Fair City star reveals how he has had a great reaction after 'transforming' into long-term character

Viewers have been looking twice lately to see how Callum Black has transformed into a completely different person on Fair City.

But their eyes aren't deceiving them, as there is a new actor playing the role of one of Paul Brennan’s sons.

Sean Gormley (21) has recently replaced Sean Doyle (28) as Callum, who first arrived into Carrigstown in 2013.

“There have been a few people saying; ‘oh, Corona really hit Callum, he is a completely new guy’,” smiles Sean Gormley. “Then there’s ones like, ‘since when did Callum become 12 years old?’, and stuff like that.

“It’s mad that the other lad who played the character is also called Sean. It’s good craic though, I think people have been happy with the performance and, besides that, some people have even been saying ‘he sounds exactly the same’. The feedback has been generally positive, which I’m happy about.”

Sean hails from Ringsend in Dublin and is currently studying film in NUI Galway, where he is in second year. He has been seen on the hit soap since its return last month after the show was forced into hibernation for several months during lockdown.

“I had watched a few episodes before filming, I knew everyone’s faces,” he tells SundayWorld.com. “My family would watch it and I would watch it if it was on, I didn’t know much about it to be honest.”

He admits it was hard to get used to the social distancing procedures on set.

“It was really weird to get used to it,” he confirms. “You kind of have to go against a lot of your instincts. If you do try to do a scene where you’re angry, what you really want to do is to get up into someone’s face and start at yelling at them.

"But with all the restrictions, it limits your movements and stuff like that. But, once you get used to it, it’s mirroring real life right now, so it’s realistic in that way.”

Viewers have lately seen Callum and his half-brother Oisin try to take over some of Paul’s business, with their father initially writing them both out of his will out of spite.

“The difference is I think Callum is morally ambiguous in many ways, but he acts as if the end justifies the means,” he says of the difference between Callum’s softer image and Oisin’s more cut-throat attitude.

Sean admits he’s enjoying his time on the soap and there's lots more in store for Callum in the coming weeks.

“The next few weeks are picking up the pace, there’s a lot more to come,” he notes.

“Its one of the most fun roles I’ve had. They are the best. They are amazing actors and great teachers as well. I’ve never had such a long-standing role, so they’re really good teachers and they have made me feel very comfortable.”

He’s now in second year in college in Galway and says it's been difficult to adjust to the 'new norm'.

“It’s bizarre, we’re all kind of trapped here,” he reveals about college life. “We’re all staying inside in the student accommodation. I think I miss the madness of the start. This is my second year."