Marc Baylis
“The possibilities for Rob’s future are endless…”
“We’re telling a love story here, and there is some beautiful material”
For a vicious murderer, there’s something so damn likeable about Rob Donovan. That’s why, despite everything, we’re rooting for him now that he’s on the run with soulmate Tracy Barlow (see p20).
It doesn’t matter that she shopped him to the police, or that he tried to ruin her life a year ago – Tracy and Rob can’t fight their feelings for each other. We decided it was time for a catch-up with star Marc Baylis, who was in fine form as we got together at the Corrie studios in Salford to learn more about Rob’s return to the Street…
Hi, Marc! It’s great to have Rob back in the show. How did you feel when you got the call?
It was awesome! It’s always great to come back because I love playing Rob.
Corrie’s producer, Kate Oates, called me up and we had a nice discussion about what was next for him. It was important to me that Rob wasn’t going around in circles, because I want him to be on the front foot. And that’s exactly what this storyline is.
The last time we saw him, Rob was very bitter. What’s his state of mind this time around?
He’s remorseful now. When we saw him previously, he wanted revenge on Tracy, but now he understands why she did what she did, and he still loves her. That’s the beauty of coming back this time, because viewers are going to find out the reasons why Rob was so bitter with Tracy and Carla. A lot has happened in the past 18 months, and he’s a very different person now. We’re going to see more tenderness from him this time.
Tracy has had a couple of relationships since Rob went to prison, but it seems Rob is still the one for her. Do you think they could have a future together?
Rob and Tracy are doomed – it’s a horrible situation they’re in! But when you’re as passionately in love as they are, the fact it can’t go anywhere is redundant. You can’t simply stop having those feelings, and the scenes we’ve recently filmed are some of my favourites I’ve done in Coronation Street.
We’re telling a love story here, and there is some beautiful material.
Are you sad that there’s no potential for another showdown with Carla, given that actress Alison King is no longer in the show?
Absolutely – it’s been bittersweet. It reminded me of when
I first joined Corrie and
Ali was on leave, so
I had to establish
Rob without
his closest link there. For me, Rob didn’t take off as a character until Carla came back, and Ali and I could play all the sibling stuff. I still hope we can do more of that in the future, though.
It’s clear that Marc is having a brilliant time stepping back into Rob’s shoes. The mischievous Donovan grin never leaves his face as he teases us about all the speculation over what’s going to happen with his character’s return. However, he admits that he was sad the Corrie team weren’t able to keep his comeback a secret after photographs of him were taken during filming…
We’ve seen lots of exciting pictures of you and Kate Ford (Tracy) filming scenes in a farmhouse. Has it been different from the usual routine?
Only about four scenes have been shot on the Street itself. It’s a shame the pics at the farmhouse were taken, because we wanted Rob’s return to be a surprise, and it’s cheated the audience of that.
Most of my stuff has been filmed on location, and it felt like working on a feature film! There are a few other characters in the mix, but the focus is Rob and Tracy’s love story. On the first day Kate and I started working together again, we had 13 scenes together – and 60 pages of dialogue to deliver that day and the next. We didn’t really have time to think!
Rob has both Tracy and Amy on the run with him. Does that make life a lot more difficult?
Yes, it’s a do-or-die situation. Rob is doing things completely off the cuff. He wants to make the right decisions, but we know how often he makes the wrong ones! There’s a real sense of urgency, too, and he keeps changing his mind. What Rob really wants is a happy ever after, because his upbringing meant he never had stability. His dream would be living in a two-up, two-down with Tracy. But because of his history, that’s never going to happen!
One thing that’s tantalising is that we now know Rob was on the run when Ken was attacked. So could he be the culprit in that shocking cobbles crime?
Absolutely! I love a ‘whodunnit?’ and I know soap audiences do, too. They feel part of the show and get so involved with those types of storylines, watching for clues and formulating theories. Some are way off the mark, but they are all highly entertaining! I know that anything is possible in soapland – and that’s one of the things I love about Coronation Street.
Would you like to make a permanent return to Corrie?
If it were on the table, I would consider staying. I love the character of Rob and I adore the show. I’d always stay if there were a good story to tell. But I can’t say whether this is the last stint for Rob, or what’s going to happen. What I can tell you is that I always have one eye on
Coronation Street to see what’s going on. The possibilities for Rob’s future are endless…