Ben Cartwright, who plays nasty copper Neil Clifton is going to get his comeuppance next week in Coronation Street. In an interview this week, actor Ben reveals how that's going to happen.
What happens between Neil and Craig?
“Neil bundles Craig into his car because he’s certain he’s about to blow the whole thing. Neil’s scared. He’s used to being in control. But trainee constable Craig knows what Neil’s really like, so he’s not at the moment.”
Considering his crimes, is Neil a totally unredeemable character?
“He’s probably a very good policeman. Craig’s talked about how great a mentor Neil is and that he loves working with him. It’s important to show that side of him. The whole point of this storyline is the characters are layered and believable.”
How does Neil feel when he’s called to see the Chief Inspector after Craig’s told the police everything?
“From my point of view, it was horrible to walk into a room and see six or seven people giving you daggers, shaking their heads and looking at you in disgust. It’s clear, at that moment, it’s game over for Neil.”
Did you have any reservations about the storyline?
“I’m incredibly grateful that I took the role. The response has been really positive from people who’ve recognised me playing a character, appreciating how amazing the storyline has been, how brilliantly it’s been handled and what an important story it is to bring to everyone’s attention.”
How important do you think it is for Corrie to show justice being served?
“There’s no other option than to see these guys get their comeuppance. Coronation Street have taken their time about it. This has been rumbling on since last Christmas and that’s important because it shows the reality of slowly getting under someone’s skin, manipulating them and taking them away from their friends and family.”
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3 comments:
Good. Can't wait to see Neil get what's coming to him, and Nathan's next!
I'm so glad it's Craig who helps bring him down. He's a fine actor and the character's turned out to be a fine young man and a good friend to Bethany.
"It’s important to show that side of him. The whole point of this storyline is the characters are layered and believable.”
I don't take issue with the actor for saying what he's been told to by the publicity machine but, of course, it's rubbish. It's also rather late in the day to be wheeling out one of the main villains for an interview. Nathan may be believable but he certainly isn't layered. Have we ever seen a side to him that wasn't vicious and controlling? As for Neil, if they wanted us to see the hard-working police officer, why didn't the writers show us a family coming out of the police station, thanking him profusely? We've had comments from Craig but there weren't enough to create layers. In fact, I've mostly forgotten what Craig's said about Neil. Seems to me they've bungled this character and are trying to straighten things out.
Right on Humpty Dumpty. It's possible that Ben Cartwright has a whole back story in his head about Neil that the writers just didn't translate onto the screen. After months of fast forwarding through this story line (and following it through this fantastic blog!), I'm looking forward to the next bit of schadenfreude!
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