Dean Fagan
“I was excited to realise I’d be pivotal in Phelan’s demise…”
Crikey! Just when we thought wicked Phelan couldn’t get any worse, he went and shot poor Luke before leaving him to perish in an explosion!
For Phelan, it’s the beginning of yet another chapter in his chilling story – but for Luke it’s the end of the road. Star Dean Fagan joins
Inside Soap to reflect on his alter ego’s fiery final moments…
Hi, Dean! All we can say is, what a way to go…
I know! I watched the stunt on set, and I didn’t realise that Luke was going to burn to death. I thought he would die from the gunshot wound, so seeing the car explode knowing that Luke was in there was strange. To physically stand there and watch four years of my life go up in a fireball was a big thing!
Did it make you sad?
I felt quite emotional about it, yes. For most deaths on screen, the actor is lying there holding their breath in a hospital bed or on the street, but this was like an out-ofbody experience. It was like I was Luke’s soul, watching him die.
Were you shocked when you heard Luke would be killed off?
When I told the show’s bosses that I wanted to leave, it was up to them to write me out, and the way they did it suited me perfectly. I wanted to try new things, and I didn’t want the safety net of being able to go back.
What did you think when you read your final scripts?
I was excited to realise that I’d be pivotal in Phelan’s demise. Things are beginning to unravel for him now that someone else has found out the truth and been killed – a desperate act that will lead to more questions being asked.
The car chase between Luke and Phelan looked so exciting! What was it like to film?
It felt like we were going out to shoot a feature film. We were away from set on the bleak moors, so that added to the drama and the creepy atmosphere. I’d gone from playing a mildmannered mechanic to Mad Max!
What’s next for you following
Coronation Street?
Next month I’m starting a play called
D’eon, which is about the first openly transgendered person in European history. I’m playing the guy who is assigned to bring him to France to be charged with treason – so very different from Luke and Corrie!