EXCLUSIVE
ACTRESS Melissa Johns used to be embarrassed by her stunted limb but then she was cast as a fiery, onearmed lesbian in Corrie.
Melissa, who plays newcomer Imogen, is brimming with confidence and comfortable showing her right arm.
Melissa, 27, was born with the disability and would go to any lengths to disguise it. But now she said: “I love that I play a blonde, I have one arm, I’m feisty as hell and I am gay.”
The actress made an instant passionate impact on the Street when Kate Connor, played by Faye Brookes, catches her eye.
Kate was thrilled but Rana was furious their fun evening at the Bistro was disrupted and she clashed with Imogen.
Rana, played by Bhavna Limbachia, pulled off Imogen’s choker and she was unable to put it back on. Instead Kate replaced it, creating an intimate on- screen moment.
Melissa said: “That wouldn’t happen if I could have put it on myself.
“I’m so lucky that Imogen is a great character and has a real attitude. But it was nerve-racking being on set for the first time and I wasn’t sure if my one arm was in shot.”
It’s hardly surprising that Melissa was self-conscious about her disability because although her mum Sara is her rock others have been far less supportive.
Melissa was cruelly taunted at school but refused to let it get her down. She said: “I wore a prosthetic arm and some boys threw stones at me. But we can all get bullied.
“If you have freckles you can get bullied, if you wear glasses you can get bullied, if you do something uncool you can get bullied.”
But Melissa, who has been in BBC dramas The Interceptor, Silk and Casualty, has found her arm has been a blessing as well as a curse. She said: “When you have a disability, it’s almost seen as a disadvantage before you even get in the room.”
Yet her acting school encouraged her to reveal her disability and she was told: “Your arm is your gold.” Melissa came to realise being disabled makes her see the world and approach a character in a different way.
She is a disability campaigner and runs her own drama workshop TripleC that she set up with fellow Corrie disabled actress Cherylee Houston who plays Izzy.
She says: “I think Corrie is good at showing disabled people but TV needs to catch up. We are moving in the right direction but we are not moving fast enough.” “I’m the second disabled actress in Corr Corrie but it’s amazing g because they y cu currently ly have three disabled peoplep in their show.”
Since ce her Corrie debut,d t, Melissa has hadh positive feedb back about her disability.d ity. She said: “I have lots of paren ents contacting ontacting me s sayingg their childrenhild h have a disability bility and what a positive effect t I have been, which is lovely.”y.”
Melissa is happily settled with boyfriend of fourr years Mat S wai n e , who accompanied her too the National Lottery awards wards this week. But she joked kissing Faye Brookess after bearded Mat had been een a welcome change.
I’m so lucky that Imogen is a great character and has attitude