William Roache
Plays Ken Barlow
William was born on 25 April 1932 in Ilkeston, Derbyshire, to mum Hester, a keen amateur dramatist, and dad, Vince, a local GP. William began to study medicine, but was drafted for National Service and liked the army life so much that he later joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. He spent five years in the army and achieved the rank of Captain, serving in such far-flung places as British Guyana, Jamaica, and Arabia.
In 1957, William left the forces and had plans to set up a Persian carpet business, but instead took acting lesson and joined rep in Nottingham, Oldham and Clacton-on-Sea. As well as small parts in four films, he moved into TV and appeared in various shows, including medical drama Emergency Ward 10. He was soon offered the role of Ken Barlow in new serial Coronation Street and is one of the few remaining original cast members.
William is divorced from first wife Anna Cropper, with whom he has two children, Vanya and Linus, who is a well-respected screen actor. He had two children with his late second wife Sara Mottram, Verity and William, but they sadly lost another daughter, Edwina, when she was just 18-months-old to a viral infection.
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Coronation Street Current Cast
- A
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Anna Windass
played by Debbie Rush
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Ashley Peacock
played by Steven Arnold
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Audrey Roberts
played by Sue Nicholls
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Amy Barlow
played by Elle Mulvaney
- B
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Bill Webster
played by Peter Armitage
-
Becky McDonald
played by Katherine Kelly
-
Betty Williams
played by Betty Driver
-
Blanche Hunt
played by Maggie Jones
- C
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Carla Gordon
played by Alison King
-
Chesney Battersby-Brown
played by Sam Aston
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Claire Peacock
played by Julia Haworth
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Ciaran McCarthy
played by Keith Duffy
- D
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Darryl Morton
played by Jonny Dixon
-
David Platt
played by Jack P Shepherd
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Deirdre Barlow
played by Anne Kirkbride
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Dev Alahan
played by Jimmi Harkishin
- E
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Eddie Windass
played by Steve Huison
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Eileen Grimshaw
played by Sue Cleaver
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Emily Bishop
played by Eileen Derbyshire
- F
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Fiz Stape
played by Jennie McAlpine
- G
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Gary Windass
played by Mikey North
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Graeme Proctor
played by Craig Gazey
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Gail Platt
played by Helen Worth
- H
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Hayley Cropper
played by Julie Hesmondhalgh
- J
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Janice Battersby
played by Vicky Entwistle
-
Jesse Chadwick
played by John Thomson
-
Joe McIntyre
played by Reece Dinsdale
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John Stape
played by Graeme Hawley
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Julie Carp
played by Katy Cavanagh
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Jack Duckworth
played by Bill Tarmey
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Jason Grimshaw
played by Ryan Thomas
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Joshua Peacock
played by Benjamin Beresford
- K
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Ken Barlow
played by William Roache
-
Kevin Webster
played by Michael Le Vell
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Kirk Sutherland
played by Andrew Whyment
- L
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Liz McDonald
played by Bev Callard
-
Lloyd Mullaney
played by Craig Charles
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Leanne Battersby
played by Jane Danson
- M
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Maria Connor
played by Samia Smith
-
Michelle Connor
played by Kym Marsh
-
Molly Dobbs
played by Vicky Binns
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Mary Taylor
played by Patti Clare
- N
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Norris Cole
played by Malcolm Hebden
-
Nick Tilsley
played by Ben Price
- P
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Pam Hobsworth
played by Kate Anthony
-
Peter Barlow
played by Chris Gascoyne
- R
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Rita Sullivan
played by Barbara Knox
-
Rosie Webster
played by Helen Flanagan
-
Roy Cropper
played by David Neilson
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Ryan Connor
played by Ben Thompson
- S
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Sarah Louise Platt
played by Tina O'Brien
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Simon Barlow
played by Alex Bain
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Sally Webster
played by Sally Whittaker
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Sean Tully
played by Antony Cotton
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Sophie Webster
played by Brooke Vincent
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Steve McDonald
played by Simon Gregson
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Sian Powers
played by Sacha Parkinson
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Sunita Alahan
played by Shobna Gulati
- T
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Tina McIntyre
played by Michelle Keegan
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Tony Gordon
played by Gray O'Brien
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Tyrone Dobbs
played by Alan Halsall
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Tracy Barlow
played by Kate Ford
- V
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Vera Duckworth
played by Elizabeth Dawn
