Real life of Coronation Street's Rowan actor Emrhys Cooper - age, Hollywood role, music ambitions and cult link

Coronation Street fans have been begging for Leanne Battersby to see what's really going on as she becomes further involved with The Institute and her mentor Rowan Cunliffe.

Viewers of the ITV soap first saw Emrhys Cooper on-screen as Rowan back in March when Leanne accompanied Simon Barlow to one of his seminars at the Chariot Square Hotel. Leanne was taken aback when the group mentor approached her and offered her some unsolicited advice as she dealt with Simon's drink-driving and her partner Nick Tilsley's reaction.

Since then, Corrie fans have watched as Leanne has become further involved in The Institue and it was recently revealed the group was providing her with technology that allows her to 'talk' to an AI version of her late son, Oliver, who tragically died in 2020.

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But her continued investment in The Institute seems to be to the detriment of her relationship with Nick as well as her sister Toyah Battersby, who has been speaking negatively of the group. She had been trying to get to the truth of who they really are before she was arrested, discovering Leanne had told Rowan about the tragic stillborn baby she'd buried as a teen.

In upcoming scenes, a smug Rowan will be seen holding a meeting in the Bistro much to Nick and Toyah’s dismay. Rowan corners Toyah and hands her a copy of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) he previously presented her with, suggesting she signs it. When Toyah makes it clear she won’t be blackmailed and she intends to come clean, Rowan points out that it’ll destroy Leanne but he’ll be happy to pick up the pieces, leaving Toyah sickened.

Rowan then makes a speech and announces that Leanne has been promoted to level 5 and he couldn’t be more proud of her. The members clap and Leanne basks in the glory while Nick and Toyah watch in disgust.

But some Corrie fans may not know that Emrhys has his own experiences of Rowan-types through his own parents - Christopher and Raphaela - who found themselves in and out of groups over the years. "Growing up in Totnes, Devon, a very new-age town and a breading hub of gurus and holistic doctors, my parents encountered quite a few Rowan types over the years," the actor told the Manchester Evening News earlier this year.

"I didn't really understand it growing up but as I got older and witness first-hand some of the dangers of these types of characters, my mother's health was severely effected by some very dangerous advice she received which is still incredibly upsetting to me."

He later elaborated: "There's been multiple instances [over the years] but what happened to my mother is that she had a prescription for high blood pressure and a holistic doctor basically told her he could get her off the prescription with herbal remedies but she had a minor heart attack and prised us she'd go back on the prescription...

"Unfortunately she didn't and she stockpiled the prescription then four years ago she had a very severe stroke which has left her paralysed and in a nursing home. But one of the things that happened that is similar to my storyline [on Corrie], my parents did wind up in a cult but it was a wellness, fitness, more of a spiritual cult.."

Emrhys continued: "It was only as they got further in and gave more money it became more sinister... The cult tried to separate my parents by doing these rather sexual exercises with other people...

"They cottoned on that the exercise programme wasn't all it cracked up to me and my dad spoke about it and the main master kicked my dad out and my mum was fast to leave after that. But they got out relatively unscathed but they've been in and out of different things. They always like looking for alternative options and they are intelligent people but unfortunately, they're very open-hearted and many times they've been taken advantage of."

As for Emrhys himself, before arriving on Corrie, the actor, singer, dancer, and filmmaker starred as the male lead role in the Emmy nominated StyleHaul Drama Series Vanity in which he stars alongside Denise Richards and Karrueche Tran.

He has appeared in films such as Mamma Mia, the romantic comedy Walk a Mile in My Pradas (2011), the indie drama Till We Meet Again, the horror film Dreamcatcher, and his award-winning directorial debut The Shuroo Process.

It was in 2008 when he moved to Los Angeles that he quickly started working on many of the US's biggest shows including Desperate Housewives, CSI:NY, Touch and Blackish. He played an integral role on the hit prime time network TV series Person of Interest playing MI6 spy Young Greer. The elder John Greer is portrayed by the British actor John Nolan.

His varied career has also seen him work with artists including Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Pussycat Dolls, having previously worked as a dancer. And some Corrie fans haverecently been left surprised to realise the actor starred in the music video for the hit song Push The Button by girlband Sugababes in 2005, but looked entirely unrecognisable as he took on the role of the 'Geeky Guy'.

His dancing even took him to some of the biggest live shows celebrated across the world including The X Factor, America’s Got Talent and then MTV EMAs. And in 2013, he even attempted to make it as a solo artist when he released his debut solo single Hypnotised.

Emrhys also appeared in Mamma Mia! the musical during his career that saw him travel the globe as a performer. He made his West End debut at the age of 21 when he landed a role in the fames Queen musical We Will Rock You. Prior to that, he undertook a role in the national UK tour of Fame – The Musical. As a model and dancer, the star also booked roles with some of the biggest singers in showbizness in their fun-filled music video.

Emrhys also isn't the only member of his family to enjoy a brush with fame. His sister Fleur appeared in the 2003 ITV2 programme Million Dollar Babes. The show followed the lives of a slew of young girls as they became successful nightclub promoters and hostesses in some of the UK’s top clubbing venues. Fleur’s role on the show was to source ‘tequila girls’ for nightclub events.