Ex-Corrie star Julie Hesmondhalgh says its would be ‘absolutely wrong’ to still be playing Hayley Cropper
The telly favourite left three years ago and says she wants to be known for doing other roles
JULIE Hesmondhalgh has revealed how it would be “absolutely wrong” if she was still playing Hayley Cropper in Coronation Street.
The telly favourite played the first ever soap Transgender character from 1998, but left in 2014.
Julie will be back on our screens at the end of the month for the third and final series of Broadchurch.
The 46-year-old says she hopes one day she will be known as one of the actresses who have gone on to have successful careers after Corrie.
Speaking to Mirror Online: “It never leaves you, it never does. I’ve left it, very much so, but she will always be part of me, will Hayley.
“I love that part and I love that whole time in my life but I feel very separate from it now.
“It’s been three years now but three years is nothing, Suranne Jones (who also appeared in Coronation Street) still gets it and it’s hilarious to me. It’s
been 10 years and she’s a Bafta-winning superstar.”
“There is always a list of people I would eventually like to join when they say ‘how will it be when they leave?'
"There has only been a handful that have done it. Suranne, Sarah (Lancashire), Katherine Kelly, and maybe one day they will add me on to that list.
She went on: “It ended just as there was this whole movement of young trans actors coming through and it would have been such an anomaly, it
would have been absolutely wrong for me to be playing that part now.
“It just happened at the right time that I went and everyone else took over.
"It felt the right moment and it would have been anachronistic for me to be playing that part now, it would have been strange.
“But I’m really proud of all that and it changed my life beyond measure. I still get a lot of love for it and get Hayley hugs.”
Julie will join the cast of Broadchurch as Trish Winterman, the victim of the sexual assault that is the central mystery of the final series.
Broadchurch returns to ITV at 9pm on 27 February
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