‘Cancer Never Leaves YouÕ
Actress Sally Dynevor talks about overcoming illness and why she’s nothing like her Corrie namesake
She’s chalked up an impressive 32 years on the cobbles of Coronation Street and is undoubtedly one of the show’s stalwarts, but Sally Dynevor admits that, despite her unquestionable success, her career has not necessarily panned out the way she’d envisaged when she was an ambitious, young actress.
‘I love the family of Coronation Street – it’s quite a passion of mine – so I’m very happy here, but, when I look back on my career, I understand that I maybe haven’t done the things that I set out to do,’ she says candidly. ‘Life doesn’t always lend you that card, and it never happened for me. I would still like to go and do some theatre. I keep banging on about it, but it doesn’t seem to knock on my door – nobody knows that I want to do it.
‘And, of course, I’d love to go off and do big period dramas and movies in Hollywood, but it’s just not going to happen!
‘I’m not complaining, though. I love this job,
I get great scripts, I work with wonderful people and
I’m thrilled to have a nice, new storyline.’
The plotline, which has seen former mayor Sally Metcalfe wrongfully arrested on suspicion of fraud, bribery and money laundering, promises plenty of
‘I’m starting to live my life through my kids now – whatever they’re up to,
I’m excited about’
drama ahead. But off-screen, Sally visibly gasps with relief when asked whether her own life in any way compares to the on-screen chaos.
‘Oh, my life is really boring!’ she laughs. ‘But it’s boring in a good way. When you get older, that’s what you want – calm and contentment. The most exciting thing I’m going to do at the weekend is read a book! I’m starting to live my life through my kids now – whatever they’re up to, I’m excited about.’
While actress Sally insists she couldn’t be further from her character Sally, nine years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer, coincidentally mirroring a storyline which saw her suffer the same illness on-screen. Next year, she plans to travel to Nepal for a two-week trek to Everest Base Camp, to help raise funds for the charity Prevent Breast Cancer.
‘It never leaves you, but it does seem a lifetime ago, because I really do try very hard to leave it behind me,’ she explains. ‘I want to help people, but I don’t want to be banging my drum about it, it’s something I want to do quietly.’
Sally, 55, lives in Manchester with her scriptwriter husband Tim and their three children, actress Phoebe, 23, student Sam, 21 and Hattie, 14. And, while screen Sally has had more than her share of ups and downs with daughters Rosie and Sophie, actress
Sally could not be happier with her own brood.
‘I love my relationship with my children now they’re older – it’s like they’re mates,’ she enthuses. ‘You’re always there as a parent, but I really love young people. It’s nice to listen to them and what they think about things, their ideas about the future and what they feel about the world.
‘I’m a really laid-back mum. I think I’m a bit too laid-back, to be honest. It’s not like my childhood, where you had to do whatever your parents said and did. Now it’s the kids who rule the roost and we have to do what they say!’
Sally grew up in Oldham, Lancashire, and joined Oldham Theatre Workshop as a child. At 17, she left to study drama in London and, at the age of 22, landed her first TV role – a small part in BBC1’s police drama Juliet Bravo.
Just a year later, she joined Corrie as young tearaway Sally Seddon and, since then, the dramatic storylines have come thick and fast. This week sees Sally up in court, but, in typical fashion she decides to go it alone after finding out her school-friend Paula, who is her solicitor, is having an affair with her daughter Sophie.
With a very real danger her character could end up in jail, Sally says she’s loving the mixture of drama and comedy, following recent criticism that the show’s storylines had become too dark.
‘I think humour is the backbone of Coronation Street. It’s not like the other soaps,’ she says firmly. ‘I think Coronation Street has done it brilliantly over the years, and to lose that would be a slippery slope.
‘I understand we have to attract new viewers, but I genuinely believe we can do that through character and not necessarily through events. We should be Coronation Street. We don’t need to be competing.
‘I think Kate Oates did a really good job – she brought in loads of young viewers – and I’m very excited about our new producer Iain MacLeod; he’s a lovely man.’
Other than her bucket-list trip to Nepal and the occasional envious glimpse over the pond to Hollywood, Sally says she is more than happy about how her life has panned out.
‘I think if you’re happy then you’re successful,’ she says simply. ‘It doesn’t matter what you’re doing or where you are. And I feel really happy. I’ve got three great kids, a lovely husband and I’ve really enjoyed my years on Corrie.
I feel so lucky.’