Hayley Cropper
Hayley Cropper | |
---|---|
Christian Gatley | |
Adoptive daughters | Fiz Brown (foster) |
Grandsons | Sam Gatley |
Granddaughters | Maisie Gatley |
Aunts | Monica Patterson Barbara Morgan |
Other relatives | Bert |
Hayley Cropper (also Hayley Patterson) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh. The character first appeared in the episode first broadcast on 26 January 1998. Hayley was the first transgender character in a British soap opera and was the first permanent transgender character in the world of serialised drama.[1] She was married to Roy Cropper (David Neilson). After nearly ten years on the show, Hesmondhalgh decided to take another break for a year in order to spend more time with her family. She left on 22 October 2007 and returned on 17 November 2008.
Hesmondhalgh won numerous awards for her portrayal of Hayley, but announced her departure from the show on 11 January 2013.[2] Her final scenes were filmed on 18 November 2013 [3] and aired on 22 January 2014.[4] In the episode, Hayley takes her own life, after living with terminal pancreatic cancer. Hesmondhalgh has insisted that it was a "right to die" storyline not 'an assisted suicide' storyline.[5] Hayley's funeral aired on 31 January 2014.
Hesmondhalgh's portrayal of Hayley, and her on-screen chemistry with fellow actor David Neilson, encouraged the writers to allow the character to evolve from a brief love interest for Roy to a popular long-term character. Hayley would go on to spend 16 years on Coronation Street, always seeing the good in people and nurturing Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine) and Becky McDonald (Katherine Kelly) from troubled young women to kind, caring, individuals. In her later years, Hayley formed an unlikely, yet notably close, friendship with Carla Connor (Alison King) and although it was obvious the pair were from completely different walks of life, they came to respect and care for each other.
Character creation
Casting
Initially, it was intended that Hayley would only appear for two months, it was thought that this would help increase ratings as well as show a new side to Roy Cropper (David Neilson).[6] Actor Julie Hesmondhalgh first came to the attention of the casting director while dressed in drag in a production of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Hesmondhalgh only knew she was auditioning to play a "fun" character, so arrived "all Bet Lynch, in my leopard skin and red lippy". When she learned Hayley would be transgender, she was nervous, but "then it dawned on me that this was actually my 'dream job' and I desperately wanted it."[7][8] The character of Hayley Cropper is around four years older than Hesmondhalgh.
Personality and identity
What's on TV describes the character as quiet, and kind-hearted.[9] For a short period of time, after the actor took a one-year break from the show, the producers decided to change her ways.[10] After a brief period of resettlement, she resumed her more familiar temperament of being generally supportive and friendly to the other characters.
Development
Relationships
Hayley's only romantic relationship is with Roy. The characters were first friends and they started a relationship, until Hayley revealed her past history. Roy initially rejected her, but missed their friendship and three months later, followed her to Amsterdam where she was living on a houseboat, recuperating from her surgery. He persuaded her that they should work on their relationship, and as a result, she returned to Weatherfield where she became a machinist in Mike Baldwin's (Johnny Briggs) lingerie factory, Underworld.
Roy later proposed to Hayley at a fancy-dress disco on
Since the passing of the
Their relationship was tested by various storylines including Tracy Barlow's (Kate Ford) deceit, Hayley's secret son and Hayley's absence from the street. Briefly, upon her return, there was a difficult situation where she had developed a crush on one of her co-workers in Africa (further reading below). They eventually worked out their differences.
Pancreatic cancer and suicide
On 11 January 2013, it was announced that Hesmondhalgh would leave Coronation Street at the end of her contract.[11] The actress recorded her final scenes on 18 November 2013, being screened on 20 January 2014, and the producers came up with a dramatic exit storyline for her character.[11] Hesmondhalgh revealed that she wanted to pursue new projects, saying "I've had the most wonderful and happy time in the life changing 15/16 years I've been in Corrie, and I owe so much to the show and the special team that make it happen. The decision to hang up Hayley's red anorak was a tough one, but doing the play at the Royal Exchange last year made me realise that there's life in the old dog yet (!) and that there are other things I want to try."[11] Hayley's exit storyline saw her diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. On 20 January 2014, Hayley died in Roy's arms after drinking a lethal cocktail. The episode attracted 9.7 million viewers – the show's highest figure in almost a year.
