With Coronation Street saying goodbye to legend Jim McDonald, here’s what the actor who played his son Andy is up to now.
Coronation Street is set to say goodbye to Jim McDonald this week — but what’s the actor who played his son Andy up to now?
Andy (Nicholas Cochrane) first appeared on the long-running ITV soap back in 1989, arriving in Weatherfield with his mum Liz (Beverley Callard), dad Jim (Charlie Lawson), and brother Steve (Simon Gregson).
It didn’t take long for the McDonald family to stir up drama on the cobbles, and Andy himself was involved in several major storylines over the years.
He endured tumultuous romances with fellow Coronation Street residents, including Amy Nelson (Louise Duprey) and Paula Maxwell (Judy Brook). Andy also worked at the Rovers and found himself caught up in Gerry Turner’s (Keith Woodason) armed siege.
However, Nicholas Cochrane was written out of the soap, along with several other key characters, when a new producer took over in 1997. Andy’s exit storyline saw him leaving Weatherfield to take a teaching job in Spain.
Over the years, the actor has made several guest returns as Andy, appearing in 2000 and 2004. His most recent appearance was in 2009, when Andy came back for Steve’s wedding to Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly).
As for Andy’s dad, Jim, he was last seen on the cobbles in 2018. However, in Monday’s episode (February 23), Steve discovers that his estranged father is in the hospital. Later that week, he receives the devastating news that Jim has passed away.
After leaving Coronation Street, Nicholas Cochrane continued his screen career. He appeared in the ITV police drama Heartbeat as golfer Barray Scripps, and in 2019, he played Dean Telford — a father in debt to a local businessman — on Doctors.
Nicholas also pursued theatre work, joining the nationwide tour of Spring and Port Wine with The Middle Ground Theatre Company. He later moved into TV presenting, appearing on Granada TV and MUTV, where he interviewed top football stars including Roy Keane and David Beckham.
In addition to television, Nicholas has hosted radio shows for Talksport and BBC5 Live. Off-screen, he lives in Manchester with his wife Denise and their two children. In his free time, he enjoys both watching and playing a variety of sports.
Back in 2020, Nicholas spoke about the possibility of returning to Coronation Street. He told the Distinct Nostalgia podcast: “It would be great if the boys got back in touch and Andy ended up back in Weatherfield.
“It could work if Steve needed an organ [transplant] or there was some other storyline where one of us stays and the other leaves. That would be ideal for me … it would make for a really good storyline.”
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