(This post was originally posted by Graeme N on the Coronation Street Blog in December 2012.)I have really been enjoying the series Last Tango in Halifax, penned by Sally Wainwright. A big part of my enjoyment is seeing some brilliant, former Coronation Street actors on screen together, all on top form. I have always been a fan of Anne Reid, Sarah Lancashire and Roy Barraclough so it's terrific to see them all working together.
It has been over forty years since Anne Reid played Ken Barlow's first wife, Valerie. Since then Anne has appeared in a myriad of productions and is always worth watching. I loved her work with Victoria Wood, most notably Dinnerladies. She was also memorable in the film The Mother, co-starring with none other than Daniel Craig. Sarah Lancashire has also carved out a very successful career since playing the iconic Raquel Wolstenhume. And Roy Barraclough was well known as Les Dawson's sidekick before he enjoyed longterm success as Alec Gilroy.
It is often remarked that when soap opera actors leave a longstanding role they risk a life in the wilderness. Being well known as a particularly high profile character can have its plus points when you're in a show like Coronation Street but it can also scupper the chances of a future career should you opt to leave. For every Sarah Lancashire there's a Tracy Shaw. And of course some actors choose to leave the limelight altogether, like Neville Buswell, before he returned as Ray Langton for his swan song in 2005.
So why are some actors successful when they leave the Street, while others vanish without trace? What are your favourite pre and post-Corrie performances from some of our favourite actors? And who would you like to have seen more of once they left the Street?
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