Philip Lowrie
Philip Lowrie | |
|---|---|
 Lowrie as Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street | |
| Born | Colin Philip Lowrie 20 June 1936[1] Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England |
| Died | 25 April 2025 (aged 88) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1958–2019 |
| Known for | Role of Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street (1960–1968, 2011–2014) |
Colin Philip Lowrie (20 June 1936[2] – 25 April 2025) was an English stage and television actor. He played Dennis Tanner in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street from its inception in 1960 until 1968 and again from 2011 until 2014.[3]
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, Lowrie was the son of Bertha (née Collins) and Philip Lowrie, who was a foreman in a paper mill. Lowrie had a stammer so attended elocution lessons at Miss Atherton's Elocution. When he left secondary school, his mother managed to save enough money to pay his fees at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where he studied for three years.[4]
Career
[edit]Aged 24, Lowrie appeared in the opening episode of the Granada Television soap opera Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner, the son of Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and brother of Linda Cheveski (Anne Cunningham). Lowrie remained with the show as a regular character until 1968. During this period, he recorded a pop single, "I Might Have Known", which was issued by Ember in September 1963. Despite being recorded at the prestigious Abbey Road Studios and produced by John Barry, the record was not a hit.[5]
Lowrie worked with Victoria Wood on several occasions, appearing in her programmes Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast and Victoria Wood, as well as in her television film Pat and Margaret.[6] His other television appearances have included Andy Capp (1988), Crown Court (1975), War and Peace (1972), East Lynne (1976), The Cuckoo Waltz (1977), The Liver Birds (1978), Galloping Galaxies (1986), Rules of Engagement (1989) and Doctors (2005).[6][7]
Lowrie did auditions and voiceover work from 1998 until 2003 for the Channel 4 quiz show Fifteen to One.[8]
In September 2011, Lowrie was presented with a certificate by the Guinness World Records for being the person with the longest gap between television appearances as the same character in the same show, having returned to Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner earlier that year when his previous on-screen appearance as Dennis Tanner had been in June 1968. Lowrie made his final on-screen appearance as the character in July 2014. Lowrie's record of 43 years in between televised appearances as the same character in the same show was beaten in October 2022 by William Russell appearing in Doctor Who after a 57-year gap since his previous appearance as Ian Chesterton in June 1965.[9] He subsequently played Mr Larkin in the ITV series Home Fires in 2016.
In addition to his work on television, Lowrie was also an accomplished theatre actor, starring in many West End and stage lead roles, including performances as Major Metcalf in The Mousetrap (2004), Klever in The Case of The Frightened Lady (2018) and Eric in The Lady Vanishes (2019).
Death
[edit]Lowrie died on 25 April 2025 at the age of 88.[10][11][12]
Acting credits
[edit]Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Saturday Playhouse | Series 1 episode 17: A Young Affair | |
| Starr and Company | 1st Boy | Series 1 episode 51: Willie | |
| 1959 | Sunday Night Theatre | Able Seaman Morris | Series 10 episode 1: The Stone Ship |
| Sapphire | Student | Uncredited | |
| Serious Charge | Youth in Larry's Gang | Film; uncredited | |
| 1960-1968, 2011-2014 | Coronation Street | Dennis Tanner | 673 episodes |
| 1963 | Play of the Week | Tim | Series 10 episode 40: The Seventh Wave |
| 1966 | This Man Craig | Pupil | Series 1 episode 26: Old Flame |
| 1970-1972 | Kate | Leonard Snow | 3 episodes |
| 1972-1973 | War and Peace | French Lieutenant/ French Captain/ Pierre's Second |
3 episodes |
| 1973 | Putting on the Agony | Barry | Television film |
| 1974 | Notorious Woman | Alexandre Manceau | Series 1 episode 7: Rebolution |
| 1975 | Jackanory | Architect | Episode: The Emperor's Nightingale |
| Crown Court | Dr. Pritchard | Series 4 episode 11: Matron: Part 2 | |
| 1976 | Cilla's World of Comedy | Philip Travers | Series 1 episode 6: Who's Your Friend? |
| Golden Hill | Terry Ashby | 5 episodes | |
| East Lynn | Archibald Carlyle | Television film | |
| 1977 | The Cuckoo Waltz | Tom Napier | Series 3 episode 2: The Treat |
| Devenish | Episode: The Great Exhibition | ||
| 1978 | A Soft Touch | Paul | Series 1 episode 3: Play Acting |
| Tycoon | Gerry Speares | 3 episodes | |
| The Liver Birds | Mr Green | Series 9 episode 4: Weeds | |
| 1980 | Company and Co | Billy Hawkes | 7 episodes |
| 1983 | Angels | Mike Roberts | 3 episodes |
| 1985 | Voices in the Dark | David | Television film |
| 1986 | Galloping Galaxies! | Wimp | Series 2 episode 1 |
| 1987 | The English Programme | David | 2 episodes |
| 1988 | Andy Capp | Mr Watson | 6 episodes |
| Blind Justice | Milligan | 1 episode | |
| 1989 | Rules of Engagement | Nigel Quinn | 4 episodes |
| Victoria Wood | Keith/John Appleby | Episode 2: The Library, episode 4: We'd Quite Like to Apologise | |
| Casualty | Simon Spencer | Series 4 episode 12: Hanging On | |
| 1990 | Rita Rudner | 1 episode | |
| Frederick Forsyth Presents | Supt. Jamieson | Series 2 episode 2: Death Has A Bad Reputation | |
| 1993 | Harry | Houseman | Series 1 episode 3 |
| 1994 | Pat and Margaret | Martin/Warm Up Man | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Doctors | Ron Cornwall | Series 7 episode 103: Lost for Words |
| 2010 | Casualty | Ancient Mariner | Series 24 episode 34: Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea |
| 2012 | Coronation Street: A Christmas Corrie | Dennis Tanner/Norris' Grandfather | Television short |
| 2016 | Home Fires | Mr Lakin | 3 episodes |
References
[edit]- ^ http://web.researcha.com/iccquery/detail/?did=8940124&c=uk [dead link]
- ^ Birth registered: GRO June quarter 1936 Ashton, Volume 8d, p. 975
- ^ Multiple sources:
- O'Connor, Roisin (26 April 2025). "Philip Lowrie, original Coronation Street star, dies aged 88". The Independent. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- Nown, Graham (1986). Coronation Street, 1960–1985 : 25 Years. CBC Enterprises. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-88794-231-0.
- "Dennis Tanner to return to cobbles- Coronation Street". ITV.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- "Dennis Tanner to make Corrie comeback - Coronation Street News - Soaps". Digital Spy. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ "Philip Lowrie". Rada.ac.uk.
- ^ "Philip Lowrie - I Might Have Known (Before) / I Might Have Known (After) - Ember - UK - EMBS 179". 45cat.com. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ a b "BFI | Film & TV Database | LOWRIE, Philip". Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 May 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
- ^ "Philip Lowrie". Aveleyman.com.
- ^ Roche, Elisa (26 January 2011). "50 years on... Dennis Tanner the menace is back in Corrie". Express.co.uk.
- ^ Pilastro, Eleonora (23 November 2022). "Doctor Who character breaks record for longest gap between TV appearances". Guinness World Records. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Philip Lowrie, one of Coronation Street's original stars, dies aged 88". Itv.com. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Topping, Stephen (26 April 2025). "Coronation Street legend Philip Lowrie dies aged 88". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Hayward, Anthony (27 April 2025). "Philip Lowrie obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
External links
[edit]- Philip Lowrie at IMDb
- Philip Lowrie discography at Discogs
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