| Iain Dean | |
|---|---|
| Casualty character | |
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| First appearance | "Appropriate Force" 28 April 2012 |
| Portrayed by | Michael Stevenson |
| Duration | 2012–2019, 2021– |
| Spinoff(s) |
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| In-universe information | |
| Occupation |
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| Significant other |
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| Relatives | Kim Harrison (mother) Gemma Dean (sister) |
Iain Dean is a fictional character from the British medical drama Casualty, played by Michael Stevenson. He was first introduced in a Red Button episode, which explores Sam Nicholls's (Charlotte Salt) fictional backstory as a medic in the army, alongside Iain with whom she is having an affair. The character then made his first appearance in the main show in the twenty-sixth series episode "Appropriate Force", broadcast on 28 April 2012. Iain gives evidence during a General Medical Council hearing, after Sam is accused of assaulting a patient. He returned in August 2013 this time as a trainee paramedic, who works alongside Jeff Collier (Matt Bardock) and Dixie Dixon (Jane Hazlegrove). He is also reunited with Sam, who is now in a relationship with Tom Kent (Oliver Coleman). Stevenson confirmed that Sam was Iain's reason for coming back to Holby, and that he had hoped to start up their romance again. In November 2013, the character was the focus of another Red Button special, which helped to mark Remembrance Day and explore Iain's time in the army and relationship with Sam. It later emerges that Iain has posttraumatic stress disorder from being one of two survivors of a suicide attack in Afghanistan. Stevenson was pleased to have the chance to look further into his character's backstory. Following an incident in which Iain is held hostage and Big Mac (Charles Dale) is injured, he leaves Holby in the episode broadcast on 22 March 2014.
Stevenson returned as a regular cast member in October 2014, following the departure of Bardock, whose character was killed off. Iain becomes Dixie's new partner as he joins the paramedic crew. Iain establishes a romantic relationship with nurse Rita Freeman (Chloe Howman), which producer Erika Hossington said would be different from the other romances on the show. She also said it would eventually become much darker and the storyline sees Rita lying to Iain about her former husband stalking her, which results in their break-up. In early 2017, two members of Iain's family were introduced, leading to further exploration of his past. His younger sister Gemma "Gem" Dean (Rebecca Ryan) arrived first, followed by their mother Kim Harrison (Siân Reeves). Stevenson described the relationship between Iain and Kim as "frosty", while a critic noted that the siblings' relationship was "complicated". In the midst of Gem's introduction, Iain forms a romantic relationship with Lily Chao (Crystal Yu). After an initial bad start, the pair make their relationship official, just as Sam returns to the hospital. Lily's jealously over Iain and Sam's friendship leads to their break-up and Lily leaves for a research post. Stevenson thought Lily and Iain were one of the strongest pairings on the show.
In August 2018, the character is involved in a series of events that change his life forever. The story arc begins with Iain choosing to leave the scene of a call-out to treat Alicia Munroe (Chelsea Halfpenny). On the way to the hospital, he is forced to swerve the ambulance carrying himself, Alicia and Ruby Spark (Maddy Hill), leading to a large pile-up. A fuel tanker subsequently crashes and explodes injuring Sam, who later dies despite Iain's attempts to save her. Stevenson said the repercussions would go on for a long time, as Iain spirals into depression and eventually attempts to take his life. Stevenson commended the producers for allowing Iain's story to span 47 episodes of Casualty. In a special episode airing in April 2019, viewers follow Iain's return to work at the ambulance control centre. Stevenson thought it was important to show that it was not easy to move on from depression, and that it was just the beginning of his character's journey. In May, it was announced that Stevenson was to leave Casualty. He revealed that his departure was not planned, but happened "organically" as part of Iain's mental health storyline. Hazlegrove reprised her role as Dixie, who offers Iain a job with the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), and he departed on 21 September 2019.
The character returns during the thirty-fifth series on 10 April 2021. Stevenson's return was announced in December 2020, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stevenson said he wanted Iain to return with a better state of mind and asked producers to bring back Iain's "loveable" persona. Upon Iain's return, he immediately sets out to help his boss Jan Jenning (Di Botcher), who is being forced to smuggle drugs into a prison for her son. Stevenson said Iain would stand by Jan. He also believed that Iain needed to get back on the paramedic team. Towards the end of 2021, producers cast Stevenson's wife Lauren Crace as Iain's HEMS partner and new love interest, Chrissie Danes.