These days actors coming into Coronation Street tend to fall into two categories. They are either brand new, straight out of nowhere because they are perfect for the role being cast or they are already very famous, therefore being cast for who they are as much as who they are going to play.However, with the benefit of multi channel television it is often possible to catch current or former Coronation Street faces in other roles, in many cases before they became household names. I don't know about you, but I love spotting famous faces in classic television series and old films as it shows you how far some actors have come!
Actors like Sue Nicholls and John Savident often cropped up in many of the most popular television series of the day, long before Weatherfield came calling. Who can forget Sue in Rentaghost or The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin? I was, however, surprised to see her pop up in an episode of The Professionals, playing a frightfully posh lady giving Martin Shaw the glad eye! John Savident also appeared in The Professionals amongst countless other shows as well as several episodes of the superb Yes, Minister. 
Victoria Wood has also employed many actors with Corrie connections - I can name Anne Reid, Thelma Barlow, Philip Lowrie, Sue Cleaver and Shobna Gulati just off the top of my head.
So these are some of my favourites performances from our much-loved Coronation Street performers. What are yours?
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15 comments:
Daphne Oxenford (Esther Hayes) was in alot of tv shows as was Noel Dyson (Ida Barlow) wasn't she the housekeeper in 'Father dear father?'
Pat Phoenix was in the film 'The L shaped room' and after Corrie is ITV comedy Constant hot water playing a seaside landlady and she also had a slot on Breakfast TV AM.
and of Course Betty Driver and Violet Carson had big Film and Radio careers before Betty Turpin and Ena Sharples were thought of !!
I love the old clips of Betty Driver in the films she made - she really was terrific!
Ian Pulson-Smith - Owen the builder - is a renowed actor. Then of course we have the luvvies ie Lewis and Gloria.
There was an episode of Clocking Off where Jack Shepherd and Tina O'Brien played brother and sister before they were David and Sarah Platt.
Amanda Barrie was also in Carry on Cabby, playing a similar part to that in Cleo, except she was a cab driver.
John Savident was a mine owner trying to break a strike in the film Gandhi. He had a good South African accent.
Eddie Windass took his kit off in the Full Monty.
Now there's an image!
I always think of Sue Nicholls as Marilyn Gates in Crossroads.
And Johnny Briggs played a detective in No Hiding Place for several years in the early 60's. And very dishy he was too!
TVO has been showing The Royal late at night, and last week alone, I found Craig Gazey, and Peter Gunn. On Doc Martin, there was Annne Reid playing a crazy cat lady. Oh, and years ago we saw Johnny Briggs as a window cleaner on On The Buses.If you look hard enough, they're everywhere!
That's what I love about British actors; they are supurb character actors, compared to hollywood types, and the writing is so much more character driven. I never understand why Brit actors want to go to hollywood.
I'd forgotten Sue Nicholls was in Crossroads!
And yes, I totally agree - British character actors are the best! Although there are less of the old style these days, sadly!
Helen Worth - our Gail - had a guest role in Doctor Who way back when, playing a spirited young settler struggling to set up a colony on a distant planet in the Third Doctor serial Colony in Space.
Saeed Jaffrey (Ravi Desai) I was tickled to notice on Coronation Street where I knew him by reputation from the Man Who Would be King playing Billy Fish, (my favourite movie).
Lynne Perrie was wonderful as the lead in a BBC TV play called Leeds United back in 1974. She played a feisty working class woman who led the other factory workers on strike. Liz Dawn had a small part in an episode of Open All Hours. Sue Cleaver was in Dinnerladies and Bruce Jones was good as the lead in a Ken Loach film called Raining Stones and was also in The Full Monty.
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