Tommy Duckworth
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tommy" Duckworth is a fictional character
in the British television ITV
soap opera
, Coronation Street
. Currently portrayed by actor
Chris Fountain
. The character was born on-screen during the episode airing on 9 September 1992 and departed in December 1993, before returning for four short stints in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000. The character returned on a more permanent basis on 28 March 2011.
Tommy is the son of Terry
(Nigel Pivaro
) and Lisa Duckworth (Caroline Milmoe
) since his first appearance in 1992 he has had very little storylines but his return in 2011 saw him become more of a central character. He was played by Darryl Edwards from 1992 until 1997 and by Joseph Aston in 2000. He returned in 2011 now played by Chris Fountain.
(Philip Middlemiss
). Lisa is run over and killed by a car outside The Rovers Return, on 12 February 1993.
Tommy's paternal grandparents, Jack
(William Tarmey
) and Vera Duckworth
(Liz Dawn), struggle to look after young Tommy. Vera gives up her job, but she looks forward to the end of the year when Terry will be released, and they can all rebuild their lives as one family. However, Terry has other ideas, and on Christmas Eve 1993 he tells Jack and Vera that he has sold Tommy to Lisa's parents Geoff and Doreen Horton and he has gone to live in Blackpool with them.
Jack and Vera still see Tommy regularly whenever they can, but miss having him living with them. In May 1995, they take Tommy on a caravan holiday in North Wales.
Tommy also stays in contact with his mother's former boyfriend Des who had acted as a father figure for him. In September 1995, on Tommy's third birthday, Des takes him to a restaurant for a meal and they are served by Des's ex-wife Steph (Amelia Bullmore
) who uses the encounter to attempt a reconciliation with Des, but is unsucessful.
In June 1996, Terry appears back on the Street with Tommy. The Hortons have failed to pay the £2,000 a year they had agreed to pay Terry for Tommy. Eventually the Hortons retrieve him by paying £10,000, and getting Terry to sign a document giving them total custody of Tommy until he is 18.
Tommy arrives back to the street on 28 March 2011 and instantly begins flirting with Sophie Webster
(Brooke Vincent
), Sian Powers
(Sacha Parkinson
) and Tina McIntyre
(Michelle Keegan
). He begins staying with Tyrone
(Alan Halsall
) and is shocked when he learns his grandfather Jack, died the previous year and decides to stay in Weatherfield. He later has a row with Kevin Webster
(Michael Le Vell
) over flirting with Sophie and again tries to flirt with Sian, things end badly, however, and Sophie confronts Tommy about trying to steal her girlfriend.
In April 2011, Tommy places a bet with Jason Grimshaw
(Ryan Thomas
) and Tyrone, that he could have a fling with Sian, so he offers to teach her to drive and attempts to kiss her but she refuses and gets out the car, returns home and tells Sophie. The next day, Sophie goes over to Tommy and demands to know why he tried to kiss Sian when he knew she was a lesbian, he tells her he made a bet with Jason. Sophie's sister Rosie
(Helen Flanagan
) hears this and demands answers from Jason, who attempts to tell her it was a bet but she dumps him. Rosie, in an attempt to show Tommy's true colours, seduces him and tells him to undress and wait for her, in the meantime she contacted Jason who arrived and caught Tommy in his boxer shorts, following this Tommy is forced to roam the streets in his underwear - despite this, himself and Jason remain friends. Eventually, following Rosie and Jason's reconciliation, Tommy gets himself back in the Websters' good books when he rescues Kevin from an accident at the garage, in which he is crushed underneath a car (Tyrone had damaged the car ramp that Kev was using at the time).
Tommy meets Amber Kalirai
in July 2011 and begins to flirt with her, but after catching him making a move on Tina, she dumps him, while he denies that they were even together. Dr. Matt Carter has been dating Tina as of August 2011, a jealous Tommy has been trying to split them up.