Storylines
Hayley Patterson is a shy shop supervisor at Firman's Freezers. Her friend and colleague
In 2001, Roy and Hayley decide to become foster parents. Their first child is teenager
In 2003, while Hayley is away, nursing her sick aunt, scheming
Following the death of her aunt Monica in September 2007, Hayley discovers that she has a son,
Hayley returns in November 2008; it is clear that she is not entirely happy, appearing evasive and she tells Roy that she wants to return to her charity work, as she has fallen for Olaf, the project team leader. When catching up with Tilly, another volunteer, she learns Olaf is not the man she thought he was and decides to stay with Roy. She decides not to return to Underworld and wants to become a social worker but her police record (for the abduction of Wayne in 2001), rules her ineligible to work with children. She works in the café and then becomes supervisor at the factory in 2009.
In May 2010, Hayley and Roy argue when she suggests that they have a lavish wedding, now that
Later that week, Roy proposes to Hayley and she accepts.
Hayley is heartbroken when Becky decides to leave Weatherfield in January 2012 but gets a call a few months later, telling her that she is engaged to her new boyfriend. Later in the year, Roy and Hayley visit
Roy organises a romantic dinner for their third wedding anniversary but Hayley is upset as she completely forgot. Roy then assures Hayley that he is not angry, and she confides in Carla before going to the hospital, preparing for her operation. Roy and Hayley are told that the operation – if successful – should last six hours. Hayley goes down to theatre at 13:05 and gives Roy her wedding ring to look after. Roy is devastated when the consultant tells Roy and Hayley that her cancer is terminal. He says she could live up to about six months to a year. Devastated but philosophical, Hayley begins to make a
The couple visit and Hayley is shocked to see how dazed Jane is after taking morphine. Hayley and Roy then sit down as talk about Hayley's final days, where she tells Roy that she intends to end her own life when the cancer spreads. This causes an argument and Hayley moves in with Fiz and Tyrone. The following day, Hayley collapses and Fiz calls an ambulance to take Hayley to hospital. Roy and Fiz go too. At the hospital, the consultant explains that Hayley has an infection and needs to stay overnight. While Hayley is recovering, Roy accidentally tells Anna about her suicide wish. When she comes home, she is stunned to find Roy, Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) and Gary Windass (Mikey North) re-decorating their bedroom. Hayley secretly does not like the new wallpaper but keeps quiet so she does not upset Roy. Hayley insists on visiting Jane in the hospice and Jeff reveals that Jane has died. Hayley is devastated and furious with Roy. The pair argue again about the way Hayley wants to die. A few days later, Roy and Hayley attend Jane's funeral and meet her young sons, Zac and Henry. Hayley tries to comfort Henry as he is not coping. After the funeral, Roy tells Hayley that he thinks he can accept her suicide plot. Hayley is delighted but Roy tells Anna that he lied and feels he has betrayed her. Roy decides not to tell Hayley his true feelings and they listen to music together after a stressful day. Hayley later breaks down in Roy's arms, saying that she does not want to die and does not want to leave him. Hayley is delighted when asked by Carla to make her wedding dress. The dress is a success and Roy and Hayley attend Carla and Peter's wedding. While there, Christian returns to the street and winds Fiz up about Hayley so she tells him that Hayley has cancer in an angry outburst. On getting home, Hayley is stunned to see Christian and tells him that she is too tired but will see him another time. The following day, Christian visits again and Hayley is astonished when Christian says she can see the children. Hayley is thrilled but Christian demands Hayley give him money in return as he is in a lot of debt. Christian brings Sam and Maisie to the café and Maisie is intrigued by Roy's train collection, while Hayley and Christian talk upstairs. Hayley is shocked when Christian turns violent and starts pushing her for the money. She subsequently writes him a cheque. Maisie, however, tells her that she hopes she gets better soon and that she would love to come again. Fiz takes Hayley and Roy to The Rovers and Hayley tells them that she gave Christian the money. In December, Roy and Hayley go to a hospital appointment where she tells the nurse that her pain is getting worse and she is prescribed with stronger painkillers.
