Star of Coronation Street Luca Toolan has shared Mason Radcliffe’s response to being suspected of being behind Eliza Woodrow’s hit-and-run.
In scenes that will premiere next week, the Weatherfield bully sets up Dylan Wilson to make sure he gets charged with carrying the knife that was used in a recent attack, continuing the Mason narrative.
An enraged Dylan finds Mason after his police interrogation and tells him that he exposed him as the person who had struck young Eliza in September.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other media recently, actor Toolan, who plays Mason on the ITV soap opera, shared details on how his character reacted to this revelation.
“The way it was written was that Mason wasn’t too bothered about the hit-and-run coming out, but I tried to play it in a way that he came across like he wasn’t bothered but deep down, internally, he was,” he explained.
“With Mason, everything is a front. He’s not really a proper hard-man, in my opinion. He may be acting all tough and showy, but at his core, he’s just a scared little kid.”
“I think deep down that will scare him a little bit, but he’s going to play it off, and that will anger him a lot,” the actor said in response to Dylan’s treachery. Mason dislikes having his trust abused. He’ll be irritated by that because he’s highly insecure and has trust difficulties. Anticipate further difficulties!”
In addition, Toolan talked about how learning the full scope of Mason’s plot affected him personally and how he felt compelled to “do it justice”.
I felt like I had to do it justice at first, so it seemed like a heavy load on my shoulders. I think I’ve gotten better at handling that pressure over time, and maybe that shows in the performances. I could see how relevant and powerful the tale could be for so many people,” he said.
Although it was a large undertaking, it inspired me to work hard, conduct thorough research, exercise due diligence, and practice with the boys.
“I think it’s at a point now where I’m seeing the feedback and how many people are getting into the story and the noise it’s creating, and I’m feeling happy that there was that pressure to motivate me to work as hard as I have.”