Malachy Fisher

Malachy "Mal" Fisher is a fictional character from the British Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, played by Glen Wallace. Malachy first appeared in 2007 on a recurring basis and became a permanent character in 2008. The character has been noted for being at the centre of a HIV plot. In July 2010, it was announced that the character was to leave the show. The character was later killed off.

Character creation

Malachy initially appeared in only three episodes, a gruff builder who was appalled to learn his brother was a bisexual cross dresser. Actor Glen Wallace got on well with Gerard McCarthy, as they had known each other since they were teenagers. He said producers were "keen" on his work and brought him back for another nine episodes to see if he could be integrated into the canvas. After an absence of several months, they gave him a year-long contract.

Character development

HIV

A central part of Malachy's character was his discovery in September 2008 that he had HIV. Wallace said he was "taken aback" when he heard about the story, but felt the storyline was very important, as national TV had not covered the topic since EastEnders character Mark Fowler. He knew many people never believed they could get HIV, and hoped his character's own ignorance might make some of them change their minds.