Swamped by misfortune:
More grief for Coro’s Nick Tilsley.
To say that Nick Tilsley has been unlucky during his 40 years on the cobbles would be a woeful understatement. “Nick The Unfortunate” might be an appropriate moniker for one of Coronation Street’s most ill-starred characters. Nick brings to mind Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici, the son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who ruled over Florence for just two years – 1492 to 1494, since you ask – before he was ousted. His short and unhappy reign earned him the nickname “Piero The Unfortunate”. In the past four years alone, Nick (played by Ben Price) has discovered to his horror that the father of his beloved Leanne Battersby’s (Jane Danson) baby is actually Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), has been trapped in quicksand on a family trip to the seaside, and has been slapped by his grandmother Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) after confessing to stealing £80,000 from her. Now Nick is once again mired in misfortune. The major current storyline in Coronation Street focuses on how Nick reacts when his young stepson Oliver is diagnosed with a serious illness, mitochondrial disease. It shows how Nick is feeling increasingly excluded from the picture by Oliver’s birth father, Steve. Nick is also uncomfortable because this emergency has brought Leanne and Steve much closer together. Price, who has played Nick since 2009 (the character was previously portrayed by Warren Jackson and Adam Rickitt),
“I think he does feel pushed out. But he also recognises that Oliver is not his child.”
– Ben Price
reveals that in the weeks since Oliver has fallen ill, his alter ego has been feeling more and more marginalised as the bond between Steve and Leanne has strengthened.
“I think he does feel pushed out. But he also recognises that Oliver is not his child, he is Leanne and Steve’s. I think he is upset, as previously he stepped in when Steve couldn’t. He became that father figure.
“But really when it comes down to these vital decisions in hospital, he legally isn’t part of it and he’s on the periphery. So he is not going to be able to make those decisions.”
The 48-year-old actor, who is also known for his roles in Footballers’ Wives, Casualty, The Tudors, Wire In The Blood and The Bill, continues that, “Nick thought he could handle it but, as it has gone on, it is actually getting harder for him. The fact is that Steve is now suddenly stepping up to the plate.
“Nick thinks, ‘Why is it always me that does all the leg work and then Steve swoops in when he feels like it?’
“It is, of course, an exceptional circumstance and Steve has stepped in. But he is not there for the day-to-day stuff.”
Nick has to deal with the additional concern that Leanne is getting her hopes up every time Oliver does something “normal”.
Price explains that, “It is that thing of her piecing things together every time Oliver smiles or makes a noise. It is a piece of good news, but it doesn’t mean it’s a recovery. That is not what the doctors are saying.
“The doctors are preparing them for the worst, but hoping for the best. Nick is trying to manage his and Leanne’s feelings and not let her fall, but his place is just to support her.
“He feels he’s not massively equipped to deal with the breakdown if the worst happens. Is he emotionally prepared for that and will he be up to it?”
Price details the responsibility he feels as a performer when involved in such a significant, yet tragic plotline.
“It is a great story and as an actor you want to play those strong stories. I have children myself (a daughter Paloma and a son Max), so it isn’t easy, but it is important to tell it.
“All of the big stories are hard. You have to be prepared to tell them and understand that people have gone through them for real. That is what makes it so crucial to tell them.”
He adds that, “This story is being talked about and that means people can open a dialogue about something that isn’t easy to talk about.
“It is a hard thing to discuss, but if you have a gateway through a soap opera storyline, it gets the conversation started and it gives you a point of reference. This story does transcend entertainment.”