Coronation Street spoilers follow.
Coronation Street has another dramatic fortnight lined up for new villain Mick Michaelis as his behaviour continues to get worse.
After this week's revealing flashback episode, which will explore secrets from Mick's past, fans can expect a dark revenge plan to unfold as he targets his old friend Kit Green.
The huge scenes play out following the recent revelation that Mick will be leaving Corrie at the end of his current story.
In a new chat, actor Joe Layton – who plays Mick – caught up with us about his character's villainous actions, his upcoming departure and much more…
Hi Joe! Mick has been targeting Liam in recent episodes – why do you think he's behaving like this?
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"Mick is a character that's built on contradiction. If you asked him, he'd say that he's got a really strong sense of self and a very moral compass. That moral compass just happens to be one that wouldn't line up with me and you and most people!
"When Mick stepped in to stop Liam from having his phone nicked, there was almost a glimmer where it could have been the beginning of a redemptive arc. But Mick is definitely of the mind that Liam probably needs to toughen up a bit…
"It started out quite playful – and I think genuinely from a good place. Mick was trying to have a bit of banter in the builder's yard. But his ego is so fragile that as soon as Liam started to push back a bit, he ended up lashing out at Liam.
"A lot of it is bravado, I think, masking deeper insecurities."
This all leads to some fight scenes between Mick and Gary later this week. How were those to film?
"I know Ronnie has before this, but it's nice to see someone stand up to Mick!
"It was fantastic working with Mikey [North, who plays Gary] – he's a brilliant actor and a lovely man. The way it had been scheduled meant that we shot a lot of scenes together – just me and him and Liam at the builder's yard, so we had that rapport and working relationship.
"For those specific scenes, we worked with fight director Kate Waters, and Jason Wingard was the episode director. What they did to create an environment for us to work safely is hugely important.
"It all started very technical – almost like a dance, really. It's all choreographed and then as time goes by, you start to put some breath into it and some intention. I loved doing that and it was immediately clear that Mikey does as well."
Fans are noticing that Mick and Lou's relationship seems toxic. How would you describe it?
"They're childhood sweethearts, and for all of their flaws as a couple and independently, they definitely love each other – there's no doubt about that. When me and Farrel [Hegarty, who plays Lou] are looking at the relationship and we're breaking it down, we can see that there's a lot of red flags and unhealthy behaviours.
"We spoke about a certain dependency on each other. When people suffer trauma together, you can form a bond over that, which almost irons the folds in rather than ironing them out.
"They both give each other as good as they get. Obviously things develop from there and it's really challenging material, but I think it's really important that relationships like this are highlighted and put on screen because they undoubtedly exist out there."
In this week's episodes, we find out that Kit could be Brody's biological dad. Has Mick ever had his suspicions over this?
"He's totally blindsided by it! I think there could well have been transgressions from both Lou and Mick over the years, but for Brody not to be his biological son, and the father to potentially be Kit, is completely unique. He had no idea, I don't think. That's how I played it anyway."
Will all of his anger be aimed at Kit, or will he target Lou too?
"These stories are really harrowing and really difficult to tell, but Coronation Street especially has a really proud legacy of highlighting challenging stories – whether that's coercive control, toxic relationships, Debbie's story at the moment or Mason's story previously.
"The platform that Corrie has, along with soaps as a wider genre of entertainment, is enormous. There's a responsibility to handle things really carefully. So as upsetting and challenging as that material is, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to be part of a storyline like that.
"In terms of Kit and Lou, I think obviously Mick is devastated and he lashes out at Lou and then immediately regrets it. He doesn't necessarily have the tools to deal with these huge emotions that he's feeling.
"Then his eyes are on Kit, because I think that it's a different kind of heartbreak, but it's betrayal on both fronts."
We also have the flashback episode coming up this week, which explores Mick, Lou and Kit's history for the first time…
"If Mick could go back in time, his choices could have been made differently. We'll see that in the flashback episode – the context of that is really important.
"It doesn't condone his behaviour in any way, but it's really complicated. As we get further into the storyline and we learn more about that, it will add hopefully a bit of light and shade to Mick – the complexity of him as a man, what he's been through and what he's going through.
"But he becomes fixated on Kit and it becomes about rage and finding a channel to outlet his emotions through…"
We know that Mick is a violent man. Does he feel any remorse for attacking Sean, for example?
"Mick has got this moral compass of his own. The reason he went for Sean is because Sean was badmouthing Brody. If that jeopardises his son's release from the STC, then he's going to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of that.
"If Mick could go back in time and change what happened between him and Kit, which we'll see in the flashback, he would. That could have changed an awful lot for this man's life. I don't feel sorry for him because he does really dreadful things, but as we go through the story, there's more shade to it."
So is it important for you to secure that understanding of how Mick has become the man he is today?
"Totally. I don't think Mick was born bad. He's a product of what's happened to him and being let down, betrayed and falling through the cracks.
"That doesn't mean that his course of action is the right one in any way, shape or form. But in terms of an actor playing that, you have to take judgement out of the window."
Things come to a head next week when Mick makes plans to kill Kit! Do you think he's really capable of that?
"Mick likes to think that he would be able to do that. Not that he'd enjoy doing that, but he'd back himself to do it. If he's standing over Kit again, I think all of those things flash through his head: 'This was my best friend and I don't want to be in this position'.
"Mick is also a man who's lost everything. When someone's lost everything and they've led the life that Mick has led, and the stories that we learn about him, that makes someone incredibly dangerous, I think…"
When you joined the show, you knew that you'd only be playing Mick for a specific length of time, as he'll be leaving at the end of this story arc. What attracted you to the part?
"Yes, I knew about it from when the casting came through from my agent. For me, the opportunity to step into Corrie for six months with a start and a finish point is a real gift. A lot of people step in and they're on a one-year contract, or six months with a view to more. You're getting the scripts as they come and working out how you slot in.
"Whereas for me, it was a gift for me to know: 'You start here, and you finish here'. I sat and had a Zoom call with the show's producer Kate Brooks and she walked me through all of it. My first reaction was: 'How are we going to cram all that into six months?!'
"But then I started working on Corrie and realised how fast it moves. I've got friends who work in soaps and they all said how the pace of it is really intense and you learn so much.
"As an actor, I graduated 10 or 12 years ago and I've never not wanted to continue learning and growing. The opportunity to test myself and challenge myself on the cobbles – you only get one shot at it!
"In terms of characters to have a go at, this is – in my mind – as good as it gets to push yourself and test yourself on."
Coronation Street star reveals Mick and Lou devastation after flashback episode
Coronation Street star breaks silence on Kit's flashback and huge Brody twist
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
Read more Coronation Street spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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