Graeme Hawley teases John Stape's return: DS Interview
Coronation Street revisits the John Stape storyline next week as the hapless villain's return leads to huge drama in Weatherfield.
Having discovered that his wife Fiz is about to stand trial for crimes that he committed, John is determined to help her and is soon back to his old tricks as he holds Rosie Webster captive for a second time, coaching her to testify on his behalf in court.
Unfortunately for John, things start to go horribly wrong when Kevin discovers what he's up to and a dramatic car chase leads to the killer being seriously injured. With his life hanging in the balance, will John get his chance to redeem himself?
Here, Graeme Hawley - who plays John - chats to Digital Spy about his return.
Have you enjoyed being back at Coronation Street for this return stint?
"Yeah, it's been lovely to be quite honest! In the nicest possible way, it's felt like I've never been away, really. I had three months away from the show, but within about five minutes of being back, I was straight back into the routine. I obviously know the working environment and the people really well, so it's been really nice to fit back into that for a short period of time."
When you filmed John's rooftop fall and subsequent disappearance earlier in the year, did you always know that he'd be back?
"I did - it was something that we'd always talked about, that this new part of the story could happen next. So I always knew that there was a bit more to do. But I didn't always know when it was going to happen - when I was first told, it was quite open-ended, so it could have been in three months, or it could have been in six months, depending on what the plans were."
John returns just in time for Fiz's trial, so does that mean he has good intentions as he makes his comeback?
"He does! Well, John always has good intentions, it's just that they always seem to go drastically wrong! I'm sure this time will be no different…"
Of all the people who John could choose to bring into his plans, why does he pick Rosie Webster?
"She must be the most stable, sensitive and intelligent person that he knows! (Laughs) No, I think the real reason is that it's a full circle thing for John. Everything started with Rosie for John, and he feels like he needs her to find some redemption."
What is John's mental state when he returns? Is he quite lucid or will we see him appear quite unstable again?
"He's pretty much off the scale now, I would say. After everything that's happened, you'll see that John is very affected by it. But he's also in a very determined and single-minded state of mind. He knows exactly what he's got to do, which is get Fiz out of jail. John is absolutely determined that, one way or another, he'll make that happen."
Does Rosie show her feisty side while she's being held captive by John, or is she too scared for that?
"It's definitely a scary experience for Rosie, but she can't help herself when it comes to having a dig! With Rosie, there'll always be the odd jibe in there - especially when it comes to John Stape!"
It's been a long time since you've filmed any big scenes with Helen Flanagan, so was it nice to work with her again?
"Yes, it was lovely, actually - really nice. Most of our scenes were filmed over a couple of days, so we had a full two days together and it was really lovely. It'd been ages since we'd done any big stuff together before that. I really enjoy working with Helen. I've worked with her in these big chunks since she was a teenager, and it's been nice to see her develop as an actress."
John's whereabouts have been a bit of a mystery, so do we find out where he's been?
"Yes, you do find out where he's been. It's not in any great detail, but you do find out. And it's not where people think he's been, either! He didn't know that Fiz was in jail - he's only found that out fairly recently and that's the reason why it's taken him so long to get into gear over this."
John is also involved in a car accident in these episodes, isn't he?
"Yes, there's a car chase involving John and Kevin, which was an opportunity for myself and Michael Le Vell to pretend that we were in The Sweeney! It was fun to do it - we had stunt doubles, lots of extra equipment and cameras to make it all look great, and it's quite a big part of the story. They should be really exciting scenes to watch as it was great fun to film."
Was it nice to catch up with Jennie McAlpine, who plays Fiz?
"It's always great to work with Jennie as she's brilliant. But because we are very good friends, it's not like I haven't seen her for the past few months. I've seen plenty of her, but it's fantastic to work with her again and we have some lovely scenes together coming up."
Has Fiz's love for John disappeared now?
"No, I don't think it has, really. That's the thing about love, I suppose - it's not something that you can really switch off. I think in some ways, Fiz absolutely hates John and she hates the things that he's done. She also absolutely hates him for the position that he's put her in. But at the same time, he is the love of her life and she can't change that. It's impossible for Fiz to switch that off."
Is John remorseful for what he's put Fiz through over the past few months?
"Absolutely - he's completely remorseful for what he's done. He never imagined in his wildest dreams that Fiz would be arrested for the murders, and now he feels absolutely terrible about it. He's determined to put it right for her, one way or another…"
Coronation Street actor Graeme Hawley recently had a chat with Digital Spy about his character John Stape's dramatic return to the cobbles.
For all the gossip on what John will be getting up to this time around, head over to our main interview with Graeme if you haven't already.
Here, though, Graeme discusses his time away from Coronation Street, his future plans and how he's found the experience of playing John.
As Graeme, what have you been getting up to over the past few months?
"Well, my wife gave birth to our second child about a week after I finished filming at Coronation Street, so I've been spending a lot of time at home with the family, which has been wonderful. The previous couple of years had been pretty crazy, so it was really nice to spend a couple of months at home with my children and my wife.
"I've also done some bits and bobs of work as well. I DJ as well, so I've been doing a lot of that in the past couple of months. But everything that I've been doing work-wise have been things that have allowed me to spend a lot of time at home, rather than going away somewhere."
During your time away, did you have lots of fans asking you whether John was coming back?
"Yeah I did, but what's interesting is that nobody really said, 'Is he coming back?' Instead people were saying, 'When's he coming back?!' There's been this assumption that he would return at some point, and it's quite interesting that everybody saw it in that way. It's all been really positive and I've had some amazing feedback over the storyline and how it all came to a head. It's been lovely to have that feedback."
Have you enjoyed the chance to play such a unique character?
"It's been wonderful. Television-wise, it's certainly been the best job that I've ever had. And it's certainly the most interesting job that I've ever had. It's been brilliant to play a character like John Stape. I've said on many occasions that I'm always more interested in playing a complex, flawed character like that, compared to what I would be if I was playing a goody two-shoes.
"It's great to explore the layers of somebody who can't help but mess up. And to do that on one of the best shows in this country has been a wonderful honour. I'm very proud to have had the opportunity to do that."
Was the comedy aspect to John's storyline introduced by the writers, or was that your choice in the performance?
"I think it was very much a double thing - it was from both sides, really. I think from the very early days, the writers started putting in that comic edge to him, and that certainly was something that I was interested in doing as an actor. I took that and ran it with it, really. I think the writers also latched on to my sense of humour and what I was good at quite early on. That happens with the show quite often - when the writers learn what your skills are and what you're best at, it starts to work together as a joint thing."
What's next for you? Would you like to do more TV or concentrate on theatre for a bit?
"In an ideal world, I'd love to do a bit of both - and other things besides. I'm quite keen to get back on the stage again, as I did a lot of theatre before Corrie. But I'd also really like to get involved in another TV show as well, and perhaps do a bit more comedy and explore that side of things. On top of that, I write - so I'll concentrate on that for a little while as well, and carry on with the DJ-ing. There's a lot going on so in an ideal world, I'll be doing all of these things and more!"
