If you are wondering, "Who are the actors from Crossroads?" Although you would never have known it from her on-screen squawk, she loved to sing and made a special appearance at Birmingham Town Hall, singing in Handels Messiah. {PPInfiniteScroll.addLazyLoadingAds()}; BrainSharper is your news, entertainment, music fashion website. She died in April 1985, aged 65, after a battle with stomach cancer. She appeared in two British films, 29 Acacia Avenue (1945) and Lisbon Story (1946) in minor parts. Original star Tony played Adam Chanced from 1978 until he was killed off in a fire during the reprisal. Tonge was born Anthony Roger Tonge in Birmingham where he attended Lordswood Technical Grammar School. A clothes horse was once described as having more go in it that Ronald Allens Crossroads creation. Arthur Leslie who played Jack Walker in Coronation Street passed away very suddenly in 1970, and Beryl Johnstone (Kitty Jarvis) in Crossroads in 1969, and Jo Richardson (Mrs Whitton) in. The character - whom Hargreaves described as a "Technicolor. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. We built up an audience of 15 million viewers. But the actress, who had been battling cancer since 1982, died on April 14 that year, before she could make her return. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Cleo was given the role by producer Reg Watson after press coverage of racial tensions in the Birmingham area at that time. Tuesday, 2nd May 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Crossroads matriarch Meg later Meg Mortimer was memorably played by Brummie actress Noele Gordon. She is survived by their son, Rupert. Initially commissioned as an emergency schedule filler, the show became so successful that Gordon gave up her executive position to concentrate on presenting. While he had much success in films and other television series, he never forgot Crossroads and was always keen to be involved with reunion events. Seventies chart-toppers Mud, Where are they now? let infinite_scroll_layout_settings = JSON.parse('{"layoutSettings":{"autoConsent":0,"introParagraphType":"Social_image","imagePosition":"","notClickableHeader":1,"additionalPost":1,"vidazooPixelStartPage":0},"topAd":{"position":"Before","element":" figure","startsFrom":2},"video":{"provider":"Vidazoo","startsFrom":3}}'); Lovable Crossroads legend Angus Lennie, who played cheeky chef, Shughie McFee. [9], First in 1969, and over the following decade, she won the TV Times award for most popular television actress on eight occasions. He stayed on at a time when the soap saw its highest ratings pulling in 18 million viewers a night at its peak. Her father died the following day on a steamer that was sunk, and her stepfather, Ginger (GCR) Franks, died in the fighting that followed the invasion. Crossroads took up six months every year, which left me time for theatre, pantomime and guest spots on shows like Bullseye and then Eamonn Andrews surprised me on one of his last This Is Your Life shows in 1985. She said she partly based the alcoholic lesbian she played in the Enid Bagnold play Call Me Jacky (Oxford playhouse, 1967-68) on the novelist Patricia Highsmith, with whom she had a brief relationship in the 1960s. Now, Jane lives in Staffordshire with her husband David, and she has two grown up children, Sorrell and Harry. She died in 1969 at the age of 55, leaving behind her daughter Susan. He had been unwell for quite some time, but always tried his best to remain in contact with his fans.. And it started the trend for overnight stops for motorists in individual accommodation. She is also known for starring in the 1970s TV .more The popular actor starred for nine years in the Midland soap and also took on a memorable role opposite Hollywood legend Steve McQueen in iconic war movie, The Great Escape. Cameron Chapman is much older than his character Anthony Lockwood, Angela Piper has left The Archers as Jennifer Aldridge after 60 years, Meet Vera star Brenda Blethyn's eight siblings, Pamela Anderson 'realised no one has perfect childhood' in look-back. Many were forced to sleep in their cars or camp overnight. In August 2012, it was announced that Hanson had joined the cast of long-running soap opera Coronation Street as a character called Penny Thornley. Her first television appearance for ATV in the Midlands, Tea With Noele Gordon, was the first popular ITV chat show, and while presenting this series, she became the first woman to interview a British Prime Minister,[7] when Harold Macmillan was in office. As Valerie Pollard, she played a cheating wife whose conquests in the. As Valerie Pollard, she played a cheating wife whose conquests in the bedroom mounted up while her millionaire husband, J Henry, took care of affairs in the motel boardroom. Since 1988, she has been the main patron of the Crossroads Appreciation Society, and