At present, Tommy along with Kirk Sutherland and Tyrone Dobbs should be spending time in prison for kidnapping Leon Southam in early September 2011.
actor Chris Fountain would be taking over the role of Tommy. Speaking of his casting Fountain said "I'm delighted to be joining Coronation Street, especially as I'm playing a Duckworth. I'm looking forward to upholding one of the most celebrated names in soap. I can't wait to start filming in the New Year."
Speaking of the casting producer Phil Collinson
said "I have long admired Chris, right back to his first appearance on our screens as a young boy in Red Production Company's Bob and Rose. He has the perfect balance of looks and charm and will, I am sure, create a brilliant successor to Jack. The ladies of Weatherfield had better watch out!"
Asked when the role came about Fountain said : "I think it was around September last year, when I had a call from my agent saying that she'd spoken to Coronation Street's producer Phil Collinson and that he was interested in seeing me about a part. I didn't hear anything else for a couple of months after that and I was also up for a few other parts. My agent later spoke to Phil again and he was asking what I was up to, so she told him about the roles that I was up for and how I was quite close to getting them. Phil told her that he definitely wanted to see me over this part and that he'd get me up to the set straight away.
Asked whether he watch any of Tommy's previous scenes, Fountain said: "I didn't, but it's funny because I actually know Joseph Aston, who played Tommy when he was younger - that was quite strange, it's a small world! But I don't think Tommy was that much of a character when he was younger and he definitely didn't have any of the traits or personality that he has now - he's grown up in Blackpool, been away travelling, evolved as a person and evolved as a character. So I don't think it would have really been beneficial for me to look back, but I did look into some of the history with him and his dad and what happened there."
Speaking to The Mirror, Fountain said: "To come in as a Duckworth - one of the most recognised and celebrated names in soap, was quite daunting. Jack and Vera's are big shoes to fill and I'm just hoping I can prove to people that Tommy has that Duckworth charm and wit and gain viewers' respect." Discussing the spray tan that he has to wear for the role, Fountain confessed that he is not a fan of the beauty application. "I don't like them much," he said. "My toes look like someone's been rubbing Marmite on them at the moment - it's not the greatest look!"
Speaking of whether or not he would like Terry (Duckworth) to return, Fountain said: "Yeah, if Terry came back, I think it would cause fireworks between a lot of the characters. It would be nice to see how that would pan out, because obviously Tommy is completely different to Terry - he hasn't got so much of a temper and I don't think he's a nasty person. It would definitely be quite interesting to see what happened if Terry came back."
2011 for Sexiest Male speaking of the nomination Fountain said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to bits - I've not even been on screen yet, so it's quite flattering to be up for Sexiest Male. It's great. A few people have asked me whether it would be quite an embarrassing award to win, but considering I haven't even been on screen yet, I'd take anything! (laughs) If it was Best Haircut, I'd take that as well!"
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the British television ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. Currently portrayed by actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Chris Fountain
Chris Fountain
Christopher Ryan Fountain is an English actor best known for his role as Justin Burton on the Channel 4 teen soap Hollyoaks, a role he played from 2003 until his departure in June 2009. He is also now known for playing Tommy Duckworth in Coronation Street. He played the role of PC Paul Tait in...
. The character was born on-screen during the episode airing on 9 September 1992 and departed in December 1993, before returning for four short stints in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2000. The character returned on a more permanent basis on 28 March 2011.
Tommy is the son of Terry
Terry Duckworth
Terrence Edgar "Terry" Duckworth is a fictional character from the soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nigel Pivaro. He was introduced as the son of popular characters Jack and Vera Duckworth, making his on-screen debut on August 1, 1983. Terry has three sons: Paul, Tommy, and Brad...
(Nigel Pivaro
Nigel Pivaro
Nigel Pivaro is an English journalist who as an actor was best known for playing Terry Duckworth, the son of Vera and Jack Duckworth in Coronation Street.- Career :Pivaro was born in Manchester, England...
