Coronation Street actress Kerri Quinn has revealed that she is “delighted” to play the part of a pro-life activist in a forthcoming BBC drama.
The Belfast actress, 37, best known for her role as Vicky Jefferies on the popular ITV soap, said she is “thrilled” to represent the pro-life community in The Awakening, which covers the recent change in abortion laws in Northern Ireland.
Ms Quinn said the role is an important one not only for her, but for her entire family. She also revealed that she based her character on her mother, who, she said, is the “most influential person in my life”.
“I play a pro-lifer which I was delighted about because my whole family are pro-life, so it was a role I really wanted to portray and portray properly,” she told The Belfast Telegraph.
“I based the character very much on my mum who comes at it from a very different angle having lost a child.
Ms Quinn revealed that her parents lost her brother Kevin, who had a hole in his heart, when he was just three-years-old.
“I think that definitely impacts on how you feel about it. I think that’s why I believe that life is absolutely precious, I really do, because I have watched friends and family lose children.”
“My mum and dad lost my brother Kevin when he was three and I think life experience plays a massive part in the matter. My mum is the most influential person in my life so I wanted to represent the pro-life community as I know it.”
Ms Quinn said it was great to have the opportunity to represent that point of view and represent it well. She even went so far as to say she was made to play the role.
“I really clicked with the director straight away – we had a lovely call at first and it was very clear that I was meant to play that part,” she said.
Ms Quinn admitted that while it’s a very important part of her life, it’s a topic she doesn’t really discuss that often, as she has a lot of friends who have a different view.
“It’s not that we would argue but we have differing views so we shall remain friends and not discuss it,” she said.
“It’s obviously going to provoke a reaction from both sides and but I was thrilled to be a representative of the pro-life community.”
Ms Quinn also warned that she is preparing for a lot of controversy.
“I think there will be a lot of controversy around the piece but controversy that needs to happen I think so I’m really excited to see how it’s received,” she said.
It remains to be seen how the forthcoming BBC drama will portray the events in Northern Ireland but Ms Quinn’s comments have been welcomed by the pro-life community.
Ms Quinn featured on the famous Corrie cobbles from 2018 to 2019, portraying the feisty Vicky Jefferies. She was first introduced to Weatherfield as the mother of young gang leader Tyler Jefferies (played by Will Barnett). The character left the street for Ireland with Tyler and her newborn son, Sonny, after Sonny’s father, Robert Preston (Tristan Gemmill) was shot and killed on Christmas Day 2019.
Picture: Kerri Quinn. (ITV).
