About Preston Walters

Preston is ace at sport, bright, popular and incredibly good looking – he seems to have it all, or did have it all. His good looks, physical grace, prowess on the sports pitch and magnetism to the opposite sex have given him confidence and enough self-belief to override almost any knock; and he takes all of this completely for granted.

Noah Valentine Q&A

Welcome to Waterloo Road! What does it feel like to be part of such a popular and long-standing series?

It's very exciting. I think when you join something that's so iconic within British culture, it's a bit daunting at first, but it's also a privilege to be part of something that's so well revered, something that tells very important stories. I'm really grateful.

What first interested you in playing the character Preston and what can audiences expect to see from him?

I think initially Preston comes across as quite mysterious. When we are first introduced to him, he is very superficial and obviously as the series progresses, people will find out more about him. It is very interesting to play a character that is hiding things, to play them in a way where you have to remember no one around him knows, apart from yourself. You have to use that to affect your performance.

I think what we can expect from him is, he will come across as cocky, as confident, as arrogant, a stereotypical athlete at school and there are reasons behind that behaviour. I think the way that he operates in school, and the way he interacts with different people is going to be very telling of who he is and what he isn’t. Especially as you go further along in the series.

Preston is really popular at school, but as the series progresses, we see him hiding certain things from family and friends. How did you prepare for the role?

Without spoiling anything, I did research into certain areas but I think in general, what I try to do when I approach characters, is I try to understand their psyche. I want to get a grip of the psychology of the character so I can understand their actions because I think as an actor, you have to bend your moral compass in order to really tell the truth of the story, to allow a certain justification for specific things you don’t agree with, because you have to really believe in what your character does.

What was your own experience of school like?

It wasn't like Preston's. Preston is really popular. Everyone likes him. I was liked by different groups of people, but I wasn't a popular, athletic person who everyone fancied (laughs). I was on a few of the lower sports teams but drama was obviously what I enjoyed the most and Preston couldn’t think of anything worse, which is really ironic. I don't think I was anywhere near as athletic as him or as confident, especially in school, but then I don't think I was as complicated either.