Coronation Street villain lands new movie role a year after quitting soap
Viewers last saw several characters get justice as the evil character was written off for good in December last year.
Emrhys Cooper, 40, made viewers fume at the screen when he played cult leader Rowan Cunliffe on Coronation Street.
In the show he was responsible for emotionally manipulating Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) to become part of The Institute.
The star made his first exit just seven months after making his debut on the ITV serial drama, before Rowan was sent to prison at the end of 2024.
But long after filming his last scenes on the Salford set, he took to his Instagram story to tease his new project.
He posted a behind-the-scenes selfie as the former soap star wore a sleek black leather jacket.
The actor beamed as he posed for the camera beside his friend and latest drama colleague.
His caption read: “Great to be back on set, filming a fun new project directed by my talented friend @juliaverdin.”
Julia is a known for her work as a film producer and director, having worked with A-list talent including Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, and Sienna Miller.
On Corrie, Emrhys’ character Rowan was mostly behind Leanne’s decision to distance herself from her family.
She clashed with her fiance Nick (Ben Price) and basically cut herself off from her sister Toyah (Georgia Taylor) when she was diagnosed with cancer.
Coronation Street star quits after just seven months – and they’ve already got a new job
Nick and Toyah secretly embarked on an illicit affair just when Leanne discovered the truth about the cult.
In the end, the crimes of his character caught up with him as he was found guilty of fraud and blackmail in dramatic scenes.
At the time of his departure from the soap, a source told The Sun: “Emrhys has been a great addition to the street but he does play a dastardly villain and so his story always had a beginning, a middle and an end.
“Rowan’s going to get even worse over the next few months and the story’s nowhere near its ending just yet but he will be saying goodbye to the cobbles.
“The question is whether he gets his comeuppance or how many more lives he destroys before he leaves?”
