Emmett J Scanlan is one of the stars of ITV’s Unforgotten and has appeared in a number of TV shows over the years – but what is his life like off screen?
ITV’s Unforgotten is back with a new season, and among the suspects is Melinda Ricci, portrayed by MyAnna Buring. Her character finds what seems to be true love and security with Patrick, played by Emmett J Scanlan, until a devastating car crash leaves him paralysed from the waist down.
Irish actor Emmett, 46, is no stranger to the screen with roles in Hollyoaks and The Fall. A Dublin native, Emmett embarked on his acting journey in 2004 and has been making waves ever since.
He tied the knot with British actress and gymnast Claire Cooper in a New York ceremony in December 2015. Claire, 44, famous for portraying Jacqui McQueen in Hollyoaks, also shone in Knightfall and The Hardacres.
The couple welcomed their son Ocean in July 2020, with Emmett sharing the announcement on X, once known as Twitter.
When discussing their son’s distinctive name with Evoke, he revealed, “I’ve always been in love with that name, I don’t know why.”
He went on to say: “It’s been like, if I ever had a boy I’d always wanted to call him Ocean. I mean we could look into it more deeply and I’m terrified of the Ocean and all that sort of stuff, I mean I’m not, I’m mesmerised by it but it’s got nothing to do with that really. I just loved the name.”
Emmett is also dad to a teenage daughter, Kayla, from an earlier relationship.
Tragically, just three months following Ocean’s arrival, Claire spoke openly about a previous miscarriage and a life-threatening complication she experienced during that time.
Taking to Instagram, she opened up: “Although I wasn’t quiet about our loss privately, I didn’t share it with the public, mainly I didn’t have the words at that time and perhaps I still don’t but if this post helps one family or person out there, perhaps my words were worth the wait…or not.
“We lost our little soul July 2019 the devastation was unreal, the day came when my body let go of what I’d fought so hard to keep.
“Little did we know that I myself would also end up in a precarious situation strapped to machines and fighting – it truly was hard enough losing our baby but to then fight for my own life was something else.
“I lost over a third of my blood and my recovery was painfully slow. Instantly anaemic and instantly heartbroken.”
Her message is touching hearts across the globe. She bravely shared the wrenching details of her journey to parenthood, which included a tragic loss in July 2019 and a dire fight for her own survival amidst tremendous grief.
But with resilience comes hope, and she joyously welcomed her daughter Fiáin-Luna, which translates to ‘wild’ in Irish Gaelic, in November 2022.
She and partner Emmett celebrate their “very own wild moon” a beacon of joy following their storm.