Craig Dean
| Craig Dean | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollyoaks character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Guy Burnet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2002–2007, 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 24 October 2002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 28 November 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by |
Phil Redmond (2002) Bryan Kirkwood (2008) |
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| Spin-off appearances |
Hollyoaks Later (2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Student | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | Dublin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Family | Dean |
|---|---|
| Father | Johnno Dean |
| Mother | Frankie Osborne |
| Stepfather | Jack Osborne (2005–) |
| Stepmother | Michelle Dean (2005–) |
| Brothers | Jake Dean |
| Sisters |
Debbie Dean Steph Cunningham |
| Half-brothers |
Presley Dean Brian Bloom |
| Half-sisters | Jade Albright (adoptive) |
| Aunts | Linda Wallace |
| Nephews | Charlie Dean (adoptive) |
| Nieces | Esther Bloom |
| Other relatives | Irene Wallace |
Craig Dean is a fictional character from the long-running British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Guy Burnet. Burnet has won and been nominated for several awards for this role. Burnet departed the role in September 2007 and returned to the show on 3 September 2008 in a storyline which saw Craig secure a "sunset ending" with John Paul McQueen (James Sutton). He made another appearance after his departure in spin-off show Hollyoaks Later in November 2008. The character is regarded as one of Hollyoaks most iconic characters.
Craig Dean was not at first outlined as harbouring homosexual feelings or tendencies. The character was originally scripted as heterosexual, and actor Guy Burnet wanted to maintain this aspect of the character in his portrayal. He relayed, "The thing that I wanted more than anything was to convey confusion – if Craig could go and sleep with John Paul and afterwards the audience can say 'hold on a minute – maybe he's not gay'… If I've provoked that question, then I've reached the goal I wanted to reach. If I'm confused, in turn Craig is confused and so is the audience – that's the way I see it."
Burnet was at first against the writers decision to have Craig become romantically involved with another male character. "I'll always be completely honest," he stated. "I'll always be real. The truth is that it was difficult to play. It was talked about for a long while and I felt uncomfortable with the idea because I didn't think it was justifiable. I thought 'how can you make a straight guy who's a bit of a cheeky chappy, loves the girls and has a sort of camp sense of humour, gay?'" Burnet stated that he sat down with the producers of the series. "It was sitting with Bryan and the other producers, discussing it and saying 'right, if we're going to do this, it's not a story about a character being gay, it's a story where we have to justify the guy's sexual confusion – why is he like this? And the most important thing is that he still has the love for the woman in his life'". Burnet conveyed that he does not see Craig as gay or bisexual, and was adamant on the series not portraying Craig as either. "It was a love for this one person," he cited, "which threw him." Burnet detailed, "Craig was always a lonely character. He never had that many friends surrounding him, even during the times of Bombhead and Lee. These guys were in a different year to him. He was always a lone soldier." Further elaborating on Craig and John Paul's connection, Burnet stated, "JP was not only a best friend but when he came out, it was a coming to terms moment for Craig – asking himself 'perhaps these feelings are OK to have for JP and I don't want to lose him as a mate'. It's confusion but it's also a love story – an obsession almost."
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