‘What I learned is that opinions can lead to consequences’: Belfast actor Michael Condron playing an extremist in Coronation Street

But he said he received huge support from the film’s producers and was cast as his character’s trajectory was about to get darker and more twisted.

And he says he feels the radicalization of disenfranchised young people is an important topic to explore, to show how radical opinions can do serious damage. how important.

The actor, who was born in Canada but raised in north Belfast, said: “I worry that there are people out there who cannot separate fiction from reality, and that I will be seen as a commercial boy. for true- extreme wing.

“I have read posts on social media that describe my character as a scum but there are people who say: ‘I agree with what he said.’

“It was a very divisive thing and for me it was important and what the producers and writers did well to make people aware that they have the right to voice their opinion, but those opinions all have consequences.

“I have no right to tell people what to think or not to think. I just go in and do my job to the best of my ability; to create a three-dimensional character for the audience to make those judgments for themselves.

“What I have learned is that opinions can lead to consequences so keep that in mind when you express opinions as consequences can be negative if not handled appropriately.”

The Game of Thrones star first stepped onto Corrie fame earlier in the summer as eco-warrior Griff. His backstory is linked to the return of fan-favorite ‘Spider’, played by Martin Hancock.

But it’s clear that Griff has ulterior motives and that Spider is an undercover cop who has infiltrated Griff’s right-wing extremist gang.

Since then, the plot has gotten more sinister, with Griff manipulating and luring Max Turner (Paddy Bever), leading a racist attack on young asylum seeker Daryan Zahawi and confronting him. with other Coronation Street residents including Roy Cropper (David Neilson).

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The racist attack on young refugees led to the soap being hit with 112 Ofcom complaints.

“I think that was the hardest scene for me,” Michael said.

“Daryan is a legend of a child and a brilliant young actor. We are very compatible.

“I looked at it thinking that this kind of thing happens every day and every day for children and not just from a racial standpoint. Children are always bullied like this. That’s reality. But that scene was especially difficult to do.”

The show’s bosses have said that the story will come to a “shocking and thought-provoking conclusion. While he couldn’t reveal what’s next for his character, Michael, who plays Griff as a Lancashire man, said he “didn’t want to give up” and that he was committed to his path of radicalization.

And he warned there was going to be worse.

“When I arrived, I didn’t want him to be a bad guy with a mustache,” he said.

“He’s the type of guy who starts off well and then slowly creeps into your head. There was a bit more color added to his character as time went on.

“He has the ability to deal serious damage, but trust me, he is a lot better looking now than he will ever prove. It is building and building like a volcano and something to give. Things will only get darker and worse.”

Michael said he has not been yelled at or yelled at in public but his Belfast accent is a cause for confusion among fans of the film. After agreeing to take selfies with some onlookers while hanging out in Manchester, he could see that they weren’t sure if he had picked the right person when he heard him speak with a Belfast accent.

And he says that the best reaction to his newfound fame has been to stay at home lately.

He explained: “I couldn’t deal with Christmas traffic so I waited for the bus outside the Northern Bank in the city centre.

“A man and a woman walked past me and started chatting about me, as if I wasn’t there.

“She said ‘That’s your man from Corrie,’ then went on to call her daughter to tell her. I just stood there, smiling at them like an eejit, because I didn’t know what else to do.

“I really enjoyed being in Manchester; it’s a great city, but what I love about coming home to Belfast is that no matter who you are or what you do, you will always feel connected.”