Roy Cropper

Roy Cropper
David Neilson as Roy Cropper (2007).
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	David Neilson
Introduced by	Sue Pritchard
Duration	1995—
First appearance	19 July 1995
Classification	Present; regular
Spin-off appearances	Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday
Profile
Date of birth	21 September 1954
Home	16 Victoria Street
Occupation	Cafe owner
Family Wife Tracy Barlow (2003-04) Hayley Patterson (2010—) Mother Sylvia Goodwin

Royston "Roy" Cropper, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor David Neilson, the character was introduced during the episode airing on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the executive producer of Coronation Street, Brian Park. Roy has been featured in numerous high-profile storylines, most notably marrying the first transsexual character in British soap, Hayley Patterson (formerly Harold), played by Julie Hesmondhalgh.

Storylines

Roy Cropper is first introduced in 1995 when he purchases one of Mike Baldwin's (Johnny Briggs) flats in Crimea Street. Roy had an unhappy childhood. His father, a French polisher, walked out on his mother when he was ten, and did not get in touch for eight years after starting a new life in New Zealand. Young Roy took this badly. He hated his stepfather and eventually left home to fend for himself.

Roy has the look and manner of the archetypal “anorak”. His keen interest in the wellbeing of his fellow man is easily mistaken for nosiness, and he is almost evicted from the flats for pestering Deirdre Rachid when he is worried about her welfare. He has also displayed a caring attitude to both young Jamie Armstrong (Joseph Gilgun) and Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) after she was beaten up by her husband Jim (Charles Lawson). Jamie’s mother, Tricia Armstrong (Tracy Brabin), takes advantage of Roy’s helpful nature.

Roy buys Alma Baldwin (Amanda Barrie)'s share of her cafe for £35,000, partnering with Gail Platt (Helen Worth). After Gail leaves the business, the cafe is renamed “Roy’s Rolls” and Roy moves into the upstairs flat. A major chapter opens in Roy’s life when, in February 1998, he meets Hayley Patterson, with whom he instantly finds a rapport. Like himself, she is shy and naive; they find they have a lot in common. However, after an intimate dinner, Hayley reveals that she is a pre-operative transsexual, born male but assuming the identity of a woman. Roy reacts badly, rejecting Hayley and going into a depression. Alma intervenes and Roy, missing his companion, decides he has been hasty. Their relationship continues as friendship, until Hayley leaves to have a sex change in Amsterdam. Roy misses her anyway, he traces her steps to Amsterdam, which results in her returning to Weatherfield. They move in together and Roy soon proposes to Hayley, who has to tearfully decline, due to the legal situation surrounding marriage for transsexuals. More problems arise when the rest of Weatherfield discover Hayley's secret. Roy is embarrassed but, following various arguments, pledges to stand by Hayley and once again proposes and she happily accepts. However, when they go to see a vicar, he refuses to marry them, quoting the Bible. Roy is disappointed but is still determined. He meets Jessica Lundy (Olwen May), the temporary lady curate for St Paul’s church, and after some deliberation, she agrees to marry them. The church ceremony is due to take place on 21 April 1999, but was ruined by Les Battersby (Bruce Jones), who has tipped off the press. A devastated Roy and Hayley return to the cafe, thinking the ceremony a washout, but, after a moment of inspiration from Roy, they are married in the cafe. During the reception, Hayley reveals to Roy she had changed her name by deed poll to Hayley Cropper.

Roy and Hayley's desire for a child leads to them attempting foster care parenting. They foster Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) in 2001, who causes them various problems, and get entangled in the problems of another troubled child, Wayne Hayes (Gary Damer). They refuse to give him back to his volatile stepfather and abduct him. They are caught and arrested, jeopardizing their plans to adopt, although they are cleared when Wayne's domestic situation is exposed. In 2003, Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford) uses their desperation for a child to her advantage, and her lies nearly end the Croppers' relationship. For a bet, Tracy beds Roy by spiking his drink at a wedding reception, and then announces she is pregnant with his child. Hayley is devastated by his 'betrayal', but after she leaves Roy and he attemptes suicide, she returns and the Croppers agree when Tracy offers to sell her baby to him. In order to secure his relationship with the unborn child, Roy decides to marry Tracy. As Roy and Hayley's union was never made official due to her being a transsexual, Roy is able to wed Tracy in a marriage of convenience. Tracy gives birth to a little girl, and hands her to the Croppers, who name her Patience. However, Tracy eventually reveals that she did not even have sex with Roy and that the real father is Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson). They reluctantly return the child to Tracy who is renamed Amy Barlow. Roy and Tracy's marriage is subsequently annulled.

In early 2005, Roy is bullied by builder Vince (Conrad Nelson). Vince's arrival brings up many unpleasant memories for Roy, as he recounts to Hayley the physical and psychological torture he suffered in his youth. When he is in the cafe by himself, Vince comes in and demands a free meal. When Roy refuses, Vince plunges Roy's face into the scalding hot fry-up and beats him with a spatula, and is only stopped by Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward), who warns Vince not to return to the street.

