It’s fair to say Roy Cropper has become a Coronation Street legend since he joined the ITV soap back in 1995.
Over the course of his 28-year stint on the long-running soap, the café owner has been at the forefront of many major storylines, including being the first to marry a transgender character.
Roy was even hailed as a hero when he saved Abi Franklin’s life using an anorak to pull her out of a sinkhole she’d fallen into during tense scenes with Corey Brent.
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While fans have been closely following Roy’s life on the show, less is known about the actor who plays the Corrie favourite, David Neilson.
As concerns continue to grow around the long-running character’s ongoing health battle, Daily Star has taken a deep dive inside David’s family life away from the ITV soap.
(Image: ITV)
Originally the 74-year-old was only contracted for six episodes as Roy, but his doting wife Jane helped him to develop his character and give it more personality.
At the time, he revealed: “Roy was a psychopath. He was stalking Deirdre and was a bit scary. It’s nice to play psychos but they don’t stay around too long.
“My wife is a special needs teacher and she worked with people with autism. She said Roy could have Asperger’s syndrome, making him socially inept, rather than menacing.
(Image: WireImage)
“Nobody really knew what Asperger’s was back in 1995, so it’s my wife I owe it to,” he gushed.
He went on: “It’s never mentioned in the story though and it shouldn’t be – Roy is a human being, and a label doesn’t help him.
“But I think he’s got it. It gives him reasons for his behaviour and gives me something to play. I enjoy idiosyncrasies in people and Roy is full of them.”
(Image: WireImage)
David, who grew up in the heart of Loughborough, also involved his mother Phyllis into his iconic role.
His late mum passed away just months before he started his role on the Cobbles, but got to be a part of his character due to one special prop – her shopping bag.
The actor recalled: “That bag went round Loughborough market for many years! It will be 30 years old now.
“My mother died just before I joined the show so I was chucking stuff out and thought it would be good for Roy.
(Image: ITV)
“He was always knocking on Deirdre’s door, asking if she needed a bit of shopping and initially, they gave me a carrier bag.”
David continued: “But you see guys standing at bus stops with bags like that and I thought I’d introduce it. It’s also very handy to carry my scripts round in!
“Roy’s key on the piece of knicker elastic attached to the bag was also my mother’s. We fastened it onto the bag for her, because she kept locking herself out.
“She was forever calling out the police or the glazier to get her back in and they’d have to break the window.”
(Image: Granada Television)
Before he landed the role on the ITV Cobbles in his mid-40s, David had many part-time jobs to fit in around his TV career.
He previously worked as an ice cream salesman, a barman and a gas fitter all while funding his dream of becoming an actor and studying at the Central School of Speech and Drama in the heart of London.
During an interview with Mike Plowman in 1996, the soap star explained: “I have worked as a gas fitter, plumber, ice cream salesman and barman.
“Since becoming an actor I have also had stints as a theatre director, taught at RADA, Central and Rose Brudford and written plays.”
(Image: Granada Television)
David appeared on a few TV shows before he had his big break as Roy, including property buyer Mr Webster who was interested in purchasing Nick Cotton’s home on rival soap EastEnders.
The actor also made appearances in Young at Heart, Blue Heaven by Frank Skinner, Casualty, and Heartbeat, among others.
In 2002, Roy took a break from the soap to enjoy family life with his son Daniel, now 40, when he made the move to Barcelona for university.
(Image: Instagram)
And David and Jane were quick to follow their son behind, swapping their family home in Bristol for a sunnier climate.
The actor even completed an Open University degree in Spanish during his well-deserved break from Manchester.
After he returned to the soap in 2009, he explained why he made the move and confessed he often visits his son when he needs to take a break from the show.
(Image: ITV)
He explained: “I need to get away from Roy and be myself and they don’t know Roy in Barcelona. If I’m in Spain for a few days, I forget what I do for a living which is the important thing.
“It means when I come back and someone shouts, ‘Roy’, for a moment I forget they’re actually talking to me.”
David continued: “And it’s only a couple of hours on the plane so I can commute to Manchester easily enough.
(Image: PA)
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“Another reason we moved was for excitement. I like to do different things and it’s been good to learn a language and get into a different culture.
“Our son Daniel had left for university and we were in Bristol in a big house and we thought, ‘What shall we do?’”
The actor is now a proud grandfather to two young girls, and regularly spends time with his adorable family away from the Cobbles.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
