crossroads actor dies

Instructed to stop using the name, the troops came up with Stills for locals because they were still Bennies. He had been unwell for quite some time, but always tried his best to remain in contact with his fans.. The British actress is now 79 years old and she is married with two children. Years later, I did Doctors, several episodes of Bad Girls and recently a tour playing Tony Hancock in Hancocks Finest Hour. It then moved to the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End, where it ran for only 88 performances. Crossroads cast list, including photos of the actors when available. Chasens 1949 marriage to John Webster ended in divorce. She has appeared on Loose Women and the Alan Titchmarsh Show, to promote the Crossroads 45th anniversary boxset. In 1981, after a long fight with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Tonge died age 35. She was also very well known for her role as Nora Batty in Last Of The Summer Wine , which she played from its inception in 1973 until her death. 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. 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. Birmingham-born Paul, 69, and his wife Sheila live in. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. An impressive career followed with appearances on EastEnders, Holby City, The Bill, and Navy. She was the only original cast member of Crossroads to star in both the first and last ever episodes, and she spoke the first words spoken on the soap, "Crossroads Motel, good evening". Roger Tonge. Tonge was born Anthony Roger Tonge in Birmingham where he attended Lordswood Technical Grammar School. This cast list of actors from Crossroads focuses primarily on the main characters, but there may be a few actors who played smaller roles on Crossroads that are on here as well. The actor Roger Tonge, best known as Sandy Richardson on Crossroads, has died at the age of 35. This permanent character development was made to accommodate actor Roger Tonge who had been developing increasing ill-health. Created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling, and originally produced by ATV, Crossroads Motel which was later upgraded to a hotel was to be found in the fictional village of Kings Oak, on the outskirts of Birmingham. 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. [9], First in 1969, and over the following decade, she won the TV Times award for most popular television actress on eight occasions. [1] Early life His absence and death were mentioned in an episode of Crossroads between his character's mother Meg and sister Jill and again in the episode featuring Meg leaving for a new life on the QE2. The character caught on. Cleo was given the role by producer Reg Watson after press coverage of racial tensions in the Birmingham area at that time. He was only 35. 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. [8] She then moved on to present a daily live entertainment show, Lunchbox, an early daytime programme. 'Crossroads' TV Series. Prior to the 'accident' storyline, Tonge had for many months only been seen in seated scenes, standing rigid or lying in bed. 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. The character is known for a story that never happened. He died at the age of 84 in September 2014. Just a couple of years after her debut TV role as Lola Wise, Agyeman became the companion in Doctor Who, Martha Jones. He had caught chicken pox and died of heart failure, his system unable to cope with the infection. Since Crossroads , she also starred as Rusty Dickinson in film Back Home , and TV show Powers . Since 1988, she has been the main patron of the Crossroads Appreciation Society, and continues to take an active role in the group. She was given the middle name of Noele because she was born on Christmas Day. David Moran - IMDb Heather found fame playing Valerie Pollard on Crossroads (not Emmerdale) for four years from 1982. The actress made a brief return to the soap in 1983 and went on to star in the musical Gypsy. John Ernest Briggs MBE (5 September 1935 - 28 February 2021) [1] was an English actor. [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. Cook Shughie blagged his way into a job at the motel, boasting he once worked on a luxury cruise ship which turned out to be a workers ferry on the Clyde. David Fennell played Brian Jarvis for 11 years between 1964 and 1975. Charles Stapley obituary | Soap opera | The Guardian 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. A succession of quality TV dramas and BBC plays followed, including Romeo And Juliet with Celia Johnson and A Midsummer Nights Dream with an all-star cast of Edward Fox, Eileen Atkins, Lynn Redgrave, Ronnie Barker as Bottom and me as Flute. 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. She was educated at a Malaysian boarding school, Pensionnat Notre Dame, in Pahang. My time on Crossroads came to an end when I found it difficult working with a new producer who wanted to make changes. By fate or economy the stories vary it became the first to squeeze the words motor hotel into motel. The British actress is now 79 years old. She made her professional debut as Marcella in Donna Clarines at the Castle theatre, Farnham (1945). {PPInfiniteScroll.addLazyLoadingAds()}; BrainSharper is your news, entertainment, music fashion website. Roger Tonge (30 January 1946 26 February 1981) was a British actor. In 2019, she won the Outstanding Achievement gong at the British Soap Awards. If you are wondering, "Who are the actors from Crossroads?" Not much else is known about the soap actor and what became of him. let infinite_scroll_server_settings = JSON.parse('{"max_screen_index":50,"site_initial":"bs","total_media_id":"","is_active_mode":"GeneralMode","campaign_hash":"7caa701b2bd5a182b80c72b9bdf88e2d","article_url":"\/entertainment\/cast-crossroads-now-yh\/","country_code":"US","cloudfront_country_code":"US","first_article_max_page_num":49,"additional_post_url":"https:\/\/brain-sharper.com\/entertainment\/baywatch-tan-tb-2\/"}'); Once, we