Mollie Gallagher has admitted she "didn't want to leave" Coronation Street after seven years as Nina Lucas, but she chose to take on a new role in a stage production of The Silence of the Lambs. The 28-year-old actress joined the ITV soap in 2019, shortly after leaving drama school, and her character was quickly established as the long-lost niece of fan favourite Roy Cropper.
Hard decision to leave
During her time on the show, Nina, known for her gothic style, has been at the centre of several high-profile storylines. Gallagher notably collected a National Television Award for a plot that saw Nina's boyfriend Seb Franklin murdered in a hate crime based on the real-life murder of Sophie Lancaster.
In scenes set to air in the coming days, café waitress Nina will hang up her Roy's Rolls apron for good when she is offered a new job in Whitby. Gallagher admitted that while it was a difficult decision, she and her co-star felt she had done the right thing.
Support from co-star
Asked if she had spoken to David Neilson, who plays her on-screen uncle, she said: "I had spoken to him about it anyway, and he told me to go with my gut. He’s an intuitive person, and he agreed it was the right thing to do. I didn't want to leave, so it was a difficult decision, but he said I had to do what I felt was right for me."
Gallagher had been offered the part of Clarice Starling in a new stage production of The Silence of the Lambs. She said she didn't expect to get the role that won Jodie Foster an Oscar in 1991, but when the call came, she knew she couldn't make both work.
She said: "It was a casting call. When they got in touch, I thought it was a great opportunity to tape for a great casting director and Nikolai Foster, who is obviously big in the theatre world. I didn’t expect to get the part; I just thought it would be a good experience."
New stage role
Even though Nina is still on screen, Gallagher has opened in the touring production of The Silence of the Lambs, starring opposite a former EastEnders actor who takes on the role of Hannibal Lecter. Former Emmerdale actor Oliver Farnworth plays Agent Jack Crawford.
The stage show is an adaptation of the psychological horror crime thriller by Thomas Harris, which follows FBI trainee Clarice as she is sent to interview imprisoned cannibal Hannibal Lecter in the hopes of catching another serial killer. The production is touring the UK until June 2027.
Gallagher added how daunting it was to audition for something completely new and even questioned her decision in the days after she told bosses she had quit. She said: "I haven't really auditioned much before Corrie, I think it was just a commercial and one other little thing. When you're doing a professional job for TV, it’s one thing, but getting your first professional job in theatre is different again."
She added: "The first three days after I told Corrie I was leaving, I was like, 'Oh my God,' I felt like I was losing my mind. I thought, 'What have I done?' You always wonder, 'What if I'm not good? What if I'm terrible?' It’s hard to step out of your comfort zone because I’ve got to know Nina so well for seven years."
Emotional farewell
Gallagher, who also reached the semi-final of Dancing on Ice in 2023, teased a return to Coronation Street as she noted she is "hoping it isn't the end" for Nina. She recalled feeling emotional on her last day on set but knew she had to quickly prepare for her new role.
She said: "It was obviously very sad, but everything was happening so quickly. I’m not the kind of person who usually compartmentalises things, everything in my life usually happens at once, but for the first time, I actually did put things into compartments. I had to, otherwise, I’d be too emotional. Three days after my last day at Corrie, I was moving to Leicester. I just had to focus so I wouldn't be crying in rehearsals at my new job!"
Coronation Street airs weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
