Emmerdale's Ash Palmisciano opens up about being the soap's first transgender actor
He's a hit with viewers already!
Author: Emma DoddsPublished 12th Jul 2018
Emmerdale announced last month that they would be adding their first ever transgender actor to the cast list. Ash Palmisciano joined the soap last month as Matty Barton, who had transitioned off-screen and was previously known as Hannah - Moira Barton's daughter, played by Grace Cassidy.
After breaking into Moira's garage to try and steal back his birth certificate, Moira initially took him for an intruder - but he's now become a permanent resident of the Dales, and has been a massive hit with viewers.
Today, Ash appeared on Lorraine to discuss being the soap's first ever transgender actor - and also revealed how he landed the part in the first place.
He said, "It is a big thing. I was kind of expecting it to create a bit of a stir, but I wasn’t expecting how much of an impact it was going to have. I’ve had so many lovely messages about the nature of the storyline and how it’s affected people."
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Emmerdale's Ash Palmisciano opens up about being the soap's first transgender actor
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Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb
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Charlie Clapham and Stephanie Davis
Charlie Clapham and Stephanie Davis - The Hollyoaks actors dated in 2014. Status: Split.
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James Sutton and Sammy Winward
James Sutton and Sammy Winward - The Emmerdale co-stars had a brief romance in 2010. Status: Split.
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Peter Amory and Claire King
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Jennifer James and Lee Boardman
Jennifer James and Lee Boardman - These Coronation Street co-stars married in 2001. Status: Married.
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Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop
Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop - These Emmerdale co-stars recently married in Cornwall. Status: Married.
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Samantha Giles and Peter Amory - Met on Emmerdale. Status: Split.
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Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas
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Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham - The Hollyoaks co-stars are reportedly dating. Status: Together.
Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham
Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham - The Hollyoaks co-stars are reportedly dating. Status: Together.
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Nadia Swalha and Marc Bannerman - The EastEnders stars dated for three years. Status: Split.
Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall - The Hollyoaks actors previously dated. Status: Split.
Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall
Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall - The Hollyoaks actors previously dated. Status: Split.
Anna Passey and Nick Rhys - It's thought these two Hollyoaks stars have been together for over a year. Status: Together.
Anna Passey and Nick Rhys
Anna Passey and Nick Rhys - It's thought these two Hollyoaks stars have been together for over a year. Status: Together.
Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan - This casualty co-stars dated for several years. Status: Split.
Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan
Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan - These Casualty co-stars dated for several years. Status: Split.
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Harley Bonner and Ariel Kaplan
Harley Bonner and Ariel Kaplan - Met on Neighbours. Status: Together.
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Corrie actors Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard were dating until they ended their romance in July 2017
Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard
Corrie actors Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard were dating until they ended their romance in July 2017.
Status: Split
Sophie Porley and Adam Woodward
Hollyoaks actors Sophie Porley (Ellie Nightingale) and Adam Woodward (Brody Hudson) are now dating. Status: Together
Daisy Wood-Davis and Luke Jerdy
Hollyoaks stars Daisy Wood-Davis (Kim Butterfield) and Luke Jerdy (Jesse Donovan) have been posting a lot of loved up snaps together lately. Status: Dating
Sally Carman and Joe Duttine
Coronation Street stars Sally Carman and Joe Duttine are reportedly dating after a string of 'secret dates'. After attending Corrie's summer party together in July, reports suggest the couple are very happy together.
Status: Dating
Nadine Mulkerrin and Rory Douglas Speed
Hollyoaks actors Nadine Mulkerrin (Cleo McQueen) and Rory Douglas Speed (Joel Dexter) took their on-screen romance into real life!
Rory popped the question to Nadine in December 2018 - during a trip to Amsterdam! Status: Engaged
Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb - Met on Emmerdale. Status: Married.
Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb
Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb - Met on Emmerdale. Status: Married.
Charlie Clapham and Stephanie Davis - The Hollyoaks actors dated in 2014. Status: Split.
Charlie Clapham and Stephanie Davis
Charlie Clapham and Stephanie Davis - The Hollyoaks actors dated in 2014. Status: Split.
James Sutton and Sammy Winward - The Emmerdale co-stars had a brief romance in 2010. Status: Split.
James Sutton and Sammy Winward
James Sutton and Sammy Winward - The Emmerdale co-stars had a brief romance in 2010. Status: Split.
Peter Amory and Claire King - The Emmerdale actors were married for 10 years. Status: Divorced.
Peter Amory and Claire King
Peter Amory and Claire King - The Emmerdale actors were married for 10 years. Status: Divorced.
Jennifer James and Lee Boardman - These Coronation Street co-stars married in 2001. Status: Married.
Jennifer James and Lee Boardman
Jennifer James and Lee Boardman - These Coronation Street co-stars married in 2001. Status: Married.
Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop - These Emmerdale co-stars recently married in Cornwall. Status: Married.
Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop
Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop - These Emmerdale co-stars recently married in Cornwall. Status: Married.