) and Lisa Duckworth (Caroline Milmoe
Caroline Milmoe
Caroline Milmoe is an English stage, film and television actress best known for playing Julie in the first two series of Carla Lane's Liverpool-based BBC sit-com Bread and Lisa Duckworth in ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street.-Career:Milmoe attended Manchester's Contact Youth Theatre...
) since his first appearance in 1992 he has had very little storylines but his return in 2011 saw him become more of a central character. He was played by Darryl Edwards from 1992 until 1997 and by Joseph Aston in 2000. He returned in 2011 now played by Chris Fountain.
Storylines
Tommy is born on 9 September 1992 by caesarean section whilst his father Terry was serving a sentence in Strangeways Prison for Grieveous Bodily Harm. After living briefly at 9 Coronation Street, Tommy and his mother Lisa move back to her parents' house in Blackpool. Lisa and Tommy come back to the Street in January 1993 to live with her lover, Des BarnesDes Barnes
Desmond Francis "Des" Barnes is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by Philip Middlemiss.-Creation and development:...
(Philip Middlemiss
Philip Middlemiss
Philip Middlemiss is a British television and radio actor, who played bookmaker Des Barnes in ITV's Coronation Street...
). Lisa is run over and killed by a car outside The Rovers Return, on 12 February 1993.
Tommy's paternal grandparents, Jack
Jack Duckworth
John Harold "Jack" Duckworth is a long-standing fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. He is played by actor William Tarmey. The character debuted onscreen during the episode...
(William Tarmey
William Tarmey
Bill Tarmey is an English actor, singer and author, best known for playing Jack Duckworth on the soap opera Coronation Street. First appearing in the role in 1979, he played it continuously from 1983 to 2010.-Life and career:Tarmey was born in Ardwick, Manchester...
) and Vera Duckworth
Vera Duckworth
Veronica "Vera" Duckworth , played by Elizabeth Dawn, is a fictional character on the British soap opera Coronation Street, first appearing in August 1974 and last appearing in episode 6,734 on 18 January 2008, where the character peacefully died in her sleep at the age of 70 from heart failure...
(Liz Dawn), struggle to look after young Tommy. Vera gives up her job, but she looks forward to the end of the year when Terry will be released, and they can all rebuild their lives as one family. However, Terry has other ideas, and on Christmas Eve 1993 he tells Jack and Vera that he has sold Tommy to Lisa's parents Geoff and Doreen Horton and he has gone to live in Blackpool with them.
Jack and Vera still see Tommy regularly whenever they can, but miss having him living with them. In May 1995, they take Tommy on a caravan holiday in North Wales.
Tommy also stays in contact with his mother's former boyfriend Des who had acted as a father figure for him. In September 1995, on Tommy's third birthday, Des takes him to a restaurant for a meal and they are served by Des's ex-wife Steph (Amelia Bullmore
Amelia Bullmore
Amelia Bullmore is an English actress and writer. She was born in London and studied drama at the University of Manchester. Bullmore started working as an actor but turned to writing in 1995...
) who uses the encounter to attempt a reconciliation with Des, but is unsucessful.
In June 1996, Terry appears back on the Street with Tommy. The Hortons have failed to pay the £2,000 a year they had agreed to pay Terry for Tommy. Eventually the Hortons retrieve him by paying £10,000, and getting Terry to sign a document giving them total custody of Tommy until he is 18.
Tommy arrives back to the street on 28 March 2011 and instantly begins flirting with Sophie Webster
Sophie Webster
Sophie Lauren Webster is a fictional character in the British television ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She is currently portrayed by actress Brooke Vincent, after previously being portrayed by both Ashleigh Middleton and Emma Woodward. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode...
(Brooke Vincent
Brooke Vincent
Brooke Levi Vincent is an actress in the British soap opera Coronation Street. She joined the soap in 2004, taking over from Emma Woodward in the role of Sophie Webster.- Career :...
