How does Gary feel about Sarah walking away completely free while he's been given eight months?
It's a tricky one. Obviously he thinks that she didn't deserve to go down so he’s probably quite relieved on that front, but he's having to foot the blame for it. But I guess in the grand scheme of things, eight months, it could have been a lot worse! And she hasn't chucked him under the bus, so he has to be a little bit grateful for that.
Does Gary have any resentment towards Sarah for how things turned out?
I think it's very difficult for Gary to have any resentment towards Sarah given everything they've gone through. They've been through an awful lot together, and she's probably covered up things for him in the past. So I think it's very difficult for him to feel any animosity towards her, as much as he might have to show it for Maria's sake.
How does Gary feel about Maria's chaotic behaviour on the outside, like pushing Bethany and smashing a Manchester tart in Sarah's face?
Mikey loves it that he's got them fighting over him! From Gary's point of view, I love that side of Maria. Spiky, drunk Maria is the best version of Maria, and she does it so well. The worst thing she's done here is play a drunk scene so well because now she has to do it all the time! She's probably making it slightly worse for Gary on the inside, but for the viewer and for me personally, I think it's great to watch.
When Gary called Maria from prison, was that a sign of them being stronger than ever?
Yeah, I think so. It's obviously not Gary's first rodeo in prison - he's a seasoned professional at this rate! I think it's probably a lot harder for them on the outside than it is for Gary on the inside at times. I've really enjoyed trying to get them to reconcile. They've been through an awful lot, and how they survive, I'll never know, but it makes it fun and interesting.
What kind of scenes do you enjoy doing most with Gary and Maria?
I like it when they have scenes that are a bit more tactile and not just about drama. We did a scene talking about the Karate Kid film in the bistro, and I just love things like that, where it's just about nothing and it's just about Gary and Maria. There was another one recently where Gary's about to get sent down and she asks him what breed of dog he'd be. I love scenes like that where nothing happens, but it's just about the dialogue and dynamic. It feels real.
When Gary enters prison, he gets landed with Jonesy as a cellmate. Will Gary hold his ground or get dragged into prison politics?
It's prison, so it's never going to be an easy ride… Jonesy is a great character, and Carl Rice plays him brilliantly. There's going to be lots coming up with Gary having to protect himself inside, so there's so much going on there. Jonesy is definitely another little Corrie villain who's popped up.
Ross offers to look out for Gary, but Gary turns him down. Does Gary suspect Ross isn't acting purely out of kindness?
Gary finds it really strange and doesn't quite know what's going on. Ross's behaviour and some of the things he says are quite odd. Gary doesn't want to repel against him too much too quickly because he thinks Ross might look after him in there, but Gary is definitely sceptical and taken aback.
Could we see a more mature Gary wanting to do his time peacefully, or will the hard man come out?
Without wanting to give too much away, the amount of hours I've spent in makeup getting injuries put on for the two months that the viewers haven't seen would probably suggest not. Gary's surely done the most fight scenes in the history of Coronation Street and he's probably about to add to it in some serious numbers.
How do you think Gary feels about Kirk moving into his house while he's away?
It's a great shout to have Kirk in there. Gary and Kirk make such an interesting pair because they could not be more different. Also, young Jake has a lot coming up as well. He's absolutely fantastic - a little Jack P. Shepherd from when he was younger - so I'm glad he's holding down the fort while Gary's away.
Finally, if you could give Gary one piece of advice right now as he sits in his cell, what would it be?
For me personally, probably stay out of makeup if you can! But the great thing about Gary is that he'll always do what he thinks is right without necessarily thinking about the consequences first, which is exactly why he’s in this situation. So maybe he needs to start thinking six months ahead before jumping in.