were in a cafe on Marylebone High Street, Barrie told me, Heather was completely and utterly broke and said, Im going to phone the bank manager. She did, then said, Its wonderful. She is buried in the churchyard of St Mary's Parish Church in Ross-on-Wye. The programme's new look was designed to bring back Gordon on an 'as and when' basis, starting with a three-month stint from April 1985. Jane Rossington Jane Rossington was part of the cast from day one and she played Jill Richardson in the soap. His numerous credits include the character of Flying Officer Archibald Ives in The Great Escape, and Shughie McFee in the television soap opera Crossroads. Roger Tonge was born on 30 January 1946 in Birmingham, England, UK. But in later years his ill-health left him increasingly immobile. ATV Today: 26.02.1981: Death of Roger Tonge | MACE Archive He was married to actress Sue Lloyd, who played his onscreen wife, Barbara Hunter, before lung cancer claimed his life in 1991. Kathy played Doris Luke from 1978-1984, and then from 2001-2002. Kathy sadly died in 2008 from a brain tumour, she was aged 80. Margaret Matheson had stated that it was not Denton or herself who sacked Gordon. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. He was usually cast as a villain in his career. Angus passed away in a nursing home in London on Sunday. Initially commissioned as an emergency schedule filler, the show became so successful that Gordon gave up her executive position to concentrate on presenting. His fans included British troops serving in the Falklands War in 1982, who nicknamed the Falkland Islanders Bennies after the character. In 1981, after a long fight with Hodgkins disease, Tonge died at the age of 35. He sneaked into the studios and charged at me with a knife, he said. She died in April 1985, aged 65, after a battle with stomach cancer. After the show ended for good, Jane appeared in an episode of children's TV show Dramarama , and had her own radio show on Beacon Radio. But Heineman opened the worlds first motel in world, almost accidentally, in San Luis Obispo, California in December 1925. 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. Who's Who on Television. In late 2004, he appeared in the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, where he played Grandpa Potts. 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. var device = 'mobile'; The Crossroads cast now: Hollyoaks stars, nightclub owners and murder Bob Warman interview with the Crossroads producer Jack Barton who describes how Sandy's work schedule allowed him to spend . 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Susan Hanson played Miss Diane (aka Diane Parker, aka Diane Hunter) before her character was controversially killed off. After attending Princess Helena college in Hertfordshire, she trained at Rada in London in 1944, though leaving after one term when she failed to get a scholarship. In April 1949, she took the role of Meg Brockie in the original London production of Brigadoon for 685 performances at Her Majesty's Theatre. Rossington now lives in Staffordshire with her second husband, chartered surveyor David Dunger. 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. She died in August 1976 in Seychelles. (modern). What's the connection between an American named Alfred Heineman and the late soap queen Noele Gordon? He started out acting in amateur productions before landing parts in theatres across the UK. On television, she had runs as Helen Baker in the Francis Durbridge thriller The World of Tim Frazer (1960), Caroline Kerr (1968-69) in the BBC soap The Newcomers, Isabel Neal in the afternoon serial Marked Personal (1973-74), Mary Queen of Scots in the childrens adventure A Traveller in Time (1978) and Aunt Rachel in Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House (1982), as well as playing Margaret Thatcher in the drama-documentary Who Bombed Birmingham? [16] Written by Russell T Davies, and directed by Peter Hoar, the production is titled Nolly and depicts her time in, and sacking from, Crossroads. Henry trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, which was followed by eight years at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Crossroads: Benny helps Nicola Freeman change her tire Since then he has run his own business and recently played Tony Hancock on stage. Henry made a guest appearance on the Central Television game show Bullseye, presented by Jim Bowen, on 11 February, 1985. People still recognise me and say hello, which is nice. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. [8] He then played the regular character Frank, a baker's delivery man and later attempted rapist, in the penultimate series of the ITV1 prison drama Bad Girls. Beryl Johnstone played Kitty Jarvis for five years until 1969. Charging charged $1.25 per room per night, it was luxurious for its time, comprising a number of small bungalows with private garages. Crossroads cast now: What happened to Noele Gordon and her co-stars in [1], Born in Aston, Birmingham, Henry attended the city's Alderlea Boys School in Shard End with Jeff Lynne. His last known role was in the short film The Gigolo in 2017. Little remains nowadays of Mr Heinemans motel dream, apart from a bell tower and a sign. Gordon helped Reg Watson and Ned Sherrin launch ATV Midlands in 1956. or "Who starred on Crossroads?" After the termination of her Crossroads contract, Gordon starred in the musical Gypsy at Leicester's Haymarket Theatre, followed by a revival of Irving Berlin's musical Call Me Madam, touring the Midlands. Gavin and Stacey actress Margaret John has died at the age of 84, it has been announced. She died in 1969 at the age of 55, leaving behind her daughter Susan. The actor was previously married to Margery Field and he died on July 2, 1985 in London. Susan married Radio 1 presenter Tommy Vance in the 60s, and then married former Move frontman Carl Wayne until his death in 2004. Later, there was an inter-racial romance between garage mechanic Dennis Harper, played by Merlin Ward, and motel receptionist Meena Chaudri (Karan David). In 1954, Gordon spent a year in New York City learning American television production at New York University. 