Nathan Graham
“I can kick a ball, but I haven’t been asked to join the Corrie team!”
Budding footballer James is under pressure to reveal all to his dad Ed about his sexuality. But star Nathan is as cool as a cucumber when our readers give him a grilling…
“Who in the Corrie cast were you most excited to meet when you started on the show?”
When you join an iconic show like this, you’re just excited to finally meet all these people in person that you’ve been watching on screen for years. It’s cool working with someone like William Roache, who plays Ken – he’s the king of the Street! I’ve had a couple of little scenes with him. It’s such an honour to work with people who you’ve grown up watching.
“What’s it like having Lorna Laidlaw [Aggie] as a screen mum, and did you watch her in Doctors?”
Sadly, I didn’t see her in Doctors. But Lorna is a lovely woman – she’s such a warm human being, it’s not hard to have a good relationship with her. She’s humble, and generous with her acting. Obviously she has a lot of experience, so she’s always on the ball, and her attention to detail is great. She’s there to help out if you need to talk about anything work-related. She’s terrific.
“James plays for Weatherfield County, but are you any good at playing football in real life?”
I’m all right. I can kick a ball – I know my way around a football pitch! On Monday nights, some of the Corrie crew play, so often me and Ryan [Russell, who plays Nathan’s screen brother Michael] will go down and play. But I haven’t been asked to join the proper Corrie team yet.
“If you were a hot-shot footballer like James, what would you spend your first pay packet on?”
It depends on how big the cheque is! I’d like to buy a house for my parents, and one for my grandad, and have everybody close by. I’m personally not into flashy cars or anything – if you’re privileged enough to have that sort of money, I’d like to think you’d sort out your loved ones first.
“Can you tell us a secret about your on-screen brother, Ryan Russell?”
Ryan’s full of energy! He’s a cool guy, we really get on, so I hope that comes across that way on screen. And a little secret – he’s very good at football. I remember when I first saw him play,
“Who in the cast were you excited to meet?”
I said to him, “I think they got our characters the wrong way around!”
He’s better at playing football than I am.
“I heard that you’re actually 28 in real life! What’s it like to play a 19-year-old on screen?”
Age is just a number! We said from the start that James is quite mature for his age, and sometimes he’s more mature than his older brother. So I don’t think it’s an issue. Occasionally, the things he says might make him seem younger, but I don’t feel as if I have to necessarily play him younger.
“Is it true you were in the musical Dreamgirls in the West End?”
I was, and that was a great experience. Musical theatre is very different from
Corrie – you’re there every day, doing eight shows a week – but it was great, and I’m grateful for everything I learned there. I met some wicked friends for life.
“Where’s the strangest place you’ve ever been recognised so far?”
I haven’t been recognised that much. But sometimes, if I have some free time, I’ll go out with my dad at work – he fits windows and doors. I was helping him on Saturday, and this man said, “Oh, you look like the guy off Coronation Street!” So I had to fess up and tell him it was me!
“Who in the Corrie cast would you like to do more scenes with?”
I actually did a scene with Colson [Smith, aka Craig] today, which was cool. It would be good for James to have friends his own age, people like Craig and Seb. James has a great relationship with his brother, but it would be nice to see him with some other pals, too.
“What does your family think of you being in Corrie, and are they fans of the show?”
My dad and my sister love it. They watch it all the time – even before I was in the show. We’re a close family, so they know me better than anyone. They’re very happy for me, and are so supportive. I think they really enjoy me being in the show.
“What do you think you would be doing if you weren’t an actor?”
I don’t know! The idea of property development interests me a lot. I could still do that as an actor, couldn’t I? Maybe one day I’ll set up a side-hustle…
“What’s your favourite way to spend a day off ?”
If I have a day off, I normally go to the gym, see my grandad, and then just hang out with some pals – maybe go see a movie. Just everyday, normal life!
“As you’re 28, what’s it like to play a 19year-old?”