Mollie Gallagher found it 'so hard' saying goodbye to Coronation Street
Mollie Gallagher found it "so hard" leaving her "dream" role on Coronation Street.
Mollie Gallagher found it "so hard" leaving Coronation Street but knew it would be "devastating" to pass up the chance to appear on stage.
The 28-year-old actress has left Weatherfield after more than six years playing Nina Lucas because she quickly realised her dream of juggling the role with playing Clarice Starling in a new UK theatre tour of The Silence of the Lambs just wouldn't work.
She told Radio Times: "Originally I really wanted to find a way to do both. It sounds ridiculous hearing it now, but I'd seen theatre runs where different actors take on different stints, but I realised pretty quickly that could never work.
"It's so hard, because obviously being on Corrie has been my dream, but also you want to explore other things and to be offered something as great as this, and not be able to do it would be devastating."
Mollie has just begun her role in Silence of the Lambs, which runs until June 2027, and admitted she has been very nervous about stepping out on stage.
She said: "This is only my second professional job! So I don't know if this ever goes away for anybody, but there a big feeling of imposter syndrome.
"I've not done professional theatre and I feel like I'm very much in the unknown, and at least with TV you can watch yourself back and kind of go from there."
But she has enjoyed the challenge of playing a new character in the production, which also stars EastEnders actor John Partridge as Hannibal Lecter.
She said: "Sometimes you can go, 'Well, I wouldn't do that, Molly wouldn't be able to do that,' but Clarice can do that. She has to be grounded, no kind of airy fairy behaviour, it's the opposite of that. But luckily I got my big mirror out and I started doing the lines and I was like, 'Oh, this is cool, she does sit in me.'"
Meanwhile, the soap star recently hinted the door is being left open for Nina to return in the future.
She teased on This Morning: "I believed it's not the end of Nina's story. I love Corrie, and I really hope it's not the end. I don't think it is."
Last month, Corrie bosses voiced their support for Mollie's decision to step back and take on such a major opportunity.
A show spokesperson confirmed: "Mollie has created a unique and well loved character in Nina over the past six and a half years and everyone will be sorry to see her go.
"It is fantastic for Mollie that she has been given this incredible opportunity to play such an iconic role and we wish her all the best for the theatre tour."
