| Ryan Connor | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Thompson as Ryan Connor (2009). | |||||||||||||||
| Coronation Street character | |||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Ben Thompson | ||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Steve Frost | ||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2006–10 | ||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 30 August 2006 | ||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 8 October 2010 | ||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 14 January 1992 | ||||||||||||||
| Home | Glasgow | ||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Student | ||||||||||||||
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Ryan Connor is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Ben Thompson, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 30 August 2006.[1] It was announced in August 2010 that the character was being downgraded to recurring status from the following October, and Ryan left on-screen to go to university in Glasgow on 8 October 2010.[2]
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Ryan is born to Nick (Robert Horwell) and Wendy Neeson (Jane Slavin) on January 14, 1992. However, a mix-up at the hospital means he is taken home by Michelle Connor (Kym Marsh) and Dean who believe he is their son and are listed as his parents on his birth certificate. Ryan has a wonderful childhood and is very close to his father. However, Dean is killed in a road traffic accident in 2001 when Ryan is only nine years old. Ryan is depressed for several months afterwards but Michelle raises him well and it is later revealed that it was his uncle Paul Connor (Sean Gallagher) who was driving and had switched seats with Dean to avoid being convicted of driving while intoxicated. Apparently the last thoughts Dean had for the two minutes before he died were of Michelle and Ryan and how much he wanted to get back to them. Paul and brother Liam (Rob James-Collier) become father figures to their nephew and they are very protective of him partly for Dean's sake but also because he is their only nephew.
Ryan arrives with mother Michelle on the Street in August 2006 and it is clear that the two of them have a very close relationship. In December 2006, Ryan is caught by Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) vandalising The Kabin. Michelle makes him help in the newsagents every night after school for a week. For a time, Michelle dates affluent businessman Sonny Dhillon (Pal Aron). After they break up, Ryan goes joyriding in Sonny's car. He is caught by the police, though later released. When he returns to the Street, his uncle Paul smacks him across the face. The reason for this is later revealed to be that Paul caused the demise of Ryan's late father, Dean, due to careless driving. In an episode several months later, Paul dies in a car accident after kidnapping Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson). Ryan is really upset after losing Paul and his father but he survives without them remembering that he still has Liam.
Throughout December 2007, Ryan is stalked by a mysterious stranger who knows him by name. When tracked down, the man, Nick Neeson, explains that he believes Ryan to be his real son, and his own son Alex (Dario Coates) to be Michelle's after a baby mix-up at the hospital.[3] A DNA test later confirms this to be the case. Ryan gets extremely jealous when his mother starts taking Alex out for the day and has a fight with him in January 2008 and they are both hit by a car but suffer minor injuries. Nick writes Ryan a letter in which he tells him he is sorry for stalking him and hopes he understands why he had to see him. Ryan tears it up before reading it and Michelle picks up the pieces. Inside is a picture of Ryan just after he was born with Nick and Wendy. Ryan moves in with his uncle and aunt-in-law, Liam and Maria Connor (Samia Smith) in February 2008, feeling excluded because Alex is living with Michelle. Ryan opens up to Liam about how much Michelle is choosing Alex over him and then cries. Liam tells Steve (Simon Gregson), Michelle's boyfriend, who tells Michelle that Ryan is losing sleep over the fear of losing his only parent. Even though Michelle doesn't want to lose them both she still has to send Alex home because Ryan is the son that she has loved and raised since birth. She's also reassured by Steve that even though Alex is the son she had with Dean, Ryan is the son she raised with him and the son Dean knew before he died. After Alex moves out, Ryan moves back in. Ryan continues to see Nick on occasion but stops after his uncle's death. He realizes that no one can compare to Dean. One time Ryan leaves his book behind, leaving his mother to chase after him starting to say he is just like his dad. Ryan becomes upset at the prospect of not inheriting anything from Dean but then Michelle reassures him that because they spent so much time together his traits have rubbed of on Ryan. Ryan then looks wistful as he started to realize how great Dean was. [4]
On 17 October 2008 Ryan is a stag at Tony Gordon (Gray O'Brien)'s stag party where Tony's plot to have Liam murdered is realised, after he had discovers his affair with Carla Connor (Alison King), his fiancee. However, when the group are planning to visit a strip club, Tony sends Ryan home as he is too young and only minutes after he has left, Liam is killed in a hit-and-run. Ryan is later informed of the news by Michelle. However, when the time comes to tell him she is immediately reminded of Dean and the night he died when Ryan was a kid because she was the one who had to bring herself to tell him on that night. Steve sensing this breaks the news to Ryan himself to save Michelle the trouble and Ryan breaks down along with his mother. A few days later Ryan became inconsolable and Michelle thinks it best that he doesn't see the body at the morgue as it will upset him even more. However, Ryan adamantly argues that he has to come in order to get closure so his mother reluctantly gives in. On the day of Liam's funeral Ryan tells Maria that he is trying to escape his grandfather Barry (Frank Grimes) because he is trying to bond with him like Liam and he isn't in the mood, however, this all changes after the funeral. At Liam's funeral Ryan can't read the passage so Michelle tells him to tell a story about Liam. Ryan tells everyone a heartbreaking story about how Liam always told him to keep those who matter close to him and let go of the ones that are gone. Towards the end of telling his story, he begins to break down as Liam is not there for him anymore. His mother gently guided him off the pew.
