Coronation Street fans have been watching Todd Grimshaw’s storyline take a deeply unsettling turn; but behind the scenes, it’s been just as intense for Gareth Pierce, who has now opened up about the emotional weight of portraying it all.
Why The Todd-Theo Storyline Has Been So Demanding
Pierce explained that working on a soap can be more tiring than doing comedy. One of the main reasons is that actors don’t always know where the story is going.
In short dramas, the full story is planned out. Actors know when things will rise or fall. But in a soap, the journey is not always clear from the start. Pierce described it as figuring things out along the way, which keeps things interesting but also makes the job harder.
He also shared that playing such strong emotions regularly can be exhausting. Staying at a high emotional level for long periods takes a lot out of an actor.
The emotional side of the story has been just as tough. Pierce spoke about how sad it has been to show Todd slowly becoming isolated. Todd has close relationships with Sarah, George, and Summer. These bonds are important in Todd’s life, which makes it even harder to watch them break down.
Why Todd Keeps Letting Things Slide
Pierce shared that it has been difficult to show how Theo has pulled Todd away from those people. At the same time, he hinted that things may start to change, as those around Todd are beginning to notice what’s going on and step in.
The Corrie victim also spoke about Todd’s reactions. Instead of pushing Theo away, Todd has been more forgiving than many expected. He explained that this comes from a mix of emotions. There is love, but also guilt and confusion.
Todd also believes people can change, partly because he has changed himself in the past. Because of that, he ignored some early warning signs. He thought those problems could be fixed, which is why he stayed patient for longer than he should have.
As the story moves forward, viewers can see how complicated things have become. And for Pierce, bringing all of that to the screen has been just as demanding as it looks. Stay tuned to Soap Opera Daily for more Coronation Street spoilers and behind-the-scenes updates.