i see shes back to her old name.
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i see shes back to her old name.
Quote:
Maria Connor will be involved in "explosive" scenes in 2012
But will it rock the COBBLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Quote:
It's all going to kick off next year, when Maria gets involved in Frank's rape trial. There will be some explosive viewing."
Coronation Street star Samia Ghadie has hinted that she would like her character Maria Connor's life to go wrong again this year.
The actress and mum-of-one confirmed that she prefers sad storylines for Maria as she finds them more challenging to play.
Speaking to Take It Easy about her ambitions, Ghadie explained: "There are loads of things I'd like to do. I'd love a storyline I can get my teeth into. I've been quiet lately, but the plus side is I've been able to spend quality time with [my daughter] Freya, so it's been like having the best of both worlds."
She continued: "I'd like to play Maria being happy, but the downside of that is it's rather boring. I mean, Maria is never really happy and it's when she's at her saddest that it's the most fun for me to play her.
"I'm a bit of a sadist in that way, because it's more dramatic. It's great when everything is going right - but it's more challenging when everything is going wrong."
Coronation Street viewers will see Maria involved in Frank Foster's (Andrew Lancel) rape trial next week - hoping that the businessman will be sent to prison for his dark crime.
Ghadie said: "Frank tried to rape Maria about a year ago before he raped Carla, so I have to go in the witness box. As it unfolds, there's a lot more to the whole thing and it gets very dark."
Coronation Street continues tonight at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV1.
Oh please, God, no, I can't stand her whining voice when she is happy let alone when she is miserable, which seems to be most of the time anyway. :thumbsdow
Samia Ghadie has revealed that she hopes to stay in Coronation Street for the foreseeable future.
The actress - who plays hairdresser Maria Connor in the ITV1 soap - said that she has no plans to swap acting for an appearance in a reality TV show.
"It's simple really, I've got a job I love in Coronation Street, an institution, and I'm privileged to be in it, why would I want to do anything else?," she told the Manchester Evening News.
The 29-year-old added that she is hoping that Maria will have a successful romance in the soap soon after failed affairs and relationships with factory boss Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) and builders Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward) and Chris Gray (her real life boyfriend Will Thorp).
She said: "It's about time she had a bit more romance, she deserves it so don't give up on her finding true love yet!"
Samia Ghadie said earlier this year that she is hoping for "sad" scenes for her character Maria in Coronation Street.
The actress was granted a divorce from former husband Matt Smith in November, before deciding to revert to her maiden name Ghadie.
Coronation Street star Samia Ghadie has revealed that people think she's a hairdresser in real life.
The actress, who plays Maria Connor in the ITV1 soap, is often approached by confused fans who believe her character is real.
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© ITV
"I was in A&E once because I'd cut my eyebrow and was waiting to get it glued together. I was sitting with an ice pack on my head and this woman was trying to talk to me," Ghadie told the Daily Record.
"I thought she was trying to be funny because she was saying, 'I haven't had my hair done for ages, I need to come in and see you'. I thought, 'She obviously thinks I'm Maria'.
"But she didn't. She thought I worked at the hairdressers where she gets her hair done. She'd recognised my face but couldn't place it and just thought I washed her hair or I was the brusher-upper at the hairdresser."
Ghadie, who divorced Matt Smith in November last year and reverted to her maiden name, is still dating former co-star Will Thorp, who played Chris Gray.
Speaking of her character's love life, she added: "Maria never had any *success with blokes in the 12 years I've been on the show. Most of them just die on her.
"She's literally the kiss of death for male characters - Tony died, Liam died, Charlie died. Frank died."
Coronation Street star Samia Ghadie has landed a new deal with the soap, Digital Spy can reveal.
The actress, who plays Weatherfield hairdresser Maria Connor, will remain on the cobbles well into 2013 after signing another contract.
Ghadie today (May 24) told Digital Spy: "I've just signed until September next year, so I'll definitely be here until then. After that, who knows? But I've got no plans to leave at the moment."
The 29-year-old has been part of the Coronation Street cast since 2000, when she was initially signed up on a three-month guest contract.
