Jason Merrells (born 2 November 1968 in Wanstead, London) is an English actor, who received his big break when he starred in Casualty for three years (1994 to 1997) as receptionist Matt Hawley. He was educated at Buckhurst Hill County High School from 1980 to 1986, and later at Chichester University. Where he studied Fine art. Merrells has four children from previous relationships and lives in London with his girlfriend Emma Lowndes and their daughter. Merrells is best known for his role as stylist Gavin Ferraday in Cutting It. Jealous of the affair Allie (Sarah Parish) was having with Finn (Ben Daniels), Gavin plotted with Finn's wife Mia (Amanda Holden), and slept with his ex-wife's daughter (who she had given up after a teenage pregnancy), and eventually rekindled his love with Allie before she was killed in a road accident. Since 2010, he has been playing Declan Macey in Emmerdale.
Jason Merrells also made guest appearances in successful dramas such as Queer as Folk where his character Phil Delaney died from accidentally snorting heroin, after thinking it was cocaine, Fat Friends, A Touch of Frost, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries and The Project. He also starred in Clocking Off, playing a factory employee called Martin Leach. In 2005 he took the lead role in the 1960s set British feature film The Jealous God, an adaptation of the novel by John Braine. Other film work includes, "Small Time Obsession" and "Do not Disturb".
Merrells appeared in a series called Sweet Medicine with Patricia Hodge and Oliver Chris. He later starred in BBC drama Waterloo Road as headmaster Jack Rimmer. His character was a tough-talking no nonsense secondary comprehensive school headteacher. While his methods were often controversial he had a strong moral code. The series returned to the BBC for season 2 2007. Merrells decided to leave in the third series., He completed his first short film "Le Petit Mort" in 2007 which had festival releases in New York, London and Strasbourg. He began directing "River City" for BBC Scotland in 2008 completing three blocks.
Merrells returned to Waterloo Road for one episode in 2008, before portraying the character James Dowland in Lark Rise to Candleford. Dowland, a wealthy businessman, is the love interest for Dorcas Lane, the main character in the series.
Merrells is the brother of actor Simon Merrells, who played Conrad Williams in Family Affairs from 2004 to 2005.
From August to October 2007, Merrells performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. He played the role of Orsino in William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, or What You Will alongside his brother Simon Merrells who played Antonio. The Merrells brothers then went on to tour in A Comedy of Errors with the Royal Shakespeare Company from October to December 2007. From March to April 2009 he appeared in the Theatre Royal Plymouth and Thelma Hunt production of Measure for Measure as Angelo alongside Alistair McGowan as the Duke. The production transferred to the Almeida Theatre in February 2010.
It was announced on 10 February 2010 that Merrells would become the second cast member of former BBC1 drama Cutting It to join long-running ITV1 rural-based Yorkshire soap Emmerdale. He plays handsome business tycoon Declan, who becomes entwined in Natasha Wylde's life. Jason's onscreen debut as Declan was in April 2010. A cash-strapped Natasha is on the lookout for investors for the Home Farm estate - so they team up when he acquires a stake in the company, ensuring his stay in the village is to be more long term. Merrells has continued to write, direct and paint whilst working as an actor.
Merrells has just finished the first Guardian/UEA creative writing masterclass, and is working on the completion of his first novel.