Will Mellor as Harvey Gaskell

[lizann]

Will Mellor cast in Corrie as evil drugs lord who destroys Leanne and Simon

MetroUK

[Perdita]

https://www.itv.com/coronationstreet...n_DvFilP_794ek


Manchester actor Will Mellor will walk into Weatherfield next month as Leanne Battersby finds herself forced into a dangerous world of drugs and despair.

In the coming weeks we?ll see a still grieving Leanne battling to save son Simon from the hands of an evil drugs gang he?s got mixed up in, after losing her other child Oliver to mitochondrial disease.

This fierce maternal instinct to protect Simon is what will throw her into the orbit of drugs lord Harvey, to be played by 44 year old Will Mellor.

Harvey is Jacob?s ?boss? and after Jacob has lured a vulnerable Simon into his trap, it?s Harvey who takes over to pile on the pressure and threats when Simon wants out.

It soon becomes clear that Leanne and Simon are in way too deep and a menacing Harvey has no intention of letting them out of his grasp.

Will said:

"I?m honoured to be asked to come into Coronation Street, it?s such an iconic show and has been a huge part of my family life.

"When I started acting 32 years ago it was my mum?s dream for me to be in Corrie, so I?m happy to finally be able to make it come true. It?s a Manchester institution and as a Manchester actor this is definitely a box ticked.

"Harvey is the first out and out baddie I?ve ever played. It?s a very different type of role for me so I?m looking forward to getting my teeth into the character and making some waves."


Producer Iain MacLeod added:

"I am so excited to welcome Will into our world. He is a fantastic actor who has thrown himself heart and soul into making his character as terrifyingly real as possible. He will have a massive impact on our characters? lives, from the moment he swaggers menacingly onto the screen."

[Perdita]

Coronation Street villain Harvey tipped for shock return in Autumn storyline
Coronation Street villainous drug lord Harvey Gaskell seems set to return to the Cobbles to exact his revenge on Leanne Battersby.
According to rumours reported by The Sun, actor Will Mellor ? who plays Harvey on the ITV soap ? was spotted heading into the studios last week.
Of course, that will mean that Harvey's return is still a while away, but it's not like Corrie hasn't already put everything into place for Harvey to come back.
When we last saw Harvey, he was being sentenced to jail for terrorising Leanne after she teamed up with the police to get him arrested and protect her son Simon from Harvey's lackeys.
But we didn't actually see the moment in court when the judge sentenced Harvey, so we don't know how long he's in for and what his parole conditions are, so he might be out sooner than anyone expects.
Of course, Harvey might also implement some less legal ways to get out of prison and make his explosive return.
The Corrie lot is currently busy filming for Super Soap Week, coming this Autumn, so if Will was actually on set last week, his return might become one of the major storylines of the next season.
Fans have long been speculating that Harvey is not completely gone yet, especially since neither the show's bosses nor Will ever made an official announcement about his departure from Coronation Street. But even if they did, is anyone really gone forever is soapland?
After his exit, Will spoke about the challenges of taking on the role of Harvey and recalled being alarmed by fans approaching him for drugs.
Digital Spy reached out to ITV's Corrie representatives, who declined to comment on story speculation.
So, should Leanne start worrying about her own safety?

[Perdita]

Coronation Street has been teasing that Will Mellor could be reprising his role as drug lord Harvey Gaskell, as reports stated that the actor has been seen on the set.

Now photos have emerged showing him filming for a new storyline. In the pictures we see him handcuffed with a bandaged hand being led to a van, as well as others showing him heading into the bushes. Is this a glimpse of a dramatic escape to return to the cobbles and reign terror once again?

If he does, he's certainly got motive for revenge. After forcing Leanne Battersby and Simon Barlow into running drugs for him and trying to terrify them into silence, they finally got Harvey sent down for his crimes.

The soap is currently filming for its Super Soap Week, which will air in the autumn, so it makes sense that Harvey could make his grand re-entrance then.

Mellor previously admitted that people have been confusing him with his soap character and actually asking him if he sells drugs in real life, stating: "It was funny. I went to the local pub and someone said to me, 'Have you got owt? Have you got owt, Harvey?' and I was like, 'What are you talking about?'

"I've also had a few women who've said, 'I hope you're not selling drugs around here.' I'm like, 'Stop saying that, people will overhear.'"

He also talked about how he wanted to portray a genuinly menacing character and didn't want to do the soap baddie thing of making a hammy, over the top performance. Unfortunately, his performance might have been too good, as his mother found him "horrible".


Digital Spy


Well, he did give a hammy, over the top peformance in my eyes ... hope he is not back for too long..

[lizann]

his prison face crashes into alahans car

[lizann]

he is returning again

[Perdita]

he is returning again

Yawwn... he is suited for comedy, not as a hardman

[tammyy2j]

Escapes?

[CorneliusBlanc]

Escapes?

Could he be the one Sam is writing to? Maybe Sam has questions about why he killed his mother. Could ultimately expose the fact that it was Abi's gun that Harvey used...!

[lizann]

talk of another return