Hayley and Roy enjoy their last Christmas together. They buy each other gifts and want to be alone, but the day is interrupted by visits from friends and neighbours. Hayley enjoys their company, but after Fiz and Tyrone arrive with their young children, Hayley finds herself falling asleep. After a nap, Hayley is determined to go to The Rovers for a Christmas drink, but Roy wants her to take it easy. Later that week, Roy and Hayley go to a hospital appointment following her scan and learn that the cancer is a lot more aggressive than anticipated, meaning Hayley only has weeks left to live. Hayley takes her frustration out on the Christmas tree, wrecking Hope's decoration. The following day, Hayley tells Roy to let a few people know that she only has weeks left but does not want visitors. Roy breaks the news to Anna, Fiz, Tyrone, Peter, Carla,
Reception
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Hayley_Cropper_anorak.jpg/220px-Hayley_Cropper_anorak.jpg)
For her portrayal of Hayley, Hesmondhalgh was nominated in the category of "Most Popular Actress" at the 1999 National Television Awards.[12] The appearance of a transgender woman in a mainstream soap opera attracted initial opposition from some members of the public, as expressed in calls to the Granada duty office, and letters written to magazines and newspapers. A minority of people expressed their concern at having such "bizarreness" brought into their homes on a prime-time show. Transgender groups were also largely unhappy with the storyline, and found Hayley's original character traits, as written, clichéd and ill-informed. Press for Change, the transgender campaign and information group, were particularly concerned with the direction of the storyline, but after the first two months a trans advisor connected to Press for Change, Annie Wallace, was regularly consulted for eighteen months by scriptwriters and the actor, and trans groups appeared happier with the stories and scripts that resulted from this liaison. In an interview with Hesmondhalgh in August 2015, it was revealed that in tribute to Wallace, the writers gave Hayley's middle name as Anne, and gave her the same birthday, as well as a mutual love for rock music, especially Queen.[13] Wallace is now an actress in her own right, and appears as the character Sally St. Claire in the Channel 4 soap opera, Hollyoaks.
Transgender campaigners were initially upset that a
In 2008, All About Soap included Hayley's transgender plot in their list of "top ten taboo" storylines of all time. Their writer described it as one of the "taboos which have bravely been broken by soaps."[17]
On 22 January 2014, Hesmondhalgh won "Best Serial Drama Performance" at the National Television Awards. Also in 2014, Hesmondhalgh was nominated for the "Best Actress" award at The British Soap Awards. As well as being nominated for the "Best Actress" award, Hesmondhalgh's final appearance, entitled "Hayley's Death", was nominated for the "Best Single Episode" award, as well. Hesmondhalgh won both of these awards. Hesmondhalgh also won "Best On-screen partnership" and "Best Storyline" – both alongside David Neilson – at the ceremony.
Political impact
Coronation Street's handling of transgender issues, the uncertainty of whether her partner would accept her gender identity and the inability of transgender people to adopt children or marry, has been praised by transgender groups. An
Following the screening of the "wedding" in 1999, the Labour Government announced that a Parliamentary Working Group was being created to assess how the United Kingdom could grant trans people the legal rights for which they had fought for decades. The result of this was the tabling, in 2004, of the Gender Recognition Act, granting trans people full legal status in their acquired sex. It has been said that the character of Hayley deserves partial credit for bringing the issues faced by trans people to public attention in a sympathetic manner, rather than the sensationalist coverage that had previously existed[citation needed]. It is also alleged that the resultant public support for this fictional character went in favour of the Bill.
See also
- List of Coronation Street characters (1998)
- List of soap operas with LGBT characters
- Transgender in film and television
- List of transgender-related topics
- "Siege Week"
References
- ^ "Transgender: A History". AlbertaTrans.org. 2007. Archived from the original on 26 October 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
- ^ Soaps News by Kate Goodacre (30 May 2013). "'Coronation Street': Details of character departure revealed?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Julie Hesmondhalgh Films Final Scenes". Soaps Squawk. 18 November 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Soapland's joiners, movers and leavers". Digital Spy Soaps Site News. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Coronation Street's Julie Hesmondhalgh: Hayley's death is not a 'right to die' storyline". Metro.co.uk. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
- ^ "Coronation Street: The Advisor's Tale". Press For Change. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ "When Julie Met Hayley: Interview with Julie Hesmondhalgh". Press For Change. Archived from the original on 17 May 2009. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ When Julie Met Hayley: The Original Interview with Julie Hesmondhalgh with Beaumont Magazine Columnist Samantha Johnson. Transgender Zone 1998
- ^ Who's Who – Hayley Cropper What's on TV, Retrieved 16 December 2008
- ^ Hayley Cropper's Corrie Return. My Park Magazine (27 August 2008) Retrieved on 16 December 2008. Archived 13 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c "Goodbye Hayley". itv.com. 11 January 2013.
- ^ "Entertainment | TV stars prepare for battle". BBC News. 26 October 1999. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
- ^ "Real-life Hayley Cropper speaks publicly for the first time". Manchester Evening News. 25 August 2015.
- ^ "Trans Media Watch – Supporters". Trans Media Watch. 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- ^ "Transgender portrayals in film". The Skinny. 16 April 2006. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
- ^ Biographies of famous LGBT people Archived 11 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine lgbthistorymonth.org.uk, (October 2005) Retrieved on 16 December 2008
- Hachette Filipacchi UK): 34, 35. 20 September – 3 October 2008.
- ^ "UK Politics | MP praises 'The Street'". BBC News. 20 October 1998. Retrieved 11 May 2012.