Maxwell Caulfield cries over 'Emmerdale'

Rex Features

Emmerdale star Maxwell Caulfield has admitted that he often feels genuine sadness over his soap plots.

The actor confirmed that he regularly considers his real-life emotional experiences when filming scenes as Mark Wylde on the ITV1 show.

Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Caulfield explained: "This show makes me [cry] bi-weekly. Mark is being put through the mangle. I get genuinely sad sometimes.

"There's more sadness in your life as you get older as more people have passed away and as more pets are cremated and buried at the end of the garden, so there's more to draw on."

Caulfield joined Emmerdale in September last year and his first scenes were screened in January.

Asked about his experiences with fellow cast members, he joked: "I hate them all. Ha ha. No, we're a harmonious and hardworking group, bound by the challenge of cranking out five shows a week. But what I like about this show is that if you get a good storyline, you really get a good storyline."

Caulfield recently revealed that he has fallen in love with the Yorkshire countryside since signing up for the programme.