Former Weatherfield County striker Tommy Orpington will be showing off some impressive finishes of a different kind on Coronation Street next week when the local legend decorates Tracy and Steve McDonald’s bedroom, having forged out a new career as a painter and decorator following his retirement from the beautiful game.
And for actor Matt Milburn, it’s not the first time he’s donned a pair of overalls. Off-screen, it turns out he’s not averse to getting his hands dirty.
Asked what he gets up to when he’s not playing Tommy, Matt tells us, “Obviously, I try and work as consistently as I can [as an actor] because that’s my number one and main focus. But it’s a bit of a case of life imitating art, because I do plumbing and heating.
“I’m not averse to one minute being on the telly and the next minute being in my overalls, working for my brother-in-law’s company, which I’ve done on and off for the last 10 years. I’m not one to sit still.
“Touch wood, I’ve always had consistent acting work - not always week to week, but a few jobs a year. But always, in between, I pick up my plumbing and heating.”
Matt adds, “It’s funny, I walked into make-up at Corrie the other day in Tommy’s decorating overalls, and there was a girl who’d not met me before. She looked at me and then pointed to the sink. Apparently one of the taps had been playing up.
“I said, ‘Do you know what? I probably could fix it, but not right now!’”
Matt first appeared as Tommy Orpington back in 2016, when his character hired Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh) to be his wedding planner. He has since made several guest appearances.
This time around, he’s back for a big storyline. Tommy - who has lost all his money on a failed burger restaurant and subsequently been ditched by his wife - will find himself drawn to married Tracy, and the two will embark on a fiery affair.
“I think in the past, Tommy’s done quite well with the ladies - he’s been a bit of a player on and off the pitch!” laughs Matt. “But his marriage has failed, and he’s probably not been the most settled of fellas.
“Tracy’s very sparky and confident, and I think he likes the challenge of being kept on his toes. She’s not a character who hides away, so he’s challenged by her and he finds that attractive.
“The marriage side of it, in his mind, is a little bit irrelevant. He’s probably a bit thoughtless in that sense but he genuinely doesn’t want to hurt anybody. I don’t think he’s considering the repercussions, although he probably should.”
Corrie bosses haven’t revealed how the story will pan out - although this is soap, so it can surely only be a matter of time before Tommy and Tracy are caught out.
But Matt says he thinks that Tommy and Tracy could, potentially, work as a couple.
“I don’t see why not,” he ponders. “I think it’d have its ups and downs, that’s for sure, because they’re both quite strong in their opinions.
“But it’d have a chance, and it would be nice to see.”
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8.00pm on ITV.
