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EXCLUSIVE: Emmerdale's Nick Miles worked with Leonardo DiCaprio but prefers Yorkshire to Hollywood

He's worked with Leonardo Dicaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis but Nick Miles says that he hopes to keep playing Jimmy King in the Yorkshire soap for as long as possible

[Nick Miles has been playing Jimmy King in Emmerdale for almost 18 years.]

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Nick Miles has been playing Jimmy King in Emmerdale for almost 18 years

Working with stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio or playing Emmerdales bumbling businessman? For soap veteran Nick Miles the choice is a no-brainer.

Nick will pick the rolling landscape of the Yorkshire Dales over the dazzle of tinseltown every time.

For nearly 18 years he has delighted fans as dippy Jimmy King, stumbling through life and love in the beloved ITV soap.

The actor originally planned to stay for only a year but now, the last of the King family in the village has absolutely no desire to leave.

Up until then, Nick had played cops and thugs, most notably in Martin Scorseses 2002 Oscar-winning historical drama Gangs of New York.

What is your favourite Emmerdale moment? Join the discussion in the comment section

[Nick prefers the rolling Yorkshire Dales to Tinseltown.]

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Nick prefers the rolling Yorkshire Dales to Tinseltown.(Image: Andy Commins / Daily Mirror)

While playing a tough guy in the violent epic, he discovered one of DiCaprios other special talents as a red-hot poker player.

He said: Leo DiCaprio plays cards all day hes just a card freak.

It was quite a crowded little game, there was a lot of people trying to elbow their way in but I never attempted it.

He won a lot. I wouldnt like to play him, hes very good.

He is quite shy but good humoured I shared a brief exchange with him in the makeup room and I kind of wondered if I should be talking to him, but he was absolutely charming. He is shy, you can tell he is very self-contained most of the time.

Nick, who was filming in a huge studio in Rome, also discovered that, contrary to rumours, three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis was not difficult and uptight.

He said: Daniel Day-Lewis is charming on set and he does stay in his accent but hes not horrible or difficult.Not even to minnows like me.

I watched the big final fight and the two of them get down in the dirt for three days solid. The dedication of those guys is extraordinary.

[Nick starred in Gangs of New York with Leonardo Dicaprio]

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Nick starred in Gangs of New York with Leonardo Dicaprio

Nick who lives in the Dales but was born in Moseley, Birmingham, also worked with acclaimed British director Ken Loach, who rang his mum to ask if Nick was around to be a social worker, in his 1994 film Ladybird Ladybird.

He got hold of my mums phone number as I wasnt home, Nick said.

But he phones my mum who called me. He asked me about what clothes I had that might be appropriate for the social worker.

And in a strange twist of fate, Nick loaned Loach clothes when the filmmaker had nothing smart to wear at an awards ceremony in France.

[Leonardo Dicaprio was a big fan of playing cards when not filming]

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Leonardo Dicaprio was a big fan of playing cards when not filming(Image: Entertainment Film Distribution)

Nick, 59, said: My first wife was a French scholar, and so we often went to the French Institute and I was at a bar there and Ken Loach came straight up to me.

He said, Its a bit embarrassing. I have to get some award in the next room in a few minutes. Do you mind if I borrow your jacket?

I had on this rather nice leather jacket not a bomber jacket but a suit jacket. And he was wearing kind of a scruffy pullover, but I agreed and we swapped clothes for half an hour while he got his award.

[Nick says his role in Emmerdale is more complex than any other character he's played]

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Nick says his role in Emmerdale is more complex than any other character he's played

It became the Ken Loach jacket. I later had it stolen at a festival in South Wales where I fell asleep. I put my head down and when I woke up the jacket had gone and with it my car keys and wallet. I was in trouble that weekend.

But despite such starry experiences Nicks heart is in Emmerdale.

When I arrived I just wanted to stay for a year but I quickly discovered although you are only playing one character, I was playing a husband, a lover, a son, a father, and it was much, much more complex than the stuff Id been doing.

So for me it was a godsend and I love and I continue to love it and I will stay as long as theyll have me.

Nicks first big TV break came as Chief Superintendent Guy Mannion in ITVs The Bill from 1993 to 2001. He arrived in Emmerdale in 2004, alongside brothers Carl and Matthew and their dad, mogul Tom played by former Corrie star Ken Farrington.

[Nick's character, Jimmy, went to bed with Charity Dingle in Emmerdale]

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Nick's character, Jimmy, went to bed with Charity Dingle in Emmerdale(Image: ITV)

The youngest King son, Max, followed later. But after his fellow kings died in 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2012, Jimmy is the last left in the village.

His character has had a very complicated love life.

He has been to bed with Charity Dingle, played by Emma Atkins, married to femme fatale Sadie Patsy Kensit and been embroiled with trouble-making Kelly Windsor, played by Adele Silva. He is now finally settling down with wife Nicola, played by Nicola Wheeler.

But their marriage is currently in trouble after Jimmy confessed to kissing Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley).

Speaking about the clumsy kiss, Nick says: I love Jimmy but hes a bit of an idiot and hes very accident prone.

People were equally either horrified or exultant in that moment.

It was horribly difficult to achieve because of the whole two metres distance thing. So we had to use some special effect because we werent anywhere near each other.

[Jimmy King was married to Sadie in the soap]

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Jimmy King was married to Sadie in the soap(Image: ITV)

It is the strangest on screen kiss that either of us has ever attempted. Im glad it didnt go disastrously because I think it could have done.

I hadnt done any work with Lisa, so we have to sort of build that trust very quickly, but shes just such a lovely person. Youre just constantly laughing when youre with Lisa.

Shes very funny and very good. When somebody is as good as she is its a joy. Shes a force of nature.

Nick hopes Jimmy and Nicola work things out but is open to them bringing back his ex Kelly but not Sadie.

Patsy Kensit played Sadie when I was first in the show and she had an affair with my brother, said Nick.

[Nick says that Jimmy is a "bit of an idiot"]

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Nick says that Jimmy is a "bit of an idiot"

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I think it would be a disaster for Jimmy because, as I say, she did try to kill him so hed probably run a mile.

Also Jimmy was desperate for children and Sadie was secretly taking contraceptives so the fact Nicola has given him three beautiful children he will be forever grateful for.

Id love Adele to come back. She is still technically the mother of one of the kids. So it could quite interesting. It could be fireworks in the future.

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