Coronation Street fans would hardly recognise Paul Fox, the actor who played Mike Baldwin's son in Weatherfield, in his new role as an ambitious GP in the 1960s soap The Royal. Steve Pratt reports.

With roles in Coronation Street and Emmerdale under his belt, it's only natural to ask actor Paul Fox if he's going for a hat-trick and joining EastEnders next. "No, no, no, no," is his emphatic answer.

Where you'll find him is in The Royal. He joins ITV's 1960s-set hospital drama on Sunday as ambitious GP and anaesthetist Dr Jeffrey Goodwin.

He was considered for the first series of the Heartbeat spin-off, for the part of Dr David Cheriton, which was played by Julian Ovenden until the medic's death in Sunday's episode.

"I actually auditioned for Dr Cheriton," recalls Fox. "I know Julian, we're friends, and we auditioned together for the part. It didn't work out for me. Then, while I was in Canada filming, they called and said this new part was coming up.

"This character suits me better than Julian's. He was perfect for his character and this works a lot better for me. "

Dr Goodwin marks his first TV role since playing Mike Baldwin's son Mark in Coronation Street. He fled Weatherfield after bedding his father's bride-to-be Linda Sykes.

Fox has been working in films and theatre since leaving the Street. He was in Canada for ten months, making the sci-fi series Starhunter 2300. "We're bounty hunters, who go out and find the bad guys. Every episode we save the universe," he says.

He was in Toronto, filming the series, when the offer for The Royal came in. He hadn't seen any of the previous series, but didn't see that as a drawback.

"It's been kind of strange coming back because I knew the job was coming to an end in Canada and was emailing friends saying, 'what's going on when I get home? Is there anything coming up?'," he recalls.

"Then to come back to such a big job and a very different job for me. I was slightly unnerved to think I might be a little young to be playing a doctor. But it's funny, as soon as you put a stethoscope around your neck, you're like, 'tell me your problems'."

He was recgonised from the Street during his time in Canada as the soap is shown over there. He also met up with Samia Ghadie, the actress who plays Maria, when she was over there promoting the series as part of a British showcase.

Fox himself doesn't rule out returning. "Tell me anyone who'd say no to being offered the job of playing Mike Baldwin's son. It was fantastic and I loved working with Johnny Briggs. We had a great time and I'd definitely go back," he says.

Having done the Street and Emmerdale puts him in an elite group of actors who've done both soaps. Not that he planned it that way. "When you start working plans go out of the window, whichever path you wanted your career to go on," he says.

"I know it wasn't in any plan to be in two soaps, but suddenly it just happens. It's not a bad thing that I've been in both, but it's a funny one. You're thrown a certain way in your career. It's OK and you ride with it, but to do two is strange."

He can see differences between the Street's Mark and his character in The Royal. "You bring a certain amount of yourself to roles anyway, but Mike Baldwin's son would have been much more public school, had a lot of money, been able to do things he wants to do. Whereas Geoff in The Royal, he's much more working class. He's a lad, he's decided he wants to do well.

"He wants to be a doctor and has gone through all the stages. I should imagine it's been very hard for him. I really like that about the character. He's completely on the level with everyone else in the hospital. But he's been to college and knows his stuff."

Fox reckons he's "terrible" at the medical stuff. "I have a laugh every day in work," he says. "I'm enjoying this job more than any other I've done, purely for the fact that I'm trying to save lives - and having a laugh doing it."

There's a medical advisor on set, but he didn't go and spend time watching operations before embarking on the role. As The Royal is set in the 1960s, that wouldn't really be relevant.

He's all right with the fake blood used on screen. "It's out of a bottle. They can squeeze it anywhere they want," he says.

Inevitably, Dr Goodwin will find romance at The Royal, although nothing too serious. "I think at the start he says, 'to be honest, I wouldn't have picked this hospital if I had to choose one'. So I don't know whether he's planning to stay that long. But he has a cool sports car, an MGB Roadster, that I get to drive."

* The Royal: ITV1, Sunday, 8pm.

Published: ??/??/2003