In 2007, Hayley opts to keep her adult son (born during her prior life as a man) from Roy, and he is incensed when he eventually discovers the truth. Their marriage nearly ends. However, with support from his employee Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly) (whose life was turned around by the Croppers' support), Roy realises the error of his ways, and makes peace with Hayley before she departs to do charity work in Africa.

In 2008, Roy enters into a row with some violent men in the cafe, and after the police wrongly investigate because of Roy attempting to return a lost phone that one of the men had left in the cafe, the police get the idea that Roy and Ken Barlow (William Roache) are dealing drugs to the men, resulting in him and Ken being arrested. However, after the police experience a confrontation from Becky, they are set free.

In November 2009, Roy finds Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien) lying half conscious outside Underworld after he has suffered a heart attack. Roy calls the ambulance and Tony is rushed to hospital. With many unsuccessful attempts upon arrival, Roy is ordered by the doctor and Tony to contact his fiancée Maria Connor (Samia Smith) who is visiting her parents in Cyprus. Roy is shocked when Tony, thinking he is going to die, confesses his involvement in Liam Connor (Rob James-Collier)'s murder a year previously. Unfortunately for Tony, he fully recovers but Roy, still shocked at what Tony has done, fails a number of times to persuade him to confess to Maria, who was married to Liam, the truth about his death. However, Tony threatens to kill Roy and Hayley. Roy is terrified and tells Hayley what has happened. They decide to report him to the police, resulting in Tony's subsequent arrest. Despite this the police decide to set him free as there was not enough evidence to prove his guilt. Tony comes to the café to take his revenge holding a kitchen knife. Whilst Roy is sitting down beside the riverbank bat-watching, Tony with the knife, decides to murder Roy but fails to sneak up upon him. They begin brawling and Tony pushes him into the canal. Tony watches at the bridge whilst Roy struggles to reach the surface screaming for help, because he cannot swim. Tony has second thoughts, and dives into the canal to save him, reaches him and brings Roy back into consciousness. He walks off, hands himself in to the police for the murder of Liam, while Roy lies there to be found by Hayley and Becky. After hearing in hospital that Tony has handed himself in Roy decides, based on that and the fact Tony pulled him out of the canal, that there may still be some good in him.

In 2010, he and Hayley become engaged but tensions over the event cause Hayley to leave and she moves in with Anna Windass (Debbie Rush). A few weeks after this, in early June, Tony returns and is eager for revenge. After Tony's henchman Robbie (James Fleet) tricks Hayley to go to Underworld, she is held at gun point and tied up before Tony makes his appearance. Maria arrives back in Weatherfield and goes into UnderWorld, wanting to speak with Carla Connor (Alison King) (unaware she and Hayley were being held hostage by Tony), and in an attempt to calm him down shows him pictures taken of Liam Jr. and is, afterwards, held at gun point by Tony. Knowing he will not shoot her, Maria walks out of the factory and runs into Roy who tries to enter the factory but cannot - Tony claims he will kill Hayley as revenge. Carla pleads with Tony to let Hayley go, claiming she had cast the first stone when she had an affair with Liam. Tony lets Hayley go and later sets fire to the factory and the pair are reunited. Roy tells Hayley he loves her and they look on as the factory blows up, just moments after Carla escapes the burning building and Tony dies in the explosion.

On 30 August 2010, Roy and Hayley legally become husband and wife. Despite some glitches, such as Hayley being late for the ceremony due to some interference by scorned would-be wedding planner Mary Taylor (Pattie Clare), the couple get married. In December 2010, a huge explosion tears through 'The Joinery' Bar, further causing a tram to derail and crash on to the cobbles. Roy then opens the café as a refuge for the injured and tends to them by providing food and drink for everyone as the events unfold.

In April 2011, Roy is shocked to receive a letter from his mother, Sylvia (Stephanie Cole) saying his step father who he was never very close to had died. A few days later Sylvia turned up to give Roy a train set which he had as a child, Roy was delighted with the train set but tried to avoid talking to Sylvia. After Hayley takes Sylvia home and sees that she is living in an old peoples home, Hayley attempts to get Roy to let Sylvia live with them he eventually agrees and Sylvia moves in with them. In June 2011, Roy does not want to go to Scotland with Hayley and leave Sylvia looking after the cafe but he eventually trusts her and he and Hayley leave for Scotland for a few weeks.

Character creation and development

Background

Roy Cropper as he appeared in 1995.

The character Royston Cropper, played by David Neilson, is introduced in July 1995 as "a rather odd and scary loner" living in a block of flats near the long-running character Deirdre Rachid (Anne Kirkbride). Actor David Neilson got the part on the recommendation of Coronation Street writer Stephen Mallatratt, a close friend of Neilson's who helped to "mould the character". According to Neilson, the character was initially only brought in for six episodes, but the role was extended and Roy was made into a regular character.

