Mr Roy Cropper has been a popular character on the long-running soap for nearly 60 years. He’s had many different storylines, including being involved in a plane crash and having an affair with his daughter.
Roy Cropper is the main character in Coronation Street. He has been on the show since it began in 1960, making him one of the longest-running characters on British television.
A heartfelt love tale (Image courtesy of ITV)
Is Coronation Street still Coronation Street if Roy Cropper isn’t on it?
Our hearts would break less if the Rovers were shut down, all the cobblestones were removed, and Reg Holdsworth was brought back.
In an age when the term community has lost more significance than ever, the man is the heart of the community.
Right now, prejudice and a lack of acceptance of variety are spreading hatred across society.
While we are all horrified by racist, homophobic, hate crime, and abusive behaviors we witness on social media and in the news, we are hesitant to face the fact that maybe more of us than most have micro-behaviors against people who are different from us.
Even among those who believe they are the most tolerant people on the planet, a recluse in an overcoat with socially awkward behaviors, a passion with train sets, and a love for chess would raise many an eyebrow.
However, on Coronation Street, the guy behind these non-conforming characteristics has the warmest personality and the biggest heart of any character on the show.
Roy is a guy who spits in the face of prejudice, despite having the fashion, nature, and mannerisms that have frequently made him the target of mockery.
It’s hard to think Roy, who was presented as the too familiar neighbor who took a fancy to Deirdre, was first uncomfortable.
But, because to the warm performances of the amazing David Neilson, one of British television’s most underappreciated and subtle performers of all time, any attempts to make Roy into a scary stalker quickly went wrong.
When you meet David, like I did (hashtag namedrop), you’ll see that he’s nothing like the persona he portrays. He is very personable, has a great sense of humour, and is quite the character.
And it’s because of this that he’s such a fantastic actor. Off camera, he may grin and radiate confidence, but as soon as he puts on his beige anorak, he Roys up and enters the realm of the most intriguing of people.
Roy has come a long way from his early days (Picture: ITV)
This is a figure that can turn even the most ordinary situations into works of art by gluing eyeballs to screens on paper.
Sharing an ice cream cone with his beloved Hayley, chewing the fat with his closest friend Carla, and playing chess with Mary were as near as you can come to some of the most charming and enjoyable moments that only Coronation Street can provide.
David steals the show even when he’s just trudging over with a breakfast and misunderstanding the meaning of someone’s remark about the price of a bacon roll.
Outside, there might be an armed siege, an explosion, or a crashed UFO, or even worse, a Trump rally, and Roy would have the greatest moment of the show.
Roy is known for much more than his mannerisms and spot-on physical and stuttering performances.
Basically, seeing Roy rescue so many lost souls makes us all wish we had a Roy in our lives. Would we approach a Roy if we saw one? Would we want them in our circle of friends if we saw one? Would we even pass judgment on them?
We’d want to believe that’s not the case, but in reality, people like Roy come in last.
Roy, on the other hand, is everyone’s hero in the comfortingly warm world of Corrie.
He has a lengthy list of individuals he has taken under his wing, many of whom have thrived as a result of Roy’s guidance and are still alive today.
Let’s not forget that Roy grew up with Fiz, who was a completely different persona from the one we see now. Becky, Kylie, Shona, Carla, and Anna are some famous Roy fans.
He’ll take in the most broken individuals, give them a chance, and provide them with a safety net. At the same time, he won’t accept no for an answer, and when tough love is needed, Roy will be forthright in his counsel and advise, even if it isn’t always what the individual wants to hear.
Carla, the glam wine-drinking businesswoman and the eccentric cafe owner, is one of his most lasting friendships; the glam wine-drinking businesswoman and the quirky cafe owner are not what most people would consider a match made in heaven.
Carla is Roy’s daughter as well as his closest friend, and she has the father, brother, and BFF she has always craved.
The aspect of overcoming all of Carla’s faults to assist her beyond condemning her and supporting her through horrible ordeals such as rape and mental breakdowns makes me certain that Carla only survived because of Roy.
Roy and his niece Nina are now on the same boat. Nina and Roy share a bond established not just by family ties, but also by the fact that they have both led lives that do not conform to societal standards.
Nina was originally skeptical of Roy, but their dynamic friendship has provided both of them with insights into realms they didn’t need to know about or have a stake in before.
We think Roy has a more youthful side, Nina has matured a lot, and Roy’s delight in her is enough to break even the toughest of hearts.
So who was there for Nina while she was going through the hardest trauma of her life? As always, her guardian angel Roy was her knight and a fervent advocate against hatred, ignorance, and violence.
Because, of all the soap villains, vagabonds, and schemers, Roy is the most pure.
Roy is not prejudiced.
The greatest relationship he’d ever had, as well as one of television’s best ever love tales, began in 1997, when Roy met Hayley Patterson and fell in love immediately, despite their timid and eccentric personalities.
Now that transphobia is widespread, all you have to do is mention “Les Battersby” to recall Hayley’s reaction when she came out as trans in 1997.
Roy adjusted quickly to the surprise – she was his Hayley. And she was correct till their marriage ended.
There was only one way Julie Hesmondhalgh’s tale could finish when she chose to leave her position.
Roy and Hayley, like Jack and Vera, were one of those couples that you could never, ever split up convincingly. They brought to the Street love, hope, and a positive deviation and pride.
Les and others calling her names, as well as others dead naming her, turned the crowd against them, rather than Hayley.
And it’s perhaps the first major move on television toward improving trans portrayal views.
There’s still a long way to go, but Roy and Hayley’s connection is memorable and a major part of the show’s history. Is it possible to duplicate it? I really doubt it. Roy and Hayley are irreplaceable in the same way that couples are marketed as the new “Jack and Vera” or witty battleaxes are marketed as the new “Blanche.”
The subtle performances of David, who could generate chemistry in his sleep, are the beauty of Roy.
He establishes a sympathetic connection with every character he is partnered with, regardless of their origin, identity, gender, age, or behaviors, and we just believe.
They are irreplaceable (Picture: ITV)
Roy, on the other hand, isn’t a softie. When a bunch of builders bullied him, he stood up to them. Royston gave Gray Windass the cricket batting of a lifetime when he broke in. And Roy was one of the few people to stand up to serial murderer Tony Gordon and survive.
Roy is a legend. A legend in the soap industry.
In real life, we will never meet someone so pure. So, how fortunate are we to have Roy as a character in our life three days a week?
Long live Roy, our comfort blanket. He is Corrie’s and Corrie’s audience’s soul.
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Mr Roy Cropper is the protagonist of Coronation Street, one of Britain’s longest running soap operas. Reference: roy cropper actor.
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