Samantha Giles and Peter Amory - Met on Emmerdale. Status: Split.
Samantha Giles and Peter Amory
Samantha Giles and Peter Amory - Met on Emmerdale. Status: Split.
Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas - The Coronation Street couple a child together in 2008. Status: Split.
Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas
Tina O'Brien and Ryan Thomas - The Coronation Street couple a child together in 2008. Status: Split.
Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham - The Hollyoaks co-stars are reportedly dating. Status: Together.
Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham
Alfie Browne-Sykes and Amanda Clapham - The Hollyoaks co-stars are reportedly dating. Status: Together.
This Hollyoaks couple were married for 16 years. Status: Separated.
Nicole Barber - Lane and Liam Fox
This Hollyoaks couple were married for 16 years. Status: Separated.
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan - The Neighbours co-stars split in 1989. Status: Split.
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan
Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan - The Neighbours co-stars split in 1989. Status: Split.
The Emmerdale couple and college sweetheart married in 2003. Status: Married.
Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry
The Emmerdale couple and college sweetheart married in 2003. Status: Married.
Alan Halsall and Lucy Jo Hudson - The pair married in 2009. Status: Married.
Alan Halsall and Lucy Jo Hudson
Alan Halsall and Lucy Jo Hudson - The pair married in 2009, but new reports suggest they have now split. Status: Split
Emmett J. Scanlan and Claire Cooper - These Hollyoaks co-stars tied the knot in January. Status: Married.
Emmett J. Scanlan and Claire Cooper
Emmett J. Scanlan and Claire Cooper - These Hollyoaks co-stars tied the knot in January. Status: Married.
Nadia Swalha and Marc Bannerman - The Eastenders stars dated for three years. Status: Split.
Nadia Swalha and Marc Bannerman
Nadia Swalha and Marc Bannerman - The EastEnders stars dated for three years. Status: Split.
Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall - The Hollyoaks actors previously dated. Status: Split.
Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall
Charlie Clapham and Tamara Wall - The Hollyoaks actors previously dated. Status: Split.
Anna Passey and Nick Rhys - It's thought these two Hollyoaks stars have been together for over a year. Status: Together.
Anna Passey and Nick Rhys
Anna Passey and Nick Rhys - It's thought these two Hollyoaks stars have been together for over a year. Status: Together.
Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan - This casualty co-stars dated for several years. Status: Split.
Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan
Claire Goose and Jonathan Kerrigan - These Casualty co-stars dated for several years. Status: Split.
Harley Bonner and Ariel Kaplan - Met on Neighbours. Status: Together. (Instagram, aroelerin)
Harley Bonner and Ariel Kaplan
Harley Bonner and Ariel Kaplan - Met on Neighbours. Status: Together.
Chris Milligan and Jenna Rosenow - Met on Neighbours. Status: Together. (Instagram, jennarosenow)
Chris Milligan and Jenna Rosenow
Chris Milligan and Jenna Rosenow - Met on Neighbours. Status: Together.
Corrie actors Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard were dating until they ended their romance in July 2017
Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard
Corrie actors Daniel Brocklebank and Rob Mallard were dating until they ended their romance in July 2017.
Status: Split
Sophie Porley and Adam Woodward
Hollyoaks actors Sophie Porley (Ellie Nightingale) and Adam Woodward (Brody Hudson) are now dating. Status: Together
Ash revealed that he was initially welcomed into the Emmerdale family as an adviser on the storyline, "It is crazy. There’s an amazing charity called All About Trans. They work with just positive representations in the media of trans people.
"They said to me, 'We’re doing interaction with Emmerdale, they’re thinking about doing this storyline, they’re looking for some advice on positive reps'. They said, 'Do you want to come?' I said, 'Sure, cheeky day out!'"
But during the day, Ash was actually invited to audition for the part. "And here I am!" he joked. He did admit that his first day was like "stepping into my TV," adding, "I was acting with the legend that is Jeff Hordley, who plays Cain Dingle. On my first day he had to chuck me over a table. So that was an experience and a half!"
He explained that Matty's mum, Moira, was having a really hard time coming to terms with the news, adding that in tonight's episode (12th July) Matty would be beaten up, "I think the idea is that she sees her son has been beaten up and actually she thinks, 'Maybe I don’t understand this, but this my son and I need to help him.' So, it brings us together. It’s not an easy ride for the pair of them."
WATCH: Matty reveals to Moira that he used to be Hannah
The actor added that it was "brilliant" he has a similar background to the character as he can really empathise with his character, and said, "But also, as an actor, what a fantastic first job to work on a soap like Emmerdale!"
He's also hoping to be a role model for others, "I just hope it’s a great message to show that yeah, you might have a past, a bit of a journey to be who you are, but also, you can achieve your dreams and ambitions.
"If anyone can take anything away from this it is that we’re all different, we’ve all got pasts but hopefully you can achieve your ambitions."
Emmerdale follows in the footsteps of EastEnders, who welcomed their first transgender character in 2015 with the addition of Kyle Slater, played by Riley Carter Millington.