Royston "Roy" Cropper (supposedly born 21 September 1954) is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by David Neilson. He was introduced during the episode broadcast on 19 July 1995. Originally a secondary character, he was given a more prominent role in 1997, by the executive producer of Coronation Street, Brian Park. Roy has been featured in numerous high-profile storylines, most notably marrying the first transgender character in a British soap opera, Hayley Patterson (Julie Hesmondhalgh).