Liam guilty ..of a snog with Alanna; Most of Shieldinch might well want to lynch Liam McNulty but American actor Patrick Mulvey is relishing his new role in the soap RIVER CITY BBC1.

AMERICAN Patrick Mulvey is one lucky boy - and not just because he gets to snog Jade Lezar

The actor from Chicago landed the role of Liam McNulty in the Scots soap just before graduating from Glasgow's Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

He began work on River City the day after graduating, while the rest of his classmates struggled to even find theatre work

And his storylines have included a dramatic punch-up with Shellsuit Bob and now a romance with the gorgeous Alanna, played by Jade

Patrick laughed: "I'm jammy

"I feel too lucky just fresh out of drama school to land such a great role. To get a dramatic storyline and then a romantic storyline so quickly is fantastic

And what about getting to kiss Jade

He laughed: "Yeah, it's a tough job. There will be a few envious fellas. But I've got a girlfriend who went to college with me

Patrick moved from Chicago to Glasgow three years ago after auditioning before an RSAMD panel in America

The 21-year-old took his place on the prestigious drama course, which has spawned Robert Carlyle and James McAvoy, and now Patrick looks like following in their successful footsteps

Since he first arrived on River City in August, his character Liam has certainly stirred things up in Shieldinch

Shellsuit Bob, played by Stephen Purdon, has accused him of rape after he and Bob's girlfriend Charlie (June Brogan) drunkenly slept together - she claimed he'd raped her. Bob took a swing at Liam in the Tall Ship - but it has an unexpected silver lining - bringing Liam and Alanna closer together

While the rest of Shieldinch want to lynch him, she is the only one who believes his version

Before Christmas they share a kiss after he buys a necklace and, as you can see from our picture, they share a lingering kiss at the bells on Hogmanay

Jade, who plays Alanna, reckons the two have much in common -battling their family demons

She said: "Alanna's had a tough year of it, coping with the death of her abusive adoptive father Alex, who died in the caravan explosion last Christmas and, then, with her mum Roisin being hospitalised for a few months

"When Roisin came out of hospital and asked Raymond for a divorce, Alanna blamed herself

"Her relationship with Vader crumbled at the start of 2006 because of all she was going through, so here's hoping that 2007 will allow her a little more action on the romance front

Liam also has family problems - his parents were killed in the US in an armed robbery, which explains his bad temper and mood swings

Patrick is currently in London where he lives with Liverpudlian girlfriend Lydia Poole, who was in the same year as him at RSAMD

But he'll be going home for Christmas and he's taking DVDs of the soap for his parents to see

He said: "We're a close family and it wasn't easy for them to let me go away to drama school in Scotland when I was a teenager

"But it's turned out well, luckily

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XMAS SMACKER: Liam's festive snog with Alanna' PALS: Patrick and Jade