Sacked Emmerdale star Asan N’Jie has landed a huge new big screen role five years after he was fired from the ITV soap for an altercation with Hollyoaks star Jamie Lomas at TV Choice awards. The actor, who hails from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, played Ellis Chapman, the son of Jessie Dingle (played by Sandra Marvin) and the late Al Chapman’s (Michael Wildman) for a year.
His latest role is a million miles from the Dales and sees him share the big screen with former James Bond Pierce Brosnan. Asan will play a character called Tom in Giant – a new boxing biopic following the life of Prince Naseem Hamed and his trainer Brendan Ingle.
Pierce isn’t the only big name in the cast. The leading role is being played by Amir El-Masry whose breakthrough role was opposite Tom Hiddleston in The Night Manager and who also had a role in Star Wars Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker.
Asan has been spotted shooting his latest role in Leeds after filming began last month. No release date has been set for the flick as of yet.
This is just the latest credit on Asan’s CV since he left Emmerdale in disgrace. His final scenes were aired in October 2019 and he was replaced by actor Aaron Anthony who took over as Ellis Chapman.
The incident that led to his departure involved a heated exchange with fellow soap actor Jamie Lomas during which he was recorded threatening: “I’m going to f*****g kill you,” and attempting to throw a punch during the awards ceremony.
Following his departure he appeared in BBC One’s Bloodlands opposite James Nesbitt and BBC Two’s Industry.
Last Christmas he also had a role in Disney’s festive movie The Shepard starring alongside none other than John Travolta, as well as Dalgleigh’s Steven Mackintosh and The Split’s Millie Kent.
The Shepard, based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth, tells the story of a fighter pilot who gets lost on his way home on Christmas Eve.
Following Emmerdale’s decision to axe the actor, he released a contrite statement.
“My behaviour at the TV Choice Awards was completely unacceptable and very much out of character,” he said.
“I sincerely apologise to everybody who has been affected especially Jamie Lomas, the whole Emmerdale team, our audience, ITV, my family, and the organisers of the TV Choice Awards.
“I am devastated, accept full responsibility for my actions and I am determined to learn from this.”