Reflecting on her early days at the programme, Ghadie added: "I thought I'd do my three months and then I'd be off. I was a jobbing actress when I joined and was really pleased to have a job for three months. I never imagined I'd still be here now."
Kym Marsh (Michelle Connor), Brooke Vincent (Sophie Webster) and Michelle Collins (Stella Price) are also thought to have recently secured new Coronation Street deals.
Check back next month for Digital Spy's full feature interview with Samia Ghadie.
Coronation Street's Maria Connor receives a wake-up call next week as Audrey Roberts points out that the hairdresser seems to be developing misguided feelings for close friend Marcus Dent.
Maria and Marcus (Charlie Condou) have spent a great deal of time together recently, and Audrey (Sue Nicholls) feels compelled to step in when she realises that her employee is becoming a little too fixated on the openly gay midwife.
Although Maria dismisses Audrey's concerns, she immediately feels awkward around Marcus as she privately accepts that her boss could be right. Knowing that she has no chance with Marcus, will Maria take a step back from him?
Here is an interview with Samia to hear her take on the story and more.
Maria's new storyline with Marcus is a surprising one! What was your initial reaction to it?
"Exactly that, really - surprise! Obviously you never really know what to expect at Corrie because anything can happen, but I never expected that she would fall for a gay guy!"
How would you describe the feelings Maria is having for Marcus? How serious are they?
"It's a tough one to describe, because Marcus is so good with Maria's son Liam and they've almost got a domestic relationship, because he's always helping her out and they've got such a close friendship. They genuinely just really get on.
"I don't think Maria realises that her feelings could be stronger than that until Audrey points it out. I don't really know where it's going or what's coming up, so it's hard to say how serious her feelings are at the moment. But I do know that Maria is completely freaked out when Audrey points it out!"
Is Maria feeling a physical attraction to Marcus?
"I think it's more him and his relationship with her and Liam that she's attracted to. Obviously Liam's dad isn't around and Marcus is the next best thing. Marcus loves Liam like Maria does - almost like his own - because he really wants a family. I think it's that family unit that Maria craves and that's what Marcus is providing for her."
Is it also because Maria is feeling lonely?
"No, I don't think she is feeling lonely - I think she's just getting on with things. She hasn't been out with anybody since Chris, so I think she's just having fun, getting on with it and spending time with her friends. She's got a good job, she's got Liam, and she's got good friends around her.
"So I don't think it's loneliness, I think it's more that Marcus thinks she's lonely and is encouraging her to go out, but the dates that he's setting her up on have just been disastrous so they're spending time together instead!"
Does Maria appreciate Audrey's advice?
"I think she's just totally taken aback. She says, 'Oh my God, no, I don't have feelings for him - he's my mate!' She doesn't understand why Audrey thinks that, but I guess it's quite obvious why she does, because Maria just talks about Marcus all the time and seems slightly amazed by him!"
Maria and Marcus have had scenes together for a while, so did you always know Maria would end up having a crush on him?
"We were told roughly the way it would go, so we sort of expected it would turn into something. It's been lovely working with Charlie - it's been brilliant."
Where would you like the story to go next?
"Well, I think ultimately Marcus is gay so it's going to end in tears for one or both of them eventually! I just hope they still have their friendship at the end of it. But I really don't know what's going to happen."
We've seen you on Corrie for 12 years now. Does it feel like that long?
"No, it doesn't - I'm 30 in July so it's quite scary, really! I was 17 when I joined so it just feels like my life is going really quickly! When I first joined, I was on a three-month contract. I thought I'd do my three months and then I'd be off. I was a jobbing actress when I joined and was really pleased to have a job for three months.
"I never imagined I'd still be here now, but I'm still really enjoying it. I think the show is going from strength to strength and it's got a brilliant mix of comedy and drama at the moment. For once, I'm involved in the lighter-hearted stuff, so that's nice!"
After so long on the show, do any particular moments or storylines stand out?
