She’s best known for starring in Emmerdale , and now Natalie Anderson has made the move to Coronation Street with a huge storyline in which her character clashes with Weatherfield stalwart Sarah Platt.
Natalie Anderson is thrilled to be playing the role of Danielle and warns ITV viewers to buckle up. “She’s very layered, you never really know what you’re going to get,” the actress, 43, says. “You think she’s going to be one thing then she turns out to be another.
“This character really hits the ground running and she’s got so much going on internally. Getting to play all those layers in one woman is so incredible and why I’m absolutely loving playing her.”
Natalie first shot to fame in popular medical drama The Royal , but it was her role as Alicia Gallagher in Emmerdale that made her a household name. Natalie played the part from 2010 to 2015 when Alicia eventually left the village for a new life in Portugal.
In the years since, Natalie has appeared in Hollyoaks as Lexi Calder, starred alongside Michelle Keegan in Netflix’s Fool Me Once and shared the screen with Liam Neeson in the movie Memory. But landing a spot on Corrie has always been a dream for her.
“There’s a real nostalgia with Coronation Street ,” she says. “Some of the most incredible actors have tread these cobbles, so it’s a huge honour to follow in those footsteps – even just to be a teeny part of its history.”
For Natalie, the history is also personal. “Back in the day Raquel and Curly, Jack and Vera, Deirdre and Ken – these amazing icons that many of us working in the genre today really looked up to as we set out.” However, joining such an iconic show wasn’t without its worries.
“I was so nervous on my first day,” Natalie says. But thanks to the warmth of her co-stars, the transition was smoother than expected. “Sue Cleaver, who plays Eileen Grimshaw, made me feel at ease. She has just been so kind.”
Natalie also bonded quickly with Gareth Pierce, who plays Todd Grimshaw, and James Cartwright, who portrays her on-screen husband Theo, who is hiding a huge secret.
“Gareth has been my buddy and he’s amazing. James I absolutely adore, I’m so lucky he’s playing Theo, he’s the most fantastic person and a brilliant actor,” Natalie says.
“Because both James and I are new, Gareth has been like our schoolmate showing us around.” There was even a surprise reunion on set. “I’ve worked with Tony Maudsley [who plays George Shuttleworth] before, that’s been lovely,” says Natalie.
But while things are harmonious behind the scenes, Danielle’s arrival throws a major spanner in the works for Todd. Fans will know he has been largely unlucky in love since his brief fling with Moses, who once worked as the late Paul Foreman’s carer. Enter Theo – a charming, mysterious new flame, who just so happens to be Danielle’s husband.
“They’ve been married a very long time,” Natalie explains. “While there have been strains in the marriage, when you have been married for such a long time, those things are bound to happen anyway.
“She doesn’t think it’s anything more than the strains of a long-term marriage. With many years together, managing teenagers, maybe complacency has crept in. If anything, she would suspect other women could turn his head.” Natalie warns that Danielle won’t win hearts straight away.
“She’s very judgmental,” she says. And Sarah Platt, played by Tina O’Brien, is right in the firing line. “Danielle’s always looking people up and down and straight away she gets a vibe from Sarah that something’s off,” Natalie says.
When Danielle sees Todd and Sarah together, she jumps to the wrong conclusion, assuming that the pair are a couple. Ironically, she’s not that far off – they did date for three years before Todd came out as gay.
Danielle’s verdict? “Danielle thinks he’s kind, probably too good for Sarah,” Natalie says. “She’s reading that this isn’t a genuine relationship and she thinks Sarah isn’t as invested.”
But Danielle is shocked when she hears that Todd is gay. “Danielle and Theo were brought up in the church,” Natalie says, “so she’s opposed to that.” Naturally, Danielle once again pins the blame on Sarah.
“She thinks if Todd’s gay then somebody has been covering up for someone and immediately again jumps to the conclusion that Sarah’s the problem,” Natalie says.
Yet beneath Danielle’s very judgmental exterior lies something raw and human. “Danielle is grieving, she’s only just lost her mum so her emotions are all over,” Natalie says.
So what will happen if Theo’s affair with Todd is exposed? “Danielle’s unpredictable,” Natalie says. “One minute she can be crying and the next she’s shouting at somebody. “But if the secret was to come out, I can’t imagine she’s going to take it very well. She would make things very difficult.”
Still, there’s always room for redemption – or perhaps a new flame. “Steve [McDonald]’s always a good catch, isn’t he?” Natalie says, “Everybody loves Steve.”
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