continues to take an active role in the group. The actor was previously married to Margery Field and he died on July 2, 1985 in London. In late 2004, he appeared in the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, where he played Grandpa Potts. Having dropped in at ATV during his lunch break to enquire about acting parts, a cleaner directed him to a meeting where production manager Margaret French handed him a script and invited him to return for an audition. After this event, her mother and her aunt were keen for her to begin a stage career. He left the programme following a battle with Hodgkin's Disease which left him immobile. Since then he has run his own business and recently played Tony Hancock on stage. She then met up with the nurse, named Sister Anna Bianconi-Moore, on the Corrie set to thank her. Underneath his soft woolly hat lurked a soft woolly brain but Aston-born Paul Henry played him to perfection. Over the years the series dealt with storylines which were controversial for the times. She became ill during the run and had to be replaced. He attended the citys Alderlea Boys School in Shard End with Jeff Lynne and later trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama before spending time with Birmingham Rep and then in Crossroads. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. He was aged just 35. In 1977, Henry recorded "Benny's Theme" with the Mayson Glen Orchestra for Pye Records. The show had many memorable characters in its early years including the likes of hotel chef Carlos Raphael, kitchen assistant Amy Turtle, postmistress Edith Tatum, long-running character Diane Lawton, motel director David Hunter, chef Shughie McFee, hairdresser Vera Downend, and the womanising Adam Chance. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Actress, Joan Collins took to her. Luckily, two security cards were nearby and I was unhurt.. Roger Tonge played Sandy Richardson in the soap between 1964 and 1981. In 1981, four years after The Navy Lark ended, Chasen appeared in Crossroads for the first time, in the role of a newspaper reporter for just one episode. Turtle was the remarkable creation of Smethwick-born Ann George. Mention of Heather Chasen having been nominated for a Tony award for A Severed Head was deleted. In the same interview, she commented that a future role as a breakfast television presenter was being negotiated. The former Coronation Street actor Amanda Barrie, who had a 10-year relationship with Chasen after appearing on stage with her in 1980, recalled her loose grasp on reality. [8] She then moved on to present a daily live entertainment show, Lunchbox, an early daytime programme. Alfred and Arthur Heineman proposed a chain of motor hotels, with the first on the side of the highway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. [12] The British press had stated that Denton was the one responsible for the sacking of Gordon, though it was later revealed that Jack Barton, producer and head writer of Crossroads, was responsible for Gordon's sacking. [1], Born in Aston, Birmingham, Henry attended the city's Alderlea Boys School in Shard End with Jeff Lynne. An appearance on Crossroads in 1971 as Harry Silver, a GI on the run in the village, led to a recurring role on the series in the 1980s as the garage mechanic Sid Hooper. The actor Heather Chasen, who has died aged 92, landed her best-known screen role in the television soap Crossroads. A daughter, Justine, died in 1989. Gordon's father (from Scotland) was an engineer in the Merchant Navy and she was born in East Ham, East London (now part of the London Borough of Newham). Paul Henry as Crossroads lovable Benny Hawkins, Where are they now? Playing Megs daughter, Jane Rossingtons claim to fame is that she was the only the only Crossroads original cast member to be in the first and last episode of the series. In 2011, a nurse watching Corrie noticed a mole on Sue's shoulder and contacted the show to express her concerns. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Jessica played Belle Wise in Crossroads in 2001, when she was just 18 years old. And little remains of the Crossroads Motel, where Noele Gordons character Meg Richardson ruled the roost in ITVs cheap television soap which attracted huge audiences as high as 15 million viewers in the 1970s and early 1980s. Bless This Houses Robin Stewart. Crossroads: Benny helps Nicola Freeman change her tire Since then he has run his own business and recently played Tony Hancock on stage. Nolly has arrived on ITVX and the biographical drama stars the award-winning Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon. Chasens 1949 marriage to John Webster ended in divorce. Birmingham-born Paul, 69, and his wife Sheila live in. Actor best known for her roles in Crossroads and The Navy Lark. Angus Wilson Lennie (18 April 1930 - 14 