The women of Weatherfield: Stars of the street

SALLY CARMAN – WOMEN OF WEATHERFIELD

Abi’s life has been thrown upside down again recently with reminders of Corey and then the deep fake videos, has this really rocked her?

It’s really rocked her yes, she thought that she was just getting back on the straight and narrow, finely everything had settled down, she was coming to terms with Seb’s death and trying to look to the future. But then this comes along and just shakes the ground.

She’s tried so hard to change her life over the last few years, could this push Abi to revisit that darker side of her past?

I think there will be some moments where she goes into auto pilot and old behaviours resurface. We’ll have to see what happens in regards to her going right back. In these moments where she feels she’s going to lose everything that’s where she comes out fighting because they’re such big things for her to face losing now that anyone would react in a way that isn’t maybe an obvious reaction for them. But for someone that’s already very reactionary then yes she’s definitely going to pull on some old behaviours.

Are we going to see a return to the impetuous side of Abi that we all love?

I hope so because I love that side of her too! I love the scenes where I just get to call the shots, cause mayhem, storm into buildings, set fire to things, it’s just brilliant. So yes there’s definitely going to be a few moments of Abi doing whatever she pleases and hanging the consequences, with absolutely no cares given. She’s a law unto herself and I love it when we get to see a little bit of that lawlessness again, it’s fabulous and I say bring on more.

Do you think this could threaten her relationship with Kevin?

Yes I do, how she reacts to things could press some buttons in Kevin, but equally his reactions to what happens to her could press some buttons in her. Whatever her past she has to feel that he trusts her, so it will be six of one and half a dozen of the other I think.

Do you love the fact that Abi’s past can still impact on her future?

Yeah I love that. A lot of the things that Abi gets up to, the drugs aside which were always more to numb the pain of her mistakes, a lot of her reactions she actually doesn’t think are particularly bad because she’s fighting the good cause in her head. So when she holds people up to how they’ve behaved, whether it be with a gun or whatever she’s like yeah but you did this and I love the yeah buts in Abi’s life, I hope she yeah buts forever.

When do you love playing her best?

I like playing her best when she’s completely off the wall, because it’s brilliant being able to find the truthful moments in that. I love just doing something you’d never normally get to do. But I also love playing her when she’s funny, when there’s those comedy moments with her, I’m all for that. I enjoy the laughing and I enjoy the craziness, I get the best of both worlds.

You auditioned for Corrie quite a few times before you got Abi, has this role been a dream come true?

Well I think I auditioned for Coronation Street about 500,000 times! It felt like that, to the point where Angie who used to work in reception knew my name. But it did then come around at the right time and Abi was definitely the right part. I wouldn’t change a single thing. It was perfect timing and the character couldn’t be better for me. I’m nearly 7 years in and it still feels like I started yesterday. I still find it exciting, I still enjoy getting my scripts, I love everyone who works there, it’s just a brilliant gift of a job.

As a woman, what’s the best thing about working at Corrie?

The other women, it’s as simple as that. The women on the cast, the women on the crew, all these brilliant women just seem to gravitate to this building, there’s some real diamonds here regardless of what area they work in. Solid, brilliant, awesome women and that for me has just been the best. I know I could call on any one of these women on this shoot if I needed help, someone to celebrate with me or be there for me. Making lifelong friendships and getting to work with people who you’d be happy to be stuck on a desert island with makes it such a brilliant place. Also meeting my husband too, that was alright.