How did you feel to be a huge part of this storyline and be the final piece of the puzzle?
I really enjoyed it. I thought it was terrifying because all of these people had done so much amazing work on this story, really, and I kind of come in at the end and have all the final scenes to do. In terms of that, it was amazing and I didn’t really know what to expect because I wasn’t involved in the filming leading up to it, but at the same time, it was quite nerve racking trying to match what was already filmed, which hopefully I did and won’t be letting anyone down!
How long have you known that Max would be charged with Joel’s murder?
I was told by Verity Macleod around spring this year, so I had a period of time to sit with it. I was really excited for Max, I remember when I heard the storyline and just thinking “yeah, I love that” especially because it aligns with Max’s character, he would do anything for the people he loves, especially Lauren.
Does it feel like a relief now that everyone knows? Was it a hard secret to keep?
Yes! People have been constantly asking me and commenting on my Instagram things like “who killed Joel?” or “we know it was you!” A lot of people also seem to think that Joel’s still alive and has faked his own death, so it’s good that we don’t have to actually hide it anymore. The storyline is really complex, it’s not just a cold blooded murder, there’s lots of people involved and who have done shady things, so I think that’s what’s great about it because the blame doesn’t solely lie on one person.
Did you have to take any measures to make sure you weren’t giving it away? Especially when filming the flashback scenes?
We actually filmed all of the scenes on the same block and we had Duncan Foster, our director, whose guidance was great so we weren’t scared of giving anything away. The only thing that threw me off was when I filmed my flashback and because I didn’t know what the rest of that particular episode looked like, and we weren’t allowed to know what exactly happened, I wasn’t sure if I had the murder weapon in my hands which made it really interesting for us too.
Max has always been really protective of Lauren. Why do you think she has such a hold over him?
Lauren holds a lot of similarities to Max’s mum, Kylie. I think Max and Lauren have also experienced a similar trauma in terms of the fact that they were both radicalised into the far right group and have a lot of shared experiences. I also think that Max holds on to people that he really loves and because he’s lost both of his parents, he has a real fixation on finding a family and building that around him. I think he sees Lauren as his family and you know, she’s the mother of Frankie, who he sees like a son, so he’s been building that proper family unit with her. He wants Frankie to have everything that he didn’t, which is another reason why he’s so protective of Lauren, but also he just really does love her. She’s his first love and I don’t think anyone else will ever compare to Max.
Max decides to turn himself in, instead of running away with Lauren and Frankie. Why do you think he’s willing to risk everything at this point?
Max really is willing to lose everything, quite simply to protect Lauren and Frankie. I realised during the filming of these episodes, and tonight’s one in particular, that Frankie in relation to Max is exactly the same as Max in relation to David, in that he’s in a relationship with his mum. It’s an adoptive relationship and Max is willing to do anything for Frankie to be able to stay with his mum, especially since Max wasn’t able to stay with Kylie, so he will do everything he can in his power to keep them together and give Frankie the life that Max always would have wanted.
Did Max ever have any intention of running away with Lauren and Frankie or was it a way to get Lauren out of the house and turn himself in? It seemed really sincere during the conversation with Lauren, so when did his mind switch?
So I remember the exact moment because it was a line where Lauren says she's never going to get her happy ever after and that was the exact moment when Max decides she will get her happiness and he wants to make sure of that. Max tries to talk Lauren into running away and he does that, knowing instantly what he’s going to do, and thinks very quickly in terms of how he can protect Lauren.
With Max pleading that it was self defence to David, will we get the full picture of what really happened between Max and Joel during Friday’s episode?
Yeah, on Friday's episode, you’ll be able to see what happens on the night Joel died, so you will see it from the beginning to the end, get the full picture and everything will be made clear. And of course, it’s Coronation Street, so there’s bound to be a few twists and turns…
You’re taking part in the live ITVX show on Friday night, can you tell us a little bit about that?
ITVX will be hosting a live special at 9pm, straight after the episode finishes, on Friday November 15th. You will need to watch and see but I can give away that I’ll be doing my part of the show with Jack P Shepherd, so viewers can definitely expect a bit of humour and fun. Make sure you watch it!
We'll see tonight! But I still reckon it was Lauren who dealt the fatal blow!
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