Corrie Carla star admits ‘real’ reason she won’t quit soap – and it’s beautiful
Coronation Street star Alison King has been on the soap for nearly two decades as ruthless Carla Connor, and it seems that she has no intentions of leaving the show any time soon
Coronation Street star Alison King has given fans a sigh of relief as she confirmed she would not be quitting the soap any time soon.
Playing the role of no-nonsense Carla Connor, Alison has been a part of the cast of the iconic ITV soap since 2006 when the Connor dynasty rocked up to the cobbles in a huge shake-up for the show. Since then, Carla has become one of the stalwarts of the show, being involved in a number of major storylines including a psychotic breakdown, a harrowing rape plot and being a hopeless romantic with a slew of weddings.
Because of this, Carla – and Alison – have become firm fan favourites of the show, and King has no intention of hanging up her acting hat just yet. Speaking to Metro, she said that she had been able to take on huge storylines and helping to push her acting career to a new level.
“I like playing all Carla Connor’s unexpected, varied sides,” Alison said. “She’s got so many sides to her and I think she tries to grow as a person but ultimately her core is fiery and fearless.
“She is vulnerable, she can be frightened of things but she attacks things face on which ultimately gives me brilliant storylines because she either gets into trouble or she does the right thing,” she added. “The viewers understand that she’s going to go off the rails, but she’ll come back again.”
Alison also admitted that she has a particular affinity to her character and is happy to her “somewhat damaged soul” before returning to the core of who Carla is as a person. She also explained how beneficial the terrifying psychosis and addiction storylines she has endured have helped to raise vital awareness for conditions that do not receive the spotlight.
As well as this, the actress admitted that it is not just the intense storylines that make working at Corrie such a blast. She also revealed that she loves her co-stars so much, she is more than happy to come in to work every day.
She compared the show’s cast to a family, explaining that the team is full of her “brothers and sisters”. She added, heart-warmingly: “People may come and go but they always remain – I’ve made so many friends, it’s a dream really.”
King added that thanks to the show, she has been able to stay in work consistently for almost 27 years, with just a small amount of time off in between. She explained that being able to practice her skills and artistry as an actor everyday is a “sensational” feeling.