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. [5][6] Her acting career came to a halt in 1955, when she joined Associated Television in London, where she presented their first-ever programme, The Weekend Show. Seventies chart-toppers Mud, Where are they now? She sang at a strip club in Vienna and toured America and Cananda with the Royal Shakespeare Company. [17] It first aired in February 2023. 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. Knowing of her infidelity, J Henry cancelled her credit accounts and effectively grounded Valerie by finding a job for her behind the motels bar. Melanie Harper, played by Cleo Sylvestre, arrived at the motel in 1970 as Megs foster daughter itself a taboo issue. Susan played Diane 'Miss Diane' Parker until her character was controversially killed off by a brain haemorrhage. 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. [13], Henry and his wife Sheila had a son, Anthony, and a daughter, Justine, who died as a result of a traffic collision at the age of 19.[2]. Jane Rossington Jane, now 77, played Jill. Roger Tonge played Sandy Richardson in the soap between 1964 and 1981. She now lives in Staffordshire and in 2022 her family revealed she was suffering from Alzheimers disease. Chasen spent a year (1958-59) in the role of Mollie Ralston in the Agatha Christie whodunnit The Mousetrap (Ambassadors theatre, London) and many West End roles followed. Company: ATV Master format: 16mm Description. I met Sheila at The British Legion Club when I was working at Birmingham Rep and she was a hairdresser. Anthony works in sales, while Jake, our grandson, has finished his A levels and Jade, our granddaughter, has just left university with an English degree. Cast of Crossroads L-R Meg Mortimer (Noele Gordon) David Hunter (Ronald Allen) Jill (Jane Rossington) Sandy (Roger Tonge) and Benny (Paul Henry). All rights reserved. Menu Movies Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight TV Shows then this list will help you answer those questions. He was reported as having laughed off the jibes of journalists, by saying: "I'm allergic to criticism". Elisabeth Croft who played Miss Tatum in Crossroads. Tuesday, 2nd May 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. Gavin and Stacey actress Margaret John dies at 84 - BBC News Where are they now? Benny from Crossroads - Express [9], Returning to the stage in 2009, he appeared in a touring version of Run for Your Wife and in the following year portrayed Tony Hancock in the play Hancock's Finest Hour. Gordon attended RADA, appearing in repertory theatres and the West End stage. In the same interview, she commented that a future role as a breakfast television presenter was being negotiated. A former fashion model, Valerie was used to the finer things in life, spending her husbands money, devouring Tom Collins cocktails and men. In 1985, Matheson's successor Ted Childs ordered Crossroads to be revamped; one element in the updating of the show was its renaming as Crossroads Motel. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos straight from the entertainment industry. After this event, her mother and her aunt were keen for her to begin a stage career. The actor Heather Chasen, who has died aged 92, landed her best-known screen role in the television soap Crossroads. He left the programme following a battle with Hodgkin's Disease which left him immobile. His country-boy style gained him the part of Peter Stevens in The Archers for a time. Peggy Aitchison played Vi Blundell for six years between 1964 and 1970. The father-of-one died in March 1984, aged 88, after a fall at a home for retired actors. Where are the original Crossroads cast now? | TV & Radio - Express In 2012, Susan moved to ITV soap Coronation Street , playing Penny Thornley. Paul Henry's grandad was murdered by a Peaky Blinder - Express Lovable Crossroads legend Angus Lennie, who played cheeky chef, Shughie McFee. has died, aged 84. She continued her pop career after the show, before becoming a stage actress and appearing in pantomines. He was also in the film Catch Me Going Back. Actor best known for her roles in Crossroads and The Navy Lark. 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). Im well, despite having my right eye removed last year. 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. 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. She has two grown children, Sorrel and Harry. Joan Noele Gordon (25 December 1919 - 14 April 1985) was a British actor of Scottish descent and television presenter. I wasnt keen, but as it was only for a few weeks, I thought, Why not? I dressed in a set of overalls and my brothers green woolly hat that he wore when he went fishing. Arguably the most successful actress to have starred in Crossroads, both old and new, the sky seems to be the limit for Freema Agyeman! Royal Shakespeare Company-trained Elisabeth Croft had been a withdrawn child, so acting was perhaps an odd choice of career. 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. He stayed on at a time when the soap saw its highest ratings pulling in 18 million viewers a night at its peak. Crossroads actor John Bentley dies at 92 - Birmingham Live However, this high living meant she was often short of money. 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. In a tragic scene, his character is shot by German guards as he makes a run for the prison camps fence. "[15], A televised drama production was announced by ITV Studios in November 2021, with Helena Bonham Carter playing Gordon.