Interview: Making Enemies
Has Adam's blossoming relationship with Sarah put him firmly in Gary's crosshairs?
Sam Robertson hints at what to expect from Gary and Adam's feud!
Does Adam want a future with Sarah?
Yeah, most definitely. I think he's really falling for her quite hard but I think he’s trying to not let that be seen because she's just got out of a long term thing with Gary and he just happens to live two doors down the Street. But yeah, he’s very much into her, she’s absolutely smoking.
There’s good on screen chemistry between the characters isn’t there?
Yeah it’s funny because I think a lot of actors would say that chemistry is not something you can manufacture. Sometimes I've had scenes with actresses and actors where it just doesn't spark, and sometimes it does, and thankfully this was because I knew they had plans to make this longer than just a flash in the pan. It was really important for us to have that chemistry and thankfully it seems to be working.
The relationship with Adam and Gary is interesting too, the way they can just pass each other in the street and there's this look, how do you find that to play?
Mikey and I have got to know each other over the past few months and we've started hanging out - in fact I just said to him today, “I might have to stop talking to you as we’re having too much fun!” When we get into character, we’re obviously meant to be enemies and I have to find that character.
How would you sum up Adam’s thoughts and opinions on Gary?
It’s a tricky one because I watch it but at the same time I need to remember what Adam knows. I can see that Gary’s a failure, but there’s a lot of stuff that Adam doesn't know about. As time goes on Adam will find out a lot more about Gary’s past and that for me that’s the gear shift when he really starts to pity him. At the moment Adam is more wary of him.
Sometimes Adam has this arrogance but then he does have self doubts at times doesn’t he?
Yeah I mean I think it’s a bit up and down. Some periods he’s had real self doubt but certainly recently with the whole Sarah thing, his confidence seems to be through the roof.
Is it that Mike Baldwin sort of confidence?
Yes, I’ve been watching classic Corrie over on ITV4 - because I am watching Mike doing his thing at the same time as I’m doing Adam and I'm trying to find that balance where he’s very confident and a bit smooth but has a vulnerability. There's more fragility to Mike than people remember. The stuff I've just watched is him losing the factory and having to employ the factory staff from his front room and Alma helping out with money. You kind of forget all of that, you see him as this cigar smoking wheeler dealer, always with a flash car and a pretty girl. But I think there’s more depth to him and I'm lucky they’re bringing that in with Adam. It’s finding that nice balance between the arrogance and the vulnerability.
Is Adam delighted by Gary’s downfall? He’s already got his girl…
The more Adam discovers about Gary the more he thinks he’s just a bit of a pathetic failure. The audience know he’s more sinister than people would believe, whereas I don’t think Adam is at that place. I think he’s primarily looking out for Sarah. I don't think he wants her implicated in anything and withholding any information. I think that's his main motivation. But certainly he wouldn't be shedding any tears if Gary got nicked!
When Sarah starts saying that she thinks Gary was involved in the factory collapse, how much credence does Adam give that? Does he take her suspicions seriously?
No, I don't think he does. Gary’s alibi is that he and Sarah were in bed together, that's what Sarah told the police, but he tells her if that’s not the case then she needs to tell the police. I think Adam’s mind is very much open but if it turned out to be Gary, I think he would be as surprised as anyone!
Does this not put Adam in danger with Gary?
I don't think Adam has any inkling that Gary is a killer. I don't think Adam has that in his thinking so I don't think he’s concerned about that.
What about the bruises on Sarah when he says ‘what did Gary do to you’?
I think obviously that upsets him and it is a bit of a gear change of ‘ok this guy’s physically dangerous’, but is his or Sarah’s life in danger? I don't think Adam’s in that headspace right now.
Do you think Adam would be a good match for Gary?
We’ve got some good scenes coming up. It’s interesting because Iain, the producer, told me that he wanted to pitch it along the lines of Mike and Ken. Adam being Mike and Gary being Ken, but the reality is that Gary is a lot more sinister than Ken ever was. When I said ‘does that give me more license to be more sinister than Mike?’ he raised his eyebrows so we’ll have to wait and see...