When Michelle discovers Steve's affair with Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly) in January 2009, she packs up her belongings and takes Ryan with her. No one knows how Ryan is going to react as every father figure he has had in his life is gone, his father, his uncle Paul and barely a year afterwards his uncle Liam. He also bonded with Steve and became like a big brother to his daughter Amy Barlow (Amer Chadwick). Ryan then punches Steve, warning him not to go near his mother again. The next day, Michelle leaves to go for a break in Ireland, with Ryan staying at a friend's house.
Ryan forms a new group of teenagers along with fellow Coronation Street resident Sophie Webster (Brooke Vincent) and two new characters Ben Richardson (Lucien Laviscount) and Sian Powers (Sacha Parkinson). In March, 2009, Ryan asks Sian out, to which she says yes. On 18 March 2009 Ryan kisses Sian after one of his gigs and the pair enter into a relationship.
In late May 2009, Sian's father, Vinnie (Ian Dunn) arrives on the scene, threatening Ryan as he thinks that he has been sleeping with Sian, after finding condoms in her bag. Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne) steps in and protects Ryan and then manages to convince Vinnie that he would never do anything like that. It's later revealed that Sian bought the condoms.
In November 2009, Ryan is distraught when it is revealed that Tony had killed Liam and threatens to kill him, making Michelle worried. He decides to go to court with her at Tony's trial, despite her telling him not to go. In the courtroom Tony smiles at Carla, Michelle mistakes the smile for Ryan and becomes infuriated. Ryan has to hold her back as she screams abuse at Tony.
Ryan sleeps with Sian on New Years Eve 2009. Sophie, Michelle and her new boyfriend, Jake Harman (Kenny Doughy), catch them, causing an argument that results in Sian leaving and spoiling Michelle and Jake's night. After Sian's father finds out that Ryan and Sian have slept together, he sends Sian to Southport to live with her mother, leaving Ryan and Sophie devastated.
Sian comes back to Weatherfield in March 2010, and is reunited with Ryan and Sophie. Later Sian breaks up with Ryan, after suspecting that he is attracted to another girl. When Sophie finds Ryan sat on the pavement outside his house, she gives hime some advice on Sian. Ryan misinterprets the situation and kisses Sophie, causing her to walk off in disgust. Ryan later begs Sophie not to tell Sian about what he did and he later makes amends with her. However, Sophie tells Sian about the kiss in front of Ryan and Sian ends the relationship for good. After Sian goes back to Southport, Ryan bumps into Sophie in the street and tells Sophie he thinks they are getting back together after Sian phoned him. However, Sian admits to Sophie that she feels "more than friends", and they start a secret relationship together. A few months later, Ryan catches Sophie and Sian kissing at the builder's yard. Although he is initially disgusted that Sian is a lesbian, he agrees to keep quiet about the relationship.
Tiring of life in Manchester but staying, as he feels that Michelle is dependent on him, Ciaran McCarthy (Keith Duffy) soon convinces Ryan that he needs to start the life that he dreams of. After spending a number of days in Glasgow with Ciaran, Ryan decides to transfer to a university there and leaves Weatherfield in October 2010.