Craig's Dad
Craig goes to visit Darryl in prison. We spoke to Colson Smith about what this means to Craig and the fallout for Beth and the rest of the family.
How does Craig feel now he knows about his dad’s criminal history?
Craig has always been in the dark about his dad. His mum has told him many things; she has said he’s a stuntman, she has said he was a drunk so one of the hardest things for Craig is that he still doesn’t know what his dad is in jail for.
At first, he is relieved to find out more about his dad but he is worried about what his criminal record actually entails.
What’s his relationship with Beth like at this point?
Craig and Beth are not speaking because he feels betrayed by his mum. The situation with his dad has always been a grey area and Craig feels that he should have known the truth a long time ago. This causes friction between the two characters and Craig rules Beth out of his life for this moment in time.
How does he feel when he learns that Faye has written to his dad?
Craig feels like there is a breakdown of trust between him and Faye because she has been his best friend for a long time but she has gone behind his back. He struggles to come to terms with the fact that she has made the decision for him.
But I think that actually Craig is relieved too. He would never have had the courage to write to his dad. With Faye taking that action into her own hands, she has pushed Craig towards a step that he wouldn’t have dared to take himself.
What are his first thoughts when he finds out his dad wants to see him?
There is a bit of a moment because Craig really isn’t sure about any of this. His real dad has not been there for the big moments and that is a big thing to Craig because, with Beth being down the pub a lot, at times he has been quite solo and he has been his own best friend in many ways.
Craig looks back and thinks his dad would add a lot to his life.
Why is he so torn about whether to visit or not?
In Craig’s head, he is probably listening to his mum even though he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t know what to expect from the visit because Beth has always painted Darryl in such a bad light, even naming Craig’s pet rat after him, but he would love that father/son bond. The closest thing he has got to a father figure is Tim.
How does he feel going behind Beth’s back?
Craig doesn’t care about Beth at all this week because there is so much emotion, so much adrenaline after all the lies. He is disgusted with Beth so it doesn’t even cross his mind how she will feel. Craig is worried about Kirk though, so he has a chat with him and says he still loves him even though he is going to meet his real dad. But, as far as Craig is concerned, Beth doesn’t mean anything to him right now.
What is Darryl like and how does the meeting between him and Craig go?
To begin with, Craig and Darryl get on really well and there is a clear father/son bond. However, as the meeting goes on, Darryl asks Craig to bring drugs into the prison and Craig actually realises that his mum was right all along.
Craig stands up to his dad and this is the turning point. In that beat Craig starts to cut Beth some slack. But Darryl’s next breath ruins that relationship between Craig and Beth...
How does Craig react to Darryl’s bombshell and how bad could the implications be for the family?
Craig finds it shocking and he doesn’t know what to do. When he gets home, he is nasty but it is because he is so affected by the news that Darryl has given him. Beth has done something that goes totally against everything that Craig believes in.
This could cause turmoil in the family; this could break Kirk and Beth up, it could break Beth and Sinead up - anything could happen. It could tear the whole family apart.
Has it been fun having Craig move in with Tim and Sally?
We had some great laughs! The scenes where Craig was drunk were actually hard to film as they were both at the end of a long day but we still had a great time because working with Joe and Sally is brilliant. We all get on really well so it was nice to “move in” with them - I’m their adopted son!
Do you think Craig would make a good police officer and would you like the opportunity to play one yourself?
I think Craig has got what it takes to be a police officer and I would enjoy playing one. If Craig did become a police officer then we would see a lot more sides to him - would he be the good cop?Would he be the bad cop? Would he be a point of authority on the street or would the pressure get to him?
There is loads to explore in terms of the character if Craig was to become a police officer...