"I'd definitely say the period when Maria was with Liam. We had the Liam, Carla, Tony love triangle and it was a period of two years with this massive storyline, kicking off with her getting together with Liam and eventually resulting in Tony's demise. That was a really good time for me, because it was just constantly challenging, I was really busy and the storyline was fab - it had loads of twists and turns."
Maria worked at Underworld for a short time last year, but now she's back at the salon. Do you have a preference between the two?
"I think the salon is definitely where Maria's roots are - excuse the pun! She's also tried The Rovers as she was a barmaid there for a while a good few years ago. At Underworld, I think she's got quite bad memories due to Liam and Tony, and then obviously everything with Frank. I think the salon is where Maria is best!"
Would you like Maria to work her way up at the salon?
"Well, I think it's absolutely Maria's dream to own the salon. She did try a while ago and then Audrey decided not to sell, so I think Maria's waiting in the wings for when Audrey wants to retire. But I think she might have a battle on her hands with David if that happens!"
You mentioned Frank - a lot of our readers were surprised Maria wasn't a suspect for his murder earlier this year!
"I was as well, to be fair! I think I was just a bit quiet then - I had a bit of time off. I think Maria was just keeping her head down at that point - she was busy with Liam!"
We also often see quite a few comments from people who'd love to see Maria and Tyrone get back together…
"A lot of people say that, yeah! She could save him from Kirsty, couldn't she? I really love working with Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone, because he's like a brother in real life. I've known him forever so it's always good working with him, and I do love Maria and Tyrone scenes."
Would you like Maria to find the right man and settle down eventually, or would that be too boring to play?
"I think for Maria, it would be lovely to see her settled with somebody, but obviously it's more interesting for me to play when things go wrong.
"At the same time, though, I'm quite glad I've not had to cry for a while! I went through a phase of about two years where I was constantly in tears. I was even listening to really depressing music to make myself cry on set! So it's nice at the moment to wear nice clothes and make-up and not have to cry all the time."
Coronation Street star Samia Ghadie has predicted that Maria Connor would "be in a mental home by now" in real life.
The character has been at the centre of several explosive storylines since arriving in Weatherfield in 2000, including giving birth to a stillborn baby, falling victim to a rape attempt by Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel) and becoming a widow when her husband Liam (Rob-James Collier) was murdered in a hit and run.
© ITV
© ITV
"You could write a book about what's happened to Maria," The Sun quotes her as saying. "If that happened in real life, she'd have ended up in a mental home by now."
Maria could be set to find happiness with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) after the pair kiss in upcoming episodes, but Ghadie said that filming the scene was more awkward than romantic.
© ITV
"Ryan and I are such good mates," she explained. "We get on so well. So when Maria starts getting very friendly with Jason it feels weird kissing Ryan.
"It's like kissing my brother. You don't get nervous, you just laugh a lot as it does feel so strange."
Ghadie claimed earlier this year that she enjoys Maria's sad plots as they are "the most fun for [her] to play".
The actress signed a deal in May to stay on Coronation Street until 2013.
Coronation Street star Samia Ghadie has predicted that Maria Connor would "be in a mental home by now" in real life.
The character has been at the centre of several explosive storylines since arriving in Weatherfield in 2000, including giving birth to a stillborn baby, falling victim to a rape attempt by Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel) and becoming a widow when her husband Liam (Rob-James Collier) was murdered in a hit and run.
"You could write a book about what's happened to Maria," The Sun quotes her as saying. "If that happened in real life, she'd have ended up in a mental home by now."
Maria could be set to find happiness with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas) after the pair kiss in upcoming episodes, but Ghadie said that filming the scene was more awkward than romantic.
"Ryan and I are such good mates," she explained. "We get on so well. So when Maria starts getting very friendly with Jason it feels weird kissing Ryan.
"It's like kissing my brother. You don't get nervous, you just laugh a lot as it does feel so strange."
Ghadie claimed earlier this year that she enjoys Maria's sad plots as they are "the most fun for [her] to play".
The actress signed a deal in May to stay on Coronation Street until 2013.
Yes I agree she should be kept in a mental home