Harry Tressler is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Holby City, played by Jules Knight. He first appeared in the fifteenth series episode "The More Deceived", broadcast on 14 May 2013. Harry was introduced as a CT1, later progressing to CT3. Knight's casting was announced in January 2013. He auditioned four times, with the producers taking two and a half months to choose him for the part. To help prepare for the role, Knight shadowed a surgeon and watched a laparotomy. In February 2015, it was announced that Knight had quit the show in order to concentrate on the release of his first solo record. Harry departed during the seventeenth series on 14 April 2015. Harry was portrayed as arrogant, privileged, clever and a rule breaker. He is a good doctor, who looks out for his patients. Knight liked that Harry was a "love to hate" character, as he did not want him to be boring. Harry was also billed as a womaniser and a love triangle developed between him, Gemma Wilde (Ty Glaser) and Mary-Claire Carter (Niamh McGrady). Harry and Mary-Claire eventually settled into a casual relationship, before Harry realised that he loved her. Harry developed a rivalry with new registrar Raf di Lucca (Joe McFadden) and he had an affair with Raf's wife Amy Teo (Wendy Kweh). In revenge, Raf tried to sabotage Harry's career. The character's final storyline arc saw him suffer serious facial injuries in a fall. Knight said Harry was frustrated by appearance as he had always relied on his good looks.
Casting On 19 January 2013, it was announced that singer and actor Jules Knight had joined the cast as new doctor Harry Tressler. Knight attended four auditions, with the producers taking two and a half months to cast him in the role. Knight initially believed that he had not been successful, until the producers contacted him in early January. He admitted that he had to turn down previous roles due to his touring commitments with Blake, but after quitting the group he was free to return to acting. He commented, "this regular part in Holby City came up and it seemed perfect for me. To prepare for the role, Knight shadowed a surgeon and watched a laparotomy. He said the experience gave him an idea of what it was like to a doctor and work in a hospital. He also said that he was not sure how he would react to all the blood, but found it be "fascinating". Knight admitted that he was nervous ahead of shooting his first scenes and was aware that he need to show confidence, as his character was a competent doctor who knew what he was doing.
Development
Characterisation Arrogant, privileged and acerbically witty, first impressions of Harry can be misleading, but dig a little deeper and there is a warmth and affection that may not initially be obvious. Ahead of his first appearance, the show's series producer Justin Young described Harry: "At first glance, Harry Tressler seems like a charming, arrogant public schoolboy that we'll love to hate, but there's much more to him. His arrival on the wards is going to really shake things up." Knight said Harry was a good doctor, but he had a manipulative nature. The actor hoped Harry would not be a "bland" character. He also told Melanie Hancill from The People that Harry was clever and good with people. He continued, "He has his own set of beliefs and he is more concerned about them than any other rules. He is good with patients because he is slightly anti-establishment." When asked if he was similar to Harry, Knight replied that he did not like too many rules and was often naughty when he was younger. Harry did not make a good first impression on his boss Ric Griffin (Hugh Quarshie), as he liked to mess around. During an interview with Lorraine Kelly, Knight branded Harry "a bit of a player" and a "renegade", who would break rules. Knight was pleased when Harry later developed "an edge", and loved it when he became "a bad boy". He explained that the producers had originally told him that Harry would be a bit edgy, but they kept giving him storylines that showed off Harry's kind side, like breaking the rules to help his patients. Harry's father Billy Tressler (Murray Head) was introduced in February 2014. It was clear that Harry did not get along with his father. When Billy started to charm Serena Campbell (Catherine Russell), Harry became concerned, especially when he later offered to fund her general surgery project. Knight said the relationship between them was "interesting".
Relationships
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