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<\/p>\nThe Crown star James Murray started off his acting career on ITV soap Coronation Street but the experience left him terrified<\/p>\n
10:34, 15 Mar 2026Updated 10:35, 15 Mar 2026<\/p>\n
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James Murray kick started his acting career in Coronation Street(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n
James Murray has revealed why he won’t return to Coronation Street<\/a> after just three episodes.<\/p>\n The actor shared that he featured in three episodes of the ITV<\/a> soap when speaking to Alan Titchmarsh on Love Your Weekend<\/a> on Sunday (March 15).<\/p>\n When asked to share who he played in the long-running serial drama, James told the ITV host he was Sandy the barman many years ago.<\/p>\n He commented: “I was Jack and Vera’s barman for about three episodes, it was a frightening experience.<\/p>\n “No good at the job! Thankfully, I think I was contracted for three episodes, so I was in and out, but it was so frightening because Bill Tarmey, who played Jack, was a wonderful man.<\/p>\n The actor appeared as Sandy the barman in the ITV soap(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n “You know how those things are filmed, it’s very quick. It’s like a sausage factory! There’s not much time for creative input from the actors, shall we say. You just stand on your mark, say your line, and we move on.<\/p>\n “That was my first introduction into the world<\/a> of acting, screen acting. I walked into the Rovers, and I was absolutely petrified!<\/p>\n “The bright lights, I overlearned my lines, and I was just a mess. I was shaking and sweating.”<\/p>\n James Murray kick started his acting career in Coronation Street(Image: ITV)<\/p>\n James recalled how Bill was polishing some glass during their scene together and noticed how nervous he was.<\/p>\n The actor added: “He [Bill] went, ‘You’re shaking like a leaf, son, either stop shaking or think of doing something else’.<\/p>\n “After that stint on Corrie, I said I don’t want to be an actor, or I don’t want to be an actor like this, because it was so frightening to me!<\/p>\n “Being thrown into the lion’s den, first off. I then went and did theatre and other things, but yeah, never again. My hat goes off to the way they act in those shows because it’s so quick.”<\/p>\n The actor confessed the experience on the cobbles was ‘frightening’ (Image: ITV)<\/p>\n Luckily, it wasn’t enough to turn him off of acting completely as James has gone on to star in many well known shows. Recently, he appeared as Raef Lonsdale in the 2025 BBC<\/a> drama series Wild Cherry, one of the more villainous characters in the show.<\/p>\n While speaking to Alan Titchmarsh he joked he ‘can’t remember’ the last time he didn’t play an evil character, admitting it may have something to do with his eyebrows.<\/p>\n Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh is available to watch on Saturdays on ITV from 9:30am<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1_Untitled-22-2026-03-15T100713492jpeg.jpg\")
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