), Sian Powers
Sian Powers
Sian Powers is a fictional character on the UK soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actress Sacha Parkinson. Sian was introduced as a love interest for Sophie Webster . Sian joined the cast of Coronation Street alongside Ben Richardson in early 2009 as Sophie's schoolmates...
(Sacha Parkinson
Sacha Parkinson
Sacha Louise Parkinson is a British actress best known for playing Sian Powers in the ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street from January 2009 onwards. Her character will leave the show in January 2012.-Career:...
) and Tina McIntyre
Tina McIntyre
Tina McIntyre is a fictional character in the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Michelle Keegan, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 7 January 2008...
(Michelle Keegan
Michelle Keegan
Michelle Elizabeth Keegan is an English actress who currently plays Tina McIntyre in the soap opera Coronation Street.-Biography:...
). He begins staying with Tyrone
Tyrone Dobbs
Tyrone Sylvester Dobbs is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by Alan Halsall, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on November 30, 1998.- Casting :...
(Alan Halsall
Alan Halsall
Alan David Halsall is an English actor best known for playing Tyrone Dobbs in Coronation Street, a role which he has played for since 1998.-Early life:...
) and is shocked when he learns his grandfather Jack, died the previous year and decides to stay in Weatherfield. He later has a row with Kevin Webster
Kevin Webster
Kevin John Webster is a long-standing fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared onscreen on 19 October 1983...
(Michael Le Vell
Michael Le Vell
Michael Le Vell is an English character actor, who since 1983 has played the role of garage mechanic, Kevin Webster, in the soap opera Coronation Street....
) over flirting with Sophie and again tries to flirt with Sian, things end badly, however, and Sophie confronts Tommy about trying to steal her girlfriend.
In April 2011, Tommy places a bet with Jason Grimshaw
Jason Grimshaw
Jason Grimshaw, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Ryan Thomas, the character first appeared during the episode airing on 25 December 2000, when he comes looking for mother Eileen at the Battersbys' home.Jason is very much the...
(Ryan Thomas
Ryan Thomas
Ryan James Thomas and is an English actor who is currently starring as the character, Jason Grimshaw on ITV's Coronation Street.-Career:...
) and Tyrone, that he could have a fling with Sian, so he offers to teach her to drive and attempts to kiss her but she refuses and gets out the car, returns home and tells Sophie. The next day, Sophie goes over to Tommy and demands to know why he tried to kiss Sian when he knew she was a lesbian, he tells her he made a bet with Jason. Sophie's sister Rosie
Rosie Webster
Rosie Webster is a fictional character in the British television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 24 December 1990. Originally portrayed by actress Emma Collinge from her birth until December 1999, the character has since been...
(Helen Flanagan
Helen Flanagan
Helen Joyce Flanagan is a British actress best known for playing Rosie Webster in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.Flanagan has played Rosie Webster in Coronation Street since 2000, when she was ten years old....
) hears this and demands answers from Jason, who attempts to tell her it was a bet but she dumps him. Rosie, in an attempt to show Tommy's true colours, seduces him and tells him to undress and wait for her, in the meantime she contacted Jason who arrived and caught Tommy in his boxer shorts, following this Tommy is forced to roam the streets in his underwear - despite this, himself and Jason remain friends. Eventually, following Rosie and Jason's reconciliation, Tommy gets himself back in the Websters' good books when he rescues Kevin from an accident at the garage, in which he is crushed underneath a car (Tyrone had damaged the car ramp that Kev was using at the time).
Tommy meets Amber Kalirai
Amber Kalirai
Amber Kalirai is a fictional character from the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nikki Patel, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 9 November 2005. In May 2011 it was announced that Patel had returned to filming and Amber appeared again from 11 July...
in July 2011 and begins to flirt with her, but after catching him making a move on Tina, she dumps him, while he denies that they were even together. Dr. Matt Carter has been dating Tina as of August 2011, a jealous Tommy has been trying to split them up.
