Roy Cropper
Roy Cropper is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by David Neilson. He first appeared on-screen 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 transgender character in a British soap opera, Hayley Patterson (Julie Hesmondhalgh).[2]
Roy Cropper
1995–present
Episode 3884
19 July 1995
Sue Pritchard
Coronation Street: Romanian Holiday
Royston Cropper[1]
Royston Cropper[1]
Café owner
Chef
St. John Cropper[1]
Richard Lucas
Jonathan Cropper[1]
Stephen Cropper[1]
Isabelle Cropper[1]
Tracy Barlow (2003–2004)
Hayley Patterson (2010–2014)
Fiz Brown (foster)
Royston Cropper
Jean
Creation[edit]
Background[edit]
The character, 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).[3] 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".[4] 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.[5]
Described primarily as an "incidental character", Roy is not given any significant storylines until 1997.[3] 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, who was brought to the forefront of the soap throughout 1997 and 1998, taking over a share in Gail Platt's (Helen Worth) café (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.[3]
Personality[edit]
Originally, Roy was intended as a psychopathic, villainous character whose tenure would last for only six episodes.[6] Neilson described the character as "scary",[6] and "a bit like Norman Bates in [the horror film] Psycho".[4] However, Neilson felt compelled to reinvent Roy as a sympathetic character, socially inept, rather than menacing. His pestering of neighbour Deirdre Rachid and his 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.[6] 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".[7] Although it has never been officially confirmed on-screen, it has indeed been suggested by critics that Roy has Asperger syndrome, due to his obsessive compulsive tendencies and because of his misunderstanding and literal interpretations of nuances and subtleties.[8][9]
Described as "remarkably intelligent, but socially naïve", Roy Cropper is a pure atheist. He is a fan of buses and trains, wears a beige anorak, scarf, woollen gloves and clutches a nylon shopping bag with a set of keys taped to the handle.[10][11] 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."[11]
Despite Roy's initial "creepy" persona,[11] viewers were eventually shown a different side to the character. He was converted from a creep to an eccentric;[12] 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".[7][10] He has been described as compassionate, moral, sensitive and full of integrity; taking in waifs and strays and helping his neighbours whenever possible.[13][14] 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."[4]
Development[edit]
Hayley Cropper[edit]
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 transgender woman.[15] 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."[3]
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".[3] 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 transgender.[3] However, as the storyline progressed, viewers and critics warmed to Roy and Hayley's romance.[3] 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 gender reassignment surgery.[16] Although the character of Hayley was only meant to be short-term, she and her relationship with Roy were so well received by viewers, that the producers of Coronation Street decide to reintroduce her.[3] 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.[4]
Temporary departure[edit]
On 12 November 2015, it was reported by the Sun newspaper that Neilson would be taking a three-month break as he wanted to join a stage show and tread the boards, while the break would also allow him to "recharge". The newspaper added that ITV said it was "happy to accommodate" his leave, and he will be written out of the show.[17] Roy departed on 22 January 2016 as he headed to Hastings to care for his mother, Sylvia, who had broken her hip. He returned to the show on 9 May 2016.[18]
Reception[edit]
For his portrayal of Roy, Neilson won "Best Actor" at the 2013 Inside Soap Awards.[20] Neilson won "Best Actor", "Best Dramatic Performance", "Best Storyline" (alongside Julie Hesmondhalgh), "Best Single Episode" (alongside Julie Hesmondhalgh) and "Best On-Screen partnership" (alongside Julie Hesmondhalgh) at The British Soap Awards 2014.[21] Alex Ross from Planet Radio wrote that Neilson was recognisable in the role and that Roy is a popular character.[22] In 2020, when speaking about Roy having been on the soap for 25 years, Gary Gillatt from Inside Soap wrote "Hurrah! Now another 25, please".[23]