Coronation Street's unhinged entrepreneur Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) begins scrambling for survival next week when Roy Cropper - played by David Neilson - reports him to the police for murdering Liam Connor last year. However, in a shock storyline twist at the end of next week, Tony follows Roy to the banks of the canal and pushes him into the icy water to ensure his secret remains just that. Will Tony get away with murder for a second time? Or will Roy's persistence finally pay off? We caught up with David Neilson again to talk about Roy's involvement in Tony's demise.
What did you think when you were told that Roy was to become embroiled in the Tony saga?
"As an actor or someone who's interested in stories, I just knew it was a great story because there are so many bits to it. Roy cannot lie - he's got a real problem - he just can't cope with anything that's not black and white, that's not nailed down and it bothers him. He can't push it to one side so it will bother him and haunt him. Funnily enough, Tony Gordon has the same traits but in a much more psychopathic, single-minded way. Roy starts to get inside his head and become Tony's conscience because Tony doesn't have one. Roy becomes fascinated by how this guy's mind works, it's almost an academic thing. When Hayley wants to call the police, Roy doesn't want to because he doesn't want them to ruin his fun! Roy becomes obsessed, until he realises they're threatened."
What does Tony do to them?
"Tony Gordon's getting to Roy and Hayley and he becomes much more threatening towards them that they get scared. Tony threatens to 'sort out' Roy, then threatens Hayley. At that point, Roy decides to go to the police. They also decide to get out of the way for a while to be safer. When they return, the police have taken Tony away but unbeknownst to Roy and Hayley, the police don't have enough to hold him so he's been released. Maria finds out that he's suspected of killing Liam and his world starts to unravel."
There are some great scenes coming up between Roy and Tony beside and in the canal. How do they come about?
"It goes back to the bats again. They think Tony's safely locked away and Roy gets a phone call from this chap from the conservation society saying that some pipistrelles have been spotted under these arches near the canal and because it's November, it's unheard of. The guy wants Roy to do half an hour by the canal to keep an eye out and fill out the log. He doesn't want to go because of Hayley but she says it's fine so he reluctantly goes. Unbeknownst to them, Tony Gordon's broken into the cafe because he has a key so he overhears their conversation about the bats so he knows where Roy is. With that, he approaches him by the canal. He has a knife and when Roy asks him about Hayley, he grins and implies that he's done something terrible to her. Roy loses it and really charges at him. They go tumbling around but Tony's younger and fitter and Roy can't swim - he gets him on the edge of the water and Roy says, 'I can't swim', and he says, 'Good', and pushes him in."
What does Tony do when Roy's gone to the canal?
"Tony walks away and leaves Roy to flounder and actually drown because he goes right to the bottom. He watches Roy disappear from the bridge. He goes very calm and walks away. To Tony, it's the end of his problems."
Did you do your own stunt?
"Yeah, I did most of it. It was cold, it was late at night - 2 o'clock in the morning - it was only chest deep but knee deep in... I don't like to think! It stank and you had to go under the water and let the water settle, then come up. I had to be under for about four or five seconds. It wasn't scary because it's all very controlled and you do it by numbers, you know what's required. You literally get your head down and do it, then it's over. We had to film a bit more because although the real canal is chest deep, the Weatherfield canal is much deeper than that and he sinks to the bottom, so we went to this huge tank up in Fleetwood to do the underwater stuff."
I caught up with Coronation Street's David Neilson again to chat about Roy Cropper's involvement in Tony Gordon's (Gray O'Brien) demise. Click here to read what he had to say in the main part of the interview.
But why is Roy so popular with viewers? Will Roy and Hayley ever foster again? And will the pair ever take Graeme (Craig Gazey) under their wing? Read on for more...
Why do you think the public have taken Roy to their hearts?
"I think it's because he's like a lot of people - that doubt and that trying to battle through life. He's honest, he does his best, and he's got a nice relationship with Hayley. I think also they're funny. It helps that there's humour in their lives but there's also a very serious side. I always think there's this little dark cloud that follows Roy around. If it was raining in one spot it would be over him. He's like Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh - something dreadful is going to happen to him.
"He doesn't have any humour himself but he's got particular obscure interests but he cares about the right things. He's rigorous in the way he deals with life and if something doesn't satisfy him, he won't be fobbed off with an excuse and accept it. He has to worry it out and he will get himself into a lot of trouble when it would have been much easier to lie or forget it."
Are there any plans for Roy and Hayley to adopt/foster again?
"Well they've got Becky in a way. They're probably getting a bit old for it, but any waif and stray that comes through Weatherfield ends up with Roy and Hayley. They seem to have this adopted daughter in Becky, though. She always ends up back with them and that relationship came from Hayley going off to Africa. Roy's relationship with Becky is great - they're two oddballs. She's very streetwise and Roy isn't but she's very naïve in lots of other ways where Roy is wise and has a lot of knowledge and integrity. He's not going to exploit her and he's not at all predatory. It is a father-daughter thing."
You you like to see Roy and Hayley take Graeme under their wing?
"I don't think Graeme needs taking under a wing - he's more likely to take them under his wing! We enjoy working together. I enjoy him coming in because I think Roy finds him a bit odd and that's very funny."
From Digital Spy
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