Described primarily as an "incidental character", Roy is not given any significant storylines until 1997. Behind the scenes, the soap was going through a period of change. Coronation Street was lagging behind the BBC's rival soap EastEnders in the ratings, so a new executive producer, Brian Park, was brought in to revitalise the show and attract younger viewers. Aside from multiple axings and introducing various dramatic storylines, Park also decided to give some of the less prominent existing characters a much higher profile; among them was Roy Cropper, who was brought to the forefront of the soap throughout 1997 and 1998, taking over a share in Gail Platt's (Helen Worth) cafe (changing its name to Roy’s Rolls). This gave the character more screen time and, gradually, he was incorporated into the lives of other characters.

Personality

Originally, Cropper was intended as a psychopathic, villainous character whose tenure would last for only six episodes. Neilson described the character as "scary", and "a bit like Norman Bates in [the horror film] Psycho". However, Neilson felt compelled to reinvent Cropper as a sympathetic character, socially inept, rather than menacing. His pestering of neighbour Deirdre Rachid and unusual behaviour could be explained by Asperger syndrome—a disorder which Neilson has since attempted to portray in the character. This ultimately extended the character's screen life, turning him into a fan favourite. Misunderstood, he was almost evicted from his flats for his behaviour towards Deirdre, though he was actually only showing concern for her welfare. He was summed up by the character Mike Baldwin as “a bit of a nutter, but harmless enough”. Although it has never been officially confirmed on-screen, it has indeed been suggested by critics that Cropper has Asperger syndrome, due to his obsessive compulsive tendencies and because of his literal interpretations and miscomprehension of nuances and subtleties.

Described as "remarkably intelligent, but socially naïve", the character is a fan of buses and trains, wears a beige anorak, scarf, woollen gloves and clutching a nylon shopping bag with a set of keys taped to the handle. Actor David Neilson has since revealed that his character's "infamous old shopping bag", complete with attached keys, were props that he introduced. The bag and keys belonged to Neilson's mother, who died shortly before he took on the role in 1995. He has commented, "My mum sadly passed away just before I started on the show and I wanted to carry something of hers. I also wanted to add my own props and develop the character. The bag carries nothing more than my script."

Despite Roy's initial "creepy" persona, viewers were eventually shown a different side to the character. He was converted from a creep to an eccentric; A quiet and shy intellectual man, with few social skills and a penchant for trivial information, but underneath it all, a man with "a heart of gold". He has been described as compassionate, moral, sensitive and full of integrity; taking in waifs and strays and helping his neighbours whenever possible. Commenting on his character, Neilson has said, "Roy is absolutely his own person and hugely honourable. Some people think he's simple. He's not. He's a very complex man with hidden depths. And there's lots more to explore...There's something tragic about Roy. I think there is a big black cloud that follows him around and one day it is going to really dump on him."

Romance with Hayley

As the character becomes more prominent, producers decided to introduce a romantic interest for Roy. Hayley Patterson is introduced in 1998, and her relationship with Roy turns out to be one of the more controversial storylines in Coronation Street's history, as it is later revealed that Hayley is a pre-op transsexual, born a man but assuming the identity of a woman. In an article published by "Press for Change" (a political lobbying and educational organisation, which campaigns to achieve equal civil rights and liberties for all trans people in the UK), an advisor who helped studio writers at Granada Television with this storyline has given an account on its conceptualisation: "It was decided that Roy needed a girlfriend, but what kind of woman would go for Roy, or vice-versa? Ideally, she would have to be a female mirror image of himself. So the character started development and Hayley Patterson...was created. But then someone suggested something; what if she had a dark secret? What if she was transsexual!? Hayley being Harry, in her past life. After some argument and hard thinking, the idea stuck. It was a very controversial move for the long-running show... 'Corrie' had never gone this far."

Hayley's initial purpose was to boost ratings and to act as a "foil" for Roy, "to bring him out of himself a bit and show another side to the man". There were initial criticisms about the storyline and the character of Hayley from the transgender community in the UK, mainly because the actress who played Hayley was not a real transgendered person. However, as the storyline progressed, viewers and critics warmed to Roy and Hayley's romance. Hayley was finally shown to relay her secret to Roy during a candlelit meal in his cafe. Horrified, Roy rejected her, but after a period of reflection he eventually came around, resolving to remain friends with Hayley until she left for Amsterdam to undergo a sex change. Although the character of Hayley was only meant to be short-term, she and her relationship with Roy are so well received by viewers, that the producers of Coronation Street decide to reintroduce her. On-screen, Roy tracks down Hayley and they reunite in a special set of episodes, shot on location in Amsterdam in the Netherlands; Hayley is persuaded to return to Weatherfield with Roy and rebuild their relationship.

Actor David Neilson has complimented the storyline, describing the writing as "absolutely beautiful", and Roy and Hayley are now considered to be one of Coronation Street's "classic" couples.

External links

• Roy Cropper at itv.com