At present, Tommy along with Kirk Sutherland and Tyrone Dobbs should be spending time in prison for kidnapping Leon Southam in early September 2011.
Casting
On 26 November 2010 it was announced that former HollyoaksHollyoaks
Hollyoaks is a long-running British television soap opera, first broadcast on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was originally devised by Phil Redmond, who has also devised shows including Brookside and Grange Hill...
actor Chris Fountain would be taking over the role of Tommy. Speaking of his casting Fountain said "I'm delighted to be joining Coronation Street, especially as I'm playing a Duckworth. I'm looking forward to upholding one of the most celebrated names in soap. I can't wait to start filming in the New Year."
Speaking of the casting producer Phil Collinson
Phil Collinson
Philip "Phil" Collinson is a British television producer. He was initially an actor, before switching to working behind the cameras in the industry as a script editor and writer on programmes such as Springhill and Emmerdale, later becoming the producer of Peak Practice, Doctor Who and Coronation...
said "I have long admired Chris, right back to his first appearance on our screens as a young boy in Red Production Company's Bob and Rose. He has the perfect balance of looks and charm and will, I am sure, create a brilliant successor to Jack. The ladies of Weatherfield had better watch out!"
Asked when the role came about Fountain said : "I think it was around September last year, when I had a call from my agent saying that she'd spoken to Coronation Street's producer Phil Collinson and that he was interested in seeing me about a part. I didn't hear anything else for a couple of months after that and I was also up for a few other parts. My agent later spoke to Phil again and he was asking what I was up to, so she told him about the roles that I was up for and how I was quite close to getting them. Phil told her that he definitely wanted to see me over this part and that he'd get me up to the set straight away.
Personality and characterisation
Speaking of how Tommy was described to him Fountain said : "They described him as a cheeky chappy with a bit of swagger about him and also an eye for the ladies - and that for me was a selling point, really! I didn't get a full character breakdown until a couple of days before I started, so I learned later that he'd been busy travelling around the world and he's a bit of a free spirit. He's one of those loveable characters who can say something that's out of order but people still like him, just because he's Tommy. He's got a kind of charisma that borders on arrogance but doesn't quite cross over to that - he's quite a charming guy."Asked whether he watch any of Tommy's previous scenes, Fountain said: "I didn't, but it's funny because I actually know Joseph Aston, who played Tommy when he was younger - that was quite strange, it's a small world! But I don't think Tommy was that much of a character when he was younger and he definitely didn't have any of the traits or personality that he has now - he's grown up in Blackpool, been away travelling, evolved as a person and evolved as a character. So I don't think it would have really been beneficial for me to look back, but I did look into some of the history with him and his dad and what happened there."
Speaking to The Mirror, Fountain said: "To come in as a Duckworth - one of the most recognised and celebrated names in soap, was quite daunting. Jack and Vera's are big shoes to fill and I'm just hoping I can prove to people that Tommy has that Duckworth charm and wit and gain viewers' respect." Discussing the spray tan that he has to wear for the role, Fountain confessed that he is not a fan of the beauty application. "I don't like them much," he said. "My toes look like someone's been rubbing Marmite on them at the moment - it's not the greatest look!"
Speaking of whether or not he would like Terry (Duckworth) to return, Fountain said: "Yeah, if Terry came back, I think it would cause fireworks between a lot of the characters. It would be nice to see how that would pan out, because obviously Tommy is completely different to Terry - he hasn't got so much of a temper and I don't think he's a nasty person. It would definitely be quite interesting to see what happened if Terry came back."
Reception
Chris Fountain was nominated at British Soap AwardsBritish Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
2011 for Sexiest Male speaking of the nomination Fountain said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to bits - I've not even been on screen yet, so it's quite flattering to be up for Sexiest Male. It's great. A few people have asked me whether it would be quite an embarrassing award to win, but considering I haven't even been on screen yet, I'd take anything! (laughs) If it was Best Haircut, I'd take that as well!"