September 2014) was a Scottish film and theatre character actor with a 50-year career span. Dont snigger but lovable Crossroads legend Angus Lennie, who played cheeky chef Shughie McFee, had previously starred opposite Hollywood legend Steve McQueen in iconic war movie The Great Escape. This permanent character development was made to accommodate actor Roger Tonge who had been developing increasing ill-health. [14], For many years in the 1960s and early 1970s, Gordon lived in a large white-washed country house in Weir End, near Ross-on-Wye, beside the A40 road to Monmouth. Following the accident, the character of Sandy was predominantly a wheelchair user, though he was able to stand and move upright with the aid of crutches. Birmingham-born Paul, 69, and his wife Sheila live in Shropshire and have a son, Anthony. David Fennell played Brian Jarvis for 11 years between 1964 and 1975. His absence and death were never mentioned in Crossroads until the final episode. But while most big cities already had hotels, there wasnt much accommodation for motorists. The popular actor starred for nine years in the Midland soap and also took on a memorable role . The actor from Sparkhill . "[15], A televised drama production was announced by ITV Studios in November 2021, with Helena Bonham Carter playing Gordon. Heather found fame playing Valerie Pollard on Crossroads (not Emmerdale) for four years from 1982. Benny was last seen putting up a fairy on a Christmas tree in 1987 and the series ended a year later. He died at the age of 84 in September 2014. Kathy sadly died in 2008 from a brain tumour, she was aged 80. A former chat show host she was the first woman ever to interview a serving Prime Minister she had been presenter of ATVs Lunchbox. He was an actor, known for Crossroads (1964), Crossroads: A Celebration (1971) and Nearest and Dearest (1968). Anthony W Morton, who made his name during three years' service in the motel kitchen during the mid-60s died after a short illness. The claim was not challenged on air.[2]. Im well, despite having my right eye removed last year. Susan married Radio 1 presenter Tommy Vance in the 60s, and then married former Move frontman Carl Wayne until his death in 2004. Crossroads was routinely assailed by TV critics for what they saw as its low quality, and Tonge was one of the members of the cast who was regularly criticised. [12], In the 2023 ITVX miniseries Nolly, which dramatised the life of his former Crossroads colleague Noele Gordon, Henry was portrayed by Lloyd Griffith. Funnily enough, she starred alongside her fellow Crossroads actor Sue Nicholls, who played Audrey Roberts. I learned my craft doing rep in plays like Billy Liar, then working with actors including Michael Gambon and Timothy Dalton at Birmingham Rep, where I spent eight years. He was usually cast as a villain in his career. [1] She played the role of Meg Mortimer (originally Richardson, later Ryder) in the long-running British soap opera Crossroads from 1964 to 1981, with a brief return in 1983. She would, however, not return to television full-time because of her theatre commitments. 00:00, 18 AUG 2009. [18], As detailed by ITV in their on-air obituary broadcast prior to an episode of, As noted in BBC One's TV Heros series, 1991, As noted by Jane Rossington and Paul Henry on the documentary, "Welcome to Nollywood: The staggering true story of Crossroads queen Noele Gordon", "The real story behind Noele Gordon and why she was sacked from Crossroads", "Helena Bonham Carter: I've got so many issues, but as you get older you go: whatever", "ITV commissions Nolly starring academy award-nominated Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon", "What happened to Noele Gordon? The planned chain never worked out as other businessmen jumped on the bandwagon, offering cheaper rates. But in later years his ill-health left him increasingly immobile. Chasen also had an elegance and grand air about her that endeared her to friends, and she was often seen with a glass of champagne in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Her last stage role was in No, No, Nanette at Plymouth's Theatre Royal. Roger Tonge (30 January 1946 26 February 1981) was a British actor. No, I agree, its not immediately obvious. It came after playing more than 20 characters most of the female parts throughout the 18-year run of the BBC radio sitcom The Navy Lark (1959-77), set on board the Royal Navy frigate HMS Troutbridge. Jane starred in Crossroads for 24 years while her character married five times, battled drug and alcohol addiction, and had a baby with her stepbrother. Year: 1981. She continued her pop career after the show, before becoming a stage actress and appearing in pantomines. She sought revenge by having an affair with Adam Chance (Tony Adams) who was previously in a relationship with her daughter Miranda (Claire Faulconbridge) after he became engaged to Jill Harvey (Jane Rossington). She now lives in Staffordshire and in 2022 her family revealed she was suffering from Alzheimers disease. I met Sheila at The British Legion Club when I was working at Birmingham Rep and she was a hairdresser. Gordon stayed with the programme until she was sacked in 1981, when ATV was in the process of being re-constituted into a new company, Central Independent Television. It led to her playing most of her scenes opposite Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts), no doubt with both having a sense of deja vu. James from London International Treasure LV 5 Messages 7,507 Reaction score 14,214 Awards 16 Location Brixton Member Since Time immemorial Mar 1, 2021 #2 Looking back, Sandy and Diane were my favourites. Group Shot, cast members with Producer William Smethurst, Susan Hanson, Jane Rossington and Tony Adams, Jeremy Nicholas And Jane Rossington in Crossroads- 1988 The Final Scene, Jane Rossington, Paul Henry, and Susan Hanson, Jessica Fox has played Nancy on Hollyoaks since 2008, Sue Nicholls plays Audrey Roberts on Coronation Street, Kathy Staff starred as Nora Batty in the hit show, Tony Adams was almost stabbed by a furious viewer. Prior to the 'accident' storyline, Tonge had for many months only been seen in seated scenes, standing rigid or lying in bed. In The Great Escape, the Glasgow-born actor played Scottish prisoner of war Archibald The Mole Ives. The British actress is now 79 years old. From June 1943 to July 1944, she appeared in the musical The Lisbon Story at the London Hippodrome. or "Who starred on Crossroads?" Heather Chasen, most famed for her role as Valerie Pollard in Crossroads, has died at the age of 92.. During her career Chasen appeared in multiple British soaps, spending four years playing Pollard in the now-defunct Crossroads in the 1980s.. More recently she appeared in EastEnders as Janine's grandmother Lydia in 2011 for a brief stint.. Now 70, he lives in Shropshire. Sue, now 76, played Marilyn Gates on Crossroads from 1964-1968, and she sang a song called Where Will You Be on the show which later reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart. Gordon's return as Meg was devised by the new producer, Phillip Bowman, who himself ended the involvement with the series of regulars Ronald Allen and Sue Lloyd. Film type: Colour / Sound Genre: Television News. Gordon was credited as the first woman to be seen on colour television sets,[3][4] as she took part, as a teenager, in John Logie Baird's world's first colour transmission on 3 July 1938. Remember Birmingham from days gone by with our nostalgia newsletter. Jane Rossington Jane, now 77, played Jill. My time on Crossroads came to an end when I found it difficult working with a new producer who wanted to make changes. He starred in 298 episodes of Crossroads before moving on to The Bill and Inspector Morse. He was reported as having laughed off the jibes of journalists, by saying: "I'm allergic to criticism". Emmerdale double exit as Sarah Sugden dies after exposing lie, Sarah Lancashire spoke up to change Happy Valley ending, Crossroads: Paul Henry, Noele Gordon and Susan Hanson, Helena Bonham Carter admits to having 'imposter syndrome' in Nolly, Crossroads: Jane Rossington and Edward Clayton, Crossroads: Noele Gordon with the original cast, Coronation Street gunman attack leaves family fearing for their lives, Helena Bonham Carter believes Noele Gordon was axed by 'ageist bosses', Helena Bonham Carter 'wasn't sexual' enough in early career struggle, Helena Bonham Carter transforms into Crossroads' Nolly, Helena Bonham Carter unrecognisable in red wig as Crossroads star, Cross words on Helena playing ITV soap queen Noele in drama, Bradley Walsh in tears during emotional talk with son Barney. I took the flack as that was part of my job to protect my staff. To accommodate his disability, and in order not to lose the character from the series, a plotline was developed where Sandy became paralysed and a wheelchair user through an accident. Actress. Then there was perhaps the most memorable character of all, village idiot Benny Hawkins, whose trademark was a woolly hat worn all year round. In real life, after a short-lived marriage to BBC Radio 1 DJ Tommy Vance in the 1960s, Hanson married former Move frontman Carl Wayne in 1974, who lost a battle against cancer in 2004. (Image: Central Television) David Hunter A. Gordon never married. