You Ask… Ryan Prescott (Ryan)
Corrie’s Ryan Connor ...faces your questions!
Ryan Connor tends to act first and think later – but the same can’t be said for star Ryan, who answers your queries with calm consideration…
“What was your first day on the Coronation Street set like?”
Well, it wasn’t on set, it was actually on location. Ryan had had a dirty one-night stand, so I was mostly nude throughout it, which was strange. You can’t be shy in this gig! My first day in the studios was with Kym Marsh [aka Michelle] and she was very welcoming. Starting this new job was fantastic for me.
“When you won the role of Ryan, did you watch back any scenes of the previous actors who played him?”
Yeah, definitely – I did some research! I wanted to recall what had happened to Ryan in the past. Him coming back meant all those previous relationships were reopened, and it became easy to see why he ran away to Ibiza.
“Who would you say is your best friend in the Corrie cast?”
Everyone’s so lovely – I can literally sit down with anyone and talk to them for an hour. It really is one of those places! But I hit it off with Harry Visinoni, who plays Seb. He’s actually quite a bit younger than me, yet I think he’s an old soul. I get along very well with James Burrows [aka Dr Ali], too. That’s good because we obviously work together a lot, and the fact we have a solid friendship allows us to push each other a bit more and get creative. We’ve built a trust between us, and it’s more fun to play – it brings an element of reality to Ryan and Ali’s relationship.
“What’s it like having Kym Marsh as your on-screen mother?”
She’s just so funny – we always have fun! She was really giggling away today. When you’re in 12 hours a day, you have to break up all those professional moments with relaxation, humour and being sociable – a bit of banter and a joke. People at Corrie really do make it enjoyable, and Kym is no exception. It has to be Ryan’s mum – she’s in charge! To be inside the mind of
Kym would definitely be a good learning experience. It would be really interesting to step into Michelle’s shoes.
“Is it true that you auditioned for other Corrie characters in the past?”
Yeah, I’ve been up for quite a few roles! There was Billy’s brother,
Lee. I remember I sat with Dan [Brocklebank, who plays Billy], we did a great scene and I was gutted when I didn’t get the part. And the audition I had just before Ryan was for Ali! The show told me, “Look, we’re going another way with Ali, but we really like you and we have some ideas, so hang on”. As an unemployed actor, you have to carry on auditioning – but four months later, I got a phone call. And it worked out right. I love the part of Ryan – he’s cheeky and has this boisterous confidence, but actually it’s all to mask these insecurities and anxiety.
“Is there anyone at Corrie who you’d like to work with more?”
I’d love to have more scenes with Chris Gascoyne [Peter]. I connected with him when I first started and we chatted a lot about acting – I really respect and admire him. Richard Hawley [aka Johnny] as well – we like to talk shop quite a bit. Plus, Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone. Everyone is so talented.
“Ryan is becoming closer to Bethany – would you like them to get together?”
Yeah, I think for Ryan there’s an attraction there where he sees someone who is small, pretty, and has that innocence.
Yet at the same time, she’s been to hell and back and has a sense of maturity after dealing with something so intense. Ryan is going to try to stick it out, but I’m not sure if he’s getting very far. We’ll have to wait and see! I love working with Lucy Fallon [Bethany], though – she’s so fun and we have lots of laughs.
“How did you feel when you were nominated for Best Villain at this year’s British Soap Awards [for his role as Liam Slade in Doctors]?”
I felt very honoured – I’d been in the show before as Liam in 2013, and then he was brought back again for a few episodes years later. I was shocked to be nominated – when I got the message telling me the news, I replied, “I think I might’ve received the wrong email!”