Richard Blackwood was mugged at knife- and gun-point

OHMYGOSSIP — Richard Blackwood has been mugged twice – once at knifepoint and once when someone held a gun to his head.
The 50-year-old actress is proud ‘Hollyoaks’ – on which he plays Felix Westwood – are going to be tackling the subject of knife crime with his on-screen son DeMarcus (Tomi Ade) because the terrifying issue is one that can affect all young people.
He said:” We’ve got an upcoming storyline about knife crime and we are really approaching it in a serious manner.
“A lot of these young kids are going through it right now, so we want to let them know we hear them and know what they are going through.
“There have been groups we have contacted to make sure the storyline is spot on. You can’t take something serious and make a farce of it. You have to take it seriously.
“When I was 17 I got mugged at knifepoint. Unfortunately knife crime has been going on for years. When the knife got pulled on me it was like a sword.
“My son also got a knife pulled on him aged 11. He had an iPhone 5 and I remember him saying to me, ‘I’m ­going to get a cheaper phone’.
“He had to adapt to what was going on in the street and go, I’m going to make myself less of a target.
“My son came through it though and I’m very proud of him.”
When he was 35, Richard was held up with a gun to his head outside a club in London and though he was terrified at the time, he knew it was important to return to the scene.
He told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: “About a week later, I returned to the club because I had to DJ.
“My mum said, ‘Are you OK to go back to the club?’ I said, ‘Yes’. You either make me stay in my house and be afraid to go outside or be grateful I was able to live another day and attack life.
“There was no point [calling the police] – you just want to be as far away from the situation as possible. The right thing to do is call the police, but there is so much adrenaline and you just want to be as far away from that spot as possible.”
Richard believes ‘Hollyoaks’ is at the forefront of TV shows willing to focus on racial issues, though he thinks wider racial equality within the TV industry is a “slow mover” but he wants to play his part.
He said: “With myself being in the industry, I’m part of that bridge.
“Rather than expecting it to turn around just like that, it’s more about the part we play in turning it around.
“At times you don’t even get to see it, it’s the people behind you that get to benefit from what you’ve done.
“If you think about women’s rights. Emmeline Pankhurst.
“The Suffragettes. Emmeline didn’t get to see how things are for women now but you know she was a part of the push.
“It’s about laying your brick rather than thinking it’s got to start and end with you.
“I 100% want to be part of that change. It’s a burden I’m willing to carry. In life you either stand for something or you don’t and I’m willing to stand for something.”

Source: VacationHunter.Online

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