Former 'Corrie' star Charles Lawson criticises young actors 'obsessed by fame'

Former Coronation Street star Charles Lawson has criticised young actors for being "obsessed by fame" rather than focusing on the quality of their performance.

The 61-year-old, who played Jim McDonald in the ITV soap, shared that he considers some actors on "very popular" shows to be "awful" at their job.

"If you want to get into acting, stop being obsessed by fame," he told the Daily Star. "Most young actors I meet are more interested in being famous than practising their craft.

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"Throw all that bad attitude away and go to drama school. It wasn’t meant to be easy.

"I watch the actors of today on very popular and celebrated, familiar shows and some of them are just awful. Get in some work and learn your art."

The Northern Irish actor last appeared on Corrie in 2018 during a short stint. He originally joined the programme in 1989 and was a regular character up until 2000.

Lawson has also enjoyed several guest appearances over the years while other members of the McDonald family, onscreen wife Liz (Beverley Callard) and son Steve (Simon Gregson) stayed on the street.

Callard has also since quit the soap after being written out in 2020 with the character heading to Spain offscreen.

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A more dramatic exit was said to be in store originally, however, because of the coronavirus pandemic disrupting filming and Callard recovering from a hip operation the actor decided not to return.

"I loved Coronation Street. I still do and I always will," she told the Sunday Express magazine S. "But sometimes it's just not your turn on the merry-go-round.

"It was a massive decision for me to make, but I believe I did it for the right reasons."

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