Welcome to the cobbles - how are you enjoying your time here?
I absolutely love it! Everyone's really welcoming. It really is everything I'd hoped it would be. When I did the screen test, I got a really good vibe from the whole set and everyone there and it's just carried on getting better and better.
How did you get the part?
I initially had to do a self-tape which I did down in London and then I got a call maybe a week or two later saying they’d love for me to come in for a screen test which was really exciting. When I came in and read it, I was reading with a couple of people and Farrel was the last person and the chemistry we had was evident from the off. It was one of those moments where I got the train afterwards back to London and thought to myself, if I don’t get the part, I’ve done everything I could have and given my best version of Mick, so when I got the part it felt surreal.
So do you remember exactly where you were when you found out that you've got it?
I was at my sister's house because I'm actually in the process of moving. My agent called me, I was so buzzing and my sister was sitting in the kitchen, so she heard the call and she was like, you got it? I said, I got it! She was really excited for me and so were the rest of my family.
Can you talk me through your acting career?
I graduated about 10 or so years ago from drama school. The first acting job I got was New Worlds with Jamie Dornan, who is such a lovely guy. I've done quite a bit of TV and theatre. I lived in the US for six years and did Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, which is a Marvel TV show over there. I have worked on a bunch of Netflix and BBC shows and I also worked on an ITV show called The Trouble with Maggie Cole with Dawn French. I also worked with Jodie Comer on Thirteen, who’s really great. Most recently, I’ve worked on a show called Lockerbie - which isn’t the Colin Firth one! I’ve been getting so many texts from friends saying they are about to start it but there’s two - and I think this one will come out later this year. It may well be out while Corrie’s on too which would definitely confuse the public because I have an American accent in Lockerbie.
You’ve obviously got a lot of experience, what makes a soap different?
Something that I hadn’t quite been prepared for until I started was the pace of shooting and the demands that it puts on you as an actor. I’d be lying if there wasn’t a degree of snobbery in the industry towards soaps. However, having filmed for several weeks now, the more strongly I feel that working on a soap should be mandatory for all actors at some stage in their career. It’s what I imagine TVs answer might be to rep theatre of times gone by. Learning on your feet, surrounded by highly experienced and skilled professionals, across all departments. There is no time to get in your own head, you have to trust your instincts and go for it. Yes, if you’d had the chance to do it three more times, maybe you would have done something differently but that’s not the way this works. I knew it was going to move fast, and I had made peace with the fact that I might find it challenging at times, but it has been an incredible opportunity for me to take stock and reflect on my own process and relationship to my work. What an incredible opportunity this is to grow, stretch and challenge myself further each day. One of the main lessons I’ve learnt from my time as actor is that there is no end point or finished article. It’s always in motion and what felt good yesterday might not be right for today or tomorrow. We’re shooting twelve scripts, out of chronological order, with three different directors, every two weeks. That’s about as in motion as things could be if you ask me!
So what did you think when you found out about your character?
I really enjoy playing what people would refer to as a baddie or a villain, because for me the most interesting thing is all how we move past the first initial judgment of them, especially when you're going to be playing them. It's really interesting because when you’re playing a character, a part of you has got to love them and empathize with them and understand them. I always think ‘how do I get into this character's shoes and why is it the way he is and why does he do the things that he does?’ So I always find it really rewarding and a real kind of privilege to any character, but especially the psychologically complex characters.
Obviously Mick has been harassing Chesney for months - was it fun knowing this was Mick all along? And have you enjoyed working with the Winter-Browns?
I think the audience will be shocked to realise that it’s Mick who was harassing Chesney all this time because it’s been drip fed out and from what I’ve seen, no one knew what was happening with the man with the silver van. It’s been great to have that kind of depth to play with and it’s been fun. Working with Sam and Dolly-Rose has been amazing, like I said, everyone at Corrie is so welcoming and the Winter-Browns are an iconic family!
Can you describe Mick in three words?
Impulsive, hot-headed and unpredictable…
And lastly, what do you love about Coronation Street?
Do you know what, it’s such an institute in British television and to get to walk down the cobbles in Mick’s shoes is so exciting and to do it alongside Farrel is awesome - we are having great fun together and connecting really well whilst developing our characters. It also gives the opportunity to get a look behind the curtain of this huge machine and be a small cog within the big picture of Coronation Street and to work alongside people who take such pride in their work. It’s just a really happy place, friendly and welcoming. I’m going to relish every moment of it.
Glenda Young
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