was speaking with the showrunners to bring back his character, though a representative for Hollyoaks denied any such talks. In 2018, he continued to publicly voice his support for Sol's return.

Reception

In 1999, Danan received a nomination for Best Actor at the Inside Soap Awards.

References

1. "TV – Channel 4". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 3 November 1997. Retrieved 19 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ Collinson, Dawn (27 July 1999). "The heart of Oaks". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 19 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Hollyoaks ruined my life". Virgin Media. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2022. Fame's been very fleeting for these Hollyoaks hunks and babes…
4. Deans, Jason (4 December 2000). "Mersey TV blazes a trail with Hollyoaks storyline". The Guardian. ISSN 1756-3224. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
5. ^ Granditer, Wendy (31 March – 13 April 2001). "Sol long, Hollyoaks!". Inside Soap. No. 176. (Attic Futura UK). p. 30.
6. ^ Babb, Francesca (10 February – 11 March 2001). "Breaking free". All About Soap. No. 18. (Attic Futura UK). p. 18.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
7. Lee, Jess (15 August 2018). "Former Hollyoaks star Paul Danan backs calls for Sol Patrick to return". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022. Could it happen?
8. "Vote in the 1999 awards!". Inside Soap. No. 134. (Attic Futura UK). 21 August – 3 September 1999. p. 34.

• British male characters in television
• Fictional homeless people
• Fictional prisoners and detainees
• Hollyoaks characters
• Television characters introduced in 1997