Yahoo Finance 'Hollyoaks' star Will Mellor joins 'Coronation Street' in most villainous role ever
Will Mellor is set to join the cast of Coronation Street - in his first truly villainous role.
The 44-year-old actor - known for starring in Hollyoaks, Two Pints Of Lager Ant A Packet Of Crisps and Broadchurch - will play evil drugs baron Harvey in the ITV soap, becoming an ominous threat in the lives of Leanne Battersby and her teenage son.
Mellor said: “I’m honoured to be asked to come into Coronation Street, it’s such an iconic show and has been a huge part of my family life. When I started acting 32 years ago it was my mum’s dream for me to be in Corrie so I’m happy to finally be able to make it come true. It’s a Manchester institution and as a Manchester actor this is definitely a box ticked.
“Harvey is the first out and out baddie I’ve ever played. It’s a very different type of role for me so I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into the character and making some waves.”
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Leanne - played by Jane Danson - will encounter Harvey after she comes to the protection of her wayward son Simon (Alex Bain) whilst still gripped by grief for her son Oliver, who died last year aged three from mitochondrial disease.
Producer Iain MacLeod added: “I am so excited to welcome Will into our world. He is a fantastic actor who has thrown himself heart and soul into making his character as terrifyingly real as possible. He will have a massive impact on our characters’ lives, from the moment he swaggers menacingly onto the screen.”
Mellor made his name as a teenager playing Jambo in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks - one of the original characters when the show launched in 1995. He left the soap in 1998 but made a brief cameo appearance in 2004.
He went on to star alongside Sheridan Smith and Ralf Little in BBC sitcom Two Pints Of Lager Ant A Packet Of Crisps, which ran from 2001 to 2011. He and Little co-host a podcast called Two Pints with Will & Ralf.
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He played police officer DC Spike Tanner in Channel 4’s No Offence and a psychic in the first series of ITV’s Broadchurch.
Mellor - who has two teenage children with his dancer wife Michelle McSween - also starred in BBC Three sitcom White Van Man.
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