Coronation Street's Ciarán Griffiths hints at danger for Damon in Harvey showdown
"It doesn’t really matter where Harvey is, he can still pull strings."
Ciarán Griffiths has hinted that his Coronation Street character Damon Hay could be in danger when he reunites with his incarcerated brother Harvey Gaskell (Will Mellor) in upcoming scenes.
Damon makes his return tonight (Monday 1st January 2024), and after catching up with old flame Sarah Barlow (Tina O'Brien) and targeting nemesis Adam Barlow (Sam Robertson), later in the week Damon heads to the prison to pay Harvey a visit. But what does Harvey want from Damon?
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other media, actor Griffiths gave us some insight. "Harvey’s trying to blackmail him and get him to do favours and Damon’s saying he doesn’t want to do that as he’s changed.
"Damon’s opinion is let’s call it quits, you do you and I’ll do me, see you later but it’s not that simple
when it comes to Harvey, he’s got a bit of clout whether he’s inside or not."
Indeed, despite the fact that Harvey is locked up, it seems that he's got the upper hand over Damon, said the star.
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"Because they know each other so well they both think they can outwit each other. And because Damon’s outside, whereas Harvey’s inside, at first he thinks he’s got one up on him but he soon realises that it doesn’t really matter where Harvey is, he can still pull strings.
"It doesn’t matter whether he’s locked up or not, Harvey can still get to people, especially the
people that Damon cares about the most."
Whether that puts Sarah, or Damon himself, at risk remains to be seen; but Griffiths teased the complex dynamic between the two brothers. "It’s intense, they don’t like each other," he explained.
"They’ve got different dads and I think Damon was always pushed to the bottom of the pile a bit growing up, always the one getting a clip round the ear. I think they’re both holding onto a lot of resentment, they don’t like each other at all, even though they’re half brothers."
Away from the darker side of his alter ego, the actor enjoyed filming a particularly memorable comedy scene for the ITV soap. "I had a really good scene in the Bistro the other day with the Platts where Damon’s meeting all the family, Mickey Jones was directing and he just let me do my kind of thing.
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"Damon’s supposed to be making a good impression trying to win Sarah back, and he does really care about her, but I thought: 'How much would he really care about how much Gail likes him or not?' He tries to be charming with them but clearly they don't like him, so I thought 'I’m just going to eat as obnoxiously as I can, put their backs up', and I really enjoyed it, having that freedom with the character.
"It was a great scene. I had Sarah [on one side], and the mother and the grandmother on the other, then David came in and Nick was there, so it's a really good mix of different personalities. I really enjoyed it, we had a right laugh filming it, it’s great working with all the Platts."
Asked if he sees Damon ever settling down on the cobbles, Griffiths pointed out that Harvey's shadow, among others, may prevent this from happening. "It’s what he wants but it depends what pressures he’s under or what he has to do to get by.
"He might want to settle down on the street, but it's whether he’ll be allowed to settle down on the street with his brother looming over him and Adam on his back. I don't think it's ever going to be plain sailing for Damon. There's always going to be someone who's out to get him, whether it be Harvey or Adam."
Damon returns to Coronation Street on Monday 1st January 2024 on ITV.
Read more:
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- Coronation Street's Alison King reveals genuine emotion in Carla and Peter's final scenes
- Coronation Street's Charlotte Jordan teases return of Daisy's devious side after Daniel split
Visit our dedicated Coronation Street page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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