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry. In a tragic scene, his character is shot by German guards as he makes a run for the prison camps fence. Tony Adams played womanising accountant, Adam Chance in Crossroads for 10 years. Joan Noele Gordon (25 December 1919 - 14 April 1985) was a British actor of Scottish descent and television presenter. Anguss other film roles included appearances in 633 Squadron, Tunes of Glory and 1969 musical Oh! Elisabeth Croft who played Miss Tatum in Crossroads. I was playing the English Soldier in Saint Joan in 1970 for director James Cellan Jones, when he cast me in my first TV job as Guiccioli in the acclaimed drama series The Roads To Freedom. [3] Henry's post-Crossroads career included minor stage roles and the running of a nightclub in Whitchurch, Shropshire, but, in 1994, he returned to television briefly in a tribute to Crossroads, called 30 Years On. Gordon attended RADA, appearing in repertory theatres and the West End stage. Roger Tonge. In 1953, she toured as Mrs Sally Adams in Call Me Madam after Billie Adams had played the role in the London season at the Coliseum. Chasen held her own against the male cast during the Sunday studio recordings. [1] Henry's first acting credit was for his role as Guiccioli on the TV miniseries The Roads to Freedom. 'Crossroads' TV Series. [4] He was in character as Benny in the song, but spoke rather than sang. Company: ATV Master format: 16mm Description. Doctors, The Sandbaggers, Crossroads Diane Keen (born 29 July 1946) is an English actress, who starred in the British TV drama Doctors in which she played Julia Parsons from 2003 to 2012. then this list will help you answer those questions. Gordon was the only member of the Crossroads cast who had a permanent contract;[11] all other cast members were booked on an ad hoc basis. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Arguably the most successful actress to have starred in Crossroads, both old and new, the sky seems to be the limit for Freema Agyeman! "[6], Henry appeared in the episode "Stoppo Driver" in The Sweeney playing a gangster. He did however, reveal that his nasty Crossroads character came back to haunt him as a viewer tried to kill him. Although he was a regular in the soap opera, Tonge found time to appear on other television programmes, including Z-Cars, Nearest and Dearest and Detective. Susan played Diane 'Miss Diane' Parker until her character was controversially killed off by a brain haemorrhage. Croaky-voiced Anthony Roger Tonge was working as an 8-a-week post office clerk and performing in amateur dramatics in the evenings when he landed the role of Sandy Richardson, the motel owners son, a role he would play for 17 years. He was married to actress Sue Lloyd, who played his onscreen wife, Barbara Hunter, before lung cancer claimed his life in 1991. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. This list includes all of the Crossroads main actors and actresses, so if they are an integral part of the show you'll find them below. He was only 35. Joan Noele Gordon (25 December 1919 14 April 1985) was a British actor of Scottish descent FORMER Crossroads star John Bentley, who married Noele Gordon in the soap's biggest storyline, has died aged 92. The decision to dismiss Gordon the show's most popular cast member was taken in the hope that viewers would desert the show, giving Central a valid excuse to axe it. Royal Shakespeare Company-trained Elisabeth Croft had been a withdrawn child, so acting was perhaps an odd choice of career. He started out acting in amateur productions before landing parts in theatres across the UK. Roger Tonge was born on 30 January 1946 in Birmingham, England, UK. In an interview she gave to TV Times in 1981, Gordon announced that she might, once her stage work had come to an end, take up the offer of returning to presenting. A single parent working at the motel seems staid now, but was hugely controversial in the mid-1960s; Sandy Richardson was injured in a car accident in 1972 and needed to use a wheelchair, the first paraplegic regular character portrayed in British soap opera. Express.co.uk has all you need to know about where the original cast are now. She stayed with the show for a national tour. [1] Early life She had a natural eccentricity that was on display at OConnors wedding she turned up in camouflage pants and dark glasses with impenetrable blue lenses. [7], In 2003, he returned to acting on TV in an episode of the British medical soap opera Doctors. Something went wrong, please try again later. His father was a master carpenter. Henry trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, which was followed by eight years at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. In the 1940s, a stunning portrait of her was painted by Ella Mollo, with whom she conducted an affair while also sleeping with the artists Russian husband. [7], As well as being a producer, Gordon became a presenter for the new Birmingham-based service. She led her soap life to the full for 24 years during which scripts saw her married five times once bigamously become a drug addict, an alcoholic and have a baby with her stepbrother.
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