 |
William RoacheBritish actor
Date of Birth: 25.04.1932
Country:  Great Britain |
Biography of William Roach
Early Life and Career
William Roach is a British actor best known for his role as Ken Barlow in the popular soap opera 'Coronation Street'. He has worked on the show for longer than any other member of the cast and is the only original cast member who has been with the show since its first episode.
Roach attended his first lessons at a school founded by his own grandfather, who was interested in hypnosis, theosophy, spiritualism, homeopathy, and other related phenomena, in their own garden. He later continued his education in a regular school. In 1953, William was called up to the Royal Welsh Fusiliers regiment. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1954 and left the army in 1957. Unfortunately, his military service left him with tinnitus after a mortar shell exploded in front of him.
Record-Breaking Career
Currently, Roach holds the record for the longest-serving actor in the same role. He used to compete with Don Hastings, who played Bob Hughes in the show 'As the World Turns', but that show was recently canceled. If William continues in his role until December 2014, he will break another record for portraying a character for the longest period of time. Previously, this record belonged to Helen Wagner from the same show.
Roach's autobiography, titled 'A Soul on the Street', describes his own life and philosophical musings on the afterlife. In 1999, he received the 'British Soap Awards Lifetime Achievement Award' for his role as Ken Barlow. In 2003, Roach appeared on the show 'Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes', where he performed the song 'Catch a Falling Star' in the style of his legendary character. In September-October 2005, he participated in the game show 'Ant & Dec's Gameshow Marathon'.
Personal Life
In October 2008, on the show 'BBC Breakfast', William Roach revealed his two-year-long feud with Pat Phoenix, his co-star on 'Coronation Street'. The feud was serious, and the actors did not speak to each other for a long time. However, they eventually reconciled and became good friends.
Roach briefly appeared on the BBC project 'Who Do You Think You Are?' on September 26, 2012, where the show's creators explored his family's history.
William Roach was first married to Anna Cropper in 1961. They were married for 13 years and had two children together. His son, Linus Roache, is also an actor, but his daughter Vanya did not follow in her father's footsteps. He married his second wife, Sara, in 1978, but she unexpectedly passed away on February 7, 2009. This marriage gave him two more children, Verity and James Roache, both of whom also became actors. Sadly, William and Sara also had another daughter, Edwina, who died from acute bronchopneumonia at the age of 18 months in 1984.
Throughout his life, Roach has been a staunch supporter of the Conservative Party, although his character Ken Barlow on 'Coronation Street' leaned more towards socialism and the Labour Party. He is also a committed vegetarian, choosing not to consume meat out of a desire to prevent the killing of animals.
