WALKING on to set for his first day on River City, Jordan Young was glad to see a familiar face - fellow ­soap newbie Joy McAvoy.

The pair worked together on box office smash Filth and have now landed roles in the BBC Scotland soap, with Jordan due to make his Shieldinch debut tomorrow.

"I was nervous to begin with but everyone is lovely," he said. "The cast and crew have been really welcoming and I'm starting to feel at home."

Jordan, 33, plays entrepreneur and businessman Alex McAllister, nephew of resident hardman Billy Kennedy.

"Alex is charming, smooth and confident," he said. "He tries to do legitimate business - even though he has dodgy family connections.

"He can be cut-throat and is a go-getter.

"It's a great character to play and so different from me in real life. It's nice to pretend to be someone with money, cutting about in nice suits."

The youngest of two sons, Jordan grew up in the small village of Kettlebridge, in Fife.

Losing his father Peter in a car accident when he was 14 proved a watershed moment.

"I was completely and utterly rudderless," he said. "I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. Being 14 is an awkward age for anyone, not least when an event like that happens.

"I didn't apply myself to anything at school which remains a massive regret."

But amid his grief Jordan found solace in the drama department, winning his first role as Sonny LaTierri in Grease soon afterwards.

He went on to hone his craft at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh.

"I certainly was never the typical stage school kid - I wasn't precocious," he said.

He spent six years as a jobbing actor in Edinburgh, working part-time in bars to pay the bills, before landing parts in TV shows, including Legit, Rab C Nesbitt and Bob Servant Independent, and Gregory Burke's award-­winning play Black Watch.

"I'm lucky enough now that I can make a living from acting," he said.

"For me, it's not about making millions. I think if you get into this to make millions, you are in the wrong game."

Jordan, who now lives in Glasgow, most recently graced the big screen as Alex "Lexo" Setterington in Filth alongside James McAvoy - the famous older brother of his River City co-star Joy.

"Working with James was immense," he said. "It was privilege and pleasure to have some screen time with him.

"I'm pleased a lot of people have said they enjoyed Filth more than they thought they would.

"Obviously, it's a little on the X-rated side and dark but the feedback has been positive."

Even his mum Shirley, 58, a veterinary receptionist, was impressed.

"My mum said: 'Very good, well done son' - but I don't think I'll be letting my gran watch it," he joked.

Jordan is married to Karen, 35, a dance choreographer and they have a four-month-old daughter, Marley.

The couple met eight years ago, while working together on the pantomime Cinderella at the King's Theatre, in Glasgow.

"I'm fiercely passionate about panto," he said. "There are a lot of misconceptions that it's just hamming it up, but I couldn't disagree more.

"I see it very much as old- school variety."

Jordan will play Buttons in Cinderella at His Majesty's Theatre, in Aberdeen, later this year alongside Elaine C Smith and Barbara Rafferty.

And he paid tribute to Glasgow's panto king, the late Gerard Kelly, who died three years ago after suffering a brain aneurysm.

"Kelly was a good friend of mine and there was no-one better at panto than him," he said.

"I was lucky enough to do three pantos at the King's with him.

"The warmth and familiarity he had with an audience is something it takes years to build up."

And Kelly imparted some sage advice.

"He told me: 'Never wear a hat in panto' because he believed it is always better for the audience to be able to see your face.

"There's been a few arguments with costume designers over the years, but it's something I've stuck by."