Gareth Pierce interview- Todd invents twisted scheme as his manipulations accelerate

Since his return, Todd Grimshaw has been trying his best to drive a wedge between Billy and Paul. However, after each sly trick, Billy and Paul are showing no signs of splitting. In a virtual press event for Christmas storylines, Gareth Pierce discussed the motivation behind Todd's scheming, and whether there's any sign of Todd giving up. 

As Christmas looms, Todd's plotting ramps up a gear as he stops at nothing to get what he wants. Hearing about the helpline where Paul volunteers, Todd grabs this as an opportunity to get inside his head a bit more. Gareth said: "Being at Underworld, it's already put him in one of Paul's workplaces, so when he finds out about the helpline, he wants to get on the inside of that as well". 

Paul is oblivious to Todd's true intentions as he fits himself in wherever he can. "It's just another way to get into Paul's orbit", Gareth told us. "[Todd] doesn't know quite where he's going with this yet. 

"Increasingly, you'll see that Todd's actually getting on the inside of Paul, Billy and Summer's household relationship as well. He wants to be in there so he can see these opportunities and then have some fun playing around". 

Todd's involvement in the helpline has huge potential for damaging consequences, but Todd is willing to stop at nothing to get what he wants. "[Todd]'s a bit of a chameleon. He's able to present different faces to the different people in his life and I think that's why sometimes manipulation can be quite subtle. 

"For me, there's a sadness to Todd as well at his core. I think a lot of that is probably from feeling let down at times in his early life. You have to find motivation for why he is how he is because he's certainly not a sociopath. I don't get the sense that he doesn't feel for other people. I just get the sense that he's always putting himself first and therefore able to turn on and off those emotions, a bit like a tap". 

Todd's motivations in the past have almost all been entirely selfish, so does Todd have real feelings for Billy or does he just want what he can't have? "He absolutely does want Billy back", Gareth explained. "I think it's just something of Todd's character that he can very much enjoy the game-playing while doing that. 

"Those reunion scenes show that the feeling's absolutely genuine, but I think if he can cause a bit of chaos along the way then he absolutely will and he'll have fun doing that". 

Despite Todd's scheming, his feelings towards Paul aren't completely negative. "He likes Paul to some extent. He can see that this is someone Billy's fallen in love with, he can see that he's good with Summer". 

Jealously always manages to rear its head, though, and Todd isn't just jealous of Paul's relationship with Billy, but Summer as well. "If you can see someone that feels almost like a replacement in your previous life, then that's always going to smart and hurt a little bit more. I think that's definitely motivating some of that game-playing and some of that cruelty. Oddly, it's still coming from a place of love, in a way". 

Todd definitely carries the gift of the gab, something which helped him land a sales job at Underworld. "He's a blagger", said Gareth. "I think those skills have been used a lot in his three years out as well, if he has been in this kind of Manchester underworld, you know, some slightly shadier circles, then I think he'll have added even more to his list of tricks". 

However many devious tricks he has up his sleeve, Todd is without a doubt the cat with nine lives. "In terms of why he gets away with it, I suppose, and this is down to the writing as well, you've always got those scenes where you see a sweeter side to Todd. Those scenes with Billy, that reunion, we saw a vulnerability to Todd there that you don't see very often. 

"He's very good at keeping the mask up and self-protecting". 

It won't be all plain-sailing for Todd's manipulations, however, as he soon discovers that Paul isn't as easily swayed as he first thinks. Gareth told us: "If you're someone that thinks you're made of Teflon, then to see that somebody else that you thought you could push aside very quickly and easily is also Teflon in their own kind of accidental way, then yeah, it's going to be hugely frustrating. 

"It's probably quite a nice pay-off for the viewers as well because I think the way that they'll see Todd's more devious side, they will feel slightly complicit, really, because the audience will know what's going on a lot sooner than some of the people he's manipulating. They need, in a way, to see it foiled on occasion as well". 

Todd and trouble often go hand-in-hand, and Gareth revealed that Todd won't be slowing down in 2021. "My advice to Todd as a human would be, take your foot off the gas mate, and relax a bit- be a bit nicer and more empathetic. But no, I don't think that necessarily makes the kind of drama we want on Corrie. 

"If [Todd]'s foiled along the way, it won't make him give up. He'll definitely find other ways to stir and set the cat among the pigeons". 

Todd has been back on the street for a little while now, and Gareth told us about the complexities of playing a character like Todd. "You do get to explore a full range of your acting abilities because he's got those very funny, sarcastic quips, so you're using some of your comedy chops there. But then equally, that reunion with Billy was very emotional and there's all that meddling and manipulation and that more devious side to Todd.

"I think most viewers are recognising that, as I set out to do really, was do my research on Todd up to the point that I've taken him over, but equally bring my own instincts as a performer to it as well and make the character my own going forward". 

Of course, our chat with Gareth turned to Christmas, and he told us how he usually spends his Christmas. He said: "My wife and I have got a daughter, so I suppose now it feels as though we're setting up our own Christmas traditions.

"On Christmas morning, we've started having pastries and Buck's Fizz. We live by the sea so we'll go for a nice, blustery seafront walk. I'm the cook so then I've got to get my apron on and get going for the Christmas dinner". 

With Todd dangerously stepping into the helpline and encouraging Paul to break the rules, just how far will Todd push to get what he wants? 

Sophie Williams

Read some more of my general natterings on Twitter @soph_writer. 

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