Jimmy Corkhill is a fictional character from Brookside, played by Dean Sullivan, who joined the series in 1986. Jimmy originally appeared on a recurring basis appearing alongside his brother, Billy (John McArdle), before becoming a regular character, featured in major storylines, and remained in the show until its end 17 years later. He is cited as one of the show's most popular characters, and was the longest-featured character. Jimmy has often been cited as a lovable rogue by television critics.
Casting
Jimmy is played by Dean Sullivan. He later became the longest-serving cast member in the serial's history. Sullivan was initially only contracted to appear in six episodes as a recurring character, but due to his popularity he was taken on full-time and remained for seventeen years. When the serial was cancelled, Sullivan said he felt bereaved and it was like losing an old friend.
Jimmy is often described as a rogue.
Storylines
Jimmy first appears in Brookside when his brother Billy moves in and is in the process of building the extension to No.10. His first scene in the close features Billy and Paul Collins (Jim Wiggins), another close resident, who is the architect responsible for designing the extension.
Jimmy comes and goes for a couple of years as a sporadic character while the Corkhill family are introduced. His first major storyline involves an insurance "job" on Billy's house. For a year or so, Billy has been in dire financial straits, and Jimmy talks him into what he thinks a surefire winner. When Billy's son, Rod (Jason Hope), graduates from police college, Jimmy does the insurance job (in daylight) and completely trashes the Corkhill’s house in the process to make it look a bit more convincing to the police and the insurance company. When Billy returns from the graduation later that day, he is mortified at the amount of damage Jimmy had done to his house, and it temporarily puts a strain on their relationship.
In the early-to-mid 1990s, Jimmy became an integral part of the storylines. He first suffers from a drug addiction, which nearly destroys his marriage to Jackie (Sue Jenkins). He has numerous jobs, such as being a barman and bouncer at Bar Brookie, working for Mick Johnson (Louis Emerick) in his pizza takeaway, a cleaner in a school, and as a history teacher at his local school. In November 1993, Jimmy's contacts begin to get arrested and he decides to flee the close. When driving, he takes a hit of cocaine to steady his nerves, which affects his driving and causes his neighbour, Frank Rogers (Peter Christian) to swerve off a road and crash. Frank is badly injured, and dies just after arriving at the hospital. Jimmy drives some of the relatives to hospital, and when they arrive he learns that Frank had just died and that Tony Dixon (Mark Lennock) is in serious condition.
Within a month of the crash, Tony is diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state, and doctors say that he is unlikely to ever regain consciousness, but his father Ron (Vince Earl) is determined to help him recover. Jimmy helps fundraise to help the Dixon family find a cure, but Tony dies in February 1994. At Ron's request, Jimmy becomes a pallbearer at Tony's funeral, but he cracks under guilt at the graveside and confesses that he caused the crash.
Jimmy's drug problem worsens as he is racked with guilt over the crash, and when Jackie catches him taking drugs in their bathroom just before Christmas 1993, he confesses the crash to her and that drugs are his way of coping with the guilt. She tells no one else about his confession, and tries to talk Jimmy into believing that the crash was not all his fault, as it had already been revealed that Frank had been over the drink-drive limit when the crash happened.
Jimmy starts taking ecstasy in 1994, and Sullivan reportedly suggested the storyline should have ended with Jimmy dying to warn young viewers about the dangers of taking drugs.
In January 1995, Jimmy and Eddie Banks (Paul Broughton) find the body of Trevor Jordache (Bryan Murray), who had been killed two years earlier by his wife Mandy (Sandra Maitland) and daughter Beth (Anna Friel), after years of physical and psychological abuse, and rape. They bury him under the patio.