At the beginning, it was like a job at home. I had been working in London for a year and a half, worked on Keep on Running (BBC) in Cardiff, working with my friends from drama school. I would now be at home where I could pay rent and my mum would do my washing and look after me again! I originally only signed up for four episodes and I did not think that my time on the show would reach twenty years. It was really just a brilliant time.
Did your personality manage to influence the character of Curly over the years or did the story writers entirely control the character?
I was very lucky as they liked what I did. Essentially when you start as a character the producers then watch what you do and if they like it they will then work with it. I was very fortunate as they wrote some really fantastic storylines for me. It was a very interesting time and I thoroughly enjoyed it. They also let me go off to do things while I was in Coronation Street. For example they let me go off to the Sheffield Crucible to play Hamlet, which was just brilliant. Tracie Bennett helped me to get the part of Hamlet, with Clare Venables being the Artistic Director of the Crucible. I was also allowed time-out to go and play in the first National Tour of No Sex Please We’re British, which cemented my love of farce.
Do you miss being part of a soap-opera family of actors?
I miss it very much as I practically grew up there. It wasn’t just the cast of course, but also the crew and directors, I am still on great terms with everyone there and hopefully one day Curly will return.
