Happy Valley fans are curious about the actor behind Ryan

Happy Valley: Sarah Lancashire stars in season three trailer

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Happy Valley returned for its third and final season on New Year’s Day with the cast making a big comeback after a seven-year absence from screens. Although time had passed since viewers were last in the Calder Valley, much still seemed the same. However, there was one big change, Ryan Cawood (played by Rhys Connah) looked very different from the carefree child audiences remembered in the BBC series.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from all seasons of Happy Valley

Is Ryan in Happy Valley the same actor?

Even though he looks very different, it is indeed the same actor portraying Ryan with actor Connah now a young man.

The actor posted about finishing work on Happy Valley in May last year, sharing a selfie with his 1,500 followers.

The rising star captioned his thumbs-up image: “After the most incredible journey that’s Ryan Cawood wrapped on #happyvalley. #bbc #amc #lookoutpoint @jesstaylor1970 @jginorton #sallywainwright #sarahlancashire #siobhanfinneran @oneill.con @_karldavies @charliemurphyactress.”

Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright always wanted the show to take a break to allow actor Connah to grow up and then revisit the role of Ryan.

She wanted Connah to take on the part again because she wanted Ryan to be at an age where he would now be able to make his own decisions.

This is something which seemed to be addressed right in the first episode of season three when an aghast Catherine Cawood (Sarah Lancashire) learned Ryan had been going to see his estranged and violent father Tommy Lee Royce (James Norton).

Catherine discovered her sister Clare Cartwright (Siobhan Finneran) was involved in helping Ryan behind her back and decided to confront her over the betrayal.

Connah is now 16-years-old after previously playing the character when he was aged just eight as a child actor.

Wainwright said of her casting decision and the show’s extended break: “I waited six years because I wanted to get to a point where Ryan would be old enough to start making choices about whether he wanted to have a relationship with his dad or not.

“And could he have a relationship with his dad, and how would Catherine feel about that? I really wanted to be able to explore that.”

She went on to say: “It’s been great that we got Rhys back to play Ryan which has been fantastic, and he has done a really lovely job in that.

“That was always the intention, to have a gap and it has worked out just about right.

“Just the right period of time because he is now 16, so he can travel places by himself, he can make choices. He can do things behind Catherine’s back.”

“The intention developed through conversations I had with Sarah to make it a three-parter, to make a trilogy.”

She added: “We always said this would be the final season and it is very definitely is the final season.”

In the interim while Happy Valley has been on hiatus, Connah has also been starring in other projects including The White Princess, Wainwright’s love letter to the Brontë sisters To Walk Invisible, The Runaways and The Snow Maze.

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Reflecting on his very first day on set, Connah said: “It was a scene where I went to see Daniel for dinner, and I remember the first shot we did was when I opened the door to walk in.

“I remember the first ever time we did it I looked directly at the camera – I didn’t look at anyone else, I just looked straight at the camera. They had to stop and say, ‘Rhys, the most important part about filming is don’t look at the camera!’”

Teasing the last outing, Connah said: “The main thing is it is six years on, that’s the biggest thing – how the characters, including Ryan of course, and the world itself have changed since the last time we saw them.”

His turn as Ryan is likely to send Connah’s profile soaring with Happy Valley becoming the biggest show of 2023 already.

Happy Valley airs on BBC One on Sundays at 9pm

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