Steve Marchant

Opacic originally auditioned for the role of chef Sean Rossi. An Inside Soap writer said he proved perfect for the role of "shady dealer" Steve instead.[1] Opacic was initially signed for six episodes and his casting was announced in February 1996.[2] The Daily Mirror's Sarah Hey said "He turns up as entrepreneur Steve, who's a blast from Rachel's past. The pair went to university together and it isn't long before Chris feels jealous."[2]

In September 1998, Matthew Wright of the Daily Mirror reported Opacic and two other cast members had been written out by new series producer Kieran Roberts.[3] Of his departure, Opacic said "I will miss being on Emmerdale, but it's time to move on and do other things. The door has been left open for me to return once Steve gets out, though. It would be great to be a recurring character."[4]

Steve Marchant first arrived in Emmerdale in March 1996. It soon transpired that he was an old university friend of local resident Rachel Hughes (Glenda McKay). Their bond sparked jealously from Rachel's estranged husband, Chris Tate (Peter Amory), and they soon dated after Rachel's marriage to Chris ended. Soon afterwards, Steve formed a companionship with Chris' sister Zoe (Leah Bracknell) and later started working on a business association with their father Frank (Norman Bowler); however, his attempts to establish the Tate assets grew obstructed over Rachel and her son Joseph — up to the point where Steve ends his relationship with Rachel and briefly dates her neighbour Charlie Cairns (Sarah Graham).

Frank is soon killed when his estranged former wife Kim (Claire King) reappears — after it was alleged that she has died and Frank was implicated behind her "death" — and causes him to die of a fatal heart attack without proving help for her husband. In light of Frank's funeral, Kim gains solace in Steve and they proceed to form a romantic bond within each other. The pair soon become engaged, but Steve becomes reluctant when Kim proceeds to establish a business partnership with Lord Alex Oakwell (Rupam Maxwell). On the night of Kim and Steve's engagement party, Alex Oakwell ends up causing the death of Zoe's best-friend Linda Fowler (Tonicha Jeronimo). The follow-up to Linda's death sparks a feud with her husband Biff Fowler (Stuart Wade) and father Ned Glover (Johnny Leeze), as well as Alex Oakwell's trophy-wife Tara Cockburn (Anna Brecon). Despite this, Steve continues to support Kim and later comforts his fiance when she is mysteriously blackmailed and later on her son James gets kidnapped on Christmas Day 1997; he manages to sort out her troubles by confronting her blackmailer and James is soon rescued when police arrest his kidnapper, who turns out to be Linda's grieving mother Jan (Roberta Kerr).

Eventually, Steve and Kim get married on 7 May 1998. Shortly afterwards, however, the pair are shocked to learn that their respective partner is on the verge of financial bankruptcy — which consequently puts their businesses and ownership of Frank's old property, Home Farm Estates, in jeopardy. Desperate to solve their financial troubles, Steve plans to steal a horse from one of Kim's business rivals. He is initially successful until Steve ends up driving towards Rachel's best-friend, Kathy Bates (Malandra Burrows); she ends up getting run over and Steve leaves her to die rather than help her. When Kathy is later hospitalized, Steve attempts to kill her by smothering the latter with a pillow; however, Kim — after learning about what Steve did to Kathy — rushes to the hospital and stops him at the last second. Kim later urges her husband to abscond the country until the investigation into both the horse theft and its contribution to Kathy's hit and run incident blows over. Steve agrees and rushes to the airport, but ends up getting arrested just before he could enter the plane. Steve is then gets taken to the police station, where he gets charged for theft and attempted murder. When it appears that Kim will bail Steve out of the police station, she instead fabricates a story where she has ended their marriage in light of attempting to kill Kathy and later grew wary of his behaviour in reaction to their impending "divorce". Upon learning of his wife's statement, Steve realizes that Kim is planning to frame him for their conspiracy plan and vows to bring her down. While Kim is able to gain support from both Kathy and Zoe over the incident, Chris agrees to help Steve bring down Kim — albeit merely due to the fact that Chris and Kim are archenemies ever since he resented her for allegedly killing his father, and cheating on Frank with both his old friend The Rt Hon. Neil Kincaid (Brian Deacon) and then Kathy's former lover Dave (Ian Kelsey).

Before the trial, Steve pleads guilty to his involvement behind the horse theft and obtaining money by deception — to which Kim pleads not guilty from both offenses — whilst also pleading not guilty for attempted murder regarding Kathy's hit and run incident. The trail starts badly for Steve after Kim manages to gain support over her theory of the story and Chris' efforts to expose her role in Frank's death are dismissed, but then Kathy gradually deduces Kim's involvement behind Steve's crime and ends up changing her statement. Following Kathy's testimony, Steve believes that Kim will be the one going to prison while he ends up getting acquitted for their illegitimate activities. On the night before the verdict, however, Kim ends up fleeing the village with James after confronting Chris for withholding the £190,000 that she buried at Frank's grave; she steals back the money after knocking Chris out with a paperweight and then escaping the village with James in a getaway helicopter. A couple of hours later, Steve learns about Kim's escape and the verdict ends up being announced without her presence. Although Kim is found guilty of theft and obtaining money by deception, Steve is found guilty of attempted murder. While he later receives 12 months to each charge of theft and obtaining money by deception, with the judge granting Steve's good judgement for his guilty plea and corporation with the police behind Kim's crimes, Steve ends up being sentenced to 10 years for attempted murder for Kathy's hit and run incident. Outraged and ranting that justice isn't served because Kim got away with their crimes scot-free while he himself is going to prison for them, Steve attempts to escape — only to be tackled by police guards and dragged away from the courtroom.

Steve was named as one of "The 30 greatest Emmerdale residents" by a writer for Inside Soap.[5] They said "The Emmerdale girls thought this Mulder from The X-Files lookalike was out of this world when he arrived - well, Rachel Hughes did at least! His downfall was getting involved with Kim Tate, who left him facing jail while she jetted off with a fortune."[5] Diana Hollingsworth of Soaplife included Steve in her feature on wide boys and she said "City slicker Steve married wealthy superbitch Kim Tate in the knowledge that he'd lost a fortune on the stock market. Unfortunately for him, Kim also had a secret. She wasn't quite as loaded as he'd hoped..."[